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P bass cutting thru
- Thread starter skidmarkbass
- Start date
Not necessarily..
I think they are very different. I would say that my SR5 CUTS thru the mix, but sits in the mix with flats and the treble/mids backed of a bit.
My P/J 5 can do both, but if I dial up the bridge PUP, and move my hand closer to the bridge it will cut like a knife.
Precision usually sits in the mix. However, it can also cut through the mix:
God, I love Brody Dalle.
God, I love Brody Dalle.
I know exactly what you're talking about with the Jazz bass. It happens to me even when I have my bass levels cranked. It is pretty disconcerting and I end up putting a bit more highs in my sound to cut through when I go high because of it. Otherwise I'm usually in first position.
I don't usually play high unless I'm playing alone with the keyboards or some other similar situation.
I would like to get a fat sound across all strings and higher frets. Maybe I'll pick up another P bass again sometime to check it out.
Here is the phase cancellation / getting lost in the mix article mentioned in the Wilbur Bascomb thread: http://barefacedbass.com/uploads/BGM61 Dec2010.pdf
Even though I only play at church about once every three weeks I've discovered something. When the line up is guitar driven my Jazz bass seems to work best as far as sitting in the mix. If guitars and keyboards are involved my P bass seems to work best. I've noticed this while onstage and the soundman even mentioned this to me as well.
Not saying this is true for all situations and while there are certain variables involved this seems to work best for OUR particular situation.
Not saying this is true for all situations and while there are certain variables involved this seems to work best for OUR particular situation.
+1
This man knows the deal. I've found this to be very true. Once you recognize this and use it to your advantage, your frustrations with not being heard and/or not cutting through/sitting well in the mix will disappear. You can spend a lot of money on gear trying to overcome the limitations of certain instruments, but this will do the trick very nicely.
Listen to Pino on a P, then on a Jazz or Jaguar, then on an MM fretless. Decide for yourself if he is "cutting through" or "sitting in the mix" in these different situations. Regardless, he sounds great to me, even though he sounds very different. People get too worried about trying to do one kind of sound instead of embracing some diversity, IMO.
Bingo. I use both a JBass and a PBass depending on the situation. The configuration of the band, the material, the room etc.
What he's saying here is exactly what I've found. The thicker and more mid-heavy the band or material we're doing the less effective a JBass is. With two guitars and heavier style stuff the PBass is what I'll use. With keys and single guitar doing lighterweight stuff I prefer the JBass. Some nights I've needed both.
There are just too many factors involved to say one is clearly better than the other and it tends to be the same with guitars. When to use a humbucker equipt guitar vs one with single coils.
Originally Posted by kurosawa View Post
The mixed J sounds de-focused depending on degree of phase cancellation. Easier to lose as a distinct voice. Useful with thin instrumentation, like accompanying an acoustic guitar or playing in a guitar or piano cocktail trio. The P is very much in your face and almost sounds like a human voice. It does cut, or stand out as a distinct voice, which it needs to do with thick instrumentation, in order that all players may easily track it to keep a steady feed of pitch, pulse, and where-the-hell-are-we information.
What he's saying here is exactly what I've found. The thicker and more mid-heavy the band or material we're doing the less effective a JBass is. With two guitars and heavier style stuff the PBass is what I'll use. With keys and single guitar doing lighterweight stuff I prefer the JBass. Some nights I've needed both.
There are just too many factors involved to say one is clearly better than the other and it tends to be the same with guitars. When to use a humbucker equipt guitar vs one with single coils.
Originally Posted by kurosawa View Post
The mixed J sounds de-focused depending on degree of phase cancellation. Easier to lose as a distinct voice. Useful with thin instrumentation, like accompanying an acoustic guitar or playing in a guitar or piano cocktail trio. The P is very much in your face and almost sounds like a human voice. It does cut, or stand out as a distinct voice, which it needs to do with thick instrumentation, in order that all players may easily track it to keep a steady feed of pitch, pulse, and where-the-hell-are-we information.
I was listening to some SMV the other day. Couldnt hear a damn thing. None of those guys had P basses. All keyboards and drums.
Studio recording are different than live stage performance along with loud guitarist
.
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
Ime, the bark and cut of the J pickup has always cut better, whereas the P pickup does "sit" where it should. The J's simply makes the P that much angrier.
