What Makes Some P-Basses Sound Good?

[ricksy]

Thanks SVTB15 for the input. This is not the first time that I've heard that Alleva nails that vintage P tone while others can't. Can Alleva pickups be purchased separately?

yes they can... at least the jazz pickups can.... so im sure the p's can too! Call or email Jimmy Coppolo and he can help you out!

 

[warnergt]

I first put TI flats on one of my P basses. I wanted to try flats and they seemed to be the most raved about To me, they had an odd, zingy tone that just put me off completely. Someone on here suggested LaBella Deep Talkin flats and I bought some. They are amazing!! IMHO, they have the perfect tension, a smooth feel and AWESOME tone. If I put flats on another bass, they will be LaBellas.

That's funny that you say that. I have TI flats and I really, really like them.
However, I replaced the G string with another TI flat G string and, as you
describe, it was unacceptably zingy. I don't think I would have left the
first one on if it sounded that bad so I'm wondering if there is a
consistency problem with TI flats.

I ended up putting the old TI flat G string back on.

 

[svtb15]

I dont think it is just the pickups.. I think it is the over all construction...then with a vintage styled pickup.
The Duncan P5 pickup is different with its windings and extra shielding and the Nordy P5 has those 45 degree angle pole pieces for one thing..
But just the pickup is not enough to make it sound really vintage..

The alleva does something with their neck that only fender used to do in the 60s... no one else is doing that.. im sworn to R&D secrecy on that...
And the bridge has to do with it as well as lighter weigh non chambered alder bodies.. I think even the headstock mass has something to do with it.
Its all 2% here and another 3% there .. before you know it you have 15% or more when it all adds up.. and that is why i think they are closer to a vintage fender bass from the golden years of fender.
You asked does he sell pickups separately. I believe he does. So i would say yes..

Are his pickups better than a Duncan Antiquity? I dont know, it is different though... and i like the difference how slight it may be..

Thanks SVTB15 for the input. This is not the first time that I've heard that Alleva nails that vintage P tone while others can't. Can Alleva pickups be purchased separately? Why do you think Allevas are able to do this, is it mostly the pickups?

 

[M.R. Ogle]

SVTB15... I believe you.

I've played an A-C, and there's something about them... something very relaxed and, well... vintage sounding. They nailed something.

 

[jmercer91]

dare i say use a pick?

 

[GeneralElectric]

I'm a P-bass guy. I'm trying to get myself down to 4 P-basses (certainly doable once I get down to refinishing one of them thats currently a pile of parts) They all sound different.

Me? I'm trying to get down to 2 each of flats and rounds.

 

[J. Brooks]

I own a 4 string sadowsky P with a brazilian rosewood fingerboard and I think that it nails a vintage P tone, except that it has a slightly extended low end.

After years of experimenting and not quite getting a vintage tone from it I finally figured out how to do it and it came from a combination of 1) the right strings for the bass (which affects the character of the tone) 2) the right string height and truss rod adjustment (which affects sustain how the note decays) 3) the right plucking hand position and the angle at which you strike the string.

The biggest realization for me was raising the strings a bit and giving the truss rod a little more curve. When my action was too low and the neck was completely straight the notes didn't blossom and decay in the way that I liked.

After that, it's all about having the sound that you want vividly in your imagination and adjusting eq, technique, and vibe of your playing in order to execute your ideas.

It is subjective but IMO I have been able to get an accurate Familyman tone, James Jamerson, Paul Jackson, all with the same bass/amp/strings and just adjusting eq and technique accordingly.

 

[tofe]

So let's summarize lol

give the % in the sound from your experience (considering a P-Bass with only one split PU ) and that you are the only player, of course the player is for a lot in the sound :

- body wood :
- neck thickness :
- strings :
- nitro or poly finish :
- settings (pu, strings ) :
- pickup :
- electronic ( wires quality, pots, condenser ... ) :


here is my answer :

- body wood : 25%
- neck thickness : 5%
- strings : 15% ( sound difference between flatwound and roundwound excluded )
- nitro or poly finish : no experience on that
- settings (pu, strings ) : 5%
- pickup : 40%
- electronic ( wires quality, pots, condenser ... ) : 10%

 

[Mastermold]

That's funny that you say that. I have TI flats and I really, really like them.
However, I replaced the G string with another TI flat G string and, as you
describe, it was unacceptably zingy. I don't think I would have left the
first one on if it sounded that bad so I'm wondering if there is a
consistency problem with TI flats.

I ended up putting the old TI flat G string back on.

Flats take weeks to lose the zing. Had you left the new G on, in about a month, it would have sounded like you wanted. That's the problem with guys going from rounds to flats, if they don't know about the "seasoning" process they think the flats should sound like they expect right out of the package. Next time give them a month (or two) and then decide, I think you'll be happier.

 

[Let It Fall]

Really?? In over a dozen or more P bass setups I've done and have been complimented on, I've NEVER had one sound better with the pups adjusted flat If woofy/muddy with uneven tone from string to string is acceptable, maybe it is a generalisation

Wow..


No

pickups should be level with strings, tilted one way or other for more volume on that string:

and people who say you need a vintage precision or vintage mic are hilarious.

I bet you could tell them a vintage pile of ****.

Electronics and build construction improves not the opposite. I have never heard a bad sounding p bass (when I play it) from squier to lakland.

Learn how to get the sounds you want. There's one pickup and a tone knob the rest is up to you

 

[Steve]

I bet if you scoped both of those tones, you would be surprised how much there isn't below 90-100hz or so.

 

[neobassman]

I've followed TB for some period of time, and based on the many knowledgeable people here, I've compiled a list of factors that will affect your P-Bass tone. I recommend working through these one by one, with straightforward A/B tests to dial in the tone you want.

Variables that affect “how my bass sounds,” according to expert TB posters:

Bass:
1. Pickup brand, model, design
2. Pickup height
3. Pickup angle
4. Pickup position
5. Pickup magnet material
6. Number of pickups
7. Blend of multiple pickups
8. Scale length
9. Bridge design (high mass, low mass, etc.)
10. Body wood (single piece, multi, laminated)
11. Body shape
12. Body design (solid vs. semi-hollow vs. hollow vs. archtop)
13. Body finish (nitrocellulose, Danish Oil, Poly, earwax)
14. Neck-thru vs. bolt-on vs. single piece
15. Nut material (bone, brass, Corian, etc.)
16. Neck wood (single wood, multi-part)
17. Fingerboard/fretboard wood
18. Fingerboard/fretboard finish
19. Neck thickness
20. Headstock design, mass
21. Passive vs. active electronics
22. Preamp brand
23. Components: pot characteristics, cap values, etc.
24. EQ design: 1 band, 2 band, 3 band; cut vs. boost, etc.
25. Tone control settings

Strings:
26. String brand, model, endorsing artist
27. String design: flats vs. rounds vs. half-rounds
28. String materials (nickel, SS, TI, metallurgical characteristics)
29. String coating
30. String gauge
31. String core material, core shape
32. String age
33. String tension

Instrument Cable:
34. Brand
35. Wire gauge
36. Cord length
37. Connectors (gold plated, chrome, nickel, brand)

Amp:
38. Tube vs. solid state
39. Amp design (A, AB, D, etc.)
40. Tube preamp vs. solid-state preamp
41. Amp brand
42. Amp power rating
43. Impedance characteristics
44. Separate amp and preamp or integrated
45. Country of manufacture
46. EQ settings
47. Tube manufacturer
48. Component quality

Speaker Cable:
49. Cable Brand
50. wire gauge
51. % purity of copper
52. Cable length
53. Connectors (Speakon, ¼” phone, banana plugs, automotive jumper cables)

Speaker Cabinet:
54. Separate cab, or combo
55. Size of driver(s)
56. Number of drivers
57. Manufacturer of driver(s)
58. Driver design (magnet material, cone material, impedance, etc.)
59. Age of drivers
60. Ported or sealed
61. Port design and placement
62. Cabinet dimensions
63. Cabinet materials (ply vs. MDF, vs. birch vs. tissue paper)
64. Cabinet coverings or finish (carpet, Tolex, stained and poly, etc.)
65. Cabinet position (distance from floor, walls, etc.)
66. Tweeter (design, placement, crossover characteristics, etc.)
67. Number of cabinets
68. Relative position of cabinets to each other
69. Relative position of cabinets to player
70. Relative position of cabinets to audience
71. DI vs. mic’d cabinet vs. no sound reinforcement
72. Use of FOH system (plus skill of operator, etc.)

Room acoustics (includes about 1 trazillion variables here)

“Psychoacoustics:”
73. What the bassist paid for his/her bass
74. What the bassist paid for his/her amp
75. What the bassist paid for the cabinet(s)
76. What the bassist thinks about his/her equipment
77. What the bassist thinks about his/her own skills
78. How rested (or hung over, or intoxicated) the bassist is
79. What the bassist’s experiences were with other equipment
80. What the bassist remembers about other equipment
81. What the bassist’s hero uses
82. What the bassist remembers about his/her hero’s playing
83. The bassist’s individual neurological characteristics (hearing acoustics, tinnitus, sense of pitch and timbre, etc. etc. etc.)
84. What the bassist’s girlfriend (boyfriend) thinks of my sound
85. What the bassist’s guitarist (drummer, horn section) thinks of the sound
86. What the bassist’s BBF thinks of the sound
87. What the soundman thinks of the sound

Playing technique:
88. Touch (digging in or tickling the strings)
89. Angle of pluck
90. Pick, fingerstyle, slap, etc.
91. Position of hand in relation to pickup(s), bridge, neck
92. Angle of fingers in relation to strings
93. And, of course, the player’s mojo, groove, and funk-icity

 

[Kurtmon]

I've followed TB for some period of time, and based on the many knowledgeable people here, I've compiled a list of factors that will affect your P-Bass tone. I recommend working through these one by one, with straightforward A/B tests to dial in the tone you want.

Variables that affect “how my bass sounds,” according to expert TB posters:

Bass:
1. Pickup brand, model, design
2. Pickup height
3. Pickup angle
4. Pickup position
5. Pickup magnet material
6. Number of pickups
7. Blend of multiple pickups
8. Scale length
9. Bridge design (high mass, low mass, etc.)
10. Body wood (single piece, multi, laminated)
11. Body shape
12. Body design (solid vs. semi-hollow vs. hollow vs. archtop)
13. Body finish (nitrocellulose, Danish Oil, Poly, earwax)
14. Neck-thru vs. bolt-on vs. single piece
15. Nut material (bone, brass, Corian, etc.)
16. Neck wood (single wood, multi-part)
17. Fingerboard/fretboard wood
18. Fingerboard/fretboard finish
19. Neck thickness
20. Headstock design, mass
21. Passive vs. active electronics
22. Preamp brand
23. Components: pot characteristics, cap values, etc.
24. EQ design: 1 band, 2 band, 3 band; cut vs. boost, etc.
25. Tone control settings

Strings:
26. String brand, model, endorsing artist
27. String design: flats vs. rounds vs. half-rounds
28. String materials (nickel, SS, TI, metallurgical charasteristics)
29. String coating
30. String gauge
31. String core material, core shape
32. String age
33. String tension

Instrument Cable:
34. Brand
35. Wire gauge
36. Cord length
37. Connectors (gold plated, chrome, nickel, brand)

Amp:
38. Tube vs. solid state
39. Amp design (A, AB, D, etc.)
40. Tube preamp vs. solid-state preamp
41. Amp brand
42. Amp power rating
43. Impedance characteristics
44. Separate amp and preamp or integrated
45. Country of manufacture
46. EQ settings
47. Tube manufacturer
48. Component quality

Speaker Cable:
49. Cable Brand
50. wire gauge
51. % purity of copper
52. Cable length
53. Connectors (Speakon, ¼” phone, banana plugs, automotive jumper cables)

Speaker Cabinet:
54. Separate cab, or combo
55. Size of driver(s)
56. Number of drivers
57. Manufacturer of driver(s)
58. Driver design (magnet material, cone material, impedance, etc.)
59. Age of drivers
60. Ported or sealed
61. Port design and placement
62. Cabinet dimensions
63. Cabinet materials (ply vs. MDF, vs. birch vs. tissue paper)
64. Cabinet coverings or finish (carpet, Tolex, stained and poly, etc.)
65. Cabinet position (distance from floor, walls, etc.)
66. Tweeter (design, placement, crossover characteristics, etc.)
67. Number of cabinets
68. Relative position of cabinets to each other
69. Relative position of cabinets to player
70. Relative position of cabinets to audience
71. DI vs. mic’d cabinet vs. no sound reinforcement
72. Use of FOH system (plus skill of operator, etc.)

Room acoustics (includes about 1 trazillion variables here)

“Psychoacoustics:”
73. What the bassist paid for his/her bass
74. What the bassist paid for his/her amp
75. What the bassist paid for the cabinet(s)
76. What the bassist thinks about his/her equipment
77. What the bassist thinks about his/her own skills
78. How rested (or hung over, or intoxicated) the bassist is
79. What the bassist’s experiences were with other equipment
80. What the bassist remembers about other equipment
81. What the bassist’s hero uses
82. What the bassist remembers about his/her hero’s playing
83. The bassist’s individual neurological characteristics (hearing acoustics, tinnitus, sense of pitch and timbre, etc. etc. etc.)
84. What the bassist’s girlfriend (boyfriend) thinks of my sound
85. What the bassist’s guitarist (drummer, horn section) thinks of the sound
86. What the bassist’s BBF thinks of the sound
87. What the soundman thinks of the sound

Playing technique:
88. Touch (digging in or tickling the strings)
89. Angle of pluck
90. Pick, fingerstyle, slap, etc.
91. Position of hand in relation to pickup(s), bridge, neck
92. Angle of fingers in relation to strings
93. And, of course, the player’s mojo, groove, and funk-icity

This is SOOO true

 

[Tom Howland]

Light Alder body.
Worn Nito finish.
Proper setup.
Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard.
Good Tube Amp.
TI- Flats.

The above does it for me.

 

[ghoulsfiendclub]

my reason to make a p-bass sound good

 

[your idol]

my reason to make a p-bass sound good

+1

 

[Bassist4Life]

play over the pickup and adjust your tone control.

 

[tofe]

I've followed TB for some period of time, and based on the many knowledgeable people here, I've compiled a list of factors that will affect your P-Bass tone. I recommend working through these one by one, with straightforward A/B tests to dial in the tone you want.

Variables that affect “how my bass sounds,” according to expert TB posters:

Bass:
1. Pickup brand, model, design
2. Pickup height
3. Pickup angle
4. Pickup position
5. Pickup magnet material
6. Number of pickups
7. Blend of multiple pickups
8. Scale length
9. Bridge design (high mass, low mass, etc.)
10. Body wood (single piece, multi, laminated)
11. Body shape
12. Body design (solid vs. semi-hollow vs. hollow vs. archtop)
13. Body finish (nitrocellulose, Danish Oil, Poly, earwax)
14. Neck-thru vs. bolt-on vs. single piece
15. Nut material (bone, brass, Corian, etc.)
16. Neck wood (single wood, multi-part)
17. Fingerboard/fretboard wood
18. Fingerboard/fretboard finish
19. Neck thickness
20. Headstock design, mass
21. Passive vs. active electronics
22. Preamp brand
23. Components: pot characteristics, cap values, etc.
24. EQ design: 1 band, 2 band, 3 band; cut vs. boost, etc.
25. Tone control settings

Strings:
26. String brand, model, endorsing artist
27. String design: flats vs. rounds vs. half-rounds
28. String materials (nickel, SS, TI, metallurgical characteristics)
29. String coating
30. String gauge
31. String core material, core shape
32. String age
33. String tension

Instrument Cable:
34. Brand
35. Wire gauge
36. Cord length
37. Connectors (gold plated, chrome, nickel, brand)

Amp:
38. Tube vs. solid state
39. Amp design (A, AB, D, etc.)
40. Tube preamp vs. solid-state preamp
41. Amp brand
42. Amp power rating
43. Impedance characteristics
44. Separate amp and preamp or integrated
45. Country of manufacture
46. EQ settings
47. Tube manufacturer
48. Component quality

Speaker Cable:
49. Cable Brand
50. wire gauge
51. % purity of copper
52. Cable length
53. Connectors (Speakon, ¼” phone, banana plugs, automotive jumper cables)

Speaker Cabinet:
54. Separate cab, or combo
55. Size of driver(s)
56. Number of drivers
57. Manufacturer of driver(s)
58. Driver design (magnet material, cone material, impedance, etc.)
59. Age of drivers
60. Ported or sealed
61. Port design and placement
62. Cabinet dimensions
63. Cabinet materials (ply vs. MDF, vs. birch vs. tissue paper)
64. Cabinet coverings or finish (carpet, Tolex, stained and poly, etc.)
65. Cabinet position (distance from floor, walls, etc.)
66. Tweeter (design, placement, crossover characteristics, etc.)
67. Number of cabinets
68. Relative position of cabinets to each other
69. Relative position of cabinets to player
70. Relative position of cabinets to audience
71. DI vs. mic’d cabinet vs. no sound reinforcement
72. Use of FOH system (plus skill of operator, etc.)

Room acoustics (includes about 1 trazillion variables here)

“Psychoacoustics:”
73. What the bassist paid for his/her bass
74. What the bassist paid for his/her amp
75. What the bassist paid for the cabinet(s)
76. What the bassist thinks about his/her equipment
77. What the bassist thinks about his/her own skills
78. How rested (or hung over, or intoxicated) the bassist is
79. What the bassist’s experiences were with other equipment
80. What the bassist remembers about other equipment
81. What the bassist’s hero uses
82. What the bassist remembers about his/her hero’s playing
83. The bassist’s individual neurological characteristics (hearing acoustics, tinnitus, sense of pitch and timbre, etc. etc. etc.)
84. What the bassist’s girlfriend (boyfriend) thinks of my sound
85. What the bassist’s guitarist (drummer, horn section) thinks of the sound
86. What the bassist’s BBF thinks of the sound
87. What the soundman thinks of the sound

Playing technique:
88. Touch (digging in or tickling the strings)
89. Angle of pluck
90. Pick, fingerstyle, slap, etc.
91. Position of hand in relation to pickup(s), bridge, neck
92. Angle of fingers in relation to strings
93. And, of course, the player’s mojo, groove, and funk-icity

I like the Psychoacoustics section, which is probably very important !

 

[Ron G]

I adjusted my pickups to 2.8mm (bass side) and 2mm (treble side) that's according to Fender.

 

[bassalo]

FTW. Next topic.

I've followed TB for some period of time, and based on the many knowledgeable people here, I've compiled a list of factors that will affect your P-Bass tone. I recommend working through these one by one, with straightforward A/B tests to dial in the tone you want.

Variables that affect “how my bass sounds,” according to expert TB posters:

Bass:
1. Pickup brand, model, design
2. Pickup height
3. Pickup angle
4. Pickup position
5. Pickup magnet material
6. Number of pickups
7. Blend of multiple pickups
8. Scale length
9. Bridge design (high mass, low mass, etc.)
10. Body wood (single piece, multi, laminated)
11. Body shape
12. Body design (solid vs. semi-hollow vs. hollow vs. archtop)
13. Body finish (nitrocellulose, Danish Oil, Poly, earwax)
14. Neck-thru vs. bolt-on vs. single piece
15. Nut material (bone, brass, Corian, etc.)
16. Neck wood (single wood, multi-part)
17. Fingerboard/fretboard wood
18. Fingerboard/fretboard finish
19. Neck thickness
20. Headstock design, mass
21. Passive vs. active electronics
22. Preamp brand
23. Components: pot characteristics, cap values, etc.
24. EQ design: 1 band, 2 band, 3 band; cut vs. boost, etc.
25. Tone control settings

Strings:
26. String brand, model, endorsing artist
27. String design: flats vs. rounds vs. half-rounds
28. String materials (nickel, SS, TI, metallurgical characteristics)
29. String coating
30. String gauge
31. String core material, core shape
32. String age
33. String tension

Instrument Cable:
34. Brand
35. Wire gauge
36. Cord length
37. Connectors (gold plated, chrome, nickel, brand)

Amp:
38. Tube vs. solid state
39. Amp design (A, AB, D, etc.)
40. Tube preamp vs. solid-state preamp
41. Amp brand
42. Amp power rating
43. Impedance characteristics
44. Separate amp and preamp or integrated
45. Country of manufacture
46. EQ settings
47. Tube manufacturer
48. Component quality

Speaker Cable:
49. Cable Brand
50. wire gauge
51. % purity of copper
52. Cable length
53. Connectors (Speakon, ¼” phone, banana plugs, automotive jumper cables)

Speaker Cabinet:
54. Separate cab, or combo
55. Size of driver(s)
56. Number of drivers
57. Manufacturer of driver(s)
58. Driver design (magnet material, cone material, impedance, etc.)
59. Age of drivers
60. Ported or sealed
61. Port design and placement
62. Cabinet dimensions
63. Cabinet materials (ply vs. MDF, vs. birch vs. tissue paper)
64. Cabinet coverings or finish (carpet, Tolex, stained and poly, etc.)
65. Cabinet position (distance from floor, walls, etc.)
66. Tweeter (design, placement, crossover characteristics, etc.)
67. Number of cabinets
68. Relative position of cabinets to each other
69. Relative position of cabinets to player
70. Relative position of cabinets to audience
71. DI vs. mic’d cabinet vs. no sound reinforcement
72. Use of FOH system (plus skill of operator, etc.)

Room acoustics (includes about 1 trazillion variables here)

“Psychoacoustics:”
73. What the bassist paid for his/her bass
74. What the bassist paid for his/her amp
75. What the bassist paid for the cabinet(s)
76. What the bassist thinks about his/her equipment
77. What the bassist thinks about his/her own skills
78. How rested (or hung over, or intoxicated) the bassist is
79. What the bassist’s experiences were with other equipment
80. What the bassist remembers about other equipment
81. What the bassist’s hero uses
82. What the bassist remembers about his/her hero’s playing
83. The bassist’s individual neurological characteristics (hearing acoustics, tinnitus, sense of pitch and timbre, etc. etc. etc.)
84. What the bassist’s girlfriend (boyfriend) thinks of my sound
85. What the bassist’s guitarist (drummer, horn section) thinks of the sound
86. What the bassist’s BBF thinks of the sound
87. What the soundman thinks of the sound

Playing technique:
88. Touch (digging in or tickling the strings)
89. Angle of pluck
90. Pick, fingerstyle, slap, etc.
91. Position of hand in relation to pickup(s), bridge, neck
92. Angle of fingers in relation to strings
93. And, of course, the player’s mojo, groove, and funk-icity