How to get more treble from the Pbass..

[Turnaround]

Might try a no-load tone pot. Takes itself and the capacitor entirely out of the circuit when it's wide open.

 

[amphlett7]

My Squier P-bass was plenty bright with flats.

Was strung up with TI Jazz Flats and had the stock Affinity pickup with 500K Pots.

Could easily got from very dark to bright and then to ridiculously bright if I used a pick!

Great bass!

 

[Blaze Barlow]

Ok so I absolutely love my Squier CV 60s Pbass(Fiesta Red/Tort) which I recently acquired. I have been trying to coax a bit more treble out of the G string area but it doesn't seem to have that burp treble of the jazz bass, which makes sense of course and many would agree with. I have thought of a few options and yes- I have raised the pickup closer to the G and have messed with the Eq on the amp, and have boosted the tone on the bass itself. So have any of you managed to be successful with this? Possible options:
-Change the pickup to a Fender 60s/vintage
-Change to maybe TI Jazz flats(currently strung with Labella Low tension flats)
-Add a J pickup(which would destroy the originality of the bass)
-Just get a Jazz bass..(not an immediate option but will be at some point)
What are your thoughts and/or personal success stories?

get a good preamp or a multiband EQ to shape the sound to get what you want....these rack mounted units work great and are inexpensive.......https://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/tech-21-sansamp-rpm-rackmount-preamp........................dbx 131s

 

[Tony In Philly]

Don't get rounds as some here have suggested; get Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats which have beautiful highs. Unlike rounds, they won't sound like palm dirt after a few months either.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Use a pick, or better still, a metal coin.

 

[Chrisk-K]

If you insist using flats, the physical law won’t allow you to get the Ox or Squire type tone.

 

[Dub56]

In my mind, P Bass with rounds and P Bass with flats are two different animals. Rounds might be worth a try if you haven't yet.

I have 1 P set up with rounds and 1 with flats at the moment. They both have some of the same undeniable P Bass character to them, but there's a whole different aspect to each of them beyond that. The 2 string types just 'feel' different to me when playing them as well, and I don't mean string texture.

 

[Engle]

If rounds are too bright try a set of GHS Pressurewounds as a step up. They're a round wound type with an outer wrap that's much smoother, easier on the fingers, and produce less string noise. Not as mellow as flats or as bright as rounds.

+1 Just be aware the tension will be higher.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

The reproducible EQ limits of the instrument are however not in your hands. Also, funnily enough, to get the brightest sound he can out of it, he shouldn’t use his fingers- he should use a pick

It doesn't sound like he necessarily wants a "bright" sound. It sounds to me like he wants a "quack" instead of a "clack." The "burp" he's talking about is the exact difference between a P and a J. Precision basses are round and low mid based. Jazz basses are tight and pronounced. Instead of warm mellow notes with the tone knob adding the twang from the strings (Clack), you actually have twang in your notes themselves (Quack). Jazz vs Precission. Want one or the other, you have to have one or the other.

 

[Basshappi]

Yeah I am looking for the smooth yet bitey treble with the tone control completely off...not so much clanky but jazz-like

That's part of the problem right there.
You're using flats and rolling your tone all the way off on a P bass, there is no "smooth, bitey treble" in that equation.

 

[4SG]

Whatever The Ox used for Live at Leeds? That's one trebly P Bass!

That would've been Frankenstein: John Entwistle Gear: 1967-1968 | John Entwistle Bass Gear | Whotabs

 

[porterbass]

EMG Geezer pickups or David Allen P 1088 pickups with TI Jazz Flats.

 

[2F/2F]

1. String change
2. Cut bass frequencies with e.q.; don't just try to boost treble and high mids.
3. Put nice pots in there, and move higher in resistance on the pots (you can always turn them down to make them sound close to 250Ks again)
4. Get a better pickup.

 

[Resonance129]

I haven't read through all the responses just yet, but if it hasn't been suggested already, I'd say try some EB Cobalt Flats. You keep the feel and "playability" of the flats, but they're pretty bright, all around.
Will it put more bite in your G-String? Dunno. But it's worth a shot.

 

[HalfManHalfBass]

Here's what I do (as I can't stand using a pick on bass):

1) Chromes (40-100 gauge and they don't feel any stiffer than nickel wounds to me). If they are, then the minuscule tweaking of my truss rods also bear out that there's no difference in tension).

2) A preamp pedal like the Sadowsky or MXR straight after the bass signal and before your amp. Crank the treble control on it, you WILL hear more treble.

3) Use the Fender USA replacement pickup. I have ditched all my Seymour Duncan and Dimarzios because the Fender is the most articulate and has the most treble on tap -if I want it. Otherwise I use the tone control to bring back the warmth.

4) To create more high end harmonic content, a light overdrive, especially one like a Sansamp where you can mix in the right blend between dry and wet/crunch levels will give you much more twang and bite.

 

[btmpancake]

First thing I do if I can't 'brighten' or add more treble (while playing in the mix) is to play closer to the bridge;albeit volume output is less to some degree, strings will feel stiffer so you may feel that you have to 'dig' in a little more. I also do this for instant volume reduction-but have not done this with a P/J type bass {never owned one}.

 

[Wisebass]

What are your thoughts and/or personal success stories?

Hi FishDub

My personal success story? I play rounds! And sometimes I use a pic.
But I have to admit, that I am a lousy pic player

Before you buy a whole bunch of different strings, maybe search the "strings" forum
for sound samples.

Of all flat strings that have been mentioned the cobalt flats are the brightest (AFAIK)
Will your "P" sound brighter with these? Yes!
Will it sound like a "Jazz"? No!

Do not mod that P bass, when you can' t do it yourself,
rather spare that money to buy a "Jazz"!!!

just my thoughts

may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[Slevage]

Wish I could agree with the pick but never really used one and not really comfortable with one either

You could agree with the pick concept—
Using one takes time to develop technique.
I took lessons from a jazz guy in 1971.
I have been trying to develop pick technique for the last few years after watching Bobby Vega and Chris Squire videos among others.

 

[Roxbororob]

Whatever The Ox used for Live at Leeds? That's one trebly P Bass!

Rotosound 66. You get used to the feel.

If you must stay with flats get the Chromes (but even these arent going to get very trebly) .

Dont mess with the bass (burp is P).

 

[Roxbororob]

"It is easy to make a round sound like a flat but hard to go the other way.
Lee Sklar