A more defined sounding P-bass. HOW?

[faulknersj]

I going to totally go against everything in this thread and what y'all are is say'n! Have you tried bright flats Like Chomes or GHS? They have a snap [if you don't use the tone control] and clank to them you can't get with putting guitar strings on your bass with a bit of dirt you can get a huge roar which again you really can't get as easily with those guitar strings

I have a bass that chrome flats brought to life. I had a producer recently beg me to sell it to him after a studio session. Good call.

 

[iunno]

Sounds like you want a Jazz bass.

 

[Nedmundo]

I going to totally go against everything in this thread and what y'all are is say'n! Have you tried bright flats Like Chomes or GHS? They have a snap [if you don't use the tone control] and clank to them you can't get with putting guitar strings on your bass with a bit of dirt you can get a huge roar which again you really can't get as easily with those guitar strings

Good advice on the Chromes. They made the stock MIA Fender pickup from my 2004 absolutely come to life when I used it in a fretless P project. Before, it had always sounded soft and "blurry" in the lows/low mids, which I think could be the issue with your bass. It sat in the mix, but really didn't punch through at all. With Chromes, it had a stronger presence, and really sounded great IMO.

As I said earlier, the "blurry" issue was completely fixed in the 2004 P itself by going with a Fralin pickup, but you may as well try Chromes if you start experimenting with strings. It's never a bad thing to have a set of flats lying around if you have a P-bass anyway.

 

[faulknersj]

Thank you everyone for replying, you've all been really really helpful. I've been searching for solutions for days now and I guess I'll risk it and get a PJ set up done, get rid of the Fender Original and then see what to put. I used to have EMGs in my Lakland ages a go and really liked them but I find really hard how to decide what to do with this bass as it sounds way different from any other p-bass i've ever heard. For those who told me to just get rid of my p-bass, unfortunately i don't have enough money and all i can afford is just a different set up.

You can't trade a 78' P Bass for something else? They are relatively valuable....I'll bet you could get a 2012 0r 2013 Am Std P Bass + some cash in a trade. As soon as you put a J-Pup in your 78' the value will drop. Also....Have you played a passive PJ? The effect of a J pup in the bridge is much less than you might think imo based on my experience. I went down the same path a while ago which is why i am chiming in. If you don't have experience with PJ's, do yourself a huge favor and go play on at a shop nearby. This could save you a tone of trouble. If you are hellbent on making this work, put in a preamp and make sure it has mid controls. This will allow more extreme tone shaping. Just really trying to help as I just don't see this ending well with the current game plan.

 

[PWRL]

If it were me I would try a Quarter Pounder replacement and some brighter strings, first, then see if you really need a J routed in. I have a Quarter Pounder in my Am Sp P and it really does the trick.

 

[walterw]

Thank you everyone for replying, you've all been really really helpful. I've been searching for solutions for days now and I guess I'll risk it and get a PJ set up done...For those who told me to just get rid of my p-bass, unfortunately i don't have enough money and all i can afford is just a different set up.

yikes, don't do that!

especially if you don't have the money to go wrecking the resale value of your instruments. try something cheap and reversible first, like the brighter pots.

 

[MrLenny1]

New pickups.
New strings.
New bridge, a real one.

 

[Stranger Danger]

If it were me I would try a Quarter Pounder replacement and some brighter strings, first, then see if you really need a J routed in. I have a Quarter Pounder in my Am Sp P and it really does the trick.

The QP sucks all the mids and will be exactly the opposite of what the OP is looking for. The QP is good if you want a lot of scooped boom, not for clarity.

 

[UK Philip]

get a yamaha BB.

this was recorded with one, sounds like a P bass on steroids:



also, the opening harmonics are stunning.

 

[Beef of the Sea]

Put some flats on that P (preferably Labella 760FLs or GHS P flats), and you probably won't have this problem anymore.

 

[nataku333]

I'm using a Sansamp, and now a zoom MS 60b(as of this week),to get my Squire vintage mod p5 to sound less muddy without moding the bass itself. The band I’m using the p5 for plays loud and low. The Sansamp gives me just a little more presence and helps it stay above the mix without cranking the volume to high. The Zoom gives me the same light or heavy bite and a few more options. I’m not sure if this is the same, the Squire is based off a 60 style p though.

 

[RedMoses]

Here is the thing you need to know about the sound of a pbass... what you hear next to your amp and what the audience hears are completely different.

^THIS!

I never liked the sound of P Basses because they sound so undefined when pllaying on your own but in the mix, nothing Barks like a good O'l P! What you are hearing at your amp is NOT what the crowd is hearing in the mix, try and get a live recording of your band with you on that P Bass, i bet youll love the way it sounds.

Ive been through so many Jazz BAsses cause they sound great when you standing in front of your amp playing on your own but when i hear them back its just not the same as what i heard on stage. Now that im used to what a PBass sound like in the mix, i know what is should sound like when im in front of my amp, it just takes some getting used to.

 

[pbassnut]

I wonder if it's the wood on your bass ... maybe the inherent tonal character of your P body and/or neck is bassy. The reason that I say this is that P-Basses are typically one of the best cutting basses on the market which is one of the primary reasons that they remain ubiquitous after so many years. Another possibility could be that you are cutting the midrange too much. The inherent sound of a P-Bass is midrange heavy, which is why it cuts so well. That midrange-centric tone sounds kind of harsh and "barky" when it is played by itself, whereas that same sound when mixed in with a band is very good ... even classic, if I may be so bold. Inexperienced P-Bass players sometimes cut that midrange with their EQ settings on the amp in order to get a better "bedroom" tone, which doesn't always translate into a good live sound in an ensemble situation. Lastly, you might try playing your P-Bass through an Ampeg SVT circuit (they make all kinds of different flavors of amps with the SVT sound). The Ampeg SVT circuit goes together with a P-Bass like "bread & buttah" and really cuts. This is why a P-Bass played with a pick through an Ampeg SVT is still one of the most popular choices for hard rock bass players playing loud in big rooms ... it really cuts!

 

[LowB-ing]

Thank you everyone for replying, you've all been really really helpful. I've been searching for solutions for days now and I guess I'll risk it and get a PJ set up done...

For those who told me to just get rid of my p-bass, unfortunately i don't have enough money and all i can afford is just a different set up.

You are not making sense at all.

Routing the bass and installing an extra pickup will set you back a decent chunk of change AND wreck the value of your bass. Meanwhile, you could trade your bass for something that fits your requirements better AND MAKE SOME MONEY in the trade.

If you had money to spare and were specifically looking for the PJ tone, then it would be a different story. But you are strapped for cash and looking to cut through the mix better.

Like others I'd suggest you experiment with strings first. Then higher value pots. Then a different P pickup.

 

[LowB-ing]

...not to mention amp settings!

 

[Mushroo]

... and technique! (like: plucking closer to the bridge, or adjusting the height of the pickups)

 

[David Jayne]

I wonder if it's the wood on your bass ...

What does the bass sound like unplugged, in a quiet room all by itself? If it seems to have the same problem amplified or not, changing pickups and such will not help. It will prove to be an exercise in frustration.

 

[kurosawa]

Start with a "bony" sound. Set things flat and cut from there. You can't go wrong with a P in an unknown hall. Trust it to work. One thing that helped me was a wireless so I could walk to any spot and hear myself, whether I was intelligible or unclear, complementing or stepping on other voices. You will sound different with acoustic insulation present (listeners) so it pays to hear yourself then, too. Invariably, when I step back onto the stage after fixing my sound, it doesn't sound good to me. But who cares. I'm not playing for myself. Of course, technique is the real key. Free your playing of all slop (practicing with headphones helps). Use a metronome. Be a Time Lord. Learn to mute with both hands. Be merciless with yourself about controlling every aspect of attack and decay with your hands. If set up properly, your everyday garden variety P bass is insanely good. Usually the problem is something else.

 

[Artobass]

I would not cut into that bass to add another p/u. There are many other options that these good fellas on TB have offered. Most issues can be solved with either strings, set up, eq....and your hand technique. I'm not sure if you listed your amp/cab etc. There are many adjustments to be made on your amp that can and will have an impact on how you sound tone wise and eq. IMO. Start with the simple and go from there. That bass is probably a fairly valuable bass....if you cut into it and add a J p/u you will lose much of its value. Just my .02 cents. Good luck

 

[Fuzzbass]

What does the bass sound like unplugged, in a quiet room all by itself? If it seems to have the same problem amplified or not, changing pickups and such will not help. It will prove to be an exercise in frustration.

I partially disagree: sometimes the right combination of pickups and strings can radically transform an instrument. I once had a passive Fender P-bass that I thought was "meh" (both unplugged and amplified), but when I added an active EMG pickup I absolutely loved it. In general: over three decades I've heard many basses that sounded blah when unplugged, but glorious through an amp.

Of course trial and error can be required. For example, I don't always like the EMG sound, it just happened to work well with this bass. So your overall point is well taken: trying to improve the sound of a bass can be an exercise in frustration, unless you 1) luck out, or 2) enjoy swapping out strings/pickups/electronics to get the tone you want. The latter can be expensive and there's no guarantee that happiness will be found... but one could argue that swapping strings/pickups/electronics might be less expensive than swapping basses.