Lovely Day Bass - J or P?

[raymondl3]

Is this a J or P bass? I have a lossless version of this - one of the best bass sounds from the 70's I've heard in a long time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYi7uEvEEmk

[bwest9]

Our wedding band covers this tune, always fun to play.

Good question... I'm going to guess a P-bass?

[raymondl3]

Originally Posted by bwest9

Our wedding band covers this tune, always fun to play.

Good question... I'm going to guess a P-bass?

In fact, I am learning this one for a wedding.

[dmusic148]

I think it sounds more like a Jazz bass than a P bass, but I suspect it's something else entirely. Sounds a bit like humbucker(s) to me. Maybe a Stingray? Dunno.

[raymondl3]

Originally Posted by dmusic148

I think it sounds more like a Jazz bass than a P bass, but I suspect it's something else entirely. Sounds a bit like humbucker(s) to me. Maybe a Stingray? Dunno.

It has a lot of definition like a J but there are parts where it sounds like a P. I have heard some of the older P basses that have a growl on the top end, kinda like a Jazz. I wonder if this is one of those.

[St Drogo]

It amazes me that while even the people on this board so often have trouble distinguishing between J and P sounds (like the quiz-threads here), still some people say "Oh you can't play such and such music with this type of bass".

[raymondl3]

Originally Posted by St Drogo

It amazes me that while even the people on this board so often have trouble distinguishing between J and P sounds (like the quiz-threads here), still some people say "Oh you can't play such and such music with this type of bass".

Well, noone has said such a ridiculous thing here. How 'bout this: Try offering an answer instead of some groundless and irrelavant (and insulting) criticism!

[St Drogo]

Originally Posted by raymondl3

Well, noone has said such a ridiculous thing here. How 'bout this: Try offering an answer instead of some groundless and irrelavant (and insulting) criticism!

I never said that was said in this thread, unbunch thy panties.

[raymondl3]

Originally Posted by St Drogo

I never said that was said in this thread, unbunch thy panties.

I'm not wearing any panties!

[St Drogo]

Originally Posted by raymondl3

I'm not wearing any panties!

Neither am I. Let's just leave it at that

[bwest9]

Originally Posted by raymondl3

In fact, I am learning this one for a wedding.

So, what will you be playing this tune with? Either/or?

[St Drogo]

Seeing as even we (who are bassists) are having trouble with hearing the difference, you probably could get by with either a J or a P. I see you've got a jazz, so that'll probably do. I guarantee you the audience won't mind either way. Unless you play a wedding at a bassplayers convention perhaps.

[VroomVroom]

I'd guess P, but I've been playing this tune for years with a variety of J-style basses and a Roscoe SKB. Make it groove, and the wedding party will have a blast.

[Roy Vogt]

Jerry Knight and Keni Burke are listed as the session players on the credits. It looks like it was probably cut in LA in the mid 70s. Could be either....
I've found some picture of Keni playing a early 70s Jazz and Jerry was a member of Raydio and played some sort of Bootsy-fied custom bass with Dimarzio P pickups according to the Youtube clips.

[bwest9]

Keep in mind, too, that this was recorded in 1977. If you took a P and a J and recorded them today, I suspect they would be more easily distinguished.

And for what its worth, although I find the question of which bass is on the original recording interesting, I'm not of the school that it has to be played by one specific bass or the other. I've usually played it at gigs with my Spector, and a Spector sure as hell aint no P or J --and it sounds more than fine.

The shaking booty does not discriminate.

[St Drogo]

Originally Posted by bwest9

Keep in mind, too, that this was recorded in 1977. If you took a P and a J and recorded them today, I suspect they would be more easily distinguished.

Do you mean because recording techniques have developed or the basses themselves? Because I always thought the basic P and J, though having had a lot of different models, did not really change that much (the telebass-to-splitcoil-P excluded).

Also:

The shaking booty does not discriminate.

This made me

[bwest9]

Originally Posted by St Drogo

Do you mean because recording techniques have developed or the basses themselves?

Well, good question. There certainly are, say, better string options today that would allow for the better expression of a bass's tone, for one thing. But I was thinking more along the lines of clarity in recording has improved enough to reveal tonal characteristics more clearly.

Let me put it this way: if we had the ability to take Bill Withers and his musicians from the very day they recorded this song, and using a time machine to zap them into a modern, digital studio today, I think we'd be hearing this song and the instrumentation very differently. I'm not saying better or worse, please don't anyone misunderstand, but I do suspect we'd hear the bass much more clearly.

[raymondl3]

I know it doesn't matter which bass you use. I'm just curious as to which bass it might have been.

[bwest9]

Originally Posted by raymondl3

I know it doesn't matter which bass you use. I'm just curious as to which bass it might have been.

Me too!

[raymondl3]

Here's a HQ mp3 of the intro. I'm leaning toward a P-Bass.