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Whats with P-basses?

#22
Boot Soul said:
The thing that makes them still the favorite is that they are just perfectly understated in not being too bassy, trebley, zingy, or any other quality. They sound kind of nasal and honky when you play them solo to practice. But they just sit and fit in the mix right, without stepping on anyone else's sonic space. I can turn down my amp and still be heard with a P Bass. Through a tube head, they just seem to ride underneath the music like a cushion.

This Fender ad from the 70s says it all:

Fender-p-1972.jpg
Click to expand...

haha, my school has that exact same bass! its in great condition too, and i get to play it next year for a jazz combo :)
 
#26
Whats with P-basses?

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I have a love hate relationship with the p-bass. If I haven't played one for a while I pick it up and it blows me away ... but after a while I think gee this thing has one pickup and one volume, and one tone ... I need a bass to do more than this and I put it down.
 
#27
They sound great. Even P style basses from other companies have a similar sound. I don't know how to explain the sound but to me they sound "gritty" .

They are also cool because it is the bare minimum; passive, one pickup, 1 volume knob, 1 tone knob. You just play it without all the worry about tone:hiding: because "P-bass" is a tone in itself. Its up to the player to make it sound good.
Just my opinion.
 
#28
It took me 11 years to finally love the P-Bass but now I'm hooked.....was strictly a J-Bass guy until about 3 yrs. ago when I bought a used Fender 62 AV reissue...I rarely play the J anymore....I think I'm also one of the few who likes the solo sound of a P-Bass....J-Basses sound prettier...but I now prefer the rougher, nastier sound of a P-Bass...with flats of course.
 
#31
Disclaimer... what I am about to say is my own opinion, even thought it will most likely get me flamed, and possibly banned from TB


I really am not a fender fan, and even less of a fan of P basses. I mean I would take a fender P, if it were given to me, but I would probably end up donating it to the local school music dept
 
#32
Lee H - I am a huge P-bass fan myself, but I would never flame you or anyone else for stating their homest personal preferences for something (and you won't get banned for saying so, don't be so paranoid). The problem I have is with those who hate P-basses in particular and Fender in general who will state that hatred every chance they get, and getting a dig in at Fender fans (calling them sheep and fanbois who only play them because of "hype") at the same time. I see this all the time here on TB, and it's really disgusting. Simply expressing a personal preference is fine, just don't put others down while you're doing it.
 
#34
P basses seem to just sit perfectly in a band setting. Strange beasts.
Very plug and play. Jazz basses tend to take some work to fit in a mix because of their versatility. I'm a big fan of a P live and fan of a J recorded or solo. I started out playing Warwicks but just couldn't get them to work for me.

I think Fender instruments are iconic in both look and tone.
People wouldn't use them if they didn't look and sound nice.
 
#37
I dono. Maybe Bob , James Duck. When I play a Pbass it sits in the band. I don't know why but this is the sound of an electric bass.

The problem was the necks were wide and they get wider at fret 12.

Wish I had that 59 that Dave LaRue ended up with.
 
#38
C.Linton said:
Lee H - I am a huge P-bass fan myself, but I would never flame you or anyone else for stating their homest personal preferences for something (and you won't get banned for saying so, don't be so paranoid). The problem I have is with those who hate P-basses in particular and Fender in general who will state that hatred every chance they get, and getting a dig in at Fender fans (calling them sheep and fanbois who only play them because of "hype") at the same time. I see this all the time here on TB, and it's really disgusting. Simply expressing a personal preference is fine, just don't put others down while you're doing it.
Click to expand...

my disclaimer was a bit of dry humor, and sometimes that type of humor loses effect without the context of the poster.
as for putting others down, I do not think I did, and it was not my intent. I got rid of me P/J, and now everything I have is either a J bass or is fitted with humbuckers or a combination of jazz and humbucker pickups

what someone else chooses is their own decision. They make their choices, spend their money, and live with said choices.
 
#40
shrimpflea said:
It took me 11 years to finally love the P-Bass but now I'm hooked.....was strictly a J-Bass guy until about 3 yrs. ago when I bought a used Fender 62 AV reissue...I rarely play the J anymore....I think I'm also one of the few who likes the solo sound of a P-Bass....J-Basses sound prettier...but I now prefer the rougher, nastier sound of a P-Bass...with flats of course.
Click to expand...

Describes my experience to a T.
J bass can sound rough and tough too, but somehow it's easier with a P.
Thing about the one-pickup bass is that you have no phase cancellations. Which is one of the reasons AJ went with the design that he did. You get all the tone, all the time. The placement of the pickup and it's design give what I describe as 'Man-Tone.' It's just easy to sound good. No fiddling.
Still like me a good J, but I'd rather hear someone else play it.
 

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