(Only) NOW I understand the P bass

[vindibona1]

In all the years I've been playing bass, especially the last few years where I've been primarily a bass player, I never owned a P bass nor really saw the need. But I always thought I wanted one just to have a more complete collection. I had no idea what I was missing.

As I was just sort of cycling through my basses this morning the sound I noticed from my P bass was this deep thick "growl". I have no idea why I had never heard it before. But it was such a satisfying sound, different from all the basses I've owned. Perhaps I had to wait until I was more intimate with bass playing to be able to hear and appreciate it. I'm glad I waited because I think this new "Dark Night" color is pretty spectacular. It's definitely going to be up there at the top of my rotation.

Thanks for letting me share.

 

[Polfuste]

Wisdom is coming !
Beautifull color !

 

[friskinator]

I played for 20 years before I discovered the P. It was a revelation and I've never looked back.

 

[2cooltoolz]

Yep!

 

[Gluvhand]

Ok.

 

[Wood and Wire]

In all the years I've been playing bass, especially the last few years where I've been primarily a bass player, I never owned a P bass nor really saw the need. But I always thought I wanted one just to have a more complete collection. I had no idea what I was missing.

As I was just sort of cycling through my basses this morning the sound I noticed from my P bass was this deep thick "growl". I have no idea why I had never heard it before. But it was such a satisfying sound, different from all the basses I've owned. Perhaps I had to wait until I was more intimate with bass playing to be able to hear and appreciate it. I'm glad I waited because I think this new "Dark Night" color is pretty spectacular. It's definitely going to be up there at the top of my rotation.

Thanks for letting me share.

View attachment 5466217

That's the first Dark Knight I've seen with a maple board.

Looks great. I wish I'd come across one.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Beautiful bass. I’m going to have to work out how to paint a reverse burst like that one day.

 

[logdrum]

Ok.

Ditto

 

[5StringBlues]

Ditto

Aight.

 

[J Wilson]

At the risk of sounding cliche'd ( . . . as if I usually don't anyway . . . .), there's is something organic, Zen-like in one pickup, a gain, and a tone. Elegantly simple and utterly useful.

I had BB1200 Yamahas years ago in the 80's, but never played a single pickup PBass-like object again. until I bought the Squier twin to that blue P5. The great thing about single pickup basses is where you pick is far more obvious to tone than a double pickup bass.

A lot of fun.

 

[Phaidrus]

Amen, brother!

 

[charliethomas]

The sound I get from my P bass is like no other bass I've tried. I love what other basses offer, but there's something really special about a regular old P bass. Rounds or flats, it always makes me smile.

 

[Quadraphonic]

I haven't been able to put it into words yet, other than to say that I've played a few very excellent basses but the P is my favorite.

 

[viking power]

Took me a long while to get a P (finally in 2022!) and now that I have one it is my favorite (though I’m no tone expert). It is the tone that is in so much of the music I love so I guess it is THE bass I’ve always needed.

Nice color by the way!

 

[el murdoque]

P bass is an acquired taste.

 

[Gervais Cote]

I own a few jazz basses but my precisions are king when I play with my drummer and/or my band.

 

[jamro217]

Yay!!!! Nice bass! For those of us who grew up in the '60's and '70's, the P bass was the default bass on recordings. The credits on some LPs listed "Fender Bass". Whether or not the bass used was a Fender as opposed to a Rick or a Gibson wasn't the point. It wasn't a DB. In the event the bass used was a Fender, there was a very good chance it was a P bass. When you listen to those recordings all your life you seem to gravitate towards that sound, and it becomes a part of your expectation. Had all of those tunes featured a hi fi bass, that would be the standard instead. By the late '70's the disco sound of a bright Jazz Bass being slapped was the norm. If you grew up in that era, you'd probably be more subconsciously aware and comfortable hearing that timbre. Even if you don't purposely listen to current trends, the music style of the day is ever present and imprints itself on you. All of that being said as a caveat, THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A P BASS. And that's not even mentioning the wide expanse of tort!

 

[Pdaddy1978]

Preach it brother!
Take the good word to the masses.

 

[Dincrest]

It's no secret that a P-Bass is a benchmark. It's the most recorded electric bass. Similar to how the Strat is a benchmark as it's possibly the most recorded electric guitar.

Nowadays we have way more options, many of which may be "better" for contemporary needs. But sometimes a timeless classic is a timeless classic for a reason.

All that being said, I generally avoided Fenders because I didn't want to play something everyone else was playing. I wanted to be different.

One time I was recording bass for a friend's musical project. The recording engineer (who's also an actively gigging bassist with a collection the envy of any TalkBasser) invited me to record the bass part with his vintage P-Bass. At first I was all "I'm not worthy" when he handed me that bass, but it felt like the bass was saying, "Relax, you're worthy. Now let's play!" And after recording with it, everything in that song fell into place.

Believe it or not, I did NOT GAS for a P-Bass after that (24-fret, two-pickup basses suit my needs far better; those are what mine are) but I recognized "the magic" of the P-Bass.

 

[Discount Bassy]

My first bass was a P-clone. After about seven years, my second bass cured me of that affliction and all related maladies for good.