James Jamerson

James Jamerson switched over from playing upright acoustic bass to electric bass in 1960. This led him to eventually purchase one of the most iconic instruments in music.

Held in the highest regard by fellow Motown studio musicians, James Jamerson's 1962 sunburst Fender Precision bass guitar produced more hits than any other bass in the history of recorded music. It is perhaps the most heard instrument ever on American radio.

To keep some of the upright feel James was used to, The Funk Machine was strung with LaBella heavy-gauge flatwound strings, with the action set very high. Fellow musicians who tried out The Funk Machine found it almost unplayable, but it was no problem for James' powerful hands. James wouldn't change a string unless it broke, and would leave a set of strings on for years at a time. He felt that "The dirt keeps the funk."

James amplified The Funk Machine through an Ampeg B-15 bass amplifier. He would set the bass control on the amp all the way up, and the treble half way. All of these ingredients helped James achieve the big, deep, warm sound that he became known for.

With 30 number-one hits on the pop charts, and 70 number-one hits on the R&B charts under his belt, James Jamerson's time at Motown's recording studio cemented him as the most heard bassist of all time.

In 1959, Berry Gordy took a suggestion from his friend Smokey Robinson, and borrowed $800 from his family to build an R&B record label. Soon after, he began searching for local musicians in Detroit's happening jazz & blues scene to start recording for his new label.

Berry found James Jamerson, as well as several other top-notch band members. This unheralded group of musicians, known between themselves as "The Funk Brothers," began laying down tracks in Motown's legendary recording studio. "The Snake Pit," as it was affectionately called, located at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, became a magical music factory where all of the classic Motown hits of the 60's and early 70's were born.