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P Bass help-chasing some James Jamerson/Pino vibes

Pale Rider

Pale Rider

Sep 26, 2015
10
3
53
Cleveland, OH
#1
Hey!
I'm new here, but have hung at the Gear Page, etc (don't hold it against me)
and we need to add a bass to our home studio-
I really dig James Jamerson and Pino, and our band chases some indie fuzz pop too-

I've been looking for a good American made P Bass, a 62 reissue style-
but haven't found one locally-
tried a Mexican vs American Standard, and could easily justify the price difference-
but paying new prices seems silly

any suggestions? any other models?
bass amps for either players sound?

Thanks!
 
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#2
First off, Welcome to TalkBass! :woot:

Second, I'm not much help when it comes to Precisions (I'm more of a P/J and Jazz guy), but I can suggest a good way to canvas your area. I use Search Tempest frequently and helped me spot some real gems.

It lets you scour through Craigslist much more efficiently, especially in "Direct Results" mode. You'll have to dig through a lot of chaff, but every once in a while, something "special" pops up.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting! :thumbsup:
 
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#4
While it has a maple fingerboard and the anodized pick guard, I'd recommend a used Road Worn Fender P-bass. Put some LaBella or Fender Flats on it. You are not required to have heavy gauge, IMHO. Medium will do, and the truss rod will thank you.

However, it is not really the exact tone that matters (any reasonably dark and musical P-bass tone works). The instrument and exact tone matters much less than the lines, grooves, dynamics, and articulation. Anyone can sound lame on a great P-bass, and a great player will sound great on any P-bass. Really.
 
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#9
As demonstrated by Bob Babbitt, the key to the Jamerson sound is a beat up P Bass (alder body and rosewood fingerboard), heavy gauge dead Labella flats and a big ole hunk of foam under the bridge.

image.jpg
 
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#10
jazz Bass 74 said:
As demonstrated by Bob Babbitt, the key to the Jamerson sound is a beat up P Bass (alder body and rosewood fingerboard), heavy gauge dead Labella flats and a big ole hunk of foam under the bridge.
Click to expand...

I certainly love Bob's work (may he R.I.P), and the Standing in the Shadows of Motown sound track reveals a lot. However, IMHO, the usefulness of the foam mute can be over-stated. I've done it a lot, especially with my old horn band in San Francisco. To be honest, the amount of muting that you need depends on the song.

Just listen to Bob's great work on the sound track for Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?" There is plenty of sustain when wanted, and to top it of, the E string is tuned down to D, IIRC.

My old '69 P-bass had the original foam pieces still glued in the bridge cover. The muting effect was at best, mild.

I highly recommend that SITSOMT DVD and the sound track CD.
 
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#11
Jim Carr said:
I certainly love Bob's work (may he R.I.P), and the Standing in the Shadows of Motown sound track reveals a lot. However, IMHO, the usefulness of the foam mute can be over-stated. I've done it a lot, especially with my old horn band in San Francisco. To be honest, the amount of muting that you need depends on the song.

Just listen to Bob's great work on the sound track for Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?" There is plenty of sustain when wanted, and to top it of, the E string is tuned down to D, IIRC.

My old '69 P-bass had the original foam pieces still glued in the bridge cover. The muting effect was at best, mild.

I highly recommend that SITSOMT DVD and the sound track CD.
Click to expand...

The mute can help in reducing sustain and overtones, but I agree a lot of the Motown sound comes from the old flats thenselves. The LaBellas on my 63 P Bass are about eighteen years old, and they have that wonderful thumpy sound even without the cover mute, which deteriorated long ago.
 
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#12
jazz Bass 74 said:
As demonstrated by Bob Babbitt, the key to the Jamerson sound is a beat up P Bass
Click to expand...

When I saw the Funk Brothers come thru town, Bob didnt play a P Bass. It was a dual pickup something-or-other, and he sounded the same. Its in the hands and mindset.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I see Cleveland craigslist has an Am std P Bass:
 
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#16
I have one........worth waiting in my opinion, awesome bass. I also have a '57 reissue that I won't part with. They are different........sometimes I think the '57 has more grind and sometimes I think it's the '62. Honestly, they both sound great. I've tried the '63 and the neck is much chunkier but feels good too. Good Luck with the search.

P.S. Both are strung with Chromes by the way.
 
#17
Used American Standard with the flats of your choosing would be my first choice. If you're into the Pino vibe, get some TI Jazz flats and remember they're much lower tension than traditional flats, so you may or may not have to adjust your setup and playing style. If you're all about the Jamerson vibe go with a more traditional set of flats like a set of La Bella's (my personal favorites are the 760FS).

And don't let people say that you can't get an old school sound out of a more "modern" Fender. My American Standard has the stock high mass bridge (heck, even Babbit appears to have some sort of high mass bridge on his bass in that pic; looks like a Stars bridge) and a graphite reinforced neck, 9.5" fretboard radius, modern tuners, etc. but I popped in a Fender Pure Vintage '63 pickup and a set of La Bella flats strung through the bridge and that thing is thump city!

Got the bass for $800, and dropped in the pickup myself and it's an amazing bass with a great vintage-style sound.

View attachment 2927330

But with that said, you can also get that same old-school sound from a Squier or MIM Standard with the same pickup and strings.

The best bang for your buck for BOTH old school looks and sound would be the Mexican made Classic 50's Precision, in either a poly or nitro finish. The stock pickup isn't the best, and I replaced it with, again, a Fender Pure Vintage '63 pickup (see a trend here?) and it sounded incredible, but it does have a wider nut at 1.75" that some people love, others say is a bit wide for them.
 
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#18
Vinnie Boombatz said:
The best bang for your buck for BOTH old school looks and sound would be the Mexican made Classic 50's Precision, in either a poly or nitro finish. The stock pickup isn't the best, and I replaced it with, again, a Fender Pure Vintage '63 pickup (see a trend here?) and it sounded incredible, but it does have a wider nut at 1.75" that some people love, others say is a bit wide for them.
Click to expand...
+1. I test-drove about a dozen instruments before ultimately choosing a Classic '50s P (poly because nitro wasn't yet offered when I bought mine). I like the stock pickup, but I immediately dumped the rounds for flats.
 
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#20
Jammerson could with have played a brand new Rick with worn round wounds and it would have sounded like him.

With that said, why does my 60P sound different than the 72' or 73'(which I bought new)?
* The differences are lighter body that is more resonant. Mine has been stripped and refinished a long time ago with a very thin coat of what looks like shellac.
* The Pups that are close in DC resistance to a Duncan but the 60's has older magnets and has been banged around longer.
* I don't have a good way to decide about the necks as the 60 is rosewood and all of my 70's are maple.
My question: Does the fingerboard make THAT much of a difference?
For that matter, does a 1 3/4" (C Width neck) sound different than a 1 5/8" neck?
 

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