ok recording bass choice question

[chris_b]

If it's 1962, and you're James Jamerson, that's good advice. If you want to sound like something besides Motown, you may not want to pursue that sound.

Since the 50's the Precision bass has featured prominently in Rock and Roll, Punk, Soul, Disco, Top 40, Rock, Jazz etc etc, so they have many more sounds than just "Motown".

 

[micguy]

Since the 50's the Precision bass has featured prominently in Rock and Roll, Punk, Soul, Disco, Top 40, Rock, Jazz etc etc, so they have many more sounds than just "Motown".

Having been alive since tge 50’s, I’m well aware of the fact that there have been many genres spawned in that time. I’ve played a bunch of them. The point is that the whole “everyone should play a P bass with flats” comes from a very specific, outdated set of circumstances; we shouldn’t let that limit our choices. Music evolves when things change, sticking to the same formula is limiting, and since the rationale for those limits are gone, tge “rule” should be ignored, not taught as gospel.

 

[Snert]

^^ Keep talking sense like that and you'll be excommunicated because of the mess from all the heads exploding.

 

[chris_b]

Having been alive since tge 50’s, I’m well aware of the fact that there have been many genres spawned in that time. I’ve played a bunch of them. The point is that the whole “everyone should play a P bass with flats” comes from a very specific, outdated set of circumstances; we shouldn’t let that limit our choices. Music evolves when things change, sticking to the same formula is limiting, and since the rationale for those limits are gone, tge “rule” should be ignored, not taught as gospel.

But you didn't say that in your post. You were pushing the IMO incorrect line, that the sound of a Precision bass is limited.

I posted to the OP that he should try all his basses before looking elsewhere. And my point to you was that the Precision isn't limited in it's abilities. It can be as flexible (with flats or rounds) as any other bass on the market.

I thought I was stating the obvious!!

 

[Snert]

It can be as flexible (with flats or rounds) as any other bass on the market.

Not with a single pickup it can't, not like duals/triples with flexible switching arrangements can.

micguy's point was correct in that there seems to be a 'go to' stance of just use a P because people did on recordings 50ya. Carol Kaye used a P for a long time and doesn't any more. Lee Sklar has his old dual P but also Dingwalls. Are they sounding bad now because of their tools? And if they had those instruments back in the early days, would they have used them or a muted P with flats because Jamerson did?

 

[chris_b]

Micguy's point was correct in that there seems to be a 'go to' stance of just use a P because people did on recordings 50ya.

If you read my first post you'll see what my point was! It wasn't that.

 

[BlueTalon]

Not with a single pickup it can't, not like duals/triples with flexible switching arrangements can.

micguy's point was correct in that there seems to be a 'go to' stance of just use a P because people did on recordings 50ya. Carol Kaye used a P for a long time and doesn't any more. Lee Sklar has his old dual P but also Dingwalls. Are they sounding bad now because of their tools? And if they had those instruments back in the early days, would they have used them or a muted P with flats because Jamerson did?

Or... If Jamerson had all of the tools available to him then that are available to us today, would he have made the same choices about gear, basses, and strings?