A PRECISION BASS made of PLASTIC (and sounds INSANE!)... (Bass Tales Ep. 19 w/Charlie Jones)

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Fender Custom Shop. Those three words evoke a thrill in bass players everywhere. We can't help it! Some of the world's most iconic instruments were crafted in this very division for equally awe-inspiring hands.
In today's video we head to South West England to audition a Fender Custom Shop plastic 'see-through' bass that pays homage to the quintessential Fender 4-string. You'll also meet the man who was hired by two of the biggest rock names ever, and get a glimpse of the Zemaitis 'Geisha Girl' bass that he sold to Rush legend Geddy Lee!
As always, see you in the shed…
Scott :)
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[@ronlee2611]

I've seen Charlie play with Robert Plant in the late 80s and then with Page / Plant in 1998. He's a brilliant musician and a phenomenal bass player. Fantastic seeing this!

[@joelnakasone]

This guy has a serious pedigree and contagious rock vibe. Makes me want to learn bass. Awesome production.

[@xmanual]

I’d not heard of Charlie before. I saw him with the Cult recently and was struck by how effortlessly he fit into his roll. Sounds like an amazing guy as well. Thanks Scott and team

[@nunofernandes4501]

Very nice, I've ordered a custom bass made of recycled ikea furniture. I'm expecting no tuning stability issues whatsoever.

[@marcpuyuelograndas1005]

Bill Wyman played the first plexiglass bass back in the seventies. It was a 1970 Ampeg Dan Armstrong ARMB-2.

[@paulbrandano3477]

Great interview. I met Charlie at the 4 Seasons Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts in the early 90's I believe. While He was waiting for a cab He and I had a conversation for about 15 minutes and It was the first time I had seen him with short hair, I almost didn't recognize him. A great guy and so easy to talk to. My back was faced to the hotel entrance and Charlie looked over my shoulder as the sun came through the front door causing shadows. All of a sudden Charlie looks up and I see a very big silhouette /shadow and it look like a dark figure with a mane of a lion and quickly I really in the shadow it was RP and He was getting out of the cab I guess to let C.J in. Great memorie for me. I believe they went to the house of blues that night in Cambridge Massachusetts. Oh and I was going to the concert the night I saw Charlie and who do you think was sitting next to me next to the rainbow board ( area in center of the arena that control the light I think) None other than Steven Typer of Aerosmith. It was a great memory indeed.

[@YTPartyTonight]

I'd really love to study the joinery between the plastic headstock and the maple neck shaft. That's fascinating the way the pieces are shaped and fit together, and how anchor end hardware of the truss rod shows in the plastic. I wonder how the maple and plastic parts are fused or glued together. Super interesting. Nice Gotoh Res-O-Lite tuning machines on there too, standard on all of my basses. Perhaps they chose those tuners for better weight balance to mitigate neck dive.

[@Muziq4tune]

Brilliant! Just what I was looking for. Thanks

[@h3wmwmusic6]

I loved watching this video. That plastic P Bass looks awesome. And I’m a big Rush/Geddy Lee fan and read his Beautiful Big Book Of Bass where I saw his “Geisha Girl”. It’s absolutely stunning. ❤

[@Chaziltasm]

Hey look, it's Goldfrapps bassist! Love this guy.

[@sullyb23511]

I love Charlie. Billy did a great job following him after Charlie left the Robert Plant Band, but Charlie's playing always caught my ear in a special way.

[@mikeforbass]

Omg this bass player was playing for Robert Plant when I saw him at knebworth!

[@MarcG7424]

That bass is absolutely beautiful 😍

[@robertcamp1606]

Knew nada of this gent, gotta look 'im up, but Great Vid! New fragment of bass history never known to me!!! Thanks!!!

[@bassimprovjams3772]

Oh wow! The pickups with them switches!! They are darn near impossible to find! I seen Johnny Lee Long have a pair and I cannot find them anywhere!!🙏🙏

[@joannalewis5279]

Love the airy tone

[@abscence1000]

Wow just when I thought I’d forgotten snidely whiplash’s pawn shop.. it randomly appears here .. him finding that bass there was definitely a luck thing. Love this video !

[@finbarrheather5718]

I saw this guy playing at the Birmingham NEC with Page and Plant in…’94, I think? He was great!

[@humblegeorge]

Excellant video what a super cool fellow !

[@S-T-E-V-E]

I saw his Plastic Bass being made in a Fender Custom Shop tour video and hunted it down! 😂👌

[@chrischilton8455]

This was great! What a cool dude.

[@devinebass]

🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@burntoutsmusicclub1861]

Omg that plastic P bass is too die for!

[@christopherkowalski9971]

Great to finally see a Warwick on the channel!!! Why on earth didn't he play it though???

[@cd0u50c9]

Got the sister bass of that Warwick - same model, same year. It's unlike anything else out there. I was lucky enough to have tried a Series I Alembic in Wunjo Bass shop in Soho, and in my eyes the Warwick still excelled over it. late 1980s and early 1990s Warwicks are boutique but workhorse instruments.

[@devinebass]

🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@marcus.guitarist]

Plastic bass comes in at 6:25

[@ricardojmestre]

Thanks!

[@markgatland977]

I used to work in the guitar shop in Denmark St, (number 25), above Nightingale Guitars and would often pop down there to see what he was working on. Brilliant luthier ☺️

[@devinebass]

Wow dude thats awesome!

[@BearfootBob]

"Plastic song, man. Plastic song." - Paul McCartney

[@burtreynolds2969]

*"Plastic soul"

[@brunocyclist]

The importance of tonew... errr, nevermind. 😁

[@justinonyt]

I think you could make a legit documentary following an artist maybe. I see the potential in videos like this. Well done

[@lilpbass]

I’ve never heard Charlie talk before but, I’ve been a fan since he got the Robert Plant gig. Not the personality I had imagined. Lol I don’t know if he still is but he was Plants son in law. Great player!

[@bazZzment]

I absolutely love the transparent P Bass and would LOVE to own one! Does anyone know the weight of it? They unfortunately seem to be on the heavier side. Serek does make a Lincoln at the moment, but it is 11.3 lbs. 🐘

[@MrGrsrrt]

What's the pickup on the Fender Custom Shop P bass?

[@andyhinds542]

I. Love. That. Bass.

[@devinebass]

🔥🔥🔥

[@squirelova1815]

If I'm not mistaken, according to what I've coincidentally read, most woods are also Polymer in structure. I guess wood is God's version of living "plastic" meant for us to also use. Speaking of "coincidences" and God: God as my witness I was for some reason just reading up on Charlie Jones THIS Friday after having a flashback of him talking to a reporter backstage during a Robert Plant tour interview and NOW THIS episode?! Crazy. He was soooo young, adorably boyish and shy or more likely very tired. What an AWESOME grouping of Stars that period was for Plant's career= Destiny!

[@gwawd]

Excellent musician! First noticed him on the Unledded vid.

[@devinebass]

Such a dude!

[@book3100]

I wouldn't mind trying that out. I have played an old Amped plexiglass one. Cool looking, but it does feel different. Maybe more psychological than physical. But it wasn't what i wanted, sound or feel, so i didn't buy it. This was around 1982 in Baltimore in a small shop i don't remember the name of.

[@noahfreeman8115]

This guy is great and so is that bass. Sounds incredible. If plastic wasn’t bad for the environment, I’d def want one.

[@andyhinds542]

This would not be a disposable bass. This is an end product so snap it up. More instruments should be made of plastic if they work.

[@brettwilloughby2981]

And just what is your computer or mobile phone that you wrote your comment on made of ? Wood perhaps?

[@tonyadams6985]

I’m a guitarist/lead vocalist usually in 3 piece lineups, but since page & plant, I’ve gravitated towards this guy. He’s capable of vocals too! Will need to track him down for my next band!!

[@OlavSchneider]

I'd like to own a acrylic bass with LED RBG lights incorporated reacting to the played tones.

[@christoguichard4311]

Plastic (resin) guitars weigh a TON! Most people cant put up with the weight. I had a resin strat, and it weighed about 12 Kilos.

[@DarwinStearns]

Precisely! I had an Ampeg Dan Armstrong 6-string in the late 70s and while it was a really cool looking and sounding guitar, it was just too damned heavy to carry for the length of a show (I had a backache by the end of the first set).

[@code-fox]

Charlie is so easy to listen to

[@edjefferson9175]

I made a plexiglass p-bass body in HS. That was 1976.

[@och70]

How did it turn out?

[@jan-a26]

Post videos if you still have it man

[@edjefferson9175]

@@och70 Heavy!

[@edjefferson9175]

@@jan-a26 Don’t know what happened to it. Gave it to my son I think his mother threw it away

[@MrBazzabumble]

That bass just shows wooden basses are not all there is and as bass player’s we need to use our ears when we buy an instrument and not just our eyes

[@rdhudon7469]

I have seen Steve Priest and Phil Lynott with clear plastic basses in video's .

[@poltergeist3194]

I’m case your wanted to know, Those were Dan Armstrong basses. They are made of clear acrylic

[@gimmeagig]

Great video. Cool looking plastic P but sonically I don't get why it is so special. It might work for some styles of music but by itself it kind of sounds like crap to me. I wouldn't want it if you gave it to me LOL

[@kevinlevesque7422]

Didn’t Fender make a couple plastic basses for INXS’s Garry Beers back in the 80’s? A pbass and a jazz…

[@russianbot1420]

Didn't Phil Lynott play a PRS at some point.

[@rdhudon7469]

You can see him with it while playing whiskey in a jar at the BBC studio's.

[@ileutur6863]

Lo and behold, sounds just like a P bass

[@niteshades_promise]

tone woods? nah tone acrylics.🍻

[@shinyrain7784]

i would love to see les claypool and mark king here

[@devinebass]

Check this video for a bit of Mark 🧡 kzbin.info/www/bejne/noC5loV4iN16ldU

[@mrmillcake8525]

Recommended? I read somewhere he's actually Robert's son-in-law...

[@donbradman334]

Oh, so that's what the P stands for!

[@onsesejoo2605]

It is the electronics.

[@neothrum]

Second

[@neothrum]

Heheheh

[@CaptinGav]

im sure Charlie bought a double bass off my mate Leon

[@NoEx-Tech]

I burned out on bass playing due to financial issues. Sold my bass couple of years ago. Can't afford one now. I wish someone could gift me one right now. I don't mind if it's old

[@Vernonoak]

This bass got nice woodtone.

[@FrankHudsonbass]

First

[@hawkyxvx1786]

Need to do Bobby Vega!!!!

[@devinebass]

We 🧡 Bobby - What a dude!

[@seraphin9162]

THE PEOPLE WANT PINO !

[@devinebass]

🧡🧡🧡

[@grgas]

Left JPJ at home for this dude?

[@mauricemusician7636]

I'd like to make electric guitars and basses out of recycled plastic

[@devinebass]

🔥🔥🔥

[@tommy818]

FInally, PP Bass.

[@sans_inc]

10 reais no máximo

[@McDoinky]

“ROCGH AND ROUL”

[@thijs199]

The use of wood in electric instruments serves almost no purpose. Its just something Im used to

[@marcelogarciasoto9860]

I subscribed to the 14 days trial account and I want to cancel it and the system doesn't allow me to do it, this is super scammy, stay away from this

[@McDoinky]

And the stupid advertisements suck

[@och70]

Aesthetically? I appreciate it. Sound-wise? Not really.

[@sherlock4791]

People that says its all about the electronics needs to hear plastic bass, acrylic bass, steel bass etc

[@ileutur6863]

it sounds like a P bass

[@MoreanMan]

Well that's a bass Flea shouldn't play

[@ricardojmestre]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@alainbrasseur7083]

same hairdresser as Adam Clayton 🙂

[@Jesuswinsbirdofmichigan]

#121_O00OhAh🍒☘️🇺🇸

[@markwybierala4936]

Tone just happens

[@stickplayer2]

Can we talk about tone-plastics? No, j/k.

[@miguelfernandes333]

That bass does not sound good

[@alexmiranda2652]

It sounds too “sticky” on the high end

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

Sounds absolutely awful and usually I prefer a P bass.😮

[@kane6529]

Not for my taste 😂 I’m no tonewood purist but plastic ain’t it

[@eliassouza9469]

You know, just because it sounds different doesn't necessarily mean it sounds bad.

[@pgpete]

plastic Steinbergers sound better!

[@MrVladalv]

Sounds like strings are old....

[@sackthevaulthunter8028]

He is probably using flatwound strings

[@limao.jericao]

Recorder players who have been using plastic instruments for decades: 🤡

[@JohnDaubSuperfan369]

When are people going to stop listening to salesmen and realise that it simply does not matter which material the body of an electric instrument is made out of, or if indeed it has a body at all, the tone and sustain have absolutely nothing to do with it. The whole tonewood nonsense is as bad of a disease for "musicians" as organised religion is to society.

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

Those plastic basses sounds awful. And usually I LOVE P basses.

[@jeffthemarshall]

Charlie’s awesome. But I’ve got to admit, those plastic basses sound just awful. He said it best… you play something like that to get the camera to notice you.

[@devinebass]

For sure not for everyone... The look is just out of this world though! 🤯

[@jeffthemarshall]

@@devinebass Absolutely! The Zemaitis bass is the one! Sheesh that thing is cool.

[@ileutur6863]

@@jeffthemarshall It sounds like a P bass though

[@8Junio76]

No, it doesn’t.

[@devinebass]

Different strokes for different folks I guess! 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@honestbrute9216]

That sounds insane to you? Jesus…the things marketing will will make you say…it’s interesting for sure, but it doesn’t sound that great, at least from this example

[@marty5182]

One of the last things we need is more stuff being made out of plastic, especially large 7 to 10 pound instruments. Smh