Why does my P-bass sound so good?

[stefaniw80401]

I have three great basses in my stable:

1996 Carvin BB70 all Koa body with ebony board.
1999 Sector Q4 with EMG soap bars
2017 MIM Fender Classic 50's P-bass black lacquer, gold anodized PG and maple neck

In my studio, the Carvin and Spector sound great, but out on the gig there's no balls.

The P-bass on the other hand sounds great in my studio, and blows me away on gigs.

The Koa Carvin is so light, and I would prefer to play it because of that fact. The spector and my P-bass weigh the same.

I feel like I should just get rid of the carvin and the spector since the P-bass does everything better.

Anyone else have these same thoughts about their own bass collection?

 

[droo46]

Sounds like you've discovered why everyone likes P basses.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

In my experience with P basses, it's because you've got a good sounding pickup, that's put slap bang in a position that just works in a band mix.

I like tweaking tone, blending between pickups, playing with pedals etc and crafting something that sounds great to me. But chances are, if I just plug one of my basses with a P pup in and play at practice or a gig, it'll sound just as good as the Jazz or Ray or Mustang or whichever bass I've spent 45 minutes getting just right.

 

[350125g0]

Sometimes, simple is best, and there's not a whole lot simpler than a P bass.

 

[Kaa]

Well, you could sell the BB, or have a good luthier put a p pickup in the correct position with the ability to turn off the J pickups via switching and get the best of both worlds. Or, find a lighter P bass? Options a-plenty!

 

[Tanner5382]

If the P bass does everything you need and want, I’d probably sell the others. But I am a fan of owning less stuff in general.

 

[Fresh Eddie]

I think the answer is that YOU make it sound so good. One of the things I like about Precisions is that you can play it lighter and it sounds really polite, or you can bang on one and it will sound really aggressive.

The downside is that if I haven't played in a while and my hands are outta shape it can be really hard for me to make it sound so angry for any amount of time! That is when my Stingray comes in... it always sounds angry. Haha.

 

[Five or Six]

I was going to do that 15 basses ago but, never did. There are days when a bass sounds excellent then, not so excellent the next day. A bunch affects sound so that bass is having a bad day.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I have three great basses in my stable:

1996 Carvin BB70 all Koa body with ebony board.
1999 Sector Q4 with EMG soap bars
2017 MIM Fender Classic 50's P-bass black lacquer, gold anodized PG and maple neck

In my studio, the Carvin and Spector sound great, but out on the gig there's no balls.

The P-bass on the other hand sounds great in my studio, and blows me away on gigs.

The Koa Carvin is so light, and I would prefer to play it because of that fact. The spector and my P-bass weigh the same.

I feel like I should just get rid of the carvin and the spector since the P-bass does everything better.

Anyone else have these same thoughts about their own bass collection?

I’ve been playing on PBs for over 45 years. Just sounds very natural for the music I play. That is not to say there aren’t other basses that have great useful voices.

 

[stefaniw80401]

I like tweaking tone, blending between pickups, playing with pedals etc and crafting something that sounds great to me. But chances are, if I just plug one of my basses with a P pup in and play at practice or a gig, it'll sound just as good as the Jazz or Ray or Mustang or whichever bass I've spent 45 minutes getting just right.

Yes! Right! 'Xactly.

At yesterday's band practice I took my BB70 because the P-bass is such a big lug. I was chasing tone that entire session. My amp is a Mark Bass LM Blackline 250 head into a pair of Ampeg SVT210AV cabs. My only pedal is a HPF always on. My tone was quacky, which I struggled to dial out -- and then it disappeared in the mix.

Same thing happens with my Spector Q4.

With my P-bass I can dial-up a huge wide range of usable tones between the amp controls and the one tone control on the bass itself AND tweaking the HPF. I basically cannot make it sound bad, whereas it's just the opposite experience with my other two basses.

 

[stefaniw80401]

I'd be willing to entertain the idea of putting P pups in my BB70, but is that the totality of the secret? There's the chunky maple neck that I love on the P-bass. The body is heavy alder is it? The headstock is beefier than the 2x2 headstock on my Carvin. I hate to chop that beautiful tiger quilted koa top on the BB70.

 

[stefaniw80401]

IMG_20190317_145742848

• stefaniw80401
• Mar 17, 2019
• carvin bb70

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Well, it is a P bass, so...
(what was the question, again?)

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

IMG_20190317_145742848

• stefaniw80401
• Mar 17, 2019
• carvin bb70

It is a beautiful bass, but I certainly hope you don't intend to tell us it sounds like a P bass?

 

[pbass2]

"Leo got it right" definitely holds true to this day. I've been playing P's 95% of the time for 25 years or so and it's just a no-brainer. That said, I'm kinda on a Jazzbass kick right now, grabbing it when I'd normally just grab one of my P's, in the interest of using the "other" classic sound to mix things up a bit.

 

[Discount Bassy]

Another troll thread from a Fender factory shill.

 

[FRoss6788]

Another troll thread from a Fender factory shill.

Ya, god forbid someone really digs their Fender...

 

[Killing Floor]

I like mine. Sometimes it works and sometimes it isn't what I need. That's why I have more than one. It's also why Leo made the Jazz bass.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Why does my P-bass sound so good?

Because it's a P bass.

 

[Doug P]

I’ll say it again…. I put a Seymour Duncan Hot Stack in the neck position on my three gig Jazz basses. Turn down the bridge 1/4 turn from “10” and a close P sound in my ears.