What a P Bass Sounds Like...

[LetItGrowTone]

Inspired by this thread I have located my favorite P bass tone.
It's Randy Jo Hobbs on Edgar Winter's White Trash -- Roadwork.

I hear grunt. I never noticed any "belch" on that double LP. No negative in the bass tone whatsoever.
I think it's a .1uF tone cap on approximately zero. SVT/fridge, reportedly. That's what it sounds like to me.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Inspired by this thread I have located my favorite P bass tone.
It's Randy Jo Hobbs on Edgar Winter's White Trash -- Roadwork.

I hear grunt. I never noticed any "belch" on that double LP. No negative in the bass tone whatsoever.
I think it's a .1uF tone cap on approximately zero. SVT/fridge, reportedly. That's what it sounds like to me.

that whole album is amazing, and agreed on the bass.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

that whole album is amazing, and agreed on the bass.

It was recorded in different venues.
I think the best places to hear the bass are on Tobacco Road (which I think is an SVT/fridge),
and Turn On Your Love Light (which I think is an Acoustic, for that whole album side).

 

[Ggaa]

Otis Rush, All Your Love(Berlin '66).

 

[PJ Muzikmansky]

Scott Thunes sounds fantastic here.

 

[Camaro69]

Duff

 

[tvbop]

Cant name specific tunes at the moment but there was a period in the late 70's when studio engineers kinda really got a handle on the P thing. Loads of dance pop tunes from that period with that lovely woody thwack tone. P bass brilliance.

 

[Billy Bob Bass]

Eric Clapton - I Shot The Sheriff

 

[LetItGrowTone]

Thanks @Billy Bob Bass. Yes, I hear that.
A great contrast to that from the same album is Let it Grow, which I believe is Carl Radle's modified Tele bass.
Anyone correct me if I'm wrong please.

 

[Billy Bob Bass]

Ilse Delange - Gravel & Dust


Ilse Delange - The Only Thing I Ever Got Right

 

[Billy Bob Bass]

Ilse Delange - Gravel & Dust


Ilse Delange - The Only Thing I Ever Got Right

Sorry, something went terribly wrong with my webbrowser and this message was posted in the wrong thread.

 

[SoulReflection]

Sorry, something went terribly wrong with my webbrowser and this message was posted in the wrong thread.

...I thought so, the video showed an upright bass, not a P .

 

[SteveCS]

I dunno, thats like asking "what does a sandwich taste like"

Agree. Hundreds of tracks featuring a P will get posted, they will all sound different and a unified representation of a single definitive P tone will, quite rightly, remain as elusive as ever.

 

[mikeswals]

Scott Thunes sounds fantastic here.

He has the same farty tone with both basses, and that "thwack" on the attack.

 

[Jeremy Crockett]

The late, great John Glasscock and the rest of the Tull lads in Tampa in 1976.



That's your P, right there.

 

[SoulReflection]

Agree. Hundreds of tracks featuring a P will get posted, they will all sound different and a unified representation of a single definitive P tone will, quite rightly, remain as elusive as ever.

Well, I do believe the P has "sounds of it's own".

What is "elusive as ever" is the tone depends more upon the strings, pups, tone settings, amp EQ and, most importantly, the fingers of the user. Then add to that, the ever changing personal opinions of what it should sound like. But, these are just my personal opinions.

One other PO "personal opinion" is that if you can't get a good P tone from a P, it is not the P's fault .

 

[Billy Bob Bass]

I'm not entirely sure, but this sounds like a P to me.

 

[SoulReflection]

I'm not entirely sure, but this sounds like a P to me.

Well, I looked at the following pics and could not see any association of a P when that tune was recorded:

Pete Agnew Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images

 

[DucRyder]

 

[alack]

FF to about 2:20