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Buy a Precision and get off my lawn.
- Thread starter JesseVMT
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- buy precision bass
Since I posted a non-fender home built Pbass, I feel like I should post up my actual Precision, it's a '75 (my birth year bass).
Owned it since '93-'94.
Owned it since '93-'94.
Technically the P-bass can do everything, at least in the context of playing almost all types of music. I don't think that a P-bass is always necessarily the best tool for the job, but you know it'll always 'work' 90% of the time.
Its a really simple bass that occupies a unique sonic signature that fills out a band mix really well. Its plug and play, which is nice because a lot of people don't know how to EQ to a band. The P-bass shines too because a lot of guitarists put too much bass in their EQ which doesn't affect the instruments signature low mid bump. P-basses are, for whatever reason, really responsive to string changes and right hand technique. Look at the really famous P-bass players such as Jamerson, Steve Harris, and John Entwistle. They all played the same bass but they all sound drastically different. Precisions are not the best tool or instrument, but they're certainly one of the most versatile because of this ability to play whatever style of music you want.
They're not perfect though. The fundamental limitation of this kinda bass is that it only has one pickup. After you dial in your sound (strings, setup, EQ, etc) you're pretty much stuck there until you change something. A good P-bass with low action is remarkably sensitive to hand position and attack compared to other basses, but you're never really going to get out of the ballpark you started in. You can role the tone knob up or down, which helps, but you're always going to be stuck in that same sonic space. There are other limitations too. Because of pickup placement it sucks at picking up the more subtle harmonics. Slap tone is kinda iffy because a P-bass doesn't react well to the mid scoop that makes slap stand out and sound good. Its finicky with a lot of fx.
There's old an saying describing the relationship between Leo's bass children. You play a p-bass if you want to be felt, and a jazz bass if you wanna be heard. This goes back to my earlier point where most people don't know how to EQ their bass to a band. A lot of people who normally play a "versatile bass" with multiple pickups or active EQs often dial in a sound that sounds awesome by itself but suddenly they find that they can't work through or support a mix if it was a wet paper bag, which goes back to my earlier point of people not knowing how to EQ to a band. They try a P-bass and say "wow, I didn't do anything and I sound awesome!" Sometimes it seems like you'd need to make a deliberate effort to make a P-bass sound bad in a band mix.
I still think that there is a j-bass cult. They're just much more insidious with their fancy boutique instruments that have quilt maple tops and fancy electronics.
.....Six month wait for one though 
Maybe TB is now full of old people? nothing says Mustang Sally more than a P in Dad Burst. Insert smiley face here so you know I'm just teasing.
What is the best bass to hurl at a keyboardist who is leaning too heavily on his left hand? P Bass.
That thing is COOL. I love this model - if I were to spring for another P it would probably be one of these!
I don't know, it kind of always is. It works perfectly both live and recorded without having anything complicated to deal with. It's a turnkey solution.
They aren't Fender, but they are Fender licensed...
This is right on. I really do like my 63 AVRI. It feels and sounds right. I only use it for a few sounds and as you said, I have to change strings go from Pino/Alabama Shakes/Duck to George Porter. Now add another pickup and it is transformed. I had a Tony Franklin Fretless that was just awesome.Technically the P-bass can do everything, at least in the context of playing almost all types of music. I don't think that a P-bass is always necessarily the best tool for the job, but you know it'll always 'work' 90% of the time.
Its a really simple bass that occupies a unique sonic signature that fills out a band mix really well. Its plug and play, which is nice because a lot of people don't know how to EQ to a band. The P-bass shines too because a lot of guitarists put too much bass in their EQ which doesn't affect the instruments signature low mid bump. P-basses are, for whatever reason, really responsive to string changes and right hand technique. Look at the really famous P-bass players such as Jamerson, Steve Harris, and John Entwistle. They all played the same bass but they all sound drastically different. Precisions are not the best tool or instrument, but they're certainly one of the most versatile because of this ability to play whatever style of music you want.
They're not perfect though. The fundamental limitation of this kinda bass is that it only has one pickup. After you dial in your sound (strings, setup, EQ, etc) you're pretty much stuck there until you change something. A good P-bass with low action is remarkably sensitive to hand position and attack compared to other basses, but you're never really going to get out of the ballpark you started in. You can role the tone knob up or down, which helps, but you're always going to be stuck in that same sonic space. There are other limitations too. Because of pickup placement it sucks at picking up the more subtle harmonics. Slap tone is kinda iffy because a P-bass doesn't react well to the mid scoop that makes slap stand out and sound good. Its finicky with a lot of fx.
There's old an saying describing the relationship between Leo's bass children. You play a p-bass if you want to be felt, and a jazz bass if you wanna be heard. This goes back to my earlier point where most people don't know how to EQ their bass to a band. A lot of people who normally play a "versatile bass" with multiple pickups or active EQs often dial in a sound that sounds awesome by itself but suddenly they find that they can't work through or support a mix if it was a wet paper bag, which goes back to my earlier point of people not knowing how to EQ to a band. They try a P-bass and say "wow, I didn't do anything and I sound awesome!" Sometimes it seems like you'd need to make a deliberate effort to make a P-bass sound bad in a band mix.
I still think that there is a j-bass cult. They're just much more insidious with their fancy boutique instruments that have quilt maple tops and fancy electronics.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
For me a 4 string passive one pickup p-bass cannot do what I want a bass to do.
my p-basses end up like one of these ...
