Pbass sound

[Bob McAlister]

Thanks for all the great suggestions folks!! Keep it low. Bob

 

[Eidolon0274]

Strings with a higher tension (not necessarily larger gauge), action slightly higher than low (whatever that means for you) and PLAY OVER THE PICKUP.

I've just recently started playing P basses after years of super fast jazz bass over the bridge playing, and have noticed that, like that burpy jazz bridge tone, precision bass pickups sound good when played over the pickup

 

[iiipopes]

I hate to say this, but also, work on your technique. Take a lesson from double bass pizzacato. Roll your picking hand thumb under slightly, tilt the hand in slightly, and pick the strings with more of the meat on the side of the fingers rather than the tip. This will get a fuller tone as it releases the string with a tempered articulation.

About twenty years ago I was playing my P-style fanned fret bass in a blues band and playing a TV special in Branson. I had it strung with Rotosound Swingbass stainless steel rounds in custom gauges 45-60-80-105. The sound engineer told me he had to do less to eq my bass, and only a touch of compression just to make sure the track fit in the allotted bandwidth, than any bassist he had worked with for quite a while before that. Later on, at a blues festival, more than one person came up to me and asked how I got that big of a tone out of my bass, and asked what I played. They were all shocked when I said Rotosound Swingbass stainless steel rounds instead of flats.

 

[Drredplate]

A valve amp and a 4x12 cab will also help

 

[J-Bass RMR]

LPF.
Nylon Tapewounds, if you wouldn't be opposed to them.

technique

^^^^^
Higher action as well.

 

[red_rhino]

Maybe try a set of GHS Pressurewounds? They start off sounding like a broken-in set of rounds and stay that way for a very long time. They can get crunchy if you need them to for a more aggressive rock tone, and you can tame them down for a smoother, lower tone as well. I have a set on my '65 P and they work very nicely. I know everyone says "flats on a P", but that's not the only sound that a P is known for. I was thinking that I might try a set of tape wounds on it the next time I do a string change. It's been a very long time since I used those.

 

[David Lakin]

I’ve been using GK amps for almost 10 years. Contrary to popular belief you can get those amps to sound very thumpy. Roll the treble off a little bit, leave the mids at noon and set the bass at 2 o’clock. Also I’ve been using a Nordymute for a couple of years. And I love it! It doesn’t mess with the intonation and it’s adjustable as well. You can place the mute at an angle to get that bridge cover muted sound. Or push the mute further down to really squash those notes!

 

[DaveParker39]

I call this the "My Girl" tone. (as in, the Temptations song)
I have no idea if that was actually P-Bass, but it's what I think of.

I get this by rolling back the tone and making sure the bass on my amp is dimed.
I play a P-Bass and my basic tone is basically like a combination of Steve Harris clank (a decent amount of treble and high mids) and a LOT more low end. So in order to get a more "classic" P-Bass tone I simply roll back the tone.
Plucking nearish the neck helps (those thumb rests on the 70's P-Basses are perfect).
I also use a compressor that naturally rolls off some highs (Analogman Juicer).

It's funny you mention Geezer, because the EMG GZR pickup is probably my favorite P-Bass pickup for "classic" P-Bass tones. And I never play Sabbath (I love them though).

 

[RattleSnack]

Start with your GK MB500, you need to set EQ to "unscoop" it. Flat is somewhere around:
Bass and treble 10-11 o'clock (so cut), high and low mids 1-2 o'clock (so boost). Of course, results depend on your cab, if it's vintage sounding, this should do. If it's modern, cut more treble and high mids.
On your bass, start with tone closed down completely, than open it up slowly until you find sound you're happy with.
Last, when you are ok with sound, consider foam under strings or palm muting. I don't believe it's mandatory for live playing, but others may disagree. Give it a try.

 

[AltGrendel]

27100435[/URL], member: 202749"]I've got a cheap plywood nylon string guitar and I want to make it sound like Jimi Hendrix's Stratocaster, but I don't like electric guitars, Marshall amps, or wah wah pedals. Can anyone help?

Try this:

 

[ThinCrappyTone2]

Flats aren’t essential, just play the snot out of your rounds and don’t wipe them clean, they’ll dull out a lot and you’ll get close. The main thing flats offer is less string noise. But older rounds also make less noise because all the skin and sweat gravy gets in the grooves, mmmmm good. Try a small piece of foam or felt shoved under your strings at the bridge. That helps. Even though I hear you saying you don’t like it, that was a very common way to achieve the tone you are seeking. Since you’re using rounds keep the tone dialed back.

And learn to palm mute too.

The classic P Bass sound is really a simile for “any 60s song I like” as the reality outside the bounds of bass forums is that not every song was recorded with a P bass with flats and a mute and a pick. But a lot were.

Palm Mute Technique. Go

“Sweat Gravy”

 

[tb-player]

Hi there folks. I’m looking to get a classic p bass sound from my USA fitted p bass played through my GK mb500 amp. Not classic like Geezer, but that fat yet thumpy sound. Also, I don’t like flats and the foam in front of the bridge thing. What are your suggestions?

I play nickel rounds on my precision with really low action and I can still dial in a nice, thick, classic pbass sound on mine. Just roll back the tone knob and either palm mute or mute with the unused fingers on your fretting hand to damper the strings a bit.

 

[Phaidrus]

@Bob McAlister @AltGrendel

Is this tone "classic Pbass"?



If so, then a 70s Pbass with DiMarzio pup into Ampeg gear.

As of strings, either D'Addario nickel rounds (first picture) or whatever the strings with the blueish silks are (second picture):

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

Turn your tone half way down, palm mute and pick it?

 

[Ekulati]

I also have one of those Velcro fuzzy things guys place right before the nut.

Hmm, the thing about anything placed behind (or in front of) the nut is, well, as soon as you fret a note, you take that completely out of the equation. It has no effect at all. Even playing open strings, the nut is the termination point of the string's vibration.

 

[Ekulati]

Turn your tone half way down, palm mute and pick it?

I just watched Summer of Soul last night and don't think I saw any bassists using a pick. And even some of the guitarists were pickless.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Flats are what make that old P thump come out. Other than that maybe an old amp or something, but that’s significantly more expensive than trying a couple sets of flats out and seeing what works for you. I personally like LaBella 760fl on P’s and GHS precision flats on J’s.

One thing to consider is that the amp didn't really figure into the equation on most of the Motown "thump" we try to achieve these days. Those recordings were DI into the audio console, and back in the day, those old boards did not have much in the way of EQ. Though they probably had a lot more audio "character" than the +/- 0.1 db, 0.001% distortion, 20 to 20k, sterile recording boards (or DAW's) in use today.
The amp may have been used as a monitor, but was not necessarily part of the recording chain. The bass player could just as easily have worn headphones like everyone else. (And we think "going amp-less" is something new?)

While trying to achieve a sound from your amp that was never recorded using an amp may not be like comparing apples to oranges, it certainly can be like comparing Granny Smiths to Red Delicious.

 

[TN WOODMAN]

I tried cranking the tone knob on pbass to like 20% from off. AMP: cut 20% off amp treble, flat on upper middle, boosted the low mids 20%, and boosted the bass about 20%. Strings are a bit old, and the tone is very close to what I was looking for! I also have one of those Velcro fuzzy things guys place right before the nut. That might increase the ‘thumpage factor’.

BTW Pigrim,
I wanna join a ‘scrunchie hair band’’!
Ops, too late.[/QUOTE

I tried cranking the tone knob on pbass to like 20% from off. AMP: cut 20% off amp treble, flat on upper middle, boosted the low mids 20%, and boosted the bass about 20%. Strings are a bit old, and the tone is very close to what I was looking for! I also have one of those Velcro fuzzy things guys place right before the nut. That might increase the ‘thumpage factor’.

BTW Pigrim,
I wanna join a ‘scrunchie hair band’’!
Ops, too late.

There it is -unintentional band name of the day
Scrunchy Hair Band
Fans refer to them as The Scruchies

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Old, dead roundwounds, somewhat high action, roll off the tone knob.

 

[franklindayala]

Hi there folks. I’m looking to get a classic p bass sound from my USA fitted p bass played through my GK mb500 amp. Not classic like Geezer, but that fat yet thumpy sound. Also, I don’t like flats and the foam in front of the bridge thing. What are your suggestions?

You could install some really old rounds on your bass and palm mute.