Still a P-Bass if it has a flame maple top?

[Dash Lashes]

I'm considering ordering my first P-Bass. It's going to be a G&L LB-100 fretless (yes i know what the P stands for and means). G&L has a Premium Flamed Maple Top option that I know I like the looks of. I know I'm supposed to have flats, tort guard... and I will, don't get me wrong, but with the idea of a P-Bass being a very conceptually specific thing, I need to ask you experts (armchair or what-have-yous are quite welcome too) about the body:

Q: If I order a flame top, will I ruin it's P-ness, by way of rendering it no longer a P?

I mostly want to be sure I don't screw up by ordering flame maple. I would really hate to lose any of that Pino Paladino type of tone I'm looking for in a P

Please Comment! Please Vote! Have A Great Day!

_dash

 

[MarkoYYZ]

Well, since Fender themselves offer a flamed maple finish on their higher end Select models, you're OK.

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They've also done it with other models from Japan:

 

[RedMoses]

IMO, what makes it a P is the 1.75" nut Width and secondly the P pick up on its own, unless you have BOTH its not a P Bass, its a Custom Fender style Bass.

I have a J Bass (1.5" nut) with a PJ Pick up config and a flamed maple top (Left), I don't call it call it a P or a Jazz.

I have another J Bass (1.5") with a P Bass pick guard, Plain top and a PJ config, don't call it a P or a Jazz either.

 

[Double Agent]

Get what makes you happy. To me, a P is more about the body shape and the pickup placement. As long as those things are "correct", it is a P-bass.

 

[Philonius]

DA has it; body shape and pup location. Plus, do whatever you want.

 

[spanndrew]

A p pickup makes it a p bass.

 

[Scarey Larry]

It is your bass so do whatever you like. I think of a P by the pickup (type and position) and body shape. That said, I tend to sell things after a while and do consider whether it will sell easily later.

 

[One Drop]

IMO, what makes it a P is the 1.75" nut Width and secondly the P pick up on its own, unless you have BOTH its not a P Bass, its a Custom Fender style Bass.

I have a J Bass (1.5" nut) with a PJ Pick up config and a flamed maple top (Left), I don't call it call it a P or a Jazz.

I have another J Bass (1.5") with a P Bass pick guard, Plain top and a PJ config, don't call it a P or a Jazz either.

Many real Precisions have narrower necks.

I agree it's the PUP type and placement, and body shape that identify a P visually and sonically.

 

[Dash Lashes]

Many real Precisions have narrower necks.

I agree it's the PUP type and placement, and body shape that identify a P visually and sonically.

yea me too. i have respect for the G&L SB-1&2, but i just can't see them as Ps because of the MFD PUPs they have. all else aside those look to be great basses, but they're (to me) just not full on P-basses. boy am i glad the LB-100 is available to order. I believe it is one of few true Ps available new these days

 

[Dash Lashes]

So, Are there strong feelings in the bass community here about how much, or whether at all, the body wood (whether a P-bass has a maple top, or is alder, or swamp ash, etc...) influences the final tone? i hope im not poking a bee hive I want to be sure the best opportunity to be able to coax a classic tone of say, a '62 fender P (like Pino Palladino's), from my (to be ordered) custom G&L. I hope I can get a good '62 fender P tone from an LB-100 .

down the line, i will probably get an authentic vintage (pre-cbs) fender pickup for my LB-100. Personally, I think that would be worth the money drool

 

[mdogs]

Call me old school, but in order for it to be a P, it has to be a Fender, all others are wanna be's...

 

[pacojas]

now i want to play my pbass,... brb

 

[Dash Lashes]

Call me old school, but in order for it to be a P, it has to be a Fender, all others are wanna be's...

The L in G&L stands for Leo (last name = Fender)... Leo Fender created G&L with a buddy after the sale of his "Fender" company to CBS. This means (to me) that the G&L is the newest real fender. LB-100 means "Legacy Bass" and it is G&L's self proclaimed "straight-uh-head-uh-P-Bass"



some people said the nut width makes one or breaks one. the guy in the video mentions the nut width on his, but you order whatever you want. nut widths (and other options) available: [[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]]

Anybody else have any more general input about how flame maple tops may or may not effect (ruin or not?) the final tone of the proverbial P-Bass?

 

[Double Agent]

Everything has an effect IMO, but how much effect each little thing, like body wood, would have has been debated to death on TB for years with some swearing it makes NO difference, other saying it makes a huge difference and all kinds of stances in between. My experience has been that I like alder/rosewood P-basses for classic tone. If that alder body has a maple top, that probably makes little to no impact at all. A traditional P-bass pickup in the right place will probably get you close enough to fool anyone, especially in a mix, whether live or recorded. Which strings you install would have more impact than a maple top IMO.

 

[TheCouchBassist]

I love flame tops.
Here is my P-Select.
Wood is beautiful, why cover it up with poly?

 

[brotondo]

I think it's funny to get a beautiful pricey top, and then cover half of it with a piece plastic.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

I agree that fancy wood on the P-body looks... odd. For reasons I cannot explain, it just seems more natural on a J - perhaps because we're used to it. But ruin the bass? nah.

This notion of "P-bassness" is just silly. I've seen guys who insist that adding a J pickup ruines the "P-ness" of the bass. Man oh man...

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

I think it's funny to get a beautiful pricey top, and then cover half of it with a piece plastic.

Well, yeah - good point.

 

[GroovinOnFunk]

IMO, what makes it a P is the 1.75" nut Width and secondly the P pick up on its own, unless you have BOTH its not a P Bass, its a Custom Fender style Bass.

I have a J Bass (1.5" nut) with a PJ Pick up config and a flamed maple top (Left), I don't call it call it a P or a Jazz.

I have another J Bass (1.5") with a P Bass pick guard, Plain top and a PJ config, don't call it a P or a Jazz either.

Hey... That Marco looks familiar!

 

[organworthyplayer337]

Frets mean precision. The bass has frets. The Precision Bass is percise. I forgot where I was going with this.