Why the P bass obsession

[jamro217]

Damnit, I said to myself to sit on my hands, but "the first time"? The P bass everyone knows and loves today is based upon the 1957 one, which is arguably the third design iteration, is it not? If it was right the first time, then everyone would be playing P basses which resemble the original 1951 model, and we'd all have chafed forearms.

File under somewhat pedantic "just sayin'"...

As a Scot, I imagine you've heard of golf. When you swing the club a few times before you hit the ball, that's a practice swing, right? You don't count them on your scorecard. That's what the '51 and '56 were. Practice. AARRGGGHHHH!! Fore!

 

[Antisyzygy]

I have nothing against precision bass guitars, they can play very good in the right hands. They aren't anything crazy though. I always felt like they have a very bland tone. They don't have much versitility either. I much prefer the depth and range of a jazz for example. Im just curious about everyone else's thoughts on this.

I don't really understand the obsession either, but I completely understand liking or even preferring P-basses.

They're just another type of bass I enjoy using on occasion--I own two, one is mostly stock, one is a BEAD bass with a more aggressive pup. They're the standard, minimalist design for a fully functional and useable bass. They tend to work well for a lot of different music styles, and they're easy to mix because of a variety of reasons, but there are some styles I think they don't work as well with. One might want a J or MusicMan style (or some hybrid of P/J/MM) bass instead for some styles IMO.

Everyone says "Well if a P bass isn't versatile enough just adjust your play style". Ok, well you can do that on a Jazz bass too, except now you have two pickups to blend together for even more options. If you want the P sound you can get a PJ and have more options overall.

Still, some people only ever needed a P, or the lack of extra pickups makes it easier for them to just play. Minimalism is a worthwhile thing to pursue if that's your cup of tea.

 

[Stealth Fighter]

Damnit, I said to myself to sit on my hands, but "the first time"? The P bass everyone knows and loves today is based upon the 1957 one, which is arguably the third design iteration, is it not? If it was right the first time, then everyone would be playing P basses which resemble the original 1951 model, and we'd all have chafed forearms.

File under somewhat pedantic "just sayin'"...

Leo got it right the first time, righter the second time, and more righter the third time. After that all further changes have been downhill.

 

[jamro217]

"I came here for an argument!"
"No you didn't."

We could be arguing in our spare time.

 

[EriktheRed]

OK, I feel stupid for having to ask this but.....


What's a "PJ"? Is it a P with a J neck?

 

[static0verdrive]

I don't understand all the hate on pbasses.

There's hate for P-basses?! This whole thread is about the borderline cult following they have. The only thing that bugs me is seeing posts from those who believe anything else is vastly inferior. I'm in the "it's all in the player" and "play what you want" camp.

OK, I feel stupid for having to ask this but.....


What's a "PJ"? Is it a P with a J neck?

A bass with a precision pickup and a jazz pickup near the bridge, like this

 

[Nobody]

OK, I feel stupid for having to ask this but.....


What's a "PJ"?

I think it's like when a couple wears just one pair of pajamas, the dude wears the pajama pants and the lady wears the pajama shirt. They each have a PJ. YMMV

 

[Batmensch]

PJ is a bass with both a P pickup in the usual place and a Jazz pickup by the bridge. And yes, they sometimes do have a jazz neck.

 

[jamro217]

It's like a ripe tuna fish sandwich plucked right from the tree the way it plops it's big bottom down on the hammock of life we call music and it refreshes the senses like dream tinkles layin' it down reeeeal nice and slow across your cheek like a nice breeze from an electric fan made from Velveeta whisking you away to a tropical island made of medical waste just off the coast of New Jersey floating out there like something else that floats really well. That's the feelin' P basses give me and I suspect I ain't the only one. Now you know why the obsession.

So glad you included the fetid stench of Jehrsey to pull us all back from the brink of nirvana.

 

[Just George]

See that dot in the center of a bulls eye? That’s a P.

All those rings around it are where the "versatility" of other basses allows you to go.

This ^^^^

 

[Attym]

After playing an active Jazz Deluxe for 15 years, the P-Bass was a fun alternative. For me, both are essential.

 

[fretter]

It's the best selling bass ever, the most copied bass, and the pros like it, too.

Were the VW Bug and the Ford Model T the best cars ever? Hardly. Unlike those cars, they still make the P bass. So, people still want to buy it. It still gets the job done.

 

[hsp-sandiego]

I have nothing against precision bass guitars, they can play very good in the right hands. They aren't anything crazy though. I always felt like they have a very bland tone. They don't have much versitility either. I much prefer the depth and range of a jazz for example. Im just curious about everyone else's thoughts on this.

I am not really a P Bass fan either, although a PJ... absolutely!

 

[NeckPickup]

Could someone explain to me how this thread and question is getting such a huge and disproportional number of responses compared to threads where people appear to have spent some time coming up with something that hasn't been discussed over and over? No offense to the OP intended, but the answer is self-evident to anyone who has followed the history of modern music, recording and the bass guitar.

 

[Nobody]

I always put it like this.... It's like "I can't Believe it's not Butter" it's not butter but it tastes like butter and it's not the original but the P bass is kinda sorta the original bass at least when it comes to being mass produced. P basses do many things well but very few of them taste like butter although some people put chicken grease on the strings but that is an entirely different topic than this one. When it comes to cars a P bass isn't one of those either.

 

[GreyBeard]

I think the p bass works well with just about any type of music. Put on round wounds and no mute and it will rock and pop with the best of them. Put on some flats and a mute and you are in Motown. The p bass seems to respond to hand positions better than most other bass too.

 

[Ric5]

Man, that ain't no P-Bass; it ain't even a Fender.

It is a frankensteined parts p-bass ... I would have no use for a 4 stringed one pickup bass.

 

[BassOnTheSide]

Wait a minute. Can't anyone resist a "troll thread" any more? I'm gonna start a thread titled "Why all the fuss about basses and amps" and if I get any replies at all, I'll eat my hat.

 

[Muddslide]

The only thing that bugs me is seeing posts from those who believe anything else is vastly inferior. I'm in the "it's all in the player" and "play what you want" camp.

Totally agree. I always run my mouth on threads like these, in the P bass cheering section. I love Ps and they feel and sound like home to me.

But I think it's great that there are so many bass options that are very UNlike P basses and I would never claim Ps are superior to every other bass.

I love many other types of basses myself and have owned many things vastly different from Precisions.

I also completely understand some people not liking the P bass. Variety, different strokes, it's all good!

 

[Carl Hillman]

I have nothing against precision bass guitars, they can play very good in the right hands. They aren't anything crazy though. I always felt like they have a very bland tone. They don't have much versitility either. I much prefer the depth and range of a jazz for example. Im just curious about everyone else's thoughts on this.

Besides the fact that the P Bass sound is an iconic standard for rock, country, and soul, I think there is the perception that it is more "authentic" than other basses because it came first.