What precisely is good about Precisions?

[Alexander]

Why does everyone say that a P bass doesn't sound good by itself but great in the mix? I sit home and play my P bass through a practice amp and it sounds as good if not better than any other bass.

Mine sounds great solo

 

[madbass6]

Next time before buying a new bass try it out first!

 

[MetsMan75]

Nothing better IMO

 

[dfp]

Maybe 20th century popular recorded music isn't your bag, and that's fine.

 

[Tonetodiefor]

Played a number of p basses beginning back in '68. But never loved them enough to get past the neck.
Have had 3 different J basses starting off with a '67. Still... Not quite what works for me.

I don't hate them but I do respect them for what they can do and what they have contributed to over the years...

 

[DreadyDiggs]

I refuse to part with my 5 string Squier P. I really enjoy playing it live, even though it's not my go-to.

I don't really know if I prefer Ps to Jazzes, I just know I wanted to rebel and go against the grain early on and I saw/see way more Jazzes so I made sure not to end up with one.

My very first bass was a Jazz copy but I have not owned one since I began playing for real. I've resisted the urge to get another one.

I technically own 3 Pbasses including the 2 four strings, but they are not playable at the moment

 

[TMARK]

Get a Sire!

Not really. If you don't like it dump it.

 

[Bajo Clarkko]

Other than the fact that they are Thump-alicious?

I can not think of anything on this planet that attracts such a diverse group of owners. EVERYONE looks good playing a P Bass. ( Ok, some people look better than others.)
People who are tall or short, thick or thin, people of any and every color, female or male, young or old, all look good playing a P Bass.
They just work.

 

[kosmicwizard]

But there is such precise precision though!

 

[bassfreakah]

Younger on the road i had lots of high end basses and I enjoyed the sound I got out of them.But our drummer brought his P bass when we were doing a Beatles thing and,THAT WAS IT!!!!, the sound i was looking for and it was so easy!!!!! Damn all this time!!!!! I like lots of different basses but the P and the J are the coolest sounding and looking IMHO.

 

[TTPbass1]

I have 2 Ps and a Jazz, love the three of them...

 

[Hizzoner]

I like Paul Turner's description of bass tones. He is a big lover of Leo's designs. In an interview he did he described how he loved the fullness of a PBass in the mix and when you went up the neck. He liked the jazz bass for busier songs. He liked the stingray for cutting through a muddy mix and for effects.

I kind of think of things that way when making decisions for what bass for what song too. I just had the neck refretted and pleked on my old girl('76) and the result is amazing. The neck is less than 1.75 but more than 1.5 and feels just right. Some dr black beauties sound a bit subdued but with a bite if needed and are great for my 90's cover band.

I may need to look for an old beat up P with the same size neck for flats as I love that tone and feel too. I would love to figure out what years have the smaller neck width versus the years that have 1.75 for shopping purposes. I have never played an 'a' neck but would love to try it sometime. Love a solid 60's jazz neck too.

Cheers
Mark.

 

[PWRL]

It took me five tries to find the Precision that really worked for me, but I finally did find one, a 2011 American Special, and it was worth it. It then took me I don't know how many sets of strings to find the right ones for it, but I finally did find them- D'Addario medium tapes, and that was worth it, too. Now I know what the fuss was about. If I only had this bass, I'd be just fine. The feel of the neck, the width at the nut, the placement of the pickup, something about the way it works together just does it.

 

[leesbrushes]

All instruments have their place.
I have 5 guitars...they all sound different and have a certain voice.
I have three guitar amps ...also have a different voice and a place.
I have one bass amp.
And three basses ...cause...you guessed it....they have a different voice and place.

 

[39-Bassist]

I like P basses BUT you really have to take time and find the style and profile of the neck that works for you.....some guys like a thinner thickness but slightly wider profile and others like the "baseball" type neck feel....I think the thing about a p bass is that it really can fit into any style of music and is kind of like an old pair of shoes that you keep going back too.....BUT of course a P bass is not for everyone....(that's why they made a Jazz) lol

 

[Marko 1]

I agree with everything you said *except* the flatwounds part.... I just can't stand them, but I know I'm in the minority on that!

I don't think you're in the minority on that.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

After almost 14 years of bass playing, I finally got around to getting my first P bass. I opted for a U.S. Fender American Standard Precision V. After a few days, I'm kind of hating this bass. While it's not terrible, it isn't that great either. It's not as deep/clear sounding as my other basses, the neck is appropriate for Major League Baseball, and it doesn't record nearly as well as my other basses. I thought to myself, "Maybe it's a dud?" I went down to Guitar Center and found out my bass is largely representative of how they sound / feel. So, I ask you; why do bass players love P basses so much?

P-basses are odd in that they sounds really bland / dull played alone but sound great in the mix. My best recordings were on P-basses - but I do not like how they sound "outside" the mix.

 

[cheechi]

The thump.

But really a P is just half a PJ.

 

[ofajen]

The p-bass has a distinct low mid voicing. To get more low end you have to roll off the tone control, but then you lose hid mids and treble ...

I always have to add a 2nd pickup and a preamp to get the tone out of a p-bass that I want.

I find that simply adding the Q-filter midrange cut helps me accomplish a similar tonal result. The option to pull down the mids lets the low end show up more, but in a way that is generally more musical and useful to me than a bass boost.

Otto

 

[leesbrushes]

It's because they have electrolytes.