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Which bass (P, J, MM) sounds best live?

darwin-bass

darwin-bass

Supporting Member
Mar 29, 2013
5,462
9,170
Salem OR
#1
I'm asking strictly from a FoH perspective. Not focusing on the player's or even the band perspective, but strictly on the sound delivered to the audience.

I'm a fan of the P bass but I admit that in my regular (church) gig, the best sounding bass was a J with both pickups on. And the worst is my MM which I had another player use while I ran sound.

Have you noticed any trend where the P, J or MM simply works better live?
 
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#2
Totally dependent on the band and in the mix. Whatever can cut through - if you have keys or horns in the band that can affect what's in the midrange mix. Not gonna be one answer here.

However, I recently pulled out a passive parts J bass I've been working on for a gig and noticed in the recording it sounded better in the mix than the active dual humbucker I normally play with. I think part of this is a J bass is the first bass I ever played in actual band and I always come back to it, probably out of preference and how my schemas were wired from that experience.
 
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#3
To many variables; I have heard all three sound great in FOH mixes and all three sound not so great.

Room, Player Ability and Technique, quality of FOH system and signal coming from Bass and experience and talent level of Sound engineer

As with my first sentence I am confident all three can fit in mix well at the same time sounding different depending on player and sound engineers preference

Based on 45+ years playing, listening to local/ National bands live, recorded LP's, CD's Etc.
 
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#5
darwin-bass said:
I'm asking strictly from a FoH perspective. Not focusing on the player's or even the band perspective, but strictly on the sound delivered to the audience.

I'm a fan of the P bass but I admit that in my regular (church) gig, the best sounding bass was a J with both pickups on. And the worst is my MM which I had another player use while I ran sound.

Have you noticed any trend where the P, J or MM simply works better live?
Click to expand...
Depends on the music. Not the players, or the set ups. Just the music and the other members of the band. A scooped sound sits around and supports the music. Even if you can't really make out the nuances of the bass. While a sharp pokey sound, of say a musicman, sits well in harder rock and funk. Where you need that tight correlation between the bass and kick.

It all depends on the music.
 
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#6
I'll reply to my on question by saying "a good sound tech can often make any of the 3 sound good". As a player I favor the P or the J neck PU solo'ed. But standing behind the desk, in the church I serve, with the mediocre PA we have, the J just usually sounds better. And I hate to admit it because I've sold off my J's in favor of P and MM.
 
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#7
JeezyMcNuggles said:
Depends on the music. Not the players, or the set ups. Just the music and the other members of the band. A scooped sound sits around and supports the music. Even if you can't really make out the nuances of the bass. While a sharp pokey sound, of say a musicman, sits well in harder rock and funk. Where you need that tight correlation between the bass and kick.

It all depends on the music.
Click to expand...
I have heard[seen] some of your video's and your 'Sound' always fits great; sad to hear it has nothing to do with you or your playing skills , your equipment and person mixing sound:)
 
#9
I feel that bass guitars with two pickups generally sound better in the mix than those with one pickup. I am not sure why is that, maybe sound with more complexity is easier to manipulate with. As bass player, I tend to stick to bass guitars with two pickups.
Type of pickups is matter of taste, but I gravitate toward single coils or PJ combination.
So, for me, out of those three - best is Jazz (two single coils).
 
#10
Definitely a Ric 4003



No wait a Jazz bass



Maybe a G&L


No wait a Pbass, yeah it’s a pbass with Tort.
AND flats, ancient tube amp.

That is the real answer on TB.


***** seriously? As has been said, what fits the music and instruments used by the rest of the band , the end result desired.

I could (and did!) use an active Warwick Dolphin in a country band, with good results: but a 5string P with flats was far better suited.
 
#11
Which works best is totally subjective. You think the J sounds better than the MM. Someone else might disagree.

A lot of the J sound is the mid scoop running both pickups at similar volumes. To get that with a MM try turning up bass and treble and if you have a 3-band MM, decrease the mids as well. Repeat until you find a setting you like more than what you hear today.

BTW, hearing someone else playing your bass only tells you what your bass sounds like when they play it. I’ve sat in using someone else’s bass many times and it never sounds the same as when they play it.
 
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#13
darwin-bass said:
I'm asking strictly from a FoH perspective. Not focusing on the player's or even the band perspective, but strictly on the sound delivered to the audience.

I'm a fan of the P bass but I admit that in my regular (church) gig, the best sounding bass was a J with both pickups on. And the worst is my MM which I had another player use while I ran sound.

Have you noticed any trend where the P, J or MM simply works better live?
Click to expand...
How long is a piece of string?
 
#15
I have owned four Music Man basses. Every time I see someone play one I think they sound fantastic. When I get one and play it with a band or take it to the studio I think it sounds horrible and I end up selling it. The next one I get I'm going to put flats on it and if that doesn't work I'm going to take out the pre amp.
 
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#16
I’ve always kept a running tab of which bass I’ve seen most in live situations and a J is far and away the most common I’ve seen over the years. I play J basses but with split coil humbuckers (Dimarzio Ultra J) instead of single coils and I’ve never had anyone tell me I needed to do something about my output when using that configuration. I’ve got a J with single coils but rarely play it, and any time I play it with a group after playing my humbucker equipped J, they invariably ask for the “other bass”.
 
#19
BazzaBass said:
How long is a piece of string?
Click to expand...
An English string or an African string?

200w.gif
 
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#20
Which pizza topping is better - pepperoni or sausage? There IS no correct or even informative answer, only opinions Don't let ANYBODY blow smoke into your brain cage. Trust your own ears.
 
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