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'57 P bass reissue - tone too trebly?

#22
If your A string pole pieces are raised then I also recommend lowering the pickup under the A until it's even with the other pole pieces.

I have a modified 69 tele with a Fullerton era 57 reissue P pickup in it and set up this way it has monstrous low end.

Keep us posted on your progress ...
 
#24
The '57 RI I owned for awhile had a light swamp ash body and maple board. Perhaps surprisingly, I didn't think it was bright enough, and I'm a roundwound player. It was polite on top, with a sweetness to the midrange, especially the high mids, and the bottom was "tight".

FWIW I still liked the bass, but sold it when I switched over to 5 string.

One thing to keep in mind is the variable nature of wood: identical basses can sound dramatically different. Another thing to keep in mind is that a set of strings that sounds great on one bass might sound "meh" on another.

All that aside, you probably just need to let your strings settle in, as others have said!
 
#27
My sunburst is alder; blonde ones are ash.

My AV '57 sounds perfect, to me, not trebly at all -- and I don't like trebly basses. I currently have three split-coil Precisions, and they all sound a bit different. The Classic '50s has a Quarter Pound, and it sounds reasonably similar to the '57 with its standard pickup, but the MIM Standard FSR with a QP sounds markedly different. All are strung with TI Jazz Flats.
 
#29
BillMason said:
I agree completely - and by aggressive, it's not just to say that it's bumped up in that frequency range - this pickup is a wild beast compared to other P pickups, IMHO. Very aggressive and ballsy.

In comparison, the American Standard pickup set is a friendly chartered account whereas the '57 is a grizzled, scarred, and tattooed war vet riding a Harley to the liquor store, which is next door to the gun store. I have owned a few American Standard (and American Series), and have never found them failing in the balls department. Just weaker in comparison.

Give the flats a chance to settle down, and you'll be very impressed.
Click to expand...

+100%

The '57 is my favorite Precision pickup.
I have it in every 4 string P bass.
Wish they made a 5 string version...
 
#30
if you wanna hear the difference between some p-bass pickups (and p-bass models in general), check out these links and listen to the soundclips, i think they record them on the same amps and settings. i am not affiliated with the store, but from my experience these clips are a good start to get a basic idea. the '57 sounds pretty wild compared to the other two - my '57 (alder) sounds similar, i love it.

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(i suggest the "jazz" soundclips)
 
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#31
gnjpowell said:
Now that I have some nice MIUSA Fender flats on her I can try to assess the tone. Even with the tone control all the way down and the flats installed she sounds way too trebly to me, not at all what I expected from a P bass. Just me? Possible technical problem with this particular example? Thoughts???
Click to expand...

Make sure both halves of the P pickup are in phase with each other.

Roger
 
#34
I may have your solution. Loosen your strings a little. Press very firmly down on the string in front of each bridge piece. This establishes a witness point. Tune up and see. I've forgotten this on occasion and wondered why my bass sounded bad. When the point is established the strings ring and sustain and provide a full bodied response. What you're calling trebly could just be an absence of full mids and bass.
Good luck.
 
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#35
Moe Monsarrat said:
I put a set of Jamerson signature LaBella flats (heavy gauge) on mine & roll the tone control off all the way & it's thump city. Boost the bass on the amp & kill the mids.
Click to expand...

That's probably nice if you play by yourself... it's not good advise for live sound with a band... you need a nice amount of mids if you want to hear the pitch clearly.
 
#36
Finally replaced the new "Green Box" Fender 9050Ms with the old-style Fender 9050s/9050Ms and can tell already without even plugging-in they are going to sound a lot better (less trebely) for me... Will report back after some real-world playing time.
 
#37
mcnach said:
That's probably nice if you play by yourself... it's not good advise for live sound with a band... you need a nice amount of mids if you want to hear the pitch clearly.
Click to expand...

Actually I do the same thing and I love the way it sounds. I adjust the tone control song to song depending on what the song requires.

57 P Bass + Labella Jamersons + Fulltone Bass Drive Pedal + Streamliner 900= MAGIC in a live setting! We play stoney doom/sludge rock n roll...and its heaven.
 
#39
[QUOTE="BillMason, post: 11443250, member: he 'The '57 is a grizzled, scarred, and tattooed war vet riding a Harley to the liquor store, which is next door to the gun store.

Super old thread but I must say that's both an entirely accurate and hysterical analogy.
 
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