P-Bass - Good or Bad???

[NineSpine]

If you've read any of my posts you'll realize I'm not trolling at all - just asking if anyone has run into some of the same situations that I have with the p-bass live. If I was trolling, I'm pretty sure the admins would have shut this down before it ever got 6 pages long.

Speaking of troll, you seem to have quite a few inflammatory posts on here yourself. I've seen some of the rude, unfounded comments you've made to people like Roy Vogt.

For that reason alone, I have no reason to take anything you say seriously any further.

Anything to avoid addressing the holes in your story, right?

 

[phillipkregg]

Anything to avoid addressing the holes in your story, right?

Read post #34.

 

[bass-flyer]

I like that Pino clip!

 

[P. Bass]

This one has a great P sound:


(everytime i listen to this i get GAS)

THAT is SPECIAL!!! You can't get THAT on a J.

 

[P. Bass]

I love Pino - he's a fantastic musician. I've never seen him live before, but this comment is kind of what I'm talking about.

This is the same thing I've seen with a lot of p-bass players live - muffled tone, lack of definition.

Who knows - we may be the only 2 members of talkbass that have ever witnessed this.

I'm just asking.

I've been playing a P. for a very long time & you have a valid point re. playing TECHNIQUE on a P., especially w/ flats. You have to get the notes to pop. I consider this as part of "P-Bass Sensibility". Maybe that's the problem - some players think that the BASS will do the work for them.

 

[PunkSweeper]

 

[phillipkregg]

This one has a great P sound:


(everytime i listen to this i get GAS)

Wow!

With this single post you may have just sold me on the P-bass... lol.

I love Jamiroquai and that tone is Phunky Phatazz. Best P bass tone yet. Gotta give props.

Don't wanna side track things, but do you know who the player was? It doesn't look like Stuart Zender but I may be wrong.

 

[pocketgroove]

I don't know, for some reason I've always loved the classic P-bass. 4 strings, passive pickups and I'm ready to go. Sure, I've heard P-basses before that I wasn't impressed by, but there are many, many different variables that will play a role in sound.

However, I'm not sure about the "clanking sound" a few people have referred to. I've never had that issue. Is that perhaps related to the action being very low?

 

[Marko 1]

Oh how I love (maybe should hate) this thread…

The YouTube vid’s really got me inspired.

I’m gigging Jazz Vs for now because they’ve got the MIM and Squier versions, but I’m soooo feigning for a Precision V, it’s killing me…

but there’s no cheap version, so I’m dreaming of the American Standard Precision V.

Killer is, I literally sponsor the latest band, and have spent more money (new full PA, enclose trailer, LED lights, etc) and I’m gigging a Squier Jazz V with a MIM Jazz V as my backup like some kinda poor hack.

I’m drinking, and fortunately I’ve committed that I will NOT make any major purchases under the influence, but damn, all the money I spent to sponsor this band, I should have the bass that I love.

But, I’ll say that, imho, there’s NOTHING like a Fender Precision (V, in my case), and when I get one, I don’t care if I have another bass in my arsenal; I could sell every bass I own.

I’ll keep one of the Jazz Vs for backup, but that’s it.

Okay, drunk rant off…

 

[nostatic]

Pino is a great player - no doubt. But look at that SVT rig behind him!

You could staple a rubber band to an ironing board and it would would sound great through that.

Sorry, I totally disagree. I've seen plenty of SVT rigs with utter crap coming out of them.

The tone is mostly in the players hands - and that means how they play the instrument as well as how they manage the signal chain out the speakers at the end.

In this video () the hanging harmonics at 0:58 and fill riff at 1:03, along with the vibrato tossed in during the groove aren't being magically generated by the amp.

You can compare this video with the one of Freddie Washington. Both P-basses, but very different tones and attacks out of them. And both sounds perfectly supporting the particular song.

I'll stick by one of my favorite arguments - the concept of a certain bass for a certain genre is 99% BS. Any good, articulate bass and amp, with a good player, can serve a song. And a good p-bass has been proven for decades to do just that - support the songs. If it doesn't work for someone, then they either have their own sonic preference (which is fine), their own ergonomic preference (not everyone likes the wider neck, which if fine), or they can't play.

 

[phillipkregg]

Sorry, I totally disagree. I've seen plenty of SVT rigs with utter crap coming out of them.

The tone is mostly in the players hands - and that means how they play the instrument as well as how they manage the signal chain out the speakers at the end.

In this video () the hanging harmonics at 0:58 and fill riff at 1:03, along with the vibrato tossed in during the groove aren't being magically generated by the amp.

You can compare this video with the one of Freddie Washington. Both P-basses, but very different tones and attacks out of them. And both sounds perfectly supporting the particular song.

I'll stick by one of my favorite arguments - the concept of a certain bass for a certain genre is 99% BS. Any good, articulate bass and amp, with a good player, can serve a song. And a good p-bass has been proven for decades to do just that - support the songs. If it doesn't work for someone, then they either have their own sonic preference (which is fine), their own ergonomic preference (not everyone likes the wider neck, which if fine), or they can't play.

That comment was meant as a joke. A little hyperbole.

 

[P. Bass]

That comment was meant as a joke. A little hyperbole.

Considering that you're from Nashville, I really think you're messin' w/ us here. How does someone familiar w/ Nashville music not understand P Bass?

 

[phillipkregg]

Considering that you're from Nashville, I really think you're messin' w/ us here. How does someone familiar w/ Nashville music not understand P Bass?

I've honestly just never gotten into the P bass. I've always been a Jazz bass / Music Man sort of guy.

But I'm liking the P-bass vids I'm seeing here so far. My fave being the Jamiroquai one. (Pino and Jeff Ament were cool too)

 

[phillipkregg]

That largely depends on the player and instrument setup too. The first time I went into the studio with a P-bass, I was kind of new to it, and new to recording. I had roundwound strings on it, and was playing some aggressive music. The clanks from the strings hitting the fretboard were hard to tame, and the engineer had some complaints about it. I ended up playing the song with a pick. My jazz has relatively tame string smack clank relative to the P bass, which was why my technique on the P sucked. Now that I've had the Precision for many years, and have some nice flats on there, I don't suffer that problem anymore.

You may be on to something there... my buddy used roundwounds on his P-bass too. There were lots of clanks.

Maybe flats are the way to go.

 

[bassfart]

Listen to Kai Eckhardt from Garaj Mahal and tell me you don't like the sound of a P bass live.

 

[Bass Dawg]

Hmmmm...... the P bass has been around since the mid 50's and has been a workhorse both live and in the studio. Can all of the pro bass players that use one during this period of time have it wrong?
I'm all for healthy discussion, but this topic is a non event. The P bass rocks. I bought an American Deluxe a years ago, and the tone of it rocks straight outta the box!
I'm tired now....... Sleepy time.....

 

[Zach_Tapp]

this guy, Paul Jackson, is using a NASTY pbass.

Don't worry about Herbie though

 

[sarnz]

Man this thread had me worried at first but after watching the videos and such I'm not worried at all! might not fit all my styles perfectly but I love that middy, up front sound. My jazz always seems to just sit in the background a bit... hard to push forward. Especially that Jamiroquai song, those guys are nasty!

I actually just impulse bought the bass that I always wanted (since learning to play, blink 182 was the band that got me into music). I can't wait to get it!

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

a 2000-2001 American Standard. CANNOT WAIT!

 

[taurus1]

You may be on to something there... my buddy used roundwounds on his P-bass too. There were lots of clanks.

Maybe flats are the way to go.

hate to say it but clanks are a product of poor technique, good players don't "clank".

 

[P. Bass]

You may be on to something there... my buddy used roundwounds on his P-bass too. There were lots of clanks.

Maybe flats are the way to go.

Couldn't resist. Here's mine w/ flats.('02 MIA Fender - Alder/Maple -dressed in Sonic Blue w/ a gold guard) Alder/Rosewood CAN be a tad muddy but it has that warm silky tone. The maple board on alder gives the notes a bit more crunch. Ash body/Maple board - even more clarity & bite & growl. I LOVE this bass bros!