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Average Man's Pino?
- Thread starter SteveC
- Start date
Imo, he is an amazing player, but he has a generic tone. He stands out because of the way he plays the bass. Pino would sound like Pino no matter what instrument is given. And yet, he can sound like anyone else, again because he is Pino.
Edit: I felt like a total DB with my comment that I think is not helpful at all, didn't mean to do that sorry.. I still do think that most of his tone is related with the way he plays the bass though, and it is possible to get close to his sound with almost any rig adjusted properly.
Edit: I felt like a total DB with my comment that I think is not helpful at all, didn't mean to do that sorry.. I still do think that most of his tone is related with the way he plays the bass though, and it is possible to get close to his sound with almost any rig adjusted properly.
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Tell that to the Tony Franklin Signature Bass club. (...actually...don't do that)
Yeah I have to agree with the obvious as well - Pino is just a monster player and that's really what makes it work. What I love about the Pbass and why I think OP will be happy with one is because a Pbass with flats is the ultimate starting point for building your own sound. Its such a basic instrument and setup but you can play it your entire life and evolve your style however you want from there. Its a great choice for guys who use pedals (Pbass with flats and pedals is a beautiful combo) and also for going straight in.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Why would anybody spend $4000 on a p-bass when you can get a good one for $400?
When you've seen Pino, what did he play?
As far as I can tell, he played his 1961 faded Fiesta Red P up until he got his signature. You can see him play it during the Strat Pack concert. It's pretty visible with David Gilmour during Sorrow, and it's apparent it's quite faded, not just the lighting.
His original Fiesta Red P is a 1961. His Custom Shop signature is based on the '61 with the neck shape of his sunburst '63.
Note the Custom Shop logo on the headstock.
And AFAIK the sunburst P he uses is his 1963 P.
All in the last 3-4 years - with NIN, I saw him play a Sunburst P and his famed MM fretless. There was a pink bass in his rack but it didn't come out onstage. With D'Angelo he played a white Moon bass all night, which is a Larry Graham, with the sunburst as backup. With The Who, he had the P with the Thunderbird pickups onstage, played the sunburst P as well, and either a signature Pino or the original, which he didn't play but was kept offstage.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Op, check this video out. This guy has an expensive pbass but he also plays inexpensive ones all the time. Anyway, main point is that his sound in this vid is tone down with chromes. He plays some pino lines in the first few minutes as well, so you really get the vibe of the combo.
Here's a Pino road story. A studio musician friend of mine knows a film gaffer/electrician who also gets high level roadie type gigs. So this gaffer/roadie had a job with Paul Young ( I think ) and Pino had a really bad case of explosive diarrhea while touring but soldiered on for the cause of music. Apparently it was so bad that he couldn't control it on stage so the gaffer taped Pino's pants shut at point of contact with his shoes as to prevent diarrhea from flowing on to the stage.
The show must go on!
The show must go on!
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No one has mentioned the Squier Classic Vibe...
This is truly the "Poor Man's Pino". But as far as the "Average Man's Pino", I guess that MIM Classic 50's in Fiesta Red would fit the bill. I had one of those. It sounded great, but I didn't love the neck.
This is truly the "Poor Man's Pino". But as far as the "Average Man's Pino", I guess that MIM Classic 50's in Fiesta Red would fit the bill. I had one of those. It sounded great, but I didn't love the neck.
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keep in mind he also tunes down for r&b gigs... less string tension contributes to a tubby sound.
oh and being a mutant musical genius also helps!
oh and being a mutant musical genius also helps!
The brown noteHere's a Pino road story. A studio musician friend of mine knows a film gaffer/electrician who also gets high level roadie type gigs. So this gaffer/roadie had a job with Paul Young ( I think ) and Pino had a really bad case of explosive diarrhea while touring but soldiered on for the cause of music. Apparently it was so bad that he couldn't control it on stage so the gaffer taped Pino's pants shut at point of contact with his shoes as to prevent diarrhea from flowing on to the stage.
The show must go on!
What you say is true, however all of those cheap basses he plays do not sound like the CS.
To my ears, that Nate Mendel P-bass of his sounds horrible. It's actually what convinced me that sound is not just in the fingers. Ugh, that bass.
Still, my MIJ 60s P with flats does a convincing Pino. I sure don't.
I've tried the squier cv precision in fiesta red and tort pickguard and I thought at the time "Man, this is Pino for a few bucks!". Lightweight, confortable to play, great sound. It only needed to change to flats. It belonged to a friend and I was really surprised by it.
It really depends on the recording, but yeah - back when he was doing all that fretless work, I could cop the "tone" pretty easily. His playing is a different matter.
Well I can tell you my Pino is the best P bass i have ever played. It is the neck. The way they sand the neck down is magic. With that said, and good P with flats will get you close. But personally just save up and buy a used one.
