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P-Bass Tradition

Not before MS Photoshop was published ;) ...


Macca2.jpg

:p That's even a lefty for him!!

Yes; I saw a photo here a while back.

Marshall

HUm...there must be someone. Has to be.
 
This makes me think, we should do something where we create some sort of database (maybe on the TB wiki?) and put down who played bass on what songs on what albums, and what equipment they used. There would be a lot of holes, because sometimes we really don't know, but with research, I think we could answer a lot of people's questions about what equipment bassists use. And of course we could note it if it's disputed, like in some Carol Kaye recordings.
 
2. In a reply, somone listed Peter Hook; I can't recall him EVER playing a P-Bass or any Fender for that matter. In his interview in BP where he talks about his basses he doesn't mention one either.

As far as I know Peter Hook has never been seen or heard playing a Fender; he has played a P-bass though, the Yamaha BB reverse-P's he's been using since Joy Division. If that qualifies him as a P-bass player, then McCartney qualifies too, as he played the same thing in the early 80's.
 
Anyway, for me, the P Bass will always be remembered as the weapon of choice for nearly all of the "new wave" bands that I grew up listening to, so I'd choose:

Paul Simenon - The Clash
Algy Ward - The Damned
JJ Burnell - The Stranglers
Glenn Matlock - Sex Pistols
Bruce Thomas - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Simon Gallup - The Cure
Nigel Harrison - Blondie

The list could be huge :p!
It took till post #71 for Bruce Thomas to be mentioned, oy vey! (Knew I could count on Fender32, though.:D) The guy is brilliant, one of my very favorites and biggest influences.

Shipbuilding (a slow one).
 
I find this thread rather funny. Of course, every notable bass player from the 50s, 60s and early to mid 70s played a Fender. There were almost no other options. Fender was the first manufacturer to make thousands of basses, it stands to reason that everyone played them. What else were they going to play?

A better question is how many of those people stuck only to their Fenders when other bass manufacturers started mass producing instruments? That list is much, much smaller.

A name that sticks out is Steve Harris. While he did dally in boutique basses, he is still known for using Fender Ps. But a lot of the other people who are listed here as "P users" moved on to other basses when those other basses became available. I don't know of too many modern players who have a career that span more than 5 years who only use Ps.

So we can wonder: what happened that all these bass players started experimenting with other basses than Fender Ps and left the Fender tradition?


John