Fender P Bass: Thump versus Ring

[Phaidrus]

In the final analysis, there's only one answer to such a question. Keep 'em both.

 

[chris_b]

I came across a used Fender 2016 American Standard P Bass in excellent condition at a good price and bought it. I've been happy with my MIM Player P Bass for a few years but had to try the American Standard. I'm comparing the two and this is what I'm hearing: The American is more solid and true to the fundamentals in lower registers, and the MIM has much better clarity, sustain and "ring like a bell" tone in the upper registers. My intent was to sell one. As Leland Sklar says, "The low end is the 'cash register'" so I'm leaning toward keeping the American. It also has more consistent volume and voice across the whole fretboard. (Sits in the mix.) Any reason I should prioritize the "ring like a bell" high tones of the MIM over the depth and consistency of the American Standard? Thanks for any advice. - John

Sounds like you think the Am Std is the better sounding Precision bass. I agree with you. My sound and style is in Lee Sklar's ball park so I totally understand his "cash register" comment. My PJ has flats and foam.

I also like a bass with a wider range of tones. I have a Jazz bass with rounds for that sound.

 

[Rib 13]

I came across a used Fender 2016 American Standard P Bass in excellent condition at a good price and bought it. I've been happy with my MIM Player P Bass for a few years but had to try the American Standard. I'm comparing the two and this is what I'm hearing: The American is more solid and true to the fundamentals in lower registers, and the MIM has much better clarity, sustain and "ring like a bell" tone in the upper registers. My intent was to sell one. As Leland Sklar says, "The low end is the 'cash register'" so I'm leaning toward keeping the American. It also has more consistent volume and voice across the whole fretboard. (Sits in the mix.) Any reason I should prioritize the "ring like a bell" high tones of the MIM over the depth and consistency of the American Standard? Thanks for any advice. - John

No offense to Le Sklar "The low end is the 'cash register'" or Jaco only needed 4 strings and all the other anecdotes that cite famous bassists....but you be you and make your decision by what your ears prefer.

 

[Ekulati]

Any reason I should prioritize the "ring like a bell" high tones of the MIM over the depth and consistency of the American Standard?

Only if you get gigs based on your "lead bass" playing.

 

[ga_edwards]

Strings: I put La Bella Deep Talking flats on the MIM, and the American Standard came (second hand) with La Bella flats on it. I've been advised that there is a lot to the technique of putting on strings (making sure they're not twisted, proper crimping, even pre-boiling), so they may have been handled differently. The strings are similar, at least.

If you don’t know how old the strings on the new bass are, at the very least I’d try a string swap. You’d then have a better idea how the new bass will sound with exactly the same strings as the MIM.

 

[Vanheusen77]

If you want to sound like Sklar you should get a 5 string fan fret high tech monster bass like the one he plays... But seriously I agree on the point made earlier that all of these quotes that are floating around are not truths. The reality is there are no rules, so just follow your own ears and heart.

 

[SwitchGear]

Try recording both basses in a band mix. Listen back, maybe this will help

 

[Oatis]

record both with your band, sit back and listen . you decide or let the band vote (blind- don't tell them which bass ). If the vote is evenly split, keep both basses.

 

[XLunacy]

No offense to Le Sklar "The low end is the 'cash register'" or Jaco only needed 4 strings and all the other anecdotes that cite famous bassists....but you be you and make your decision by what your ears prefer.

"Lee Sklar said..." is the new "Jaco only needed..."

 

[Jtown690]

I’ve got Fender 3 Ps; MIM w/rounds (sometimes EB regular sometimes D’Addario EXL) Mid 2000s USA with Chromes, late model CS ‘57 with Labella DTB.
Also have a Am1 Jazz with Light EXLs.
Each has a completely different sound, character and feel.
And Each comes out and shines on what I feel works best for that gig/sound/genre etc..
I bring my MIM to gigs where it gets beer spilled on it.
I bring the others to church.
I need to clean up and bring my MIM to church one of these days.

 

[bdplaid]

Considering the crap show of trying to sell a bass these days, I'd keep them both. You're lucky that you have two precision basses that sound so different.

 

[jnewmark]

Excellent point about what the audience hears! That's specially true of the high notes because, to use another Sklar line, "If you spend a lot of time up there you're going to need a bass player." I should probably quit comparing basses fret by fret and get back to playing with the band to see what works.

I don't know who said it, not Sklar, but I've heard it more than a few times: " There's no money above the 5th fret."

 

[bobyoung53]

The audience does care about tone, just not in they way that players do. They care in that they want it to sound good (what ever that subjective thing is to them)…they dont care about what you use to achieve it, unless there is some preconceived genre visual thing. Try both basses in as many settings as possible and stick with one works for you best

Yes, that's one of the biggest TB myths going I believe. Might as well just grab a washtub, handle and a piano string if that were true. I myself like a bass that has plenty of bottom and is clear, strings have a lot to do with that, Rotosound Swing bass 66's can do that with a P bass, listen to earlier Entwistle's recordings with The Who, Tommy for example, primo P bass tone with Rotos. I would experiment with strings on the American which is the one I would keep, myself.



"What time does the session/gig start?"

 

[pbassnut]

I came across a used Fender 2016 American Standard P Bass in excellent condition at a good price and bought it. I've been happy with my MIM Player P Bass for a few years but had to try the American Standard. I'm comparing the two and this is what I'm hearing: The American is more solid and true to the fundamentals in lower registers, and the MIM has much better clarity, sustain and "ring like a bell" tone in the upper registers. My intent was to sell one. As Leland Sklar says, "The low end is the 'cash register'" so I'm leaning toward keeping the American. It also has more consistent volume and voice across the whole fretboard. (Sits in the mix.) Any reason I should prioritize the "ring like a bell" high tones of the MIM over the depth and consistency of the American Standard? Thanks for any advice. - John

Sustain on a bass is highly overrated, IMHO.

 

[SoulReflection]

New La Bella DTB are a lot brighter than old ones. Twisting them will cause dissonance in them, make sure that the end in the bridge can rotate at the last minute before you tighten them. I have always bent them before I cut them. I've never heard of pre-boiling. Years ago people use to boil Rotos to try to get them to sound like new ones again, it wasn't really worth the effort to me though. But yeah, there is a big difference between old and new La Bellas, they take a few months to settle down. I would especially not boil new strings.

Boiling flats takes the valuable chicken grease (soul) out and you have to go back to KFC...

 

[Old Fart]

A 2016 Am Std P should sound pretty good.

I have come to the conclusion that the hifi sort of piano-sounding wonderfulness we enjoy in some solo bass tones is useless in a mix, or nearly so. I am not Chris Squire. I choose not to try to occupy frequency ranges that belong to other instruments. There is a spot in the frequency mix that I can dominate if I choose to, and I do choose to. Low mids. P-basses do this better than others. Tone-wise, I am all about the low mid fundamentals. I think the Pure Vintage '63 pickup is perfect. I also think the pickup in your 2016 bass is a close second. If I had to keep only one, in your shoes, I would keep the 2016. No contest. YMMV.

 

[Old Fart]

Sustain on a bass is highly overrated, IMHO.

Yup. Sometimes I use a mute.

 

[SoulReflection]

I think the Pure Vintage '63 pickup is perfect.

I totally agree! I installed one in my MIM Player and moved it's stock pup to a Squier Jag. Big improvement for both basses.

 

[P. Aaron]

Any basses high notes can/will ring out depending upon settings, strings and technique.

American Fenders have better long-term value. It's a perception thing and an individual player's gut as to what their preferred player is on a given night.