(Only) NOW I understand the P bass

[_Some Dude]

I've had a few epiphanies throughout my playing career. I started as someone who didn't want a Fender. I tried every bass in every store in town that didn't say Fender on the headstock, but nothing spoke to me. Then, out of frustration I picked up a Fender and thought, "So, that's what makes that sound". I bought a Jazz.

A year or two later I plugged into an Ampeg 810 that was backline and thought, "So, that's what makes that sound".

My first P bass wasn't really an epiphany. I had a couple J basses and wanted to round out my collection with a P, and it took me a couple attempts to find the right one, but the real epiphany was the first time I plugged that P into an SVT/810. That was a huge, "So, that's what makes that sound" moment for me.

The last epiphany was plugging a Spector P/J into an SVT. That for me is pure magic.

I think the P bass works well up to a point, and past that point it struggles to not get buried by the guitars.

 

[Low Down Brown]

Yeah, it took me a while to hear it too. I tried for years to like P basses but just never got my hands on one that played well or had that sound. Then I took a gamble on buying a US G&L LB-100 about 6 years ago and it quickly became my number one. Of course, it has J type neck, so it has a more comfortable feel (IMO), but I still learned to appreciate that single pickup and simplified electronics.

So I finally got it!...and then one day, the band started playing and I decided I wanted to go back to 2 pickups because I like the clarity and articulation combined with that low-end thump. I picked up a Yamaha BB734 and man! Those BB 7's ain't no joke. Incredible basses for the money. That got me a taste for the P/J which got me to wondering about other P pickup configurations, and with wrist and shoulder issues starting to pop up, I decided to shop or build a medium scale bass. Then, fate intervened and a fellow TB'er listed a med. scale Maruszczyk Jazzus 5 P/MM in the classifieds. It's exactly what I was looking for. So I added an Audere 3-band with V/V, selectable mids, and a tone control, and i easily became my new number one.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, we should all spend some time with a P Bass. Add some flats if you got 'em.
It's an important part of our bass heritage.

 

[Rickybass4001]

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!

I totally agree jamro217. Nothing like a PBass, which is the most copied and recorded bass.
I had my first PBass copy & ‘72 Telecaster Bass when I was 13yrs old. Got my ‘77 PBass while in college. I became strickly as Rickybass guy in late 80’s and nearly 40 years later….. a Fender TF Fretless PBass is my new #1 and my ‘77 PBass is #2; moving my former #1 ‘77 Ricky4001 to #3.
It’s funny how I came full circle.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

P basses don’t growl. And unless you played one with a band, you don’t understand.

 

[jmlee]

I played nothing but a P-bass for 20 years before I discovered there were other sounds.

 

[lermgalieu]

I played bass for almost 30 years before I got my first P! Not sure what that was all about. I now have two, and they are both in regular rotation (although my Reverend Thundergun has supplanted them at the moment).

 

[BassJuju]

A P tone is certainly present in much of our music from the past. There has even been a bit of an epidemic in some sectors.

Truth is, there is nothing magical about the pickup or bass. Many basses can achieve that tone and with a bit of an adjustment get to Jaco like jazz tones. Even a wide variety in between. Any that says different, while certainly entitled to that opinion, but I believe they are listening with their eyes.

I wish everyone the best of luck in pursuit of the perfect tone.

 

[DanAdams]

The P-bass seems limiting visually, but can do everything practically.

 

[MegaSwing]

What I’ve always loved about the Precision from my first days with it is how such a simple design can be such a strong sonic presence, wherever you put it.

 

[bassdude51]

The P Bass is to the electric bass like the stand-up is to the acoustical bass.

The "king" of the electric bass!

 

[Lance Bunyon]

A P bass is equitable to a garden hoe. A simple but effective tool, which doesn't require a thesis or graduate level studies to understand.

 

[Aussie Player]

I've had a few epiphanies throughout my playing career.

I think the P bass works well up to a point, and past that point it struggles to not get buried by the guitars.

You said it much better than I. Totally agree.

 

[SharpCat]

You said it much better than I. Totally agree.

This is where the 11 pound P comes in handy. Wait for the guitar solo, creep up from behind quietly, THUMP.

Brings a whole new meaning to playing clubs.

 

[Aussie Player]

Been playing since 1981, most of it in a working player capacity, and I own two P Basses.....last year, I tried gigging one on two attempts but each time I switched it out during or after first set for something with better articulation in note clarity (and Im a new as possible rounds player) and i thought it got buried in the mix........I don't get it, but at least I gave it a good college try

Gorgeous bass you got there

Nailed it. This is my experience. Best application is in a 3 piece band, not playing at excessive volume in an open air gig.

 

[Mildew Jones]

Beautiful! A P bass is a cool thing. The tone knob so crucial to getting unique sounds, slightly throaty to full grind to deep chocolate…

 

[Pet Sounds]

It's sort of the opposite situation for me. My first Fender bass was a new 1995 American Standard Precision, and I pretty much loved it right away. I bought a new 1996 American Standard Jazz Bass the following year and thought it sounded terribly thin compared to my P.
Nearly 30 years later and I still mostly play P-Basses and I own a load of them. It's only been in recent years that I've been getting into Jazz and StingRay basses, but I still love Ps.

 

[mongo2]

I've played music for over 60 years and when I first started playing bass I used a Telecaster guitar strung with flats on just the neck pickup with a pick through a Bassman head into a 15" cab. Several years later borrowed an Ampeg Big Stud that was Ampeg's version of an'51-'54 Precision (that thing was very heavy). I used that for several years. My next bass was a Sears Silvertone Model 1444 by Danelectro (I have a minor collection of three of them now). For about 15 years I owned many different basses but my first brand new bass I ever bought was a Fender MIJ RI Precision bass in the mid '90s. I loved it and I still have it though I've modified it a bit by putting in forearm and belly contours, a Fender deluxe 4 saddle bridge and a humbucking strat pickup.

I tried several split pickup versions of Precisions over the decades but they never really did it for me. I eventually switched to playing short scales exclusively and I eventually found my "Precision" bass tones in a Mustang PJ LE and a first version Mustang PJ. The LE has the tone I always wanted from a split coil Precision and the other sounds a lot like my '51 RI when using only the P pickups.

 

[vindibona1]

But....it has five strings. Who told you that newfangled thing was a P Bass?....that's not a P Bass.
I see five strings, and I don't see any tort...well, at least it has flats on it.

That's because you probably watered your P too much and left it out in the sun too long

My first "real" instrument was/is a '72 Precision my dad bought for me in '79, IIRC. Was my main player for years. Now, it's maybe number three or four.

What I'm seeing here are a lot of folks that either haven't played a Precision for years or didn't play one at all in their earlier years and feel they've finally discovered something magical in a Precision. Maybe as players get older nostalgia kicks in, not caring what other people think gets kicked out, or basic simplicity becomes important. Precisions obviously have their place, but, IMO, that place isn't magical and doesn't bring about a discovery of some hidden knowledge. Having said that, I'll never get rid of mine.

That's plenty of hope for me then, I never cared for Ps, I always go for double humbuckers in series.

Maybe I'm just at the stage you were before buying this bass, maybe there is still hope.
Maybe one day before I die I'll see the P light come down from heaven, and I'll pray
"Hallelujah Hallelujah, in the name of the Father, the P and the Holy Spirit."

Maybe.

It took me a while to grow some ears on bass. What pushed me over the edge for this purchase was that I had a chance to grab it, new at a deep DEEP discount. That was a no brainer. Then I had a real chance to get to know what a P does being able to play it extensively to educate myself on it.

Yeah, it took me a while to hear it too. I tried for years to like P basses but just never got my hands on one that played well or had that sound. Then I took a gamble on buying a US G&L LB-100 about 6 years ago and it quickly became my number one. Of course, it has J type neck, so it has a more comfortable feel (IMO), but I still learned to appreciate that single pickup and simplified electronics.

So I finally got it!...and then one day, the band started playing and I decided I wanted to go back to 2 pickups because I like the clarity and articulation combined with that low-end thump. I picked up a Yamaha BB734 and man! Those BB 7's ain't no joke. Incredible basses for the money. That got me a taste for the P/J which got me to wondering about other P pickup configurations, and with wrist and shoulder issues starting to pop up, I decided to shop or build a medium scale bass. Then, fate intervened and a fellow TB'er listed a med. scale Maruszczyk Jazzus 5 P/MM in the classifieds. It's exactly what I was looking for. So I added an Audere 3-band with V/V, selectable mids, and a tone control, and i easily became my new number one.
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I JUST got to hold a BB(234) for the first time two days ago. I have no idea how Yamaha let this (Chicago) market, with all the guitar/music stores around slide by??? I had considered one of the better BB's, but then my wife told me I needed to put more expensive basses in my collection, which is what I've been doing. I might have been swayed by a BB when I was interested a year ago.

What I really love about the P sound is that it is just THICK. It holds up the low end without being objectionable. I'm still learning about bass sounds.

I have a parallel analogy with brewing espresso coffee. You need to know how you want it to taste before you can truly figure out the beans and the brew recipe. It takes a while to develop your palette.

 

[Aussie Player]

It's sort of the opposite situation for me. My first Fender bass was a new 1995 American Standard Precision, and I pretty much loved it right away. I bought a new 1996 American Standard Jazz Bass the following year and thought it sounded terribly thin compared to my P.
Nearly 30 years later and I still mostly play P-Basses and I own a load of them. It's only been in recent years that I've been getting into Jazz and StingRay basses, but I still love Ps.

I have the same model P as you and in over 50years playing, it is my choice as the best P made over that period.