David Hood

Mentioned in this March 1, 2019 al.com interview.

The bass Hood played from FAME days as well as after co-founding Muscle Shoals Sound in 1969, with Johnson, Hawkins and key Beckett, was the very first bass he ever owned: a sunburst 1961 Fender Jazz.

Before Hood embarked on a rare (for him) tour in 1973, performing with Steve Winwood's jam-band Traffic, he stripped his Jazz finish to give the instrument a new look. Hood had recently built some speaker cabinets for his home stereo. He used leftover walnut-stain to re-hue his bass. He cut a new pickguard from a floor tile and then painted it black. "It was really cool looking," Hood recalls. Alas, while on tour with Traffic his beloved '61 Jazz was stolen from behind New York venue Brooklyn Academy of Music at a gig. "I hated to lose that bass," he says.

The next day, Hood went to Manny's Music and bought two new Fender Jazz Basses. "But they'd changed by then and I was never really happy with that," he says. Later, he acquired an Alembic bass and played that instrument on many of his recording sessions after 1976. "The guys in San Francisco that equipped the Grateful Dead made they [sic] Alembic instruments," Hood says. "I've still got mine. It's got a double-octave neck though and with arthritis in my wrists and shoulders I rarely play it, because it's not really comfortable to play. But it's a great sounding instrument."

The '61 bass is also discussed in this February 20, 2014 No Treble interview.

What are some of your favorite instruments to use in the studio? Does it change based upon the session?

My first bass was a ’61 Fender Jazz. It took a long time, but I eventually got a really good sound with it. I worked with that bass for over 10 years so I knew how to make it sound right and I measured all other basses against that one. That bass got stolen on one of the Traffic tours in ’73 so I immediately went out and got two other Jazz basses. Then I got an Alembic and was able to get a really good sound with that one. People would come in to the studio and say, “Gosh, I thought you played a Fender. What’s that thing?” But it got a great sound, and as always, I was playing and working for the sound that came out of the speakers. I’ve gotten a good sound with a Kubicki X-Factor bass and then I’ve got some Lakland basses that I really like… one of them is a Joe Osborn model. It’s the closest thing to my first jazz bass; it’s got the stacked tone controls and the neck feels like the neck that was on that Jazz. It has the sound I want and it plays well for my hands.

A photo of Hood with a Jazz bass can be found here.

Mentioned in this March 1, 2019 al.com interview.

A vintage photo of Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section bassist David Hood with his Alembic bass. (Courtesy of Dick Cooper)

(...) Later, he acquired an Alembic bass and played that instrument on many of his recording sessions after 1976. "The guys in San Francisco that equipped the Grateful Dead made they [sic] Alembic instruments," Hood says. "I've still got mine. It's got a double-octave neck though and with arthritis in my wrists and shoulders I rarely play it, because it's not really comfortable to play. But it's a great sounding instrument."

This May 17, 2013 Bass Player interview specifies that Hood used the bass from 1976 to 1988.

From 1976 to 1988, he played an Alembic; he also occasionally plays a Kubicki Factor and a 1957 Fender Precision. (Hood’s Jazz Bass was stolen during the Traffic era.) He uses flatwound strings on the Lakland Osborn and the Precision, and roundwounds on the rest. For amplification, he favors a Gallien-Krueger head driving two Ampeg cabinets, each of which has two 12" speakers.

In this February 20, 2014 No Treble interview, Hood discusses his initial switch to the Alembic.

My first bass was a ’61 Fender Jazz. It took a long time, but I eventually got a really good sound with it. I worked with that bass for over 10 years so I knew how to make it sound right and I measured all other basses against that one. That bass got stolen on one of the Traffic tours in ’73 so I immediately went out and got two other Jazz basses. Then I got an Alembic and was able to get a really good sound with that one. People would come in to the studio and say, “Gosh, I thought you played a Fender. What’s that thing?” But it got a great sound, and as always, I was playing and working for the sound that came out of the speakers.

The "Bass FAQ" page of Hood's official website mentions that the '76 Alembic is "[a] veteran of 1,000 recordings, still a great sounding bass."

Mentioned in this May 17, 2013 Bass Player interview.

From 1976 to 1988, he played an Alembic; he also occasionally plays a Kubicki Factor and a 1957 Fender Precision. (Hood’s Jazz Bass was stolen during the Traffic era.) He uses flatwound strings on the Lakland Osborn and the Precision, and roundwounds on the rest.

It is also mentioned in this February 20, 2014 No Treble interview.

I’ve gotten a good sound with a Kubicki X-Factor [sic] bass and then I’ve got some Lakland basses that I really like… one of them is a Joe Osborn model.

The "Bass FAQ" page of Hood's official website mentions that the Kubicki is "[v]ery versatile, with great tones for both recording and playing live."

Discussed in this August 12, 2015 Bass Player interview about Hood's work on The Waterboys' Modern Blues. Note that the Skyline 44-60 is the current name of the 4-string Joe Osborn model.

What basses did you use on the album?

I was playing a Lakland Joe Osborn model with flatwound strings. It’s like a real good vintage Fender Jazz Bass, the one with stacked knobs. I think I used that bass on everything except for one song, “I Can See Elvis.” They needed a thumpier sound on that one. I used a ’57 Fender Precision, a workhorse and a great bass that looks like crap. That bass has flatwound strings, and I put some foam rubber in front of the bridge.

Is the Lakland Osborn your main bass these days?

I think so. It didn’t start out to be. At a NAMM show, Dan Lakin said to me, “Come up to the hotel. I want you to meet Joe Osborn.” I thought, Wow, he’s one of my heroes. So I go and meet Joe, and we’re talkin’ and he’s playing, and when it was over, Dan said, “Would you like to take that bass with you?” It was a pink bass, and I thought, Pink? I don’t want a damn pink bass [laughs]. He said, “It’s not pink, it’s Burgundy Mist. It’s a General Motors color.” My wife was with me, and she nudged me and said, “Take the bass.” So I took it.

I didn’t play it for almost two years. I didn’t really like the sound of it; I thought it was too bright. But after two years, I finally realized that when I turn the treble back on both pickups a little, it has a really nice sound. It’s got nice Lindy Fralin pickups. I just cut the treble and play with my fingers, and it’s got a warm, rich sound. I’ve fallen in love with that bass ever since, so I have been using it quite a bit.

It is also mentioned in this May 17, 2013 Bass Player interview.

From 1976 to 1988, he played an Alembic; he also occasionally plays a Kubicki Factor and a 1957 Fender Precision. (Hood’s Jazz Bass was stolen during the Traffic era.) He uses flatwound strings on the Lakland Osborn and the Precision, and roundwounds on the rest.

Another mention is made in this February 20, 2014 No Treble interview.

I’ve gotten a good sound with a Kubicki X-Factor bass and then I’ve got some Lakland basses that I really like… one of them is a Joe Osborn model. It’s the closest thing to my first jazz bass; it’s got the stacked tone controls and the neck feels like the neck that was on that Jazz. It has the sound I want and it plays well for my hands.

On the "Bass FAQ" page of Hood's official website, he states that the Joe Osborn is "[o]ne of the best jazz style basses I’ve played."

Used on The Waterboys' "I Can't See Elvis", as mentioned in this August 12, 2015 Bass Player interview about Hood's work on Modern Blues.

What basses did you use on the album?

I was playing a Lakland Joe Osborn model with flatwound strings. It’s like a real good vintage Fender Jazz Bass, the one with stacked knobs. I think I used that bass on everything except for one song, “I Can See Elvis.” They needed a thumpier sound on that one. I used a ’57 Fender Precision, a workhorse and a great bass that looks like crap. That bass has flatwound strings, and I put some foam rubber in front of the bridge.

It is also mentioned in this May 17, 2013 Bass Player interview.

From 1976 to 1988, he played an Alembic; he also occasionally plays a Kubicki Factor and a 1957 Fender Precision. (Hood’s Jazz Bass was stolen during the Traffic era.) He uses flatwound strings on the Lakland Osborn and the Precision, and roundwounds on the rest.

On the "Bass FAQ" page of Hood's official website, he states that the '57 Precision "[h]as a great neck and a classic P-bass sound."

Used for The Waterboys' Modern Blues, as stated in this August 12, 2015 Bass Player interview.

EQUIP

Basses Lakland 44-94, Lakland Joe Osborn, Fender 1957 Precision

**Rig **Gallien-Krueger Fusion 550, Gallien- Krueger RBH410 4x10 and 1x8

Other Demeter Tube Direct Box, TC Electronic Polytune tuner

It is also listed under Hood on the official Lakland artist page and visible in this photo of Hood. On the "Bass FAQ" page of Hood's official website, he states that the 44-94 is a Deluxe and is "[his] favorite bass for playing live because of its great looks and sound."

A deluxe 55-94 is listed on the "Bass FAQ" page of Hood's official website.

• Lakland 55-94 Deluxe 5-string — A very good sounding, easy playing 5-string and a mainstay in recording sessions.

Listed under Hood on the official Lakland artist page.