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Which bass
- Thread starter woody357
- Start date
Probably my home made fretless P, it's comfortable, I know my way around it and the tone is remarkable.
It ain't going to happen, I'm out of the area where I'd get called in for recording, and it's fine with me. Recording is a chore, I'd much rather be out playing live.
It ain't going to happen, I'm out of the area where I'd get called in for recording, and it's fine with me. Recording is a chore, I'd much rather be out playing live.
It's a choice between my Olympic White American Standard Precision Bass, 3-Color Sunburst American Standard Precision Bass, or 3-Color Sunburst Limited Edition American Standard PJ Bass.
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If it's for someone else and I know nothing about it, pulling from my pile I'd take a Fender Jazz Standard with hum cancelling Bartolini's. The legit Fender decal gets you 90% of the way there and the soloed neck pickup will cover anything that needs a P type sound.
If it's for my band I take whichever bass amuses me at the moment and that changes day by day. I've never felt there is a "right" tone for anything. Especially things that haven't been recorded yet.
If it's for my band I take whichever bass amuses me at the moment and that changes day by day. I've never felt there is a "right" tone for anything. Especially things that haven't been recorded yet.
- Oct 3, 2004
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I'm taking this bad boy with me...Sire V7 but,I'm playing it passive...records like a dream!!!
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And furthermore, to risk more opprobrium, the answer to the OPs question is:
If you want to sound like everybody else, bring a P. But if you want to sound like yourself....
I've never recorded with a P. Don't even own one. I suppose you can guess why. I'm not hatin' on Ps, and I got nothin' against cats who use them, I just have a different approach. I don't want to sound like everyone else. None of the cats I grew up listening to did either.
As a producer, here's a discussion I've had with several sound engineers, all of whom agree: a good sound engineer knows how to work with any kind of bass. Because if they're doing their jobs, they can make anything other than a POS sound right. Did Lee Kerslake kick Bob Daisley out of the studio for showing up with an EB-3? No. Guess why.
Let's try turning the question around by inserting a different instrument. You're a singer and you show up to the studio. Which voice do you bring. Marvin Gaye's? No. Yours.
Good luck with your project.
Having my own studio and being a bassist I can look at it from different perspectives, and the P-Bass isn't a great choice for everything. I prefer slim and shallow necks with low action so there's very little "extra noise" in the recording. The less movement required to voice a note, the better. Unless it's a pro with great articulation, then it doesn't matter what he's using.
That really depends on who's paying for the studio time. If it's me, I'll use the goddamn bass I want to. Though that will almost certainly be a bass I've used with that band before. I don't have so many basses that any are really unfamiliar to my bands.
I guess I'm also lucky in that usually the recording engineer is also in the band. Or someone who a band member knows. Also my bandmates tend to trust my judgment, which I'm fortunate in.
Most of my recording at this point has been done with Rickenbackers. I've also recorded on a heavily modded Peavey, on a fretless ABG, and on upright.
I've never played either bass. I'm curious: from a recording standpoint, what is the difference between the two?
Actually, from a live stand point, what's the diff?
Inquiring minds, and all that....
You made my point for me...Plus, Rickenbackers, who doesn't love the perfectly crispy tone of a Rick?????????
When Columbia Records is paying for the time (as in my case), you do what you are told. Or go elsewhere.
I'll use a 2x4 with a single string if I'm being paid good money to do so.
If Columbia Records is paying for the studio, maybe the studio itself has some cool basses to use? I'm not a session guy or a P-bass guy, but if I'm working for someone else, I certainly would be happy to use the studio's P-bass if that's asked for.
My own band, when we were recording recently for our second album and an EP (not released yet, vocals being recorded now), I used a Rickenbacker 4003S for the vast majority of it. Fits very well in our mix. The other basses I used were the drummer's Schecter Bass VI copy and my upright. But we're our own bosses, so I can use whatever I want.
They did! First and last time I got to play a SUPER MINTY 1966 Thunderbird. OOOOh, I still dream of that bass.drool
Again, no one will ever stop you guys from laying down the bottom end with a Ric!! BTW, it usually goes with anything worth listening to, but you already know that.
Walk in there with an EB0 and see what happens!
Well, Bob Daisley walked into the studio to record Blizzard of Ozz with an EB-3. Of course, he and Lee Kersklake were both canned during the writing of the second album, so...
Also, nice, about recording with a '66 T-bird. I'd be afraid of damaging it, ha. I bet that was fun.
