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Getting a modern tone from a P-bass
- Thread starter zelig.audio
- Start date
This...how about doing something simple like put a semi parametric EQ on your board....There is no law that says you can't route for an entirely different pickup either.
The Sadowsky pre boosts at 40Hz & 5kHz.
Goose those a bit with a parametric EQ, see what you see.
But i will say, those two frequencies aren’t really present in the Pbass tone, so you’ll be boosting dead space. But it’s worth a try.
Goose those a bit with a parametric EQ, see what you see.
But i will say, those two frequencies aren’t really present in the Pbass tone, so you’ll be boosting dead space. But it’s worth a try.
This is the ticket. I used a 90's American Standard P and the original Sadowsky pre--the little belt clip one, for neo soul, RnB, etc- with great results--genres where I'd normally gravitate to something other than a P usually...
Free: tweak setup (action and pickup height in particular), technique, and EQ/processing. The latter can be a stomp box or amp. Not sure how much this will do, but it's free...
Very inexpensive: Wire the pickup in parallel. A good hi-fi P pickup (like Wilde P46) would help, but any P pickup wired in parallel will sound more hi-fi. Series wiring creates a big hump in the mids, and parallel wiring flattens that out + extends the top end. If it's too bright, you can either EQ that, or use small loading caps (and tone control) to fine tune the resonant peak.
Inexpensive: Brighter strings (this may be necessary to make any of the above work).
More expensive: New pickup - I mentioned Wilde P46 for a passive option, active EMG would also help in this regard. Both can be relatively inexpensive used.
I'll leave out even more expensive options.
Very inexpensive: Wire the pickup in parallel. A good hi-fi P pickup (like Wilde P46) would help, but any P pickup wired in parallel will sound more hi-fi. Series wiring creates a big hump in the mids, and parallel wiring flattens that out + extends the top end. If it's too bright, you can either EQ that, or use small loading caps (and tone control) to fine tune the resonant peak.
Inexpensive: Brighter strings (this may be necessary to make any of the above work).
More expensive: New pickup - I mentioned Wilde P46 for a passive option, active EMG would also help in this regard. Both can be relatively inexpensive used.
I'll leave out even more expensive options.
EMG P. If you want to stay passive go with the Aguilar ceramic DCB-P or a Delano offering.
Delano makes P bass pickups with 1 large Stingray type pole piece per string. They definitely "modernize" the tone a lot. I had one in my P bass for a little while but it wasn't my thing. It fills in a lot of that hollow honkiness of the P bass.
I’d go rounds and scoop 3-600hz. Just one eq point at 450 with a wider Q. If the preamp isn’t near the pickups it won’t really sound modern imho because it just clarifies the vintage-y cord impedance, rather than eliminating the vintage like an onboard preamp does. I personally wouldn’t use stainless steel strings just because you get that grindy sound that I don’t really consider “modern” per se, but that may be what you’re wanting.
I've have great results making my p-bass sound modern/active with the following preamp pedals:
- Sansamp Bass Driver: I find the tone very modern, but I find it not super versatile despite having many knobs, in the sense that you can get many variations of the same scooped tone. Sounds great though, classic for a reason.
- Darkglass B3K or B7K (at low drive settings makes for a very modern, very clean, mid focused tone, or more scooped with big bottom if you engage the growl/attack switches or use the EQ)
- Sadowsky preamp: although most famously used with a Jazz bass, I find it works great to transform the P-bass as well. It's the most affordable option. Not very versatile, but sounds great.
Out of these three, my favorite would be the Darkglass both in terms of its character and in how versatile it is.
- Sansamp Bass Driver: I find the tone very modern, but I find it not super versatile despite having many knobs, in the sense that you can get many variations of the same scooped tone. Sounds great though, classic for a reason.
- Darkglass B3K or B7K (at low drive settings makes for a very modern, very clean, mid focused tone, or more scooped with big bottom if you engage the growl/attack switches or use the EQ)
- Sadowsky preamp: although most famously used with a Jazz bass, I find it works great to transform the P-bass as well. It's the most affordable option. Not very versatile, but sounds great.
Out of these three, my favorite would be the Darkglass both in terms of its character and in how versatile it is.
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The previously suggested Sadowsky is a great modern pre. You can also try a variable filter (Broughton) or any Alembic Super Filter clone. You can choose and filter a specific frequency and then widen or narrow it. I use one as well as an Osiris Philter, very tweakable and I can get all kinds of cool, unexpected tones out of a P bass.
Perhaps if you then wired the two halves in parallel, instead of standard series we could be talking, and might get soapbar like tones out of it-The DiMarzio Split P pickup (NOT the Model P) claims to do this.
I’ve never tried one.
Split P™ | DiMarzio
Widen the sound of your gear with a Split P™ pickup. Each half of this unique double-blade P-style pickup is a complete humbucker. Split P™ pickups are EQ’d to expand the range of your bass by extending both low- and high-end response: a great way to get a broader contemporary sound from...www.dimarzio.com
I think you have plenty of gear to get a modern tone from a Pbass. Even without the HX stomp, the Colour box , eq, and compressor will get you there if you use fresh round wounds.
An eq scooping arround 500 and boosting arround 2k goes a long way. That kind of modern tone is not so much about actual high end as about the high mids.
A subtle sub octave and a healthy dose of compression can help too.
A subtle sub octave and a healthy dose of compression can help too.
And if you're talking that modern sound you'd hear on neo soul and RnB, something like a Jill Scott album, in the final mix you really don't hear the highs much at all. It's all about this super smooth low end. The highs are there, but they don't jump out at all as a rule (fingerstyle). You can totally get there with a P and some scooping. I mostly use a Sadowsky PJ for that music these days, sometimes just on the P pickup--works a treat, essentially the same as using the outboard pre on a passive P.
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One thing I'd suggest is a double P. That could get you many places. RKM is putting some out now that are going to be $2999 new. May be worth a look.
I would add another option to help you investigate what's possible:
Get a decent value-priced (low end but decent) passive PJ. Do the parallel mod as described above. And also add a series/parallel mod between the 2 pups. Playing around with this might help you decide what you ultimately want.
I'll just add that I did all of the above on my P bass - low action (tho no buzzing) and light touch seem to really extend the range of tones I get by adjusting my playing location. Stainless steel rounds were essential (DR Lo Riders). Wilde P46, wired in parallel, and tuned to taste with loading caps on a rotary switch. I did not EQ anything, I use EQ for adjusting to room.
Agreed - and indeed, it can be relatively inexpensive (on the grand scheme of things). I'd shoot for Yamaha (BB if you can, but TRB is fine), but Squier and Ibanez are good. Ideally, the P would be reversed.
Tho, this is not necessary for Anthony Jackson type tones (at least his P and Presentation bass tones)
