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Precision Bass Shootout - 1976 vs. 2009

Which is the 1976 Precision Bass

  • Track 1

    Votes: 70 36.1%

  • Track 2

    Votes: 124 63.9%
  • Total voters
    194
  • Poll closed .
#121
Eh, no reverse psychology here. I just wanted an excuse to record my basses ;)

So I wish I had brought my 76 with me for this weekend's gigs, too. The brightness some of you heard from the recording manifested itself tonight in a much bigger way than I thought it would, and something else seemed different as well but not sure what. I probably got weirded out because I was being scooped in the PA for most of the night, and this giant rich people's tent we played in wasn't exactly acoustic perfection. Later on, I think he quit scooping me because the string balance issues went away and I could actually hear the high notes, as opposed to this afternoon where the notes on the G string were about gone.

One really good thing about tonight's gig was there were two PA floor stacks per side, one aimed at the front, one aimed at the people on the side of the tent, and I just had to take a couple steps offstage to hear it. Once he got rid of the scoop (why do some soundmen love to scoop a Precision??? EDIT: Can't blame that on him now...it's the pickups I came to find out), it really started sounding good. Trebly, but good.

Bringing the other bass would have really helped clear some stuff up in my mind, but nooooo...I had to only bring the new one because I'm lazy. Fortunately I have a lot of gigs this week at familiar haunts where I can bring both and get a better fix on it. After that I'll start drilling holes and put in an EB-0 pickup ;)
 
#124
JimmyM said:
Oh screw it...I'm noticing a trend here, so I'll go ahead and spill the beans.

As of this writing, 42 chose #1, and 62 chose #2.

62 of you are correct. #2 is the 76.

However, I must confess something...the wear level on the strings, unfortunately, was not as equal as I thought they were last night. I had put new strings on the 09, and took them off 3 or 4 different times and stretched them out pretty well, and I thought that the amount they died was about equal to the amount that the strings on the 76 died. Both sets are pretty new, but the 76 had a little more play on it than the 09. Today, I find that there is a bigger difference than I thought last night after a big Mexican fajita dinner and sleepiness.

This MAY account for the differences between the 76 and the 09. If not, though, I don't know that I'd attribute all of it to wood or bridge or pickguard. Of course, there's no real way to tell that unless I use the same pickup on both, and that just plain isn't going to happen because of my (lack of) soldering skill. But I have a road trip this weekend and I plan to change strings on both and try again when I get back, and we'll see what happens.

In any event, I am extremely pleased with both of these basses, and the differences I heard were quite minor IMHO. And since my HO is the only one that counts at my house, the 09 will not have to suffer the indignity of 35 years of modding and new paint jobs that my 76 had before I stripped it. With strings that are even in wear, I predict they would sound identical. I'd do it now, but hey, strings do cost money. So the only mods it will get are the black pickguard and Straploks.

Thanks to those who participated, and boo to those who chickened out on the voting!
Click to expand...

I luff being right!:p
 
#125
Well despite what I said earlier in the thread, the American pickup isn't working out, so it's going. There's definitely a scoop going on. It wasn't the soundman scooping me yesterday. Every time I hit a high note, I wasn't sure if I was going to hear it. Even jammed for a half hour through the B-15 without any PA at soundcheck because the guy was late, and I could hear it. Sounded really good, but the support on the high notes just wasn't there either night. And it ain't the maple neck ;)

At least I can do it non-invasively. I'll just get a new wiring harness. No big whoop. Considering scoring either a 60's Original or an SPB-1, but leaning toward the SPB-1 because of its stellar reputation and cheaper price. Also calling my repair guy and seeing what he has in the old pickup bucket that might work.
 
#126
I may be misremembering, but it seems like I heard that experiences like yours were why they switched to the '60s "Original" pups for 2012 and after. I know mine has a great growl, high midrange and upper harmonic content, overall slightly mid-forward.
 
#127
JimmyM said:
Well despite what I said earlier in the thread, the American pickup isn't working out, so it's going. There's definitely a scoop going on. It wasn't the soundman scooping me yesterday. Every time I hit a high note, I wasn't sure if I was going to hear it. Even jammed for a half hour through the B-15 without any PA at soundcheck because the guy was late, and I could hear it. Sounded really good, but the support on the high notes just wasn't there either night. And it ain't the maple neck ;)

At least I can do it non-invasively. I'll just get a new wiring harness. No big whoop. Considering scoring either a 60's Original or an SPB-1, but leaning toward the SPB-1 because of its stellar reputation and cheaper price. Also calling my repair guy and seeing what he has in the old pickup bucket that might work.
Click to expand...

Consider getting a Lakland "Neo-punch" P pickup. It's a dream on my USA Glaub. I believe you can buy direct from Lakland.
 
#128
JimmyM said:
...why do some soundmen love to scoop a Precision???
Click to expand...

Because 350-450hz sounds awful to the human ear when solo'ed and soundmen have human ears. And this irritating range is where the P makes its thrust thru the mix. This is why so many amps have a mid countour control-it makes us happier when we're in the bedroom.

FWIW, when I was younger and even stupider I succeeded in EQing myself right out of a few recording mixes because of insisting on getting a 'good' sound when listening to my track solo'ed. Take note, youngsters-don't let this happen to you. ;)
 
#130
JimmyM said:
I probably got weirded out because I was being scooped in the PA for most of the night, and this giant rich people's tent we played in wasn't exactly acoustic perfection. Later on, I think he quit scooping me because the string balance issues went away and I could actually hear the high notes, as opposed to this afternoon where the notes on the G string were about gone
Click to expand...

Glad to hear someone else has had 'the soundman always scoops the bass' syndrome - I now make a point of asking them NOT to boost the treble or the bass on the fader - absolutely kills a jazz bass sound and can make a Stingray sound all clicky and clattery as these instruments are already producing a scoop dependent on settings (I started to do this after playing a small festival where the misguided soul ruined my Stingray fretless sound completely (along with the baritone sax and various other instruments) by dialling in far too much bass and treble and no mid). He got a brilliant drum and guitar sound though.........
 
#131
drTSTingray said:
Glad to hear someone else has had 'the soundman always scoops the bass' syndrome - I now make a point of asking them NOT to boost the treble or the bass on the fader - absolutely kills a jazz bass sound and can make a Stingray sound all clicky and clattery as these instruments are already producing a scoop dependent on settings (I started to do this after playing a small festival where the misguided soul ruined my Stingray fretless sound completely (along with the baritone sax and various other instruments) by dialling in far too much bass and treble and no mid). He got a brilliant drum and guitar sound though.........
Click to expand...

Jimmy said that the scoop was probably the pickup on his bass rather than the soundman, but yeah, too many soundmen think that bass guitar should be all about bass frequencies.

I once left a demo recording session thinking that the mix was just right, but my bass track was mud when I heard the final result. The lead singer said "I was thinking about you, I told the engineer to turn up the bass on your bass".
Link Removed
 
#134
Thanks Fritz. Unfortunately nobody carries it around here so I'll have to order it. Bummer...got gigs starting on Wednesday and hoping to have it squared away by then. Oh well, not like I don't have other basses ;)
 

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