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P Bass Suggestive Help!

_jojo_bass

_jojo_bass

Supporting Member
Dec 13, 2009
478
726
Los Angeles, CA
#1
I just recently picked up a squier classic vibe p. I've played jazz basses all my life and this p has turned me a little bit. I love it.

I am in the realm of modding. Because of the color, I want it to sound like Mr. Palladinos. That thumpy, vintagey, flatwound, low sustain. Like every p bad should sound.

Which pickups?

Which Strings?

Which Tone pots?

Give it up TB!!!
 
#2
I don't think a pickup swap is necessary yet. Play it for awhile first.

Get some low tension flats, you don't want to start out with a high tension because you'll be fighting that while getting used to everything else flats offer. Add the high tension later if that's what you think you need.

Then just PLAY. No amount of gear is gonna make you sound like Pino or Jaco or Geddy or.. Well, you get my point. Practice. Then practice some more.

Btw, while all this is going on, don't change those flats.
 
#4
I understand what y'all are saying. I've been playin it, gigging it, and I'm not exactly digging the sounds. Thus the modding. But maybe a good set of flats will do.

What are some good low tension flats? I usually use chromes. That good?
 
#6
I would get TI Jazz flats. I swapped the pickups in my classic vibe P to dimarzio model P and have no regrets. A much better pickup. I do agree that people swap out pickups unnecessarily very often but I think in this case, it was the right thing. The new pickup sounds better for what I wanted.

For the tone you want, since it will be a low treble tone, I find the pickup matters less. I do think a swap would help, but there are other things that would help more, such as the right strings and amp.
 
#8
mcm said:
Flats only. Pu swapping can be overrated. Sometimes it's just in your head that it should be done, but that's not always the case.
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+1

I bought a Squier CV bass (here on TB I'm pretty sure, sold it here too when I got a Road Worn P); Fiesta Red w/a Fender decal on the headstock... It came with a set of flats & other than the F decal was bone stock; I have never heard so many comments like "This isn't one of those cheap Fenders... This is the real thing" or "You just can't beat the sound of a real Fender bass". Funny thing was it still had the Squier neck plate.

Flats rule on these basses.

Moonshine :bassist:
 
#11
As others have stated, start with just a string change - Thomastik Infeld Jazz Flats. From there you should be close. They're expensive enough that you might want to try finding a set in the classifieds here first.

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#13
mcm said:
Flats only. Pu swapping can be overrated. Sometimes it's just in your head that it should be done, but that's not always the case.
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Yup. If the Classic Vibe came with ultra-high-gain active pickups, that'd be one thing, but luckily the stock pickups on those are quite nice and most definitely in the ballpark. Get the TI flats and rock out!
 
#14
For "that thumpy, vintagey, flatwound, low sustain", I can't recommend LaBella flats enough. (I'm an old school thump-junkie, too.)

I'd recommend the light gauge set (760FL, 43-104); they're fairly low tension for flatwounds (noticeably looser than the ubiquitous 45-100 Chromes), so you won't have too hard a time moving over from rounds. Plenty of fat, thumpy low mids, but enough "snap" on the high end to fit in the mix nicely. They run in the $50 range at GC... more expensive than Chromes, cheaper than TIs.

As for the pickups, I don't really know... the Squier CVs I've played around on seemed pretty decent with the stock pups. I suppose you might consider the '62 Original P Bass set if you're not happy with what you've got.

Tone pots? Any 500k potentiometer from your local guitar shop will work just fine. But honestly, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Unless your pots are stiff or crackly, there's no need to change anything.

Hope that helps!
 
#16
for the OP - I played a Squier CV P bass through a decent amp at a local store and the pickup sounded great. it had really really old nickel strings on it (it was used, probably still had factory strings).
 
#17
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The first option, the "Original P-Bass Pick-ups" are really, really good. I have a set in my Squier bass with chromes on it. Sounds great, definitely nails that Pino tone. Other than the tuners being swapped, my bass is stock (alder body/maple neck/rosewood fretboard). I get compliments all the time, with people very surprised at the name on the head stock.

I know everyone keeps saying not to mod it, but if you've got the mod bug, try those out.
 
#18
zbasstringer said:
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The first option, the "Original P-Bass Pick-ups" are really, really good. I have a set in my Squier bass with chromes on it. Sounds great, definitely nails that Pino tone. Other than the tuners being swapped, my bass is stock (alder body/maple neck/rosewood fretboard). I get compliments all the time, with people very surprised at the name on the head stock.

I know everyone keeps saying not to mod it, but if you've got the mod bug, try those out.
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For sure those are good pups. You can do better on the price if you are patient and shop around the interweb. I have these in many basses and I like them quite a bit. Still, I think the TI's will go a long way towards getting the sound you want.
 
#19
Pino plays Thomastik and LaBella strings, last I heard.

If you swap pickups, get something comparable to a 60s' P-Bass pickup. The Fender Original sounds good. Seymour Duncan's SPB-1 sounds good. Neither of those cost a lot. I've used 250k pots, with great success, in every Fender I've ever owned.
 

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