• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

The P Bass Growl

#82
PJ Muzikmansky said:
I think you're making a broad generalization there. I own a '62 reissue P, gig it regularly, and it sounds identical...IDENTICAL to anything I hear on recordings made with a similar vintage instruments from way back when....

By and large, with post 57 'P's (the split -coil PUP era) I think one might categorize it by saying that there is a slight difference between the rosewood board (darker sound) and the maple (brighter), but not much more than that. Generally speaking, a 'P' is a 'P' is a 'P'.
Click to expand...

There are Split Peas and there are Single Peas. I like Single Peas. Here's a good discussion on them:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/precision-question-single-coil-tone-vs-split-coil-271763/
 
#84
I don't know what the knobs and switches do, but when (I think) the bridge pup is soloed, my P growls like crazy.
upyhu7uv.jpg
 
#85
PJ Muzikmansky said:
I think you're making a broad generalization there. I own a '62 reissue P, gig it regularly, and it sounds identical...IDENTICAL to anything I hear on recordings made with a similar vintage instruments from way back when....

By and large, with post 57 'P's (the split -coil PUP era) I think one might categorize it by saying that there is a slight difference between the rosewood board (darker sound) and the maple (brighter), but not much more than that. Generally speaking, a 'P' is a 'P' is a 'P'.
Click to expand...

I dont agree at all i have both old and modern fenders, and the vintage models sound different. That's like saying a strat is a strat and clearly no one would agree with that, i have an american standard strat from the eighty's. A friend of mine was kind enough to loan me his 63 strat, the difference was like chalk and cheese and everyone without exception noticed.
 
#89
A large part of the growl comes out of the humbucking pickups.

The moment that you have opposite magnetic polarity polepieces going toward the strings there is a kind of "roar" coming into the sound that just doesn't go away no matter how you do it. Specifically it doesn't go away if you only have one pickup point for the strings like in a split P pickup.
 
#91
lineboss58 said:
I dont agree at all i have both old and modern fenders, and the vintage models sound different. That's like saying a strat is a strat and clearly no one would agree with that, i have an american standard strat from the eighty's. A friend of mine was kind enough to loan me his 63 strat, the difference was like chalk and cheese and everyone without exception noticed.
Click to expand...

You are entitled to disagree...but i WAS talking about recordings...featuring post '57 Precision basses... not stratocasters
 
#93
Ugh. I'm way more of a Ric guy, (especially the thicker-sounding ones like my '03 4003, which cuts and provides excellent lows), but nobody mentioned John Wetton ina thread about aggressive P bass tone???

Seriously? He made a P bass sound as if Zeus took the form of a bass guitar.

Anger:



(1:39 sounds like the strings are on fire)
 
#94
lineboss58 said:
I dont agree at all i have both old and modern fenders, and the vintage models sound different. That's like saying a strat is a strat and clearly no one would agree with that, i have an american standard strat from the eighty's. A friend of mine was kind enough to loan me his 63 strat, the difference was like chalk and cheese and everyone without exception noticed.
Click to expand...

Chalk and cheese? Hmmm. But were they very obviously both Strats in sound? I would think so, otherwise something was wrong.
Like I've got three P basses that all sound very different, but they all sound like P basses.
 
#95
lineboss58 said:
I dont agree at all i have both old and modern fenders, and the vintage models sound different. That's like saying a strat is a strat and clearly no one would agree with that, i have an american standard strat from the eighty's. A friend of mine was kind enough to loan me his 63 strat, the difference was like chalk and cheese and everyone without exception noticed.
Click to expand...

Slight variances, yes...but it's not going to be night & day.

I bet you'd be hard pressed to listen to unlabelled audio tracks of those 2 guitars & tell which was which.
 
#97
Are we talking about a mixed and EQd sound or raw out the speakers? P basses are well understood by sound engineers and producers, they can make it sound like anything on tape. Raw? Well that kind of depends on the amp, box and strings doesn't it?
 
#98
lineboss58 said:
I dont agree at all i have both old and modern fenders, and the vintage models sound different. That's like saying a strat is a strat and clearly no one would agree with that, i have an american standard strat from the eighty's. A friend of mine was kind enough to loan me his 63 strat, the difference was like chalk and cheese and everyone without exception noticed.
Click to expand...

+1
Does a ash/Maple PBass "growls" like an alder/rosewood PBass ?
Paul Jackson vs. James Jamerson for example...

Which combination is best...?
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back