I've been tone chasing the Precision gutteral 'clank' for years....

[lug]

My idea of my Pbass a clankin'...

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76 Pbass but very very lightweight for that era.

 

[socialleper]

It's pretty easy to get; they are practically building to make that clank noise.
Round wounds, lower action, play over the pickup and pluck through the string so it bounces off the frets. Done.
A bump in the high mids of your amps and maybe a hint of warmth via tubes or a light OD pedal will help.

 

[fourstringgirl]

I learned how to get that Steve Harris clank with my right hand technique. It's all in string attack for me as well as tone control settings. I can do it on any bass.

 

[Plutonium244]

My Fender P-bass Reissue '70 MIJ with maple fretboard was a Clank town. I tried everything, including two aftermarket pickups, but could not tame it. I loved how it looked but hated how it sounded, so I sold it a week ago. Get one and enjoy megaclankness.

There's good clank and bad clank. Apparently you were getting bad clank. I get good clank from my maple board 50's Classic P especially through a tube amp. Almost makes me want to play the bo diddly beat with a pick for hours on end. And I don't even own a pick.

 

[buldog5151bass]

And maple board

It's pretty easy to get; they are practically building to make that clank noise.
Round wounds, lower action, play over the pickup and pluck through the string so it bounces off the frets. Done.
A bump in the high mids of your amps and maybe a hint of warmth via tubes or a light OD pedal will help.

Don't know on the board - my P has rosewood. But moving your left hand down toward the bridge really brightens up the tone.

 

[RattleSnack]

Oh,

There's good clank and bad clank. Apparently you were getting bad clank. I get good clank from my maple board 50's Classic P especially through a tube amp. Almost makes me want to play the bo diddly beat with a pick for hours on end. And I don't even own a pick.

I agree about good and bad clunk, but I doubt this was a bad one since I got compliments often. I guess I am not a clank guy at all

 

[socialleper]

Don't know on the board - my P has rosewood. But moving your left hand down toward the bridge really brightens up the tone.

Maple isn't required. My Peavey Forum has a rosewood fret board and does it just fine.
There is a different type of articulation when you pluck closer to the bridge, but I personally wouldn't say that is the "clank" most people think of.

 

[mongo2]

This is just a quick recall from Clankistrution Engineering 101 but I think I nailed it. Optimum Clank would require faded ripped jeans and tassels hanging from your leather jacket, but I don't remember the formula for all of that.

Those are all wrapped up in the Casady Constant.

 

[two fingers]

Those are all wrapped up in the Casady Constant.

.....goes without saying.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

P/J bass might get you there?

 

[GnarwhalNick]

I found this vid where you can really hear how the one bass in the bunch that has a maple board (the '77 USA Moccha) clearly has more attack, punch and "clank potential" then the others equipped with rosewood boards.

It's actually pretty cleverly made, and they go through various settings and playing styles. Worth watching all the way through. Take a listen...

I love this video. I think it's one of the best side-by-side comparison videos on youtube. Instead of talking through half of it or playing one style, it has the 3 different styles of playing bass on 4 different basses with the tone set at 3 different settings. I understand P-basses are pretty simple when it comes to messing with the tone but it's still great.

That '77 USA P has a sound I could only dream of! Alas, all my basses have rosewood fretboards.

 

[Plutonium244]

When you have to P, you have to P. Sometimes it burns.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Don't know on the board - my P has rosewood. But moving your left hand down toward the bridge really brightens up the tone.

That, too.
I have Ps with both, well, not the same P, but one rosewood and one maple. I think I get more clank with the maple, but that is subjective, so never mind.

 

[OldFenderPlayer]

Fender Precision Bass (I play a Bill Nash 57-Pbass) + a hard pick + Ampeg SVT = Clank.

 

[GnarwhalNick]

While my P-bass doesn't sound like the '77 in the video, I can get plenty of clank out of it. I have SPB-3's, tone set at around 80-90%, and I use Ernie Ball Power Slinky Strings. I also use a pick that is 1.5mm and play right over the pick-ups. I like to have the action not too low to where you can lightly tap it to play the note, but not too high to where you can stuck you entire finger in the space in between the string and the fretboard. I have it set to where my fretting hand plays aggressively but it's still at a good enough level to where I can doodle and solo without having adding the extra noise that high action gives you. I also have my strap set to where my bass is in that area between my stomach and pelvic area, so my picking arm has power behind it (shoulder, elbow, and wrist all factor in my picking). I'm also constantly trying to mess with my amp settings to find that sweet spot (Ampeg SVT 350 head and an Ampeg SVT 410 HLF cab)

 

[RED J]

a maple board will raise your bass' coefficient of clankitivity.

A *wide* fat maple board will kick the coefficient of clankativity and gutterality up another .5

 

[NKBassman]

I'm also going to try stainless steel strings (Gauge ?)

Just wondering if the tone I'm looking for rings a bell.

Try Rotosound stainless steel strings.

 

[rujulian]

Ash body + maple board = Maximum Gank!

This! My ATK 300 with ash body and maple board is the Gankiest in the land.

 

[Plutonium244]

chocolate M & Ms + peanuts + raisins = maximum gorp.

 

[DonBorelli]

Interesting discussion...and I enjoyed the video. The 77 P definitely has an inherent bright sound.
My personal favorite was the Japanese one. It had a nice growl but also a warm and fat sound.