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This makes me really want a p bass

#61
I have 10 basses, but decided that I had to have a P to get THAT sound, so ordered an MIA standard, sunburst/maple. It seems that this is the standard that all other basses are held to.

Leo put a lot of work into the engineering - While the early Ps may seem primitive, a LOT of effort went into them.

By the way - the pickup cover is very functional - and not for hum blocking, since it isn't grounded. the function is to balance the magnet's pull on the strings, so it is more symmetrical and not just from the bottom. This can totally affect the sound.

Can't wait for my P!

Thanks to all for the great video posts.
 
#63
Gio S said:
Leo put a lot of work into the engineering - While the early Ps may seem primitive, a LOT of effort went into them.

By the way - the pickup cover is very functional - and not for hum blocking, since it isn't grounded. the function is to balance the magnet's pull on the strings, so it is more symmetrical and not just from the bottom.
Click to expand...

Why did Leo never again utilize pickup covers in the Musicman and G&L's if they were so functional?

Maybe in the Musicman days there were other folks having input but in G&L Leo answered to no one and designed what he wanted.

So why no pickup covers then?

Jim
 
#66
the bridge cover on P-basses (from the mid 50's onwards) has no effect upon the sound - purely aesthetic.

It has no impact upon the inductance of the coil, or the "magnetic pull" of the magnets. I have vintage P-basses myself and I can assure you there is absolutely NO DIFFERENCE in the sound with the covers on or off.

On the very early P-basses, there was an extra earthing wire coming from the single coil pickup which terminated in a bare wire between the chrome pickup cover and the body wood. This affected the sound of the bass as the wire affected the coils inductance withe the chrome cover in place.

Around the mid 50's Fender stopped utilising this extra wire.
 
#67
I would like to bring up a few points regarding the following comments made on the original posted video:

GlennW said:
That reminded me of a Jazz.
Click to expand...

JohnLovesRush said:
I could swear thats a J...
Click to expand...

Bassist4Life said:
OMG, I can't believe that he plays that fill at 1:43 AND sings!
Click to expand...

BillMason said:
What I can't figure out is how he plays that fast run while singing!!

PS, it's a Jazz, ain't it?
Click to expand...

Do you guys need to be reminded that this is a Music Video? They are lip syncing to parts they sang (sans instruments) in the studio and playing along on instruments that may very well be different from the ones used in the studio (and quite possibly the studio tracks were done by session guys anyway). Didn't you guys wonder why there is a horn section coming through your speakers and none on the clip? Ah, dupped by movie magic again!

JYS
 
#71
OP here. I watched it again just now. I think that it probably is lip synced, although have a look at around 2.50; when the bassist is singing and getting ready for that fill back into the chorus he keeps looking at his hands. Would he do that if he was lip syncing? I don't know; maybe he's checking his shoes.

Also, I'm still convinced it's a p bass. If it was a J on the original recording, it's got the bridge pickup turned down.

Thanks to the other posters of great p bass tracks. I think a Warmoth p may be my project for the summer.:) I think I'll perm my hair and grow a beard while working on it as well.
 
#75
great tone, whatever it was played on in the studio, nice musicianship. here's a little one that got away trivia: as a kid, i was the paperboy in the neighborhood of the original 4 Seasons & knowing i was a playing a crap bass in someone's garage, one of their mother's offered me a bass. Fender sponsored bands back then, giving out matching gear like candy, i guess. so she opened the case & showed me a white P, probably never played, with what looked like factory original strings (black flats). manners being what they were then, i said 'no thank you'. i blew that one, huh?
 
#76
Junkyard Slug said:
I would like to bring up a few points regarding the following comments made on the original posted video:









Do you guys need to be reminded that this is a Music Video? They are lip syncing to parts they sang (sans instruments) ...
JYS
Click to expand...

That said, it still looks like he does a great job of playing and singing there. It's not like it's impossible.
 

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