3 bassists, 1 rig, and tone

[Crockettnj]

Last night I played sort of an open jam/open mic night in which I supplied the bass rig.

I had an opportunity to hear my bass/amp setup in the mix from the audience perspective. It was quite revealing.

I was surprised how different the 3 of us sounded, despite using the exact same equipment.

Those who say tone is in the hands and its not the bow its the archer just might just be onto something!

[T. Alan Smith]

While I agree with you, I'm surprised you haven't raised a lotta hell around here.
While a P bass will not cop a J bass tone and an 800RB will not cop an SVT tone, what you experienced is how the players touch can make or break the overall sound of the electric bass guitar.