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P'ed OFF!

bassbully

bassbully

Endorsed by The PHALEX CORN BASS..mmm...corn!
Sep 7, 2006
12,760
6,556
Blimp City USA
#1
Hi, I have not posted on here in a while but im back now. New band ,new me and finally after 3 years doing the kind of music i have always wanted to do Blues and 60's blues rock Ala.... Cream, Hendrix etc covers and originals. For the blues everything from Albert King, Freddie King, SRV. Clapton,Muddy and beyond good old grooves and we do originals 60's acid type blues jams.

Well i am true blue Fenderholic which is good due to the fact almost all that era of music was done with a Fender..IMO the Holy Grail of Basses...throw the others away :p just kiddin.

But i am a big Jazz bass fan i own 4. 3 are my MIMs all hand picked and great. One is a 5 i wont be using much anymore and might get rid of but i like her alot. When reviewing all the music for this band i cant get that groovin , greasy, woody thumpin SOB P -BASS out of my head. I really always wanted one but couldnt ever get into them in my R&R bands so i took a jazz with 10's in my cabs to get good bottom and drivin mids great for rock not so good for old stoner 60's rock and blues.
I am now taken over by P basses i am lookin at them online here on talkbass and well i am picking up my first real one today i say that cuz i had a SX P and it sucked thin sounding and buzzed like a basket of hornets..sold it. I own another type of P- bass its a early 90's Squier P/J special which is a beat up sweetheart i bought for 60.00 bucks. I cut the wires to the jazz pup and boys shes sweet J neck and great feel my back up to the new MIM P I used got used at GC for $200.00 bucks.

So how are the MIM P basses overall? It played really nice and sounded great. I tried it up against the new VM Squier P and the Squier sounded to hi-fi like a jazz to me. Once i plugged in the MIM P it was thump city! I fig the P is in good shape a few dings and a couple of light cracks in the poly around the neck pocket but nothing to bad a real workhorse feeling bass. I hear alot of you change the pups to SD-1/4 pounders but wont that make it sound to aggressive? I am putting a set on medium D'A Chrome's on her. Im lovin the old school thump and bump...god its good to be where i always wanted to be down low and thumpin.
Why are some of us never happy with what we have? Or is it what its all about learning adapting finding new ideas and staying fresh. Like i said i did giging R&R for 3 years now from classic to hard and now i found my musical love so i guess i answered my own question?
 
#3
Dr. Cheese said:
Just a get a nice MIM P. There was a really nice MIA P in the TB classifieds for under under $500 a day or two ago. You might want to look and see if it is still there.
Click to expand...

Thanks,
I like to keep it cheap and if it needs mods go from there. I really like stock MIM pups in my Jazzes but never tried a MIM P i dont want to agressive of a sound just good old P bass ..you know thump and bump wit a tiny bit of edge. I dont spent alot on my music but expect it to perform.I put my MIMs in the past up to most anything and to those who have heard and played them as well agree they are great for the $$.
 
#5
I hear alot of you change the pups to SD-1/4 pounders but wont that make it sound to aggressive?
Click to expand...

I had the SD's in my MIM P-bass for awhile. I just switched back to the original pickups that came with the bass this past weekend.. I like the stock pickups better then the SD's they were just to boomy for my taste...

The stock pickups are quiet, and thumpy, what else does one need?..:bassist:
 
#6
Keep your eyes open for these Tokai and Aria copies from the 70+80's. These are like the old US Fenders @ very good prices.
Seriously, I got this one here for less than $400. It's like a Custom Shop build and sounds just like it should.
 
#8
FenderHotRod said:
I had the SD's in my MIM P-bass for awhile. I just switched back to the original pickups that came with the bass this past weekend.. I like the stock pickups better then the SD's they were just to boomy for my taste...

The stock pickups are quiet, and thumpy, what else does one need?..:bassist:
Click to expand...

Thanks thats what i wanted to hear. I played 1/4 pounders in the Hoppus P and they were boomy and more agressive. I played the bass last night with the band strung with a fresh set of chromes:D much love...sounded awsome! Im leaving it alone.
 
#9
Try a Highway 1 p-bass out? I got a crazy good deal on a new one at GC and I LOVE it. I was a doof and let a Highway One go (it had the Fender style bridge - the 1 has the BA II), and I've regretted it ever since. But now I've got a P bass, I am happy and content again. The stock pickup is great and the bass has that thump and growl you can't get outta your head (I know your pain!).
 
#11
bassbully said:
Thanks,
I like to keep it cheap and if it needs mods go from there. I really like stock MIM pups in my Jazzes but never tried a MIM P i dont want to agressive of a sound just good old P bass ..you know thump and bump wit a tiny bit of edge. I dont spent alot on my music but expect it to perform.I put my MIMs in the past up to most anything and to those who have heard and played them as well agree they are great for the $$.
Click to expand...

I have a MIM P that I bought for about $200 used and it sounds great. I have done gigs with it and see no need to change the pickups. It is an older one though (1993) if that makes a difference.
 
#12
Thanks for all the replies and the help. There really is something about that good old P bass sound there is nothing like it and i cant get it unless its from a P bass itself. I am totaly a P bass fan after saying before i didnt see what the big deal was with them...oh well live and learn.

I did try the highway 1 and they are cool. I was not to crazy bout the finish on them thou.They are out of my price range.

I never changed the pups in any of my MIM jazzes. I liked what i heard when i tested them out before i bought them. I always have been told from live to studio that they sound great. The pups in this MIM are staying they are really warm.

I also started going thru a 15" bottom with a 2x10 top and man that made a big diff in the sound. I will try to get a pic to you of the P bass if i can figure out how to do it again its been awhile since i did it on TB.
 
#14
Personally not a Fender fan, but I do know what they are and appriecate the sound. When my son (a DB player) wanted an electric I got him a MIM P and he loves it. I'll have to say the workmanship is better than I expected and the sound is spot on.
 
#15
Put some Dimarzio J pickups in any of those MIM Jazzes.

The neck pickup solo is massive, thick, thumpy, and growly. . . just plain huge. Not a hinge of hi-fi, just old school goodness taken up a few notches.

If a P-Bass is wnat you really want for this, then try to find a good used MIA.

Whatever you do, get a Dimarzio pickup in that thing. The Dimarzio P is also heavenly. I have it on a Yamaha P/J and it sounds amazing.
 
#16
higgi said:
I also noticed that the Squier Vintage Modified P's are Hi-Fi and Jazzy, until you roll down the tone, then they are thumpy like an old P bass.

I have a 75 MIA P and a VM P. I can't really tell the difference with the tone rolled down on the VM P. It's nice to have a bass you are not worried about getting stolen.
Click to expand...

Funny thats the thing that troubled me. I didnt want to roll the tone back . I wanted what a standard P bass sounded like with the tone full open and the VM squier wasnt close sounded like a jazz. I agree rolled back the P tone came out thou.I like a standard P bass tone full open a times and then rolled back. I was returning a squier jaco VM fretless i still had 30 days on so i was an almost even swap but i couldnt love the squire VM like the used MIM P. I ran them both thru the same amp i use and the MIM had the pure P bass tone. The VM left me feeling like it was a more processed P bass tone.

The Diamrzio P pups give ya the old school sound? What makes them better and how much do they run?
 
#17
I have a '94 Sunburst MIM P-bass I bought last year (it was actually new, still on the wall) from a small local store. The original pick-ups sounded nice and thumpy and I thought sounded quite vintage. When I decided to change out the pickguard for a tortoise shell type, we just took out the original pickguard with pick-ups and tone knobs still attatched. I went ahead and put a Seymour Duncan original style pickup on it (SPB1). I do like the tone better- it is sweeter sounding than the original and still thumps. Volume wise, it is a bit louder as well, but not overdriven like the Quarterpounders tend to be. It only cost $60.00 and you can put it on yourself! If you ever get tired or want to experiment a bit, these are a cheap way to go. Incidently, I also put in CTS pots (the original weren't). I don't really know if this makes a difference, but CTS pots are cheap enough. And finally, I put some nice metal domed tone knobs on to complete the look.
But, your stock MIMs should do fine. No one in the audience will hear the difference!:) As long as you like it go for it!!
 
#18
Manitou said:
Try a Highway 1 p-bass out? I got a crazy good deal on a new one at GC and I LOVE it. I was a doof and let a Highway One go (it had the Fender style bridge - the 1 has the BA II), and I've regretted it ever since. But now I've got a P bass, I am happy and content again. The stock pickup is great and the bass has that thump and growl you can't get outta your head (I know your pain!).
Click to expand...

can't agree more with you. awsome bass. but like the original poster, he can't get the p bass tone out of his head, i can't get the jazz bass tone outta mine.

it makes me want to sell my hwy one or sting signature and get a jazz. maybe one day. but you can't go wrong with a hwy one precision bass. mines honey blonde with tort guard, looks awsome on stage. good luck dude.
 
#19
duff84 said:
can't agree more with you. awsome bass. but like the original poster, he can't get the p bass tone out of his head, i can't get the jazz bass tone outta mine.

it makes me want to sell my hwy one or sting signature and get a jazz. maybe one day. but you can't go wrong with a hwy one precision bass. mines honey blonde with tort guard, looks awsome on stage. good luck dude.
Click to expand...

Jazzes are sweet and now that i own 2 p basses and 3 jazzes im in heaven :hyper: all the bases are covered with those basses LOL.
 

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