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About that vintage tone...

D

deeruss

Guest
Aug 27, 2014
40
6
#1
Hello,

Let's be honest, on youtube a Pbass sounds (almost always) like that :

Metallic tone, sounds very cheap and the tone out of the pick is ...

But sometimes after digging a little more, here comes a distinguish vintage tone :

(He's using an american standard Pbass with flatwounds and a pick)

(No name precision bass with flats and using a pick)


(Fingerstyle, vintage 62 pickup with flatwounds)

(Fingerstyle with an american standard Pbass ?? no idea about the strings)


So what's the secret :
using flatwounds ? using a vintage pickup ? palm muting ? playing with a pick ?

I'm planning to buy an american standard precision bass, but I'm afraid to be disappointed by the tone...I'm really digging that vintage tone which is pretty uncommon on youtube!

Thank you
 
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#2
Ive always played a Jazz and/or a traditional Stingray, but had always loved the classic P bass tone you hear on so many older recordings, Duck Dunn, etc. I am playing in a classic rock band now and recently bought my first P bass. Initially yes it was somewhat harsh/bright out of the box when played alone. I experimented with different strings and set up, moving from rounds, to pressure wound and currently to La Bella Flats (which I am still breaking in and adjusting to). What Ive discovered is that the P bass tone is best in a band/group setting rather than played alone. What you hear as being a bit harsh or too mid range-y when played alone, blends great when your in a band setting.
 
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#4
Labella flats that are broken in is the key. Takes a couple months for me before the newness starts wearing off. There is a huge difference between a new set and a 6 mo old set. I'd rather buy a used set of Labellas in the classifieds than a new set!

A vintage pup (Fralin, Lollar, etc) helps too..
 
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#5
Also...some P basses just have "it" and some don't. The regular American basses I have owned haven't had it. Maybe it's the graphite rods in the neck, or maybe it's in my head, I don't know.. I just know that they didn't have it. The 62/63 RI's I have had have had it.
 
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#6
FirewalZ said:
What Ive discovered is that the P bass tone is best in a band/group setting rather than played alone. What you hear as being a bit harsh or too mid range-y when played alone, blends great when your in a band setting.
Click to expand...
This can't be stressed enough for those who don't care for the P sound. :)

It really hit me years ago after a rehearsal I went into the main house to have a smoke and the guys were just jamming.

I was sitting in my chair and suddenly I heard such a perfect bass sound in the mix, and it was just sooo beautiful!!.

Here one of the guys grabbed my P from wherever I had it (I’d switched to fivers and didn’t play it) and damn…

I kind of attributed it to the Jonas Hellborg strings (which may have been a factor) but I realized it’s just that P magic.

Thanks Fender/Squier for coming out with the VM P-5, I’m so happy to have that option again. :)
 
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#8
denton57 said:
Labella flats that are broken in is the key. Takes a couple months for me before the newness starts wearing off. There is a huge difference between a new set and a 6 mo old set. I'd rather buy a used set of Labellas in the classifieds than a new set!
Click to expand...
Yes, I learned this ahead of time about Labella's so I am leaving them on for a while before I judge. They still have a bit of harshness to them and my fingers stick a bit to the polished surface, but I can hear that they are slowly mellowing out. They are on a new P Bass which is my first (Am Special FSR Nitro Honey Burst) so I like the fact that I get to age them, break them in and funck-ify myself on my own instrument.
 
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#14
Tone knob indeed! LaBella and the old Fender Flats are fine and I've used them and other flats, but honestly, you can get a great P-bass tone from round wounds, too. Your EQ has to be different depending on strings, and you'll need to pay attention to set-up so that intonation, chokes, rattles, and imbalance between strings are ironed out. Pickups on MIA, MIA RI, CS, and MIM RW P-basses all work well, IME.

The last thing most players think about, but IMHO the actual most important thing is technique. Attention to rhythmic accuracy, precise control of duration/string muting make a huge difference. Each note must be musical. The string has to be not just be played, but responded to, so that the player is interacting in the moment with each note in the line. "Digging in" too hard finger-style hollows out the tone. Dynamics matter.

The "old saw" is that "your tone is in your fingers." There is a lot of truth in that.
 
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#19
Playing with a pick gives a brighter tone and a quicker, clicky attack as opposed to fingerstyle. Rolling off the tone a bit brings out the fullness of the sound spectrum. Playing through a crappy mic to record on Youtube isn't always the best way to faithfully reproduce sound, especially in the bass register. The best way to experience any bass is to play it through a decent amp and try a variety of settings.
 
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