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The basic flaw in the p-bass

With some P's I've percieved less bottom-end when cranking the tone knob up. It makes sense to me, you throw more mid and top end in there at the same volume and the tone can seem thinner, doesn't mean there's less bottom end but the percentage of bottom-end content is less compared to the mids and highs. I don't see what the big deal is.
 
Well ... as the OP ... I did not want to start a war ... but the p-bass only seems to work when you roll the tone off. For those of us who want more than mud the p-bass is the wrong bass.

I always end up modifying a p-bass. I add a 5th string, a second pickup and sometimes a preamp.
 
I don't understand some of the "you don't turn the tone up on a pbass. SACRILEGE!" I find when I want more growl and edge, opening up the tone achieves that perfectly. That's like saying that you can't turn the tone all the way down on a jazz.
 
This is my kind of p-bass ...

5s%20001.jpg
 
I don't even own a P these days; but...

56 years of recorded testimony disprove the OP statement. Lack of booty in the P? Like where? In the Motown recordings, for example?:rollno:

Sorry, but, I don't get the point. Yes, there is no basic flaw in the P bass; other than the expectations of the person playing it.

IMO
 
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exactly. the tone knob takes away treble/ mids. it cannot add anything. low end content stays the same.

So then the OP should adjust his amp. IMO, leaving your amp settings the same and then comparing the way different basses sound is really not the best way to compare.

How about setting the amp,bass tone controls for each bass to best fit in the mix for a venue? That's another way to compare.
 
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I don't understand some of the "you don't turn the tone up on a pbass. SACRILEGE!" I find when I want more growl and edge, opening up the tone achieves that perfectly. That's like saying that you can't turn the tone all the way down on a jazz.

you can but to be honest it doesn't sound the best to either extreme. all the way up sounds too bright and all you hear is string noise and all the way down sounds too muddy.

really on a passive bass the best thing to do is leave the tone knob halfway in the middle and do any eq changes on your amp. the tone knob is just there to make any fine adjustments during a song while you're playing or whatever since you don't have time to run back to your amp and start fiddling with it. lol
 

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