Metal Sounding P Bass

[WhackJob]

Hey gang! So I got a really nice MIA P bass not to long ago. I love it! Everything about it, the way it sounds, the way it feels. But there is one thing I don't like about it. I feel like I'm kinda restricted to one sound. The P Bass sound, which I love and all, but I have Music Man with active's that I can get a lot of different sounds out of, like the cranked treble muddy metal sound which I love! I was wondering if there is a pedal or some other electronic out there that I can use with my p bass to kinda replicate the tonal options of a active pickups. I only started playing a year and a half ago, so I don't really know whats out there. My amp has a pretty decent eq on it, and I also have the boss odb-3, but that's not enough. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks!

 

[Jesse 5string]

To my ear a P bass will always sound like a P bass.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

What's the best metal for P-Bass?

 

[iiipopes]

Adjust the pickup slightly closer to the strings, use stainless steel roundwounds, raise the action a little bit so yo can dig in, pick hard, and have a little more pre gain and a little less post gain on your amp to drive it a little harder.

 

[Argassab]

Check out steve harris.

 

[Kustom_Thunder]

What's the best metal for P-Bass?

All metal...... I've been using a p bass to play metal for 16 years never had a problem with my bass not sounding like it fit in the mix. I just set the amp flat and the bass wide open. I also found a tube amp helps. All you need is a little dirt and its metal as f$&@.

 

[jamersonburton]

Steve Harris. Nuff Said.

Seriously though, a pbass well get you the best tone 95% of the time IMO.

 

[John E]

The right pickup for you and a Darkglass B3k pedal.

Pickups of interest:
Fralin P
Fender Pure Vintage 58
DiMarzio Model P
DiMarzio Split P
Emg Geezer Butler
EMG P

 

[friendlybass]

Needum dirt young warrior. Get you some fuzz, distortion, overdrive, whatever strikes your fancy. A versatile OD might give you the variety you want. If that's not your game I bummed a friends active PJ and even with the jazz pickup rolled out the 3 band eq gave me a lot of options

 

[Mik75]

Maybe it's just me, but the P-Bass is one of the most versatile basses I've ever played. Sure, much can be done with different strings. But even with Flatwounds (D'Addario Chromes), the tone control and the plucking hand can bring out such a wide variety of different sounds, from thumpy Motown to aggressive rock sound, everything is possible. without tweaking the amp or using a pedal!