A Pbass hypothetical

[Yakob]

A stockpile of Fernandes Atlas 4X basses in a myriad of colours.

 

[Ian Perge]

I'd go with Mike Lull, but with a fairly custom setup that I'd actually like to see if they can do IRL when I've got the money to spend on custom basses. I'd love the Precision/Dual Coil pickup setup & Active Preamp from the American Deluxe Precision but in the body of a Jazz Bass, as both the body as well as the smaller neck are more more comfortably to me from an ergonomic POV. I've very much a Jazz & Spector type-o'-guy, but I realize it would be good to have the tones of a Precision available to me... but as I said above, the Precision body & neck just doesn't work for me on a physical level.

...if that's not possible, I'll be keeping my Spectors & Jazzes and the Government can come after me!

 

[Darkstrike]

I'd be calling up Keith Roscoe or Chris Larkin, very fast indeed.

 

[Korladis]

Alembic. And I'd have them put in single coil pickups in the same spots as a Rickenbacker's. And it would be neck through. And made entirely out of maple. And 33.25" scale. With a bubinga fretboard.

Yes, I realize at this point that it's hardly a P-bass anymore, but you didn't say the new bass law forbid any of these things, so I'm using all the loopholes I can.

 

[red_on_red]

Meh. If your technique allows you to get 7 or 8 distinct tones out of something as one-dimensional as a P, then you could get 42 or 48 distinct tones applying the same technique to a Stingray 25th Anniversary HSS. This gets back to that can of worms about what creates bass tone, the instrument or the technique. To me it's like asking what makes a great painting, the tubes of paint or the artist's brush strokes? Naturally the brush strokes are a huge part of the equation. But if a great artist is stuck with a bucket of white paint and nothing else... well that's a challenge.

I've never understood why an artist would limit their palette, but I guess a case can be made for it as some sort of Zen-style discipline or whatever. If I were a painter, I'd want a tube of every color available.

Personally, if this law were passed I'd move to DB. I'd have a tough time copping the attitude, though.....

Any half competent DB player (and I might be one on a good day) learns to get many tones out of an acoustic instrument with a 42" scale and one passive piezo pickup. That's why we get to cop an attitude. Buwahahahahahaha.

Why would an artist limit their palette? There are those who would argue that some creative breakthroughs come from limitations - not in a "Zen-like" way but just as an exercise in concrete problem-solving.

Well actually the limits are often imposed by being broke. If you can't afford to upgrade your gear, you learn to play the crap out of it. Think about all the Cuban musicians who learn on ancient, beat-up horns and can smoke just about anybody on earth.

I like the looks of the Lakland Bob Glaub, but my 90s Squier P does everything I need from an electric bass these days. If I add another one, it might actually be a 50's CV.

If we're relaxing the rules, my all-time favourite bass is the 90s Precision Plus.

 

[Nedmundo]

I'd take a G&L SB-1. If that MFD split-coil would be banned by the gov't as too subversive, I guess I'd settle for a Mike Lull.

 

[diglo]

Hey Diglo,

Oh man. I love the look of that bass! I keep thinking about that Pbass passive tone with the (in my opinion) perfect LEJ neck profile. You'd have that awesome thumpy tone and slick, easy playability. Theres heaps of growl in LEJ pickups too.

In my future, I'm seeing a Lowend one-piece trans-white ash body, gold pickguard (57RI style) and a nice maple neck and board. I'd string it with Jamerson flats. GAS! I'd better get saving again

Hows your LEP going?

I'm really enjoying it. I put some semi-flatson it. Man it's killin on my hip-hop tracks. Straight sine bass with thumb.

 

[Tommygunn]

Hands down

LeCompte
Squire/Fender
Ibanez