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Why does everyone else sound good on a P and I don't?

#42
Interesting posts. Played my Mouse at the gig tonight an the drummer commented that it sounded like a P with flats. Kind of I guess.

Not sure what I want to do with my Mouse. The scale length is a little weird though - switching back and forth.
 
#43
I played my Squier P (strung with Rotosound Nickel-plated steels) at a Christian high school chapel service this morning, through my GK MB115. We were having issues with the fluorescent lights buzzing in my amp, so I ended up turning my tone knob down quite a bit, and then compensating by boosting treble and high-mid on the mic'd amp. What a sound! I've almost always run the tone knob full on. Today, it was magical- plenty of definition, yet with a warm thump unlike I'd ever achieved.

This has opened a whole new world of versatility for me- this way, I can get a biting treble sound with the tone up, or a perfectly defined, warm sound with the tone down and amp EQ adjusted accordingly.

Made me want some Jazz Bass knobs, so I can tell where to set my tone and volume.
 
#45
Hmm... playing the bass isn't just playing the bass, is it? Makes me wonder whether we're all stamped with a certain predisposition in our DNA. This feel or that tone just seems to register.

I'm currently going against my own grain by using an active P/J that's reeeeeally different from the passive Jazz I've been cozy with for a number of years. Have to say it's blowing the top of my skull open. The Jazz includes inherently mid-scooped DiMarzio Ultra J's, but the newer bass has EMG P/J's along with a 2-band preamp. The amount of "new" sound I'm getting is bananas - like trying to get a sip from a busted water main!

Not interested in the script of forcing a square peg into a round hole and making this active P/J behave like my J-bass, but it's an unfamiliar realm of sound I'm headed into here. First gig with this new bass is this weekend and if nothing else, I have zero worries about being heard in the mix. Definitely "wiping the slate" though, and taking my rack preamp's eq back to a flat setting and going from there. Details at eleven...

It seems reasonable to me that each of us gets some jolt of inspiration from some particular tone and/or feel with one instrument or another. Maybe don't worry about not getting it from the P-bass realm so much as being thankful that you DO get it with a J, right?
 
#47
I would be willing to bet that you probably DO sound good on a P-bass, but that you probably don't like it. If your ears are more used to modern, active sounds, the P-bass tone may not be what you expect/want to hear from yourself.
 
#48
I understand were you are coming from.... I think a lot may be feel too... for the longest time I hated P-basses... I had an OLP 5'r and loved it... old Yamaha RBX and that was good too.... the P's always just sounded blah to me.... well I got rid of my OLP and got a Peavey bass... can't remember the exact model.. it was good for a while then it just lost it's life to me..... so I started searching again.... I thought well give the P-bass a try again.... I played one and was like WOW!!!! this is exactly what I want!!!! I have played Jazz basses but don't like the necks... I like the big fat baseball bat feel in my hands :) I now own a 2006 MIA p, 4 string... I love, a Ibanex 5'r acoustic/electric and a Yamaha RBX765 I just got..... love every single one of them...

ok I just realized ... I rambled here.......sorry... need more coffee...lol


the jist of it.... it is all how they feel in your hands... if it don't feel good it aint gunna sound good :)
 
#50
Like others have already said it may be player technique or it could be the settings you are using on your amp or even the gear you are using. Some players cannot seem to click with certain basses or gear. Like me I also cannot find a good sound from a Jazz, however have no problem playing one. I am more of a Precision guy anyways. Love the sound I get from mine.
 
#51
bassist4dalord said:
We were having issues with the fluorescent lights buzzing in my amp, so I ended up turning my tone knob down quite a bit, and then compensating by boosting treble and high-mid on the mic'd amp. What a sound! I've almost always run the tone knob full on. Today, it was magical- plenty of definition, yet with a warm thump unlike I'd ever achieved.
Click to expand...
You just discovered something that most never realize- rolling the tone knob back on a P results in a low mid bump.
 
#52
Tone comes with technique, meaning its you
or
Bass doesn't suit your technique, meaning its both you and the bass.

My advice: get the cheapest P bass that you can find and practice until you get used to the feel. You will start to notice that you're starting to sound better.
 
#54
I don't know that I'm going to buy a P just so I can learn to like it or eventually get a good sound out of one. The point of my question was just to see if this was me being me or if others find this happens as well.

I think I'm just a J guy. Not that there's anything wrong with that or being a P guy...just that so many people seem to have good results with a P.

I am actually GAS'ing over a Geddy Lee these days. There's a really light one at a local store.
 
#55
Go either wireless or a long cable and go out in the audience while your band plays and listen to your bass there while varying your technique. Then you might try adjusting the amp if need be, and go back out to check it. Your monitoring isn't your sound in the mix that you hear from other bands when you are in the audience. THis is why going out to check is a good idea, imo.
 
#58
SteveC said:
Not sure what I want to do with my Mouse. The scale length is a little weird though - switching back and forth.
Click to expand...

Just play the Mouse all night. Then no switching issues. It might surprise you...

Last year I was in a funk band and was in the midst of churning through basses so for a couple of gigs I just took my RAs (Deep 5 and a Mouse at that point). Freakin' killed and the sound guy loved me. Said it was one of the the best sounding direct feed he'd heard.

I hate JJ basses, instead I'm a PJ guy. That said Pete is likely going to set my fretless 5 up with dual coils as he thinks that will kill with his "mid only" preamp. The fretted 5 will get his single coils, but with with East deluxe preamp it should be able to get whatever tone I want. That said, the fingers do the talking...
 
#59
I played a P bass for almost 10 years and really enjoyed it in that time, I have since discovered so many better playing and sounding basses though that I sold all of my Fenders and have never regretted it for a second.

My main reason for the change was switching to a 5 string because I got fed up tuning down and could not get on with any Fender 5 that I tried.
 

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