[Jandek] Jandek on bass

[CJ Marsicano]

Hi,

Since I'm new to the list, I'm not sure if this has come up for
discussion much, but having listened to two of his vocals and bass
albums today (The Gone Wait and Raining Down Diamonds), and read Seth's
description where he is presuming either upright acoustic bass, or
electric bass with a slide, let me offer my own quick analysis as a
bassist myself.

I think Jandek is actually playing electric fretless bass on these
albums.  Having listened to them as a bass player, in my opinion there
is no way he could be playing such violent sounding double-stops on
upright - that instrument just isn't able to be played that way.
There's also a lot more microtonality present on the bass albums than
on Jandek's guitar-based work. Since there's a lot of chordal playing
on the bass albums, and given how Jandek seems to chord his stringed
instruments, I don't think using a slide would have been possible
either.

Just my two cents filtered through 20-plus years with the instrument. :)


CJ Marsicano
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