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Is a P bass necessary?

It's just the way it is. Put it this way, 70-80% of positive comments come from non-musicians. As far as I can recall, virtually 100% of cheap shots towards my gear has been from musicians. Some newer musicians typically dig the stuff, but sometimes I get the thousand-yard-stare from veteran musicians and those who think they're big time musicians. At stores, I generally hear decent comments, although I typically hear though the grapevine what they said after I left.

Fortunately, most boutique players (ya know, the ones who play 'em, aren't just collectors, know how to play actual music, etc) are a pretty resilient bunch. I mean, if we didn't believe in what we were doing, we wouldn't spend the dough and most likely sell 'em when the stereotypical comments roll in.

Well, the conversation was about Talkbass and the comments here. I don't let that poster's (or any other's) comments about what I play get to me for more than a moment or two. We would all do well to let such things roll off our back.
 
We would all do well to let such things roll off our back.

Yes, I like your easygoing philosophy concerning all this. And I agree with you. But you, me, and everyone who reads this is human and thus subject to feelings. I am certain that not a single reader can always allow the "roll off our back" phenomenon to kick in when offended sufficiently--not always. Some things stick in people's backs like blades. Words can stab. And those who pen them are usually quite aware of that. :scowl:
 
i think the discussion of musical bigotry is a valid one, but not in this thread. we're discussing the objective and subjective rationale behind p-bass ownership here.

please feel free to start a thread in misc about this other topic (which again, i think would make for a good discussion, since it goes to the root of why we like what we like, and how we listen to new music). but again, this conversation does not belong here.
 
i think the discussion of musical bigotry is a valid one

"Musical bigotry...!" Thank you--that's a perfect description of what more-than-irked me. All bigotry irks me and, while musical bigotry usually does not result in bodily harm to large numbers of people, still, it needs to be addressed by musicians because any kind of bigotry, wherever it roosts, destroys. That's by-definition counter-productive. As artists, we build!

Your point is well-taken. I will take this elsewhere.
 
I like P-basses. They sound good in practically every application in the hands of the right player. No bass will get that thick tone quite like the original.

Necessary? No.
Favored? Oh yeah.

Edit: Also, FWIW, I personally have yet to find a Jazz neck pick-up that sounds like a straight P pick-up. I love the J-neck, don't get me wrong, but it just doesn't have the presence of the P-humbucker IMO.

Yes. It is a humbucker. :p
 
Say it ain't so! :crying:

;);)

Sorry... I didn't say that it was unnecessary in good music though. :hiding:

I have been guilty of liking some non-rock and roll music without any bass instruments, though more often there's something holding down the bottom end.


Even in rock, though, I can't be the only one who's been to concerts where I've thought..."Why not fire the bass player and have extra money for everybody else, since he's obviously not even plugged in?"
 
Sorry... I didn't say that it was unnecessary in good music though. :hiding:

I have been guilty of liking some non-rock and roll music without any bass instruments, though more often there's something holding down the bottom end.


Even in rock, though, I can't be the only one who's been to concerts where I've thought..."Why not fire the bass player and have extra money for everybody else, since he's obviously not even plugged in?"

:scowl:

Go to better rock concerts.
 
Sorry... I didn't say that it was unnecessary in good music though. :hiding:

I have been guilty of liking some non-rock and roll music without any bass instruments, though more often there's something holding down the bottom end.


Even in rock, though, I can't be the only one who's been to concerts where I've thought..."Why not fire the bass player and have extra money for everybody else, since he's obviously not even plugged in?"


:rolleyes: What the heck kind of music you listen to fella :rollno:
 
I had no idea this thread would be a 10-pager. Not to spoil the conversation in any way but my original intention was this: for people with a jazz bass, doesn't the soloed neck pup get close enough to the point where you don't really need a P, basically 2 basses in one in terms of sound.
That point has been discussed, sure, but for all the posts of "yes, they're cool," and "who cares, play whatever you want", those posters may have misunderstood.

You get closer to P-tone that way, but it's not P-tone. If P-bass tone is the tone you've got to have then you need a P-bass. But if close enough is good enough you can get by just fine without.

In my case, I love P-tone (and thus own several P-basses) but I love other tones too (and thus own others as well). I like variety in my music, but I like having a good P when that's the tone I want.
 
OK. I don't want to get flamed here, I'm just wondering. I have nothing against the almighty P or those who play them. I'm sure at some point I'll own one too.

It just seems to me that when I solo the neck pup on my Jazz, I get pretty close to a P sound. So why not play a Jazz and have the option of both?

Now this is really just about sound. I realize there's differences in the bodies, looks, and neck widths; and those are a matter of preference.

Anybody else with me? Discuss.

close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
 
tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, a P bass creeps in it's petty pace to the last syllable of recorded time. and all our yesterdays have but lighted other basses the way to dusty death. out out brief candle. a P bass is but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and is heard no more. it is a tale told by an bass player, full of of sound and fury, signifying nothing
 
...because in general on TB, one can't praise a P-bass without bashing other basses. I don't think anyone gets offended when someone says, "I like P-basses." It's the "I like P-basses, that thar boutique crap sucks" comments that stir the pot.

Indeed. P-basses aren't really my thing, but whatever makes people happy to play is what they should play. If for other people, that's a P-bass, that's cool.

It's the "P-bass superior, [insert basically any other kind of bass here] inferior" attitude that I find irritating. Same with the assumption some players seem to have that if one does not own a P-bass or enjoy playing them, that one has some personal vendetta against Fender.

Then of course, the attitude on the other side taken by some players in reaction to this, that all P-bass players are conformists or yes men or some other silly idea is equally ridiculous. Most serious bass players, I would guess, play whichever brand and model of instrument (plural in many cases) that they do because they simply like those instruments.