I am playing only the Fender Marcus lately and haven’t found the Steely sound with it.
I asked Grok =
Diving deeper into the specifics of bass guitars used by Steely Dan:
Fender Precision Bass: This was a staple for many session bassists. Chuck Rainey, for instance, was often seen with a Fender Precision, particularly models from the late '60s to early '70s, known for their warm, round tone which fit well with Steely Dan’s intricate arrangements.
Fender Jazz Bass: Another common choice, especially for its versatility. Wilton Felder used a Jazz Bass, which is noted for its brighter tone compared to the Precision, offering clarity in complex musical passages.
Both the Geddy and Marcus feel the same and I’m used to them and like them much.
So far for me its my preferred shape and cut I like.
For myself bigger is not better but time will tell.
Different Jazz-style models have varying neck profiles. I own three relatively distinct models and their neck profiles differ between them.
My first Jabba has a traditional Jazz neck depth; my custom build Jabba has a slightly shallower neck depth; and my Sire V8 has the depth and assymetrical neck shape of Marcus Miller’s original Fender Jazz.
Width is the same on all 3, around 38 mm. However, the thickness is different. I couldn’t measure precisely the thickness with strings on, but the Jazz seems to be around 3 mm thicker. I believe this is a U shaped neck while the other 2 have C shaped necks. This is not a big difference. My Jazz neck (on the P Bass) is also a 70s reissue, but made in Mexico.
Sometimes I look at the vids to determine the bass, who to believe?
Grok =
Steely Dan used what type of bass on aja
Steely Dan used a fretless Fender Precision Bass on their album “Aja.” Specifically, Walter Becker, one of the band’s founders, played the fretless bass on several tracks, including “Aja.” This choice contributed to the unique, smooth sound that characterizes much of the album’s bass lines.
search deeper
Upon deeper investigation into the bass usage on Steely Dan’s album “Aja”:
Fretless Fender Precision Bass: As mentioned, Walter Becker played a fretless Fender Precision Bass on several tracks. This was particularly notable on the title track “Aja,” where Becker’s fretless bass work is quite prominent, contributing to the song’s distinctive jazz fusion feel.
Multiple Bassists: While Becker played bass, Steely Dan was known for using multiple session musicians. For “Aja,” they also employed:
Chuck Rainey - Known for his work on “Peg,” “Josie,” and “Deacon Blues.” Rainey used his well-known 1959 Fender Precision Bass, which gave a different tone compared to Becker’s fretless bass.
Paul Jackson - Played on “Black Cow” and “Home at Last.” Jackson was another session bassist whose contributions added to the album’s rich bass texture.
This usually changes when you start playing more basses, not right away but it will creep up on you then you can’t unfeel it. I was not even notice the difference aside from the number of strings but was struck by a sluggish feeling of a MusicMan neck width.
Strangely, after a few months of that discovery, I started to appreciate the difference and have been a strong supporter of the differences ever since.
Update! I have been talking up the cheap Donner (a Fender knockoff) beginner bass I bought when I wasn’t sure if I would be into these lessons enough to justify something better.
Last night I realized a) I have been doing the lessons and playing it damn near every day, and I’m having fun! and b) I still have 2 days left in my return window for Amazon.
So, I took a walk over to Chuck Levin’s Music Center this morning. 30 minutes later, I was walking out with this beauty under my arm! Yamaha TRBX304, in nearly the same color as my car! I am pleased!
After a year and a half, it’s worse than ever. I just cannot tolerate the thicker neck. I will try this one for a while and probably sell it for another one with a slimmer neck. I just have to find the perfect one in Canada.
The MM is good but the Geddy is the thinnest neck I’ve played and for me it makes it faster.
The necks of a Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass and a Fender Marcus Miller Jazz Bass have some similarities, but they are not identical. Here are some key differences:
Both have a 38mm, 1.5 inch nut.
Profile: The Geddy Lee Jazz Bass has a slightly thinner neck profile, while the Marcus Miller Jazz Bass has a slightly thicker, more rounded profile.
Scale length: Both basses have a 34" scale length.
Fingerboard radius: The Geddy Lee Jazz Bass has a 7.25" fingerboard radius, while the Fender Marcus Miller Jazz Bass has a 12" fingerboard radius.
Number of frets: Both basses have 20 frets.
Fret size: The Geddy Lee Jazz Bass has vintage-style frets, while the Marcus Miller Jazz Bass has medium-jumbo frets.
Overall, while both necks share some similarities, they have distinct differences in terms of profile, fingerboard radius, and fret size.
Man you are gonna love that thing. I bought one from FB a little while back. It has it’s quirks but now that I have it set up right it’s slowly becoming my favorite.
