I don't understand any of this too well. However, the resonant peak is the product of the inductance of the pickup coils interacting with the other controls? If so, could you use a dummy P bass coil (no magnet), with a capacitor in parallel, to add this extra resonant peak at all times, even with the tone control on 10?
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The basic flaw in the p-bass
- Thread starter Ric5
- Start date
I don't understand any of this too well. However, the resonant peak is the product of the inductance of the pickup coils interacting with the other controls? If so, could you use a dummy P bass coil (no magnet), with a capacitor in parallel, to add this extra resonant peak at all times, even with the tone control on 10?
Better sounding; providing the dynamics to obtain studio tone live (many of the studio bass parts had been played on Fenders or Gibsons etc); better and more consistent quality; more playability; better able to provide the level of bass sound required by 80s music (presuming it wasn't being played on a keyboard).
Indeed all the reasons Fender had a problem selling bass guitars in the early 80s.
There are two resonant peaks. Resonant peak A, which is higher, when tone knob is fully clockwise. When it's fully counterclockwise you hear resonant peak B. In between settings, the signal doesn't have much of a peak, it mostly just troughs above the hinge frequency. The reason for the change is the change in the LRC circuit as you subtract resistance between L and C.
I guess your idea could work but the change with resonant peak B is so subtle it's really not worth that much trouble. Although, maybe to some. There is no doubt it is a real, audible effect. The way I see it it's better to have the option to get rid of the peak than have it always be there.
Thanks!!!
I don't mind people loving certain types of instruments - however I suspect there is rather more drivel in this thread than in my post.
It reminds me of the flat earth society of years gone by! It's a P bass guys - apparently according to many perfect first time so why try to upgrade it??
The "two tones of a P bass" attitude is kind of understandable. I don't think it's true, but that's beside the point.
I'm interested in the comment about Roger Waters. I thought that the vast majority of his Pink Floyd playing was done on a Precision. Am I wrong?
P-basses only have one flaw, and that's the pickguard-mounted output jack, right at the thinnest, most fragile part of that pickguard.
(note how that was corrected in the subsequent design, the jazz bass.)
(note how that was corrected in the subsequent design, the jazz bass.)
I'm going to bow out at this point. You've obviously done such a good job convincing yourself of the arrogant BS you spew that it would be pointless to engage you. Better basses indeed...
Yep.Anyone with experience knows that you can get a frequency bump when you roll the tone knob back. Im amazed that some posters dont know that. I roll the tone back sometimes for an upper mid bump which indeed can cut more into a mix. it just depends on the mix and the frequencies you are working with.
Not sure what you're driving at. The earth was never flat.
I can play any style, with anybody, anytime with the lowly, one-dimensional P bass. Bandmates, and the folks who hire me universally love the tones I get in every situation.
I routinely play big band, pop, rock, hard rock, blues and funk, all with the lowly, one-dimensional P bass.
If someone were to find it 'limiting,' I would suspect that they need more experience playing music.
So am I missing something important then by having GB tone circuit? I had only owned jazzes upon selling mine for the P which had it stock from the factory. Even on the Jazzes I just had the pot wide open all the time.
You're missing something, sure. Whether or not it matters is up to you. There is a non-trivial low mid bump that happens when the tone control is rolled back. It's real.
Interestingly, Jazz basses have a similar effect, but it's the volume knobs that do it.
As stated by all the speaker cab gurus on TB, lows don't depend on speaker size.
Two properly built and vertically stacked 2x10s can do a great job of bringing on the low end with great dispersion and being able to be heard more clearly on stage because the sound is at ear level.
And it's better to judge a rig from FOH instead of onstage. All 1x speaker cabs(and even 4x10 cabs) produce sound that mainly goes past your knees with all the mids (or whatever there is of mids) only being heard FOH. So, sure the bass sounds more full on stage, but FOH, as I've heard many times (even just couple of weeks ago), it can get lost in the mix, and can be muddy and not well defined.
I'm not saying a 1x15 can't bring it, I'm am saying there is no hard and fast rule that two 2x10's can't bring it also.
Lots of TBrs love there 4x10s and some have reported using them for decades so why shouldn't a different format(two 2x10s) of the same 10s work just as well? I thinks it's because all of a sudden you hear the mids better on stage and think, "wow, this setup doesn't get much of the lows". I suggest going wireless or get 40 foot chord so you can go FOH during sound check and really hear how your rig is being heard out in the venue.
Absolutely! I've always thought that, too. Seen LOTS of pickguards snapped at that point over the years.
But couldn't you just EQ that low mid bump via the amps settings? Considering I like to run wide open I would think the difference was negligible?
The point I was making was he did use a P and with a clanky sound - but a Ric would probably have made a clanky sound more effectively.
However, and sorry to have annoyed one or two people, I am seriously interested in what you guys are saying. However I've never heard a P bass lack mids - indeed mostly it's the opposite - many people want to lower them by scooping.
Interesting post! Thanks for fleshing out my idea.
I understand that the original Gibson varitones contained an inductor to preserve high frequences, thus turning a standard set of capacitors in parallel into a crude notch-filter of sorts.
