"Brown Eye Girl" by Van Morrison. Is that a P Bass or a J Bass being played?

sounds very much like a Precision to me..

 

To me sounds like a Precision. I always thought that song was played with a pick, but now I don't think so.

 

Won't happen... that's a great song! +1 on the Precision.

 

And another vote for the Precision.

 

Pure P bass

 

P-p-p-precision.

 

Sound like a 72 P with a Sunburst finish and a maple board to me. I can't tell if the bridge cover is still on or not as my stereo isn't that good.

 

Bridge cover on, pickup cover off, and I think its a rosewood board - it has that certain 'dhunk'. Listen closer.

 

Get the best one you can afford, you might want a different tone at some point!

 

It's gotta be passive for that sound. And no doubt it has flatwound strings. New Fenders don't all sound that good. You've got to shop around.

 

I'm just waiting for someone to ask for advice on how he can get the same sound with his $5000, 6-string, koa/bubinga/zebrawood, neck-through, 18-volt, fanned-fret, strung-through-the-body, handmade Schleifenzager bass. Mark my words... you'll see... you'll see...

 

Here's the mantra again: Good and bad Fenders in all time periods!!!
Play every one you can, including new ones, cheap and expensive, and decide for yourself.
There's a pretty good chance that the one on "Brown Eyed Girl" was an average one, with a slightly warped neck, dead notes and old strings!

 

Well, that's a good guess, considering that the record was made in 1968!

 

Wait, how could that be a '72 P when the record came out in 1968?

And are you sure it's sunburst? It sounds like Vintage white to me, although at that time it was probably just called "white".

Oh, and the pickguard was black.

 

LOL, I was actually trying to give De La advice in response to his question about what type of Precision to get. But I can see how my post looked like a poor attempt to sound brilliant.

I'm just smart enough to know that I'm not very smart.