How to get more treble from the Pbass..

[mcnach]

Thanks--I actually have thought of a set of rounds but these flats feel so damn good on the fingers

Try Labella White Nylon Tapewounds, the standard ones or the copper ones. Smooth to the touch and a lot more treble than your flats.

 

[armyadarkness]

Some P basses sound hollow, woody, thumpy and dark ; and some have sparkling highs with grinding upper mids and a fat low end.

Agreed. My 57 RI sounds different than my my 08 Am. Std... In fact, I can tell all 4 of my P's apart... It drives me crazy at times... but if different woods do in fact make different tones, then it stand to reason that even the grain and density of the same wood, would sound different.

I'm a hardcore P guy, I have them built for me, and I always request alder as opposed to ash, which they always tell me is odd.

That being said, the problem that he's describing seems to be string volume balance, which Leo Fender recognized as a problem on the precision bass... and it's why when Leo Fender started G&L, that he made the pole pieces adjustable, as they are to this day.

I still believe in the TBX... but that will add treble to the whole bass, not one string...

I use to suffer the same curse, and on my P's, I still do... but ever since I switched to G&L's, I no longer have this issue.

 

[ThudThudThud]

I think those CV 60s Fiesta Red Ps have pickups that are PERFECTLY attuned to D'Addario Chromes (if you can work with the tension). Plenty of top end.
Otherwise, try the tapewounds. I didn't like rounds on mine (although I did find an MIM P that was divine with NPS rounds).

 

[maturanesa]

Use 500k pots and SS strings

 

[Kipp Harrington]

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?

Treble boost pedal? I'm not one for pedals, but I thought I would throw it out there.

 

[MtManiac]

Agreed. My 57 RI sounds different than my my 08 Am. Std... In fact, I can tell all 4 of my P's apart... It drives me crazy at times... but if different woods do in fact make different tones, then it stand to reason that even the grain and density of the same wood, would sound different.

I'm a hardcore P guy, I have them built for me, and I always request alder as opposed to ash, which they always tell me is odd.

That being said, the problem that he's describing seems to be string volume balance, which Leo Fender recognized as a problem on the precision bass... and it's why when Leo Fender started G&L, that he made the pole pieces adjustable, as they are to this day.

I still believe in the TBX... but that will add treble to the whole bass, not one string...

I use to suffer the same curse, and on my P's, I still do... but ever since I switched to G&L's, I no longer have this issue.

I also owned an '08 Am Std, and a '57 AVRI! Both maple boards, one alder the other ash. And also a '06 American Series, with rosewood and ash, a 90-something with rosewood and alder, and briefly owned a 2010 with rosewood and alder. I currently am rocking another maple with alder. I've also owned two previous Jazz basses, and one current one. P basses are where I live, the J's are just my side action. (The 2008 was the love of my life and it was stolen from me, RIP).

All the P basses sounded different from each other, and yet they all sounded like P basses. Pickup and strings make the most difference between them all, in my opinion.

None of them could ever make a sound like what you'd get from a J bridge pickup. You need a J bridge pickup to do that. A J will deliver that sound regardless of pickup make or strings or pot impedance. You might get close to it from a humbucker at the bridge instead of a single coil, but you definitely need a pickup at the bridge.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

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?

if it's a four wire pickup then adding a push pull pot to allow you to put the coils in parallel will get you closer to a jazz with both pickups on. It's at least another voice you might like.

 

[zon6c-f]

My 2 cents

Try rounds but my choice would be
Rotosound Swing Bass 66

You’ll instantly have that prog tone ( far more brite) whether you use picks or fingers

Only rounds I’ve ever bought are Rotosounds but there are lots of choices these days

Regardless of our opinions ..Use Your Ears and Wallet

Then please keep us posted as to your decision

 

[Sparkl]

Yeah, cause all I see here is people suggesting different strings, techniques, and gutting the bass. It's a P bass guys. It sounds like a P bass, because it is a P bass. The problem he's facing is that he wants his bass to feel like a P, and sound like a J. It's not going to happen. I don't care you who are, what stings you have on there, how you play, or what your amp settings are. It's still a P. A P sounds like a P. Just like a J sounds like a J. That's why they still make and sell both. If it were possible to have the same sound with both builds, Fender would make Jazzes with fat necks, and Ps with thin ones, and you would get the same sounds from both. Or, they'd just have one bass...the Fender (kinda like The Rickenbacker). The problem with a PJ is that they don't really sound anything like a J. Its basically a P, with options. But, I see adding the bridge J as your best bet. Otherwise you're gonna go buy a Jazz bass, and never play your Precision cause it doesn't have the sound you want. And, like you already said, you love your bass.

Well the J on the P really does make a big difference. The tone you get out can be quite modern sounding (think of nathan east tone on certain songs, he uses the PJ combo a lot... also vic wooty and many many others). A vast majority of modern sounding warwicks use the PJ combo...

You can really get a lot out of these two pickups and the tone character (the core stays there anyways) can vary wildly from brand to brand, string to string. It really is an interesting pickup combo.

Jazz iz a Jazz as you said and obviously a PJ isn't gonna sound like a jazz. But he wants that burp over the pbass sound he loves (on higher strings) and burp comes from the bridge single coil mostly. So adding a bridge J to the P will do just that - add the burp and scoop the tone a bit.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

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

He used a pick

 

[Tobiasfin]

He used a pick

Yes! John also used his Fingernails when raking fast, and close to the bridge. He also dug in furiously right over the fingerboard. The tone is in your hands

 

[somebrains]

Rout out an MM below the P.
Play with a pick + rounds, smiley face your EQ.
Put in a stupidly hot passive P.

 

[FishDub]

My 2 cents

Try rounds but my choice would be
Rotosound Swing Bass 66

You’ll instantly have that prog tone ( far more brite) whether you use picks or fingers

Only rounds I’ve ever bought are Rotosounds but there are lots of choices these days

Regardless of our opinions ..Use Your Ears and Wallet

Then please keep us posted as to your decision

I sure will and thanks!

 

[SirMjac28]

I use nothing but rounds and GHS makes the best feeling rounds I've ever used and sometimes I even forget that they are rounds.

 

[Paul M]

I haven't read this whole conversation. Has anybody suggested a buffer pedal or any pedal with a drag control? It can really liven up the pickup, especially on some modern amps that can make a passive bass sound dull.

 

[FishDub]

Well the J on the P really does make a big difference. The tone you get out can be quite modern sounding (think of nathan east tone on certain songs, he uses the PJ combo a lot... also vic wooty and many many others). A vast majority of modern sounding warwicks use the PJ combo...

You can really get a lot out of these two pickups and the tone character (the core stays there anyways) can vary wildly from brand to brand, string to string. It really is an interesting pickup combo.

Jazz iz a Jazz as you said and obviously a PJ isn't gonna sound like a jazz. But he wants that burp over the pbass sound he loves (on higher strings) and burp comes from the bridge single coil mostly. So adding a bridge J to the P will do just that - add the burp and scoop the tone a bit.

I really wish Fender would make a P body with 2 j pickups..drool

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I really wish Fender would make a P body with 2 j pickups..drool

Haha, that's what I was saying. It would be an interesting combo. Probably a fatter sound. You can always get a modded custom

 

[FishDub]

Haha, that's what I was saying. It would be an interesting combo. Probably a fatter sound. You can always get a modded custom

For me it would be awesome..I find the Pbass body very comfortable unlike the J...The J looks too big on me since I have a small frame

 

[BigBear77]

What string gauge are you using? 45-105. Maybe try a 40-100 or a medium light set. You can also try chromes, definitely a brighter sounding flat.

 

[Sparkl]

I really wish Fender would make a P body with 2 j pickups..drool

Hmm, wanted to say that Fender sports hotrods PJs with a jazz bass body but then realised you’re after the opposite lol. Why not get yourself a jazz with a pbass neck then? You basically have all those combos out there. I haven’t looked into it myself but I haven’t registered any significant (if any at all) difference in body thickness between the p body and jazz body... unless you’re after the curved pbass controls that is