Pino Palladino tone settings

Pino uses Thomastik-Infeld flatwound strings on his P-Bass - that'll get you in the ballpark immediately. He's mentioned in interviews that he usually keeps the volume on his P all the way up and turns the tone knob almost all the way down.

 

As stated, TI flats and treble off.

 

I wonder what kind of pickups he has in his P Bass? Anyone know. I know most of it is just him but that tone he has is wonderful.

 

I think they are the stock pickups.

 

Here's the specs on Pino's custom shop Fender: http://www.fender.com/customshop/instruments/search.php?partno=0158200840

Pino's Fender pickups are custom wound. He uses Ampeg SVT heads and cabs when sharing the stage w/ David LaBruyere (John Mayer's regular bassist) and an Ashdown Evo rig when performing w/ the Trio alone...

 

how did a pedestrian player like Mayer ever pull in a legend like Pino...

 

Mayer's skill or talent doesn't figure into this. Pino's experience and stature demands a high figure paycheck. Mayer wrote one.

 

I'm pretty sure Pino uses Jamerson La Bella flats on his '63 P-bass which he tunes down BEAD or something like that. He used that bass and that tuning on D'angelo's Voodoo.

 

I'm sure Pino is pretty well off and has the luxury of taking gigs with people he wants to play with instead of taking gigs simply for the paycheck.

BTW, Mayer is an excellent blues guitarist and has shared the stage with guys like B.B. King and Eric Clapton. I don't see much "pedestrian" in that.

 

John is a good songwriter and a smoking guitarist. Dont let his pop leanings fool you, he gets musicians like Palladino, Jordan, and the other great ones in his band because he is more than a pedestrian player

 

Mayer is pretty damn accomplished if you ask me. Nice to be able to play with the Pino too!

 

Yeah I think JM has some awesome chops and really good tone. More than that he is a great songwriter, I never seem to tire of Continuum. I discovered JM because of Pino whose work I have followed since the 80s. David Labruyere is no slouch either.

 

back to the sound ---- fingers and engineer. some of this "flats, detuned, 63 precision bass with TI flats etc." is all well and good but as soon as an engineer touches an eq knob, as soon as you are switching preamps the bass is going to ... all of your gear is out of the equation .. seriously! the man can play ... his choices are so refined .. his time is impeccable ... that's what matters.

 

He detunes his bass a whole step for D'Angelo stuff.

 

+1

Mayer is a fantastic musician. His tone is amazing, he has great chops, a very decent songwriter, and a good voice to boot. He obviously knows a good bass player when he sees one too!

 

Hi mates,
Anybody knows the exact code or nomination of the 043-100 Thomastick flatwounds that uses Pino and comes with his signature bass? I can't find it in the Thomastik catalogue.
Maybe the JF344?:
http://musical-instruments.pricegra...stik-JF344-Flatwound-Long-Scale/m9850594.html
Cheers and many thanks.

 

Everything I've heard of Pino sounds muddy...I've heard him on D's recordings, live with D, I have the live cd he did with Mayer, I've heard him live (on tv) with the Who..He always sounds muddy to me, notes are almost indecipherable. The only thing I've heard where he doesnt sound muddy is "Everytime You Go Away"....any suggestions where he sounds good?

 

Well, for me this is heaven:


Any idea on the Thomastik strings?

 

I'll never get tired of that clip. And John Mayer's guitar playing is excellent. He's got touch, tone and taste in spades.