Why the P bass obsession

[Muddslide]

Every Bass is only as versatile as the player holding it.

This is as true as any statement ever made in human history.

In 35+ years of playing, I have NEVER played or owned a bass that I considered un-versatile, or a "one trick pony." They do not exist.

There are so many ways to alter the sound/tone of an electrified instrument. Leaving aside learning to work the vol/tone knobs, amp settings and EQ, there are modelers, effects pedals, etc.

But even without a bunch of crud in your signal chain, THE most effective way of shaping the sound of an electric instrument is through playing technique...style...attack...whatever you may want to call it.

I'm not a great player by any measure...hopefully slightly above average at least. But I can get a lot of sounds out of any bass you hand me just based on where I play along the body, how I use my fingering (not to mention using various picks), laying way back or really digging in, etc.

No such thing as an un-versatile bass. Clearly a passive 4-string fretted P bass is not going to come close to sounding like an active fretless 5 string (although there are devices that can really give you access to scores and scores of sounds from any electric guitar or bass) but that doesn't mean any bass is only capable of one sound, or three, or whatever. That's pure nonsense.

 

[khutch]

I've never owned a Precision. My main player is a PJ Jazz however so it will mimic a Precision quite well. Perhaps if you do a lot of solo work a multiple pickup bass would be great to have since even subtle differences in sound are easier to hear when the bass is playing a solo passage. I play in a church band and the bass is almost always playing a supporting role so it really doesn't matter much if I solo the Precision pickup (which I do frequently) or use both. In the mix with the other instruments (and we frequently have more and different instruments than you find in a typical pop music band) it works as well one way or the other. I find myself using playing technique to get the nuances I need far more frequently than pickup blends or even effects pedals. You might consider the violin family. Four strings, no pickups, no tone control and tons of sonic versatility. All of it produced by the skill and long hours of work by the performer!

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Try different techniques?

This! One of the things I like about my P is it responds to technique more than any other bass I've played.
In the 70s, my rig consisted of a V4B, 8x10, a P, and a chord to plug the bass directly into the amp. There were no effects.
I ran all the EQ on the V4B neutral. I was once asked by a band mate how I got so many different tones out of the bass.
I said, "with my fingers."

 

[Muddslide]

You can listen to 60 years of great music from Duck Dunn to JJ Burnell...

My hat gets tipped to anyone who name-checks JJ Burnell. Such a great player!

 

[SteveHeissner]

I like simplicity and I like P-basses. I'm also a boring person. But as long as I have my P-bass I can live with that.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Bland? No versatility?
Nothing further needs to be said.

Did you notice that he is playing a Squier?

 

[Stranger Danger]

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.

They sound the way bass is supposed to sound both live and in the studio. They also look like what people think of when they think electric bass. I've tried multiple times to fall for other basses but I always come back to the p bass. Jazz basses sound anemic to me.

 

[jd56hawk]

Did you notice that he is playing a Squier?

You're right.
Couple more Squiers behind him, too.

 

[Acoop]

"Obsession" being the key word. .... And this to shall pass. ....... When I play my P- I miss my J- but that never happens in reverse.

 

[onda'bass]

(Obsession)Untill recently I would say the same, got a xotic P5 and it was life changing in a band. Ymmv

 

[bassliner50]

Simplicity, depth, thump, tone, history, predictability, no batteries or bells and whistles. In the right hands she will do anything musical. The modest yet mighty P.

 

[TMARK]

I can play anything with a P, from R&R to R&B to straight funk to jazz, with TI flats, and it sounds right. That's why a P is my main live bass.

 

[Mike Sorr]

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've had this debate with myself ever since I started playing. My first real bass was a 1978 Fender Precision. After gaining some proficiency on it I quickly became bored with the sound. I noticed that there wasn't as much note articulation as I wanted in a band situation without being really loud, especially playing hard rock competing with two overly loud guitarists and a drummer that played like he just caught his girlfriend cheating on him. So, I switched to Jazz basses early on for the flexibility...but I missed the comfort and familiarity of the P bass. I tried several PJs, but never found one that did both the P thing and the J thing as well as a P or a J. Since the early days I've owned dozens of basses of different kinds, but I always, always, always find myself gravitating back to the Fender Precision Bass. I currently have a modded American Special with Basslines and a Babicz bridge and I'll probably have this one forever.

 

[bassbully]

If you don't understand the P bass by now you never will.

 

[Jigsawjaybus]

I started using a precision bass because I wanted something that was solid, easy to use, easy to maintain and plenty of options to repair/modify at my leisure without having bells and whistles that I do not need. Secondly you can have a precision bass repaired anywhere on the globe for peanuts. I prefer the jazz bass neck in every single way but two pick ups are lost on me generally and at the end of the day I vastly prefer the ergos on a MM/sterling instrument (as well as the hardware.) But that split coil is just perfect for me.

 

[Bassmunnky]

Music history has already answered this question -

 

[joel406]

I find MIA Jazz Bass's (well mine anyway) just work better than P's. Versatility is endless. The only P-Bass I ever found that played right was the American Standard. But I already have the J so no need.

 

[jeffreylee]

I don't buy into the whole 'lacks versatility' debate. As far I'm concerned, no matter how many knobs and pickups your bass has, 95% of your versatility comes from your hands and your brain. I like P's because the limited tonal options focuses me more on the subtleties in my playing rather than twiddling knobs.

 

[Febs]

If it sounds boring, you're playing it wrong.

 

[pholli00]

My hat gets tipped to anyone who name-checks JJ Burnell. Such a great player!

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll be listening to the Stranglers tonight. Prepare to tip your hat.