Average Man's Pino?

[4001]

I tend to think that more than 50% of tone is from your hands.

 

[jallenbass]

I often wonder just how much difference the fingerboard makes to the sound. Some say maple is brighter. I don't know. Maybe.

I used to be a naysayer but I have noticed a tiny bit of snap in the sound of my maple fingerboard basses. With a band that quality is obliterated.

I'm just wondering if there are pickups that are closer than others, a certain model that may be close - like a 62 reissue or something, stuff like that.

There are so many models of Fender that it's nearly impossible to keep track of all the changes/variations in even a simple bass like the Precision. I mean, volume, tone, 20 frets, alder, maple/rosewood...how many actual, really audible differences can there be?

Choose the bass hat feels best to you. There are so many aftermarket pickups available to tweak your sound. I did a little reading here and bought a hand full of pickups that that I thought might change the sound for the better and kept the one I liked best. None of my Fenders have the factory pickups. Be sure to test the in a band if that's where you'll be using it. At home almost all P pickups sound good. In a band the differences get sorted out in a hurry.

 

[jamro217]

Just keep trying out P basses until you find one that sings to you. They all can thump, but some have a little extra character.

 

[bassliner50]

I got my "poor man's Pino" from @StreetScenes for around $650 IIRC

90's MIM Precision body and neck (refinished in Fiesta Red and light aging)
Fender '62 "Original Bass" pickup (not sure how different these are from the FCS model)
Hipshot Vintage Bridge and tuners

Sounds fantastic!

View attachment 1047598
View attachment 1047599

Yup, Fender Original '62 pickups. Then roll back the tone knob until the sweet spot. That'll put a smile on your face.

 

[chris_b]

I appreciate the responses, but I'm not a fool. I know I won't sound like him with a bass purchase. I know he'd sound like him on anything.
I simply wanted to know about his bass as a starting point. I don't want to sound like him. He's an influence just like Geddy or Rocco or Jimmy or any number of players.
I don't mean to get upset but I don't need to be spoken to like a beginner or something. It happens often on here when someone asks about gear.
Rant over.

Sorry Steve. My reply was more of a generic message to the masses rather than directed specifically at you.

 

[cnltb]

So, if you don't want to spend $4,000 on a P bass, what gets you that Pino sound (other than Pino playing it) in a Precision bass?

isn't his fender signature bass a copy of his, an ordinary alder maple rosewood, p bass?

 

[Mike Marshall]

At a certain point in a bassists or guitarists development they will always sound like themselves if handed a decent instrument. Today unlike 50 years ago Decent instruments are pretty cheap.

 

[pudgychef]

Any solid P...

BUT...since you are a Roscoe guy, and they are already doing Js....be the beta tester for their soon to be new P.

 

[Ric5]

I see that guy playing on all kinds of goofy basses, always sounds like him. Actually, I have not seen his red P bass out in a while.

 

[el basso]

my fiesta red w lollars (Nash) sounds like Pino, but i sure as hell can't play like Pino.

 

[Flaked Beans]

Average Man's Pino?

Here you go:

 

[Bobby Bass]

I have a Custom Shop Jazz Bass & a MIM Pbass. No matter what kind of bass I pick up I still sound like ME.

 

[Flaked Beans]

I have a Custom Shop Jazz Bass & a MIM Pbass. No matter what kind of bass I pick up I still sound like ME.

But of course, the tone is in your fingers, isn't it?

 

[Stevieconlon]

I am a P-bass player and really like the early 60's P-bass sound. I've got 3 very different basses that nail the tone. Setting aside the whole fingers thing, I find the most important ways to cop early 60's P-bass sound are flats and a pickup wound to sound like an early 60s P-bass PU. Original 62 replacement pickups sound great. Lollars sound great. If you want to spend a bit more besides simply replacing strings and pickup, get a roadworn or other precision with a nitro finish and an ash body. I do find the nitro finished bodies feel and resonate differently than the polyurethane's do. Obviously, there are great luthiers that make P-basses--Lakland, Lull, Sadowsky, etc but I'm not sure these are a poor-man's Pino.

 

[winterburn69]

I like this Pino bass

and a 3 pickup p-bass

Those two are the same bass. Around May 2015 was the first time I saw a video of him with the Mudbucker and it was gone by the time I saw him with The Who in May 2016, back to the 2 Tbird pickups, but still had 4 knobs.

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.

I'm working on a slightly-above-average man's Pino:

Road Worn '50s Fiesta Red body
Spitfire Tort pickguard
Hot Rod '60s P neck (I sanded down the back of the neck to get rid of the sticky gloss, it feels amazing)

Strings will be flats of course, haven't tried TIs yet but when this bass is finished I'll have to.

Not 100% sure about the pickup yet. I'm thinking possibly Fender Pure Vintage '63 or an Aguilar 4P-60.

 

[Tom Howland]

Get a Fender " Nate Mandel " P-Bass. This is a great bass for $800.00.
This and the " Flea " Stack-knob Jazz are great deals for the n money. ( If your into a Jazz )
They play, feel, and sound like a fender should.

 

[Ric5]

Those two are the same bass. Around May 2015 was the first time I saw a video of him with the Mudbucker and it was gone by the time I saw him with The Who in May 2016, back to the 2 Tbird pickups, but still had 4 knobs.

Ya I kinda figured it was a modded bass that evolved over time

 

[Pirate Captain]

Whole signature instrument thing is one big hoax. Less we play more we seek for shortcut to a promised land.

Seriously...been thinking this one over. And I believe that (like a lot of things) the "signature instrument thing" varies from player to player. For ex. Tony Franklin tracks with the basses that his signatures are based on...and tours with his sig Fenders. Steve Lukather (I know, I know) not only tours with his sig Music Mans but tracks with them as well. Robert Smith has a signature Schecter...but PLAYS a Chet Atkins signature Gibson...so...what's to make of it all? What you can, I guess.

Not to mention the fact that every guitar player who owns a Les Paul is playing a "signature instrument"...some of which are "signature signature instruments"...I wouldn't be surprised if in ten years we will see (Some New Metal God)'s Signature Zakk Wylde Signature Les Paul (or some such)

That all said...I highly doubt that Frank Bello was ever out gigging with one of these

Or Nuno Bettencourt with one of these

Although, I'm sure, both could shred on anything

Not sure how much action a Pino sig sees from Pino himself in the studio...and I'm not sure why one is worth over twice what a Franklin Fretted goes for (if you can find one)...but there you have it.

 

[SteveC]

Sorry Steve. My reply was more of a generic message to the masses rather than directed specifically at you.

I may have been a little cranky that day.

Any solid P...

BUT...since you are a Roscoe guy, and they are already doing Js....be the beta tester for their soon to be new P.

I'd love to beta test. I suggested it for the jazz basses but they said they had it covered.

 

[SteveC]

These are nice playing, sounding local options.

Not sure I can afford another Roscoe....