Yeah but isn't that all bass guitars? They sound different near the bridge v. The neck
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What precisely is good about Precisions?
- Thread starter kbr
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- fender precision bass
Yes it is - not a distinct advantage of a PBass. But I think the lack of onboard options has made me really focus more on getting these tones with my hands instead of selecting between pickups, dialing up preamps, etc like I did with my active basses.
Right.
It's all you need but you have others.
All I need is my 4001 but I also have others.
It's the ones that try to argue the point that all anyone needs is a P-Bass, that makes me think they are blockheads.
I like P-Basses and would like to own one at some point..because it only adds to all the sounds I can have.
You can get a P-Bass-like tone soloing the neck pickup of a Jazz Bass but there is something about the P-Bass pickups that give it a great, distinctive tone that cuts right through a mix with that punchy, barky, mid-rangy growl.
I remember being impressed a long time ago when I found out that Geddy Lee played a P-Bass on the first Rush album.
Working Man sure sounds very Ric-like to my ears, so who's to say what bass one needs...just get one that sounds good to you.
I respect the P, but if you truly a/b it with a RIC, personally, I think the tone is quite similar. I like the Ric just a bit more and I am kind of a one bass at a time type of dude. Like i only play one. All the time.
I started out as a musician in the late '60s and the Hammond Organ sound was essential (I'm a long time keyboard/sax/flute guy - I'm recently learning to be a bassist). Then when synths became common - in particular the Yamaha DX7 -- when the DX7 came out and you could get a bunch of sounds that, at the time, we thought were pretty close to "the real thing", everyone sold off their Hammond Organs and Fender Rhodes and Hohner Clavinets and Mini-Moogs for dirt cheap (I used to pay $200 for a Fender Rhodes and $50-100 for a clavinet and about $150-200 for a Minimoog during this period).
This example isn't a perfect fit for the P-Bass question - because there was the lightweight ease of carrying a DX7 around vs carrying the standard B3 plus leslie cab, Fender Rhodes plus twin reverb, Clavinet and Minimoog ... but the point I wanted to make is that at the time, we all thought the DX7 sounded pretty good. But after a few years everyone was sick of that sound -- and the sound of a Hammond B3 played through a leslie just continues to be "the sound" after all these years (since about 1939 or so). And that is my point - there are lots of basses that sound "better" (more tonal options, brighter, louder etc.) but that sound quickly goes out of fashion and the sound of the P-bass does not.... that P-Bass sound will still be "the sound" 50 years from now.
This example isn't a perfect fit for the P-Bass question - because there was the lightweight ease of carrying a DX7 around vs carrying the standard B3 plus leslie cab, Fender Rhodes plus twin reverb, Clavinet and Minimoog ... but the point I wanted to make is that at the time, we all thought the DX7 sounded pretty good. But after a few years everyone was sick of that sound -- and the sound of a Hammond B3 played through a leslie just continues to be "the sound" after all these years (since about 1939 or so). And that is my point - there are lots of basses that sound "better" (more tonal options, brighter, louder etc.) but that sound quickly goes out of fashion and the sound of the P-bass does not.... that P-Bass sound will still be "the sound" 50 years from now.
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OP--if your current example is underwhelming, I'd humbly suggest trying some others, especially 4 string. I have acquired a shocking number of basses in the few years I have been playing. Recently, I stumbled onto an MIJ '62 reissue that sounded exceptionally great at home. Then I took it out and played it with the band. Oh. My. The One.
All Precisions are not created equal and everyone's idea of perfect tone is different. Obviously, if you can't get along with the neck it has to go. Neck issues aside, if setup, strings, pickup height and tone circuit are optimized and it still sounds 'meh' to you, then play some others until you find The One. Then, never sell.
All Precisions are not created equal and everyone's idea of perfect tone is different. Obviously, if you can't get along with the neck it has to go. Neck issues aside, if setup, strings, pickup height and tone circuit are optimized and it still sounds 'meh' to you, then play some others until you find The One. Then, never sell.
I can't even comment on why other bass players love the P bass so much. I can say that I like it quite a bit, at least the one I have, but I still lean towards the Jazz bass more, or at least basses that have two pickups and narrower nut width than a Precision. Some of the songs in my band's set work better with the P, some work better with the J. I think they look awesome, though. Well, most do at least.
What kind of basses did you play before you picked up that Precision V?
Oh I totally agree, I didn't mean to make it sound like they didn't.
Just meant that loud guitars cover up the nuances of any instrument
So, I visited the local GC today to check out a P-Bass...there were two I wanted to have a look at. One was a white MIM Standard and the other was a sea foam green P-Bass special.
The necks were so badly in need of adjustment I couldn't even play them comfortably.
Those necks will take about a half to 3/4 turn each to straighten them out and I'd never want to be the owner.
I just wanted to check some P-Basses after reading this thread earlier today and I was bummed out.
I wasn't surprised...I was at GC but it really pisses me off that the last few times that I tried to check out basses there and also at Sam Ash, I walked out wondering if anyone ever looks at their inventory and makes sure that it is looked after and is ready to sell as new and at the correct specs.
Is there a store inventory setup person there to do just that? Go through all of the instruments and maintain them??
If not, then they really suck salty chocolate balls.
OK rant off. Back to a discussion on playable P-Basses that sound great.
The necks were so badly in need of adjustment I couldn't even play them comfortably.
Those necks will take about a half to 3/4 turn each to straighten them out and I'd never want to be the owner.
I just wanted to check some P-Basses after reading this thread earlier today and I was bummed out.
I wasn't surprised...I was at GC but it really pisses me off that the last few times that I tried to check out basses there and also at Sam Ash, I walked out wondering if anyone ever looks at their inventory and makes sure that it is looked after and is ready to sell as new and at the correct specs.
Is there a store inventory setup person there to do just that? Go through all of the instruments and maintain them??
If not, then they really suck salty chocolate balls.
OK rant off. Back to a discussion on playable P-Basses that sound great.
Mostly I play Dingwall 6 string basses right now. I used to play a lot of Ibanez Prestiges before. I like Musicmans and some other single pickup basses so I was hoping this would be more of the same vibe. I actually like how P basses look too. Sometimes other basses get so fancy that I think they might have been furniture in a former life. Anyway, I'm still tweaking this P bass for a bit. I have some new strings coming this week and I may mess with the pot values and tone cap. I'll probably do my usual of getting the instrument to play and sound as well as it possibly could and then trade it for something worse. It keeps me from getting bored at least.
Also, I agree that store instruments are usually terribly set up. It's one of the reasons I try to own as many basses as possible before forming an opinion. My P bass took half a turn to the truss rod and some bridge adjustment before the action was within Fender spec and it intonated.
Agree 100 % except for the guys part ,, I always talkyd to the women , let the other band mates talk gear , pickups, Strongs ,amps ,etc.with the guys
I had a jazz bass with Aero pickups (Lakland Skyline DJ), and that pickup had more oomph than many. My "P" tone was favoring the neck pickup and tone turned down a little... Another option is a split coil Jazz, wired in series - such as DiMarzio Model J (which I hear has more oomph than other Jazzes already in parallel). Just in case you preferred to stay passive (which I do), you have other options than preamp.
I love what you've said. It makes a great case for why modeling isn't quite it.
As for P-bass 50 years from now it will still be "the P-Bass" sound. The Jazz, "the Jazz Bass" sound. The Hofner, the Beatle Bass & Reggae sound.
I'd be interested in which bass you guys think has replaced the P bass as "most recorded".
Since the first use of an electric bass in a recording up to 2016, I'd easily say a Jazz/mid-bridge pickup configuration bass with a hat tip to a Stingray which used to be favored by a lot of the studios I recorded at in the 80s and 90s (studiowork has since become a rarity for pros like me as DAWs with home recording loop/sample libraries and workstations with VSTi emulations has become a norm)
The only reasons why the P-Bass may have held that record is because its cheap to make and copy (hence the reason why you can find P-bass copies brand new for less than a $100) and its been around longer.......
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I'm with you, but Ps and Js will forever be associated with a golden era of reggae as well. They are the sound of the era of rock steady to roots and dancehall, dub and deejay reggae.
