Favorite P Bass With Flats Recordings?

[Evan J]

I am doing a deep dive on different Flat-wound P Bass tones.

I would love to hear some of your favorite recordings of a P bass with flats. Bonus points if you can share the gear/technique to achieve the sound.

To get things started here is a more obscure one. It’s definitely not a Jamerson or Pino line. But it’s become one of my favorites. Gorgeous subtle tone.

 

[mellowgerman]

Lots of great P with flats recordings across all sorts of genres, but first one that pops into my head is Larry Taylor with Canned Heat at the 1969 Texas Pop Festival. The mole lives up to his name here, digging DEEP.
Not sure on the amp he used then - would be grateful to anyone who can share that info! The few blurry photos that include his 1969 tour rig always kind of looked like a Fender silverface head with the first channel controls removed... or at least the knobs? None the less, it was a killer tone. Sounds like he kept the volume on the amp cranked and adjusted from his bass's volume control to go from clean to grind.

If you don't have the time or patience to listen to the whole thing, firstly you are missing out! Also though, you can jump ahead to around the 6min30sec mark, mid solo, he's kinda taking everyone for a fun lackadaisical stroll and then he opens the volume up wide and starts to tear mountains in half like a total madman.

 

[bassdude51]

It's pretty difficult for me to pick favorite songs .... P Bass with flats recording when just about any and all songs from the late 50s to the mid 70s was a P Bass with flats.

Example, James Jamerson's Motown recording. And so many, many, many more examples.

 

[jerry]

 

[Pdaddy1978]

The Carol Kaye songbook...
Pbass, flats,.... showman?

 

[bherman]

Marvin Gaye What’s Going On

 

[Bodeeni]

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[RomanS]

The list of favorite songs NOT recorded with a P with flats would be A LOT shorter...

 

[Bassburg]

David Ryan Harris - Kerosene and John Mayer - Vultures. Sean Hurley nailing it so beautifully on these tracks.

 

[dune]

I am doing a deep dive on different Flat-wound P Bass tones.

Certainly a worthwhile pursuit, but unless you're a teenager you're probably not going to have enough time.

 

[Stewie]

I'm a technical dope, could someone please put up a link to "Skat" from Canned Heat's Future Blues album ....please

This IS how to walk all over a Pbass

 

[Bob_Ross]

I don't know why this track popped into my head, because I haven't heard it in probably 50 years. But Skip Batten was definitely using a Precision Bass, and almost certainly flatwound strings.

 

[mambo4]

easy for me. Not sure if this is the real deal or the SITSOM track, but I love it

 

[dmt]

I'm a technical dope, could someone please put up a link to "Skat" from Canned Heat's Future Blues album ....please

This IS how to walk all over a Pbass

The guy sporting the orange LES (Launch and Entry Suit) gives new meaning to the suit’s nickname, "the Pumpkin suit", lol.

Meanwhile, that is a drivin bass track. Good call

 

[Crackle]

Rotosound Jazz Bass 77

 

[bthiemann80]

The list of favorite songs NOT recorded with a P with flats would be A LOT shorter...

This for sure.

I would like to add the first Mars Volta album. Recorded with Flea on electric bass, allegedly using a pbass w/ flats. Details found here



Def one of those tones that kept me in pursuit for a long time.

 

[Kenova]

 

[MojoPin]

David Ryan Harris - Kerosene and John Mayer - Vultures. Sean Hurley nailing it so beautifully on these tracks.

Kerosene is just a master class in groove and restraint. Vultures was a Pino session though I'm pretty sure. Again, tons of groove and restraint plus a tone to die for.

 

[Bassburg]

Kerosene is just a master class in groove and restraint. Vultures was a Pino session though I'm pretty sure. Again, tons of groove and restraint plus a tone to die for.

Right, could be Pino on the recoding! But pretty sure Sean plays ist with John live.

 

[Admiral Akbar]

Willie Weeks with Donnie Hathaway live is a touchstone: