Jet Harris-bass or guitar

[Ryan]

Hi All,
I heard that Jet Harris recorded 'Diamonds' on a bass guitar, does anyone know if this is correct, or was it on a normal 6 string guitar?
Cheers
ryan

[David Martin]

I believe that Diamonds was recorded on Jaguar tuned down to D...

Lots of info about Jet here. Try using the Search facility... Hours of fun!

[bridev]

When it came out I seem to remember Jet played it on something like a Burns Baritone. I'm probably wrong but it is a while ago so I happily bow to those who are far more knowledable.

[Joeland-CH]

I think this was a Fender Bass VI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Bass_VI

[JimN]

The instruments used to record Jet's solo singles (and those with Tony) on the Decca label are more or less known to have been as follows:

Besame Mucho - Fender Bass VI
Main Title Theme - Fender Bass VI
Diamonds - Gretsch electric tuned down a tone (so that the tune could be played in D minor)
Scarlet O'Hara - probably a Guild electric
Applejack - probably a Harmony Sovereign acoustic
Big Bad Bass - probably a Fender Jaguar (though Jet promoted it on TV miming with a Vox solid).

[dave robinson]

The TV appearances of Jet & Tony playing Diamonds saw Jet with a Fender Jaguar that looked to be sunburst on our black & white TV. At first we all thought it was the Bass VI but a later picture in one of the Beat magazines showed it was indeed a Jaguar, but as Jim says not necessarily on the records.

[cockroach]

I think Jet himself came online to this site and explained some of this quite a few years ago when someone asked the question.

A Gretsch tuned down to D was used on the record of Diamonds but he used a Jag on stage- at first de-tuned down to D like the record, but he said it was a nuisance having to retune on stage so he started playing it in normal E tuning

I understand from what has been published in much later years that Joe Moretti played on the recordings of Scarlett and Applejack due to Jet's unfortunate health and personal problems at that time (hence the Guild and Harmony guitars as Jim said- these were most likely what Joe was using as a session man at that time)

The record of Big Bad Bass was probably Jet again on a Jag- on the 1964 NME Poll Concert, Jet used his normal E tuned Jag for both Diamonds and Big Bad Bass

Pretty sure Man From Nowhere was recorded with the Bass VI as well as Besame Mucho and Main Title Theme

[humdrum]

A track that was definitely recorded on a bass guitar was "RAVE"

[JimN]

I deliberately limited my reply to the lead instruments used on the Decca singles.

EP tracks (the only other format in which Jet had his own releases at the time) were ignored, as were tracks used either at the time or later on compilation LPs and CDs.

[Iain Purdon]

Jim is right. In the video featuring Jet and Licorice Remembering the 2Is Jet tells the audience that Diamonds was recorded on a detuned Gretsch.