Mine has two soap box pickups, volume controls for each pick up and a master tone knob. It's a 2014 fender p-bass blacktop series. It's sounds killer without having to add effects. The only pedal I need, is a Big-muff.
Short answer: P basses provide a wide background fill sound, taking up a lot of space, yet not intruding and becoming overly prominent in the mix. They’re there ... but not distractingly noticeable. There. Just saved you 11 minutes.
Dynamics come in to it you don’t have to beat the hell out of the string you can play softly you just have to listen to the music and play within the vibe no matter what bass you have.
@@stephenbarnardbass4029 True but p basses have a very specific sound, even with active pickups and a lot of tonal control you can't really replicate it.
My brother is a session guitarist who was in LA now in Nashville and he explained to me that as a session guitarist he has experienced people simply not liking the "look" of his guitar before he would even start playing. He would be tuning it and the engineers would ask him to play something else. He learned early on you just do not bring flashy guitars to recording sessions and you stick with looks that fit the musician or band you are playing for especially if you may be asked to join a stage band.
Over the years my rotation has stripped down to Jazz Bass, P Bass and Stingray. All classics that never look or sound out of place, and can always sit nice in a mix (or just cut through it in the case of the Ray).
@@kingdeedee This is the answer. You don't really need more than the "holy trinity" of basses as you've got all important pickup types and positions covered. Also, it's not a coincidence that all of those three models were designed by the great Leo Fender. He was a genius who just nailed it each time! "Don't fix what isn't broken..."
@@hydraulixx couldn't agree more. I will say I do still enjoy having one or two more "fun" basses in the rotation which changes from time to time. I had an Ibanez BTB I recently sold that scratched that itch but I'm looking to dive into either a bassmods or kiesel custom sometime soon. Such a great time to be a bassist in my opinion
I’ve always used squire p basses since I cannot afford the real thing. And they don’t disappoint at all. New strings and having everything in place makes the magic happen. Great video. Greetings from Mexico.
i've been primarily a guitar player, but over the years i found myself gravitating towards bass more and more. it's a gift that i found your channel man thank you.
Did he then try going back to the Lakland but time and time again producers didn't like it? If it was just that one time then I don't get the point of the video, especially when the previous producer loved the Lakland. Maybe that one producer specifically wanted a P Bass but most would be fine with others? It's not like there aren't thousands of hit records made using basses other than a precision.
Stewart Brand exactly. In addition you can dial in a fairly close replica of that pbass or has bass tone on a Lakeland or any of the higher end active basses. You just have to know how to eq it. That said I own 2 p-basses lol. I just like how they feel.
I was asked to come back and play Bass on our church Worship Team after being out of it for years. I decided to fit my Mexican P-Bass with Rotosound Flats mainly to save my fingers. The sound got great compliments from the other Bass players and the sound guys. Pretty good combination.
Carol Kaye set the tone for LA studio hits. That's another factor. Producers want to chase that hallowed and authoritative tone of hers that fit so well in the mix. Flatwound strings appear on many more recordings than you'd expect if all you know is music store and garage band basses strung with rounds. She also used to put a piece of foam just in front of the bridge often when she used rounds to dampen sustain and remove the bright edge. Of course, Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, John Entwistle, Mr. Larry Graham all had different ideas and their sounds worked in the mix for the styles of their band. The real lesson is the producer and the engineer will decide what sound they want you to have, not you.
I get your point but Carol used tape over top the strings - not the foam mute under them like you can see videos of cats like Bob Babbit using. She mentions this in several videos here on youtube. It is a minor point to be sure but just a small correction. I had a Precision from that era and Fender would put foam rubber in the bridge cover that sat on the top of the string rather than under like a foam mute - just an fyi for anyone interested.
I watched this video a few years back and then bought a P bass. Having many basses in my stable from moderate priced to high end customs, to my amazement, the P bass ended up being the best in the mix. My whole bad agreed and I ended up exclusively using it on our second album that will be released soon. Thank you for making this video, Scott! I've been a Jazz bass guy for about 3 decades but this thing sits so good between the 2 guitars and drums.
It seems like as a bass player you're kind of shoe horned into a very narrow, boring tone, simply because it fits the sound of the band. *sigh* How annoying.
sean hurley is amazing. not only is he a talented player, but one of the coolest musicians i’ve met after a show. i met him in 99 when he was touring with Vertical Horizon. i don’t remember the rest of the band, but he was a class act.
I've played passive P's since 1970. Strung with either LaBella flats or RotoSound RS66's. Used them for ALL types of gigs, all types of music. Live and recorded. Never once has someone said umm your bass tone in the mix isn't fitting in. There's a reason the Fender Precision has been used in thousands of recordings since it's Inception. It gets the job done period. That thick midrange punch cuts through. Leo created a winner!
@Wayne Green nah I didn't get around much. Just 10 years straight road work in every state west of the Mississippi and 4 Canadian provinces. And that's just the "road" gigs. And you?
tool. mudvayne. megadeath, etc etc etc etc etc. many many recordings done without a p bass. so just stop with this. yeah, back in the olden days that was all there was. times have changed. you p bass fanatics just cant let go of the old tired past
I sometimes get fed up with Scott popping up everywhere on my YT, but got to hand it to him, on a regular basis he pulls it out of the hat. What an interesting video. Good stuff!
I couldn't stop laughing! I had almost the same experience when I started doing session work in New York back in the 80's. I was fresh out of a Rush tribute band, and showed up to the studio with my brand new 4001 Rick, and my Sunn 400 head wit my Ampeg 2X15 cab, and the engineer started rolling his eyes. He even commented about how he was going to have to "fix" the bass track in post. Later, he was cool enough to take me aside, and tell me to PLEASE go buy a Fender P bass. He explained why, and I listened. He also said I needed to study Donald Dunn. I listened to that as well. Best lesson I ever learned.
Well, your example I don't really get as the Rick is quite mid-oriented and punchy, even has less overtones to worry about compared to a Precision. The rig might be indeed better suited for a big stage, but the bass is perfect for recording, live and anything really, as it goes through the mids, isn't it.
As an Engineer, I love the P-Bass. IMHO a 3 piece band sounds great/complete with a great bass player and an original New York Spector Bass. Awesome lows, clean mids, and crisp highs help a 3 piece classic/hard rock band sound very full live. Agreed the P Bass is perfect for about every genre. We all have our own style and ear even as Engineers and I've spent the majority of my time in Live venues. Over 30 years.
This points out something most musicians just can’t get. The most important job of an engineer is to create pockets of space for each instrument, in the mix. Active basses sound really amazing, but that high end “sparkle” totally interferes with guitar, snare, and some vocals. As nice as that sound might be to the player, if it can’t be dropped into the pocket between kick and snare, it will never sound like it really belongs there, and other instruments may suffer terribly. The difference between session players and everyone else is the willingness to do what is best for the project, and leave your personal feelings and preferences at the curb, outside. In fact, why not also be considerate of your band’s sound engineer, and allow him the same opportunity? What if it really does make for a better sound for the whole band?
Tone control. My active bass has no sparkle. Besides if the bass sound is allegedly interfering with the guitar why shouldn't the guitarist change their sound?
@@ian1352, so you're saying it's everyone else's responsibility to make the mix work, but the bass is perfect, and just never change? Playing in a band is team work - lots of give and take. What sounds good to us, as musicians on the stage, may sound like pure garbage to the audience, and/or the sound engineer. Our success in this business truly hinges around being flexible, and listening to suggestions of those who are tasked with the daunting responsibility to move your band up the success ladder.
Carey Hoffman it isn’t the engineers daunting responsibility it is everyone’s responsibility. Engineers and and musicians need to both need to work together. Teamwork. You can’t have difficult engineers or musicians. Having said that, I have an active bass. To have my basses covered I would like to have a P bass in my collection. Also, I have done paid studio and live guitar work for people. I usually say what do you want me to play. Style and or gear. I have used every thing to get a guitar sound. I don’t give a shit what they plug me into. Having my own studio helps keep an open mind. At a live guitar gig the engineer said can you use our equipment. I shrugged my shoulders like Pete Davidson and said “ok”. He looked so happy.
@@johnstitt2615 I'm so glad to have your input. The entire takeaway of this video is that, in a session, familiarity is key to everything. If I grab an SM57 for some instrument, it's because I fully understand how it's "color" will affect that instrument. Having tweaked 100s of sessions, using that same mic, I can easily get the sound I want, as it's predictable. Just like the famous tone of a Les Paul, a Fender Strat, or Pearl snare, starting with the right tone at the very start gets the end product completed on time, and on budget.
I completely agree. I had always eschewed buying a P-Bass because, it seems that everyone plays them. I happened to pick one up when someone stopped by a friends house and wanted to sell a Mexican Fender "Brickyard" P-Bass that is equipped with humbuckers. I put flat wounds on it and it has become my favorite bass despite the fact that I have several other, more expensive basses. It just simply sounds great. it is the Motown and classic rock machine.
Once I went to my Ibanez Musician in 1984, the neck of the '72 P Bass felt like a 2x4 in my hand. Became a better bassist overnight. Been with the Ibanez and its passive pickups ever since.
When I was learning, in the early 1970s, I remember reading an interview with Ray Shulman(of Gentle Giant) and he said "I have always been able to get any sound I wanted from a Precision Bass," and I always liked their nicely produced sound. It's always worked well for me, too.
Dude as much as I don’t like robin thicke that lawsuit was complete money grabbing bs the songs are barely similar at all you can’t copyright a drum groove or chord changes and it’s a shame some Dumbfuck jury with no knowledge or real understanding of music set that precedent for music in the future
Olando McCall Lol no dude like honestly what’s next is someone going to copy right the blues chord changes or ii-V-I changes or a 4/4 groove with snare on 2 and 4 it’s ridiculous
Just do what Chuck Rainey did during the recording Steely Dan's, Aja.......play with your back turned to the booth and they won't know what bass you're playing!
Lee Sklar has a switch mounted on the body of his Bass called The Producer that does absolutely nothing. It isn't connected to anything. When the Producer says he wants a different sound he flips it, plays and the Producer says "OK, we'll go with that."
He did that so they wouldn't know he was slapping, nothing to do with the bass which was a 1957 Fender Precision, they loved his playing and sound which is why they used him whenever they could.
@@rodneymcintosh1484 He did that only because they didn't want him to slap nothing to do with the bass itself, he used a 57 Fender Precision on all that stuff.
(1) It stays in tune, and (2) it has a middle-of-the-road tone that old school engineers were more than happy to work with using console EQ and tube compressors.
Just bought my first bass. I chose a Jazz bass because of its flexibility. I have it set for warm low end but like the fact that I have more punchiness if I need it for say heavy rock music. Ironically, the P bass seemed better suited for Jazz than the Jazz bass as it has a naturally warm low end.
It depends on what type of music you are going to play. I use both passive and active basses. A lot of modern metal and even some older metal use active. More classic rock and alternative music use passive. Ether way if you use fingers or pick is also going to make your sound different.
Don't ever - EVER - leave a bass "in the car" - - - Came out of a studio with my P-Bass in hand, to find the car gone (with a 1988 Warwick Fretless 5 String resting in the back seat under a blanket)... A Nightmare that will haunt me until my death
Our banjo player left a custom made Deering banjo in a branded case on the back seat of of his SUV while he bought cigarettes. When he came out, someone had smashed the window in and left three other banjos and an autoharp in there 😉🤘
Be glad you took the P-Bass into the studio, instead of the Warwick. The nightmare that hunts you would even be worse when the P-Bass would have been resting in the back seat.
I'm a J bass player and I love the sounds I can get out of it. When I first bought it I spent months messing around with different tone and pickup volume knob combinations, different strings and different right hand positions to really get a feel for the sounds the instrument was capable of. Plus the smaller neck profile fits my hand better. But I'll never hate on a P bass, some of my favorite bassists use one but it's just not my go-to. I've also gotten some of my favorite bass tones from a buddy's entry level Ibanez bass and one time I got an old Squier bronco bass to sound incredible. Still not sure how I pulled that off but pedals, preamps, compressor settings, and amps and cabs and microphones also make a huge difference in sound. The bass itself is probably the most important but it's also just one part of the equation.
THANK YOU! I'm a guitarist, playing in bands for 55 years. I never heard the term p bass. The guys in this video assume everyone knows that particular slang. What if I said that I play a Fender Cat? What's that, you ask? It's a Fender Jaguar guitar. Not everyone knows every slang term for an instrument.
My first master recording session was in Los Angeles, for Motown Records, in the late 70s. I ordered a Precision Bass from SIR. They asked: "What kind of strings?" I said: "Roundwound." I plugged in, direct, and during the sound check the engineer said he couldn't get a signal. Luckily, I had brought along a Gibson Ripper which had flat wound strings. We tried it. The engineer got his signal and the problem was solved. The flat-wound strings made all the difference. I play Precision bass, with flatwounds.
this was sorta painfully wordy tho… 6 minutes into it, I still have no idea WHY P basses are preferred. I've determined that the P bass is a mixing/producer's issue, NOT. bassist's issue and better for music where the bass can be an 'ol drab Joe-bass-line sort of bass part in the song. vs intricate, innovative bass lines that require more presence. The kind of music should be addressed for reason a P bass is in any way superior. I'll never have a P bass.
Yes i feel the same to most of Scott videos. He is an awesome guy and with positivity. But i think he could improve on length of non related issue in his comment. I watched Tim Pierce also and some how the guy can talk so seamlessly yet i got a lot from him, at less duration than Scott's video. Just a constructive critism.
P bass is the bass. Just get right in there with the drummer and sit in your pocket letting all of the funk seep out like a creeping fog. Can't do it with anything else. Jazz pickups are too wiry and thin, no real low mid punch. Music man are close but give a little too much juice, but are great for heavier or more energetic rhythm sections. (I use a P and MM combo on most of my basses) Gibson style mudbuckers are as the name suggests. Sound like a torn speaker cone. Active barts and their ilk are all too top end focused, all sparkle and no grunt without serious active eq shenanigans. My ideal bass are my two mains, my modded 90s yamaha bbg5a with Duncan MM and a 5 string P pickup with a duncan 3 band. Or my sandberg california pm5, traditional P bass look with the MM and P combo and an active 2 band with passive if needed. Sits in the mix with the kick and snare perfectly, and the actives are there for when that sizzle is needed (in a 3 piece you sometimes have to cover more than pocket funk)
Yeah, Scott is a great musician but I've stopped watching his vids as there's just too much random chit chat that make them drag on way too long. I guess some people like that but it's just not for me.
Nathan East, probably the most recorded bassist ever, plays a Yamaha, and unlike many other players who seem to endorse most brands in turn, I've not seen playing anything other than a Yamaha.
In my soul, I am a bass player... but invested way too much time being a guitar player... but yeah,I own a P-bass, and when I play it, it's always the right sound... and IMO, a 5 string is too low. 4 is it. It's about the groove, the music comes first... our egos last.
Excellent, Scott! Just having bought a Glarry fretless P-bass @ $69. delivered, and hearing Sean play those flat wounds, I'm going to order flat wounds today. It's my birthday today, and you brothers just gave me a nice birthday present. Thanks, bro!
Little secret I learned from an engineer when asking which bass to bring. The main reason most will want you to use a P-bass is they already have your track EQ'd and ready for one. Simple as that. Throwing anything else at them means they would need to adjust. Many engineers cant or wont and you wind up with a crappy or non-existent bass tone if you are paying.
@@TheAerovons Regurgitating what I heard from the mouth of an engineer. Yes, I agree that EQ should be situational. Makes perfect sense, rite? What dude was telling me is that there are a LOT of folks behind sound boards who either don't know how or are not willing to EQ for anything but a P bass. From what dude was saying, the higher up the food chain the worse that gets. Take that however ye want, but no point arguing it with me. I thought it was stupid when I heard it too.
My workhorse bass is a P-J bass copy from a cheap DIY kit (I mostly use only the P pickup and blend in a bit of the J bridge when I need a bit more treble or if the bass needs to cut through), and I get compliments on my tone all the time. I bought it intending to use it as a cheapo that I wouldn't be afraid of modding with all sorts of new gear for a bit of fun, but it works so well with everything I have ever done that I am scared to tinker with it at all.
All of you guys complaining about the "stubbornness of the engineer" need to realize that he was PLAYING THIS BASS IN A SESSION, NOT IN HIS OWN MUSIC. If you are recording someone else's music then IT IS YOUR JOB TO SOUND LIKE THEY WANT. If you were recording your own music, then I can at least understand why people would be irritated if an engineer (even though the engineer probably has better judgement anyways) asked them to play a different bass.
Would the engineer ask the guitarist to play some "standard guitar" using "standard" effects, and tell the vocalist to sing identically to some standard? I can guess that they might if the aim was to produce one of those interchangeable pop tracks. The engineer can give advice to a band, but if the band is after a particular bass sound of their own then the engineer's job is figure out how to make it work, not tell them to play some generic bass.
@@ian1352 We're not talking about a band though. This is mostly geared towards session players, who are paid to play and sound a certain way. Even the legend Leland said in an interview that his job is to play the sound the producer/artist/engineer want, not that he wants.
I’m a bass player and have played off and in since 1996. I’ve been a member of the TalkBass forum and all that. What I see as a consistent theme with bassists is this whiny, hurt feelings, persecuted complex. It’s pathetic and ignorant. It’s often stated in bassists circles “less is more” and “keep it simple”. So let’s live it already! If the engineer says to change something, change it. Don’t be such a punk about it. “Would they ask the guitarist...?” “Would they ask the vocalist...?” The answer is YES! I’ve seen it. I’ve been there when it’s happened. I’ve heard guitarists corrected. I’ve heard drummers corrected. I’ve heard singers corrected. Etc. Want gigs? Be EASY to work with. Humble yourselves and be team players for the benefit of the production. Are you the only one being corrected? Do they never call out the guitarist? Maybe it’s because the guitarist has his/her shit together. Maybe it’s because you’re the worst sounding player of the group. Humble yourselves and LEARN. Strive to become the best musician in your group. The FIRST gig I had as bassist for an 8 piece group was going to be in front of hundreds of people. We did a sound check and the first thing the engineer told me was “change your strings”. I didn’t get hurt about it. I changed the strings. Not a single problem after that. Just do it.
Ian. Absolutely. If you’re doing dumb sounding stuff in a session like playing a heavy fuzz guitar in a country song then yes they’re gonna be like man will you put down that Ibanez and grab this tele, plug into this compressor and play some dang G major or go home
I agree with all of what’s said here except one thing you said Scott - just because a P bass (or any bass for that matter) costs $400.00, doesn’t mean it’s “...not a real bass.”...as you stated in the video. For instance, I have an old Fender Jazz bass that was about $400.00 when I bought it used and I would put it up against any bass out there. It sounds that good. Also, Geddy Lee bought his first Fender Jazz Bass for $200.00. That very bass (not modded in any way) is played on Moving Pictures on the track “Tom Sawyer”. I’m sure you’ve heard of that song..... The cost or price of the bass does not determine whether said bass will be great or not. The person playing the bass does.
I think he meant 'not real p bass' as in 'not Fender'. You are right, but the point of the video was to discuss the track record of the fender P bass generally.
I disagree re: cost and price vs. the person playing. I used to play (started out with) an old Ibanez PJ bass that served me well. When I started touring the thing I was getting ragged on by the FOH engineer. I could play but the thing sounded like crap. Ended up getting a Yamaha TRB5II and the first time I plugged it in everyone stopped and you heard the same engineer on the talkback mike asking, “Wait, what was that?!?” The only difference was the bass, and, yes, it did cost an order of magnitude more. I’ve never had anything but compliments from some very picky folks since, so, yeah, I’m convinced there is truth to it also being about the gear and not just my talent.
Love these little snippets. Thank you. And then, there are us Stingray proponents.... never have had an issue with it anywhere. Then again, if the producer said to play XY or Z in order to get a paycheck, then I will play XY or Z. Love the information, cheers!
Maybe it's just a matter of using a single pickup? In a mix my Ray sounds kinda like my P basses but a bit more pronounced and up front, or if I want (because actives are awesome) like a P bass with the tone rolled off but somehow still holding some bite to it. I'm not huge on Stingrays but they are really damn good basses.
Every bass configuration has a sound of it's own and can suit a mix well, but I can't think of a situation where a P-Bass wouldn't fit the bill perfectly.
Right....pisses me off really.... that and the "buy American" snobs. Maybe I want an Australian Boutique guitar instead of the same Fender everyone else has. It blows my mind how stadardized things are in a craft that's about creativity and expression. The more I learn the more I want to stay away from other musicians.
MkxOzB guess what. That Australian boutique guitar is most likely based on an American fender / Gibson / Epiphone for pickups / body or sound. So now what.
@@youthmanrecords420 Who cares? At least it has a cooler name, sweet headstock and will piss off guys that think buying the exact same guitar as everyone else is cool. I'm a Cort fan anyway...They make fenders gibsons and ibanez....That's why they have exclusive rights to that horrid gibson headstock....So Now What Dude....You should really buy a Cort.
Interesting conversation that I can relate to. I’m an amateur musician & have played bass on my own recordings & for friends. I had one recording session in a major professional studio for a friend’s track. I came w/ a Gibson EB-3 bass (Jack Bruce) & had a Hofner violin bass (McCartney) as a backup. The recording engineer came out, looked at my Gibson, shook his head, and said it would not sound right. He went in the back & handed me a P bass. That’s what I played. But I’ve never owned one. I prefer a short scale & a sound which can stand out more if I want.
It just depends on what purpose the bass is serving. If its function is more melodic or chipper, a shorter scale is more appropriate, but sometimes when you want to grip the listener more physically than aurally I think a beefier piece is better for the job. I like my J bass because I feel it's on the lighter sounding side but without sacrificing the heft in its scale length.
Many years ago, my girl friend switched from guitar to bass. We found a used P Bass for a song. It was '84, and she got it for $150(even in the '80's, it was a friggin' score!!!). That was over 25 years ago, and she still plays that as her main axe. Why? All you have to do is plug it in, and you'd know. Big bottom, beautiful high end, clear, clean and great intonation. There's just nothing like 'em.
As an alternative to our fender "P" Basses I recommend the Hofner Beatle Bass to you all. They look like solid bodies but they are Hollow Bodies. They come with quality flatwounds and to my ear when played unplugged they sound most like an actual acoustic bass. Played unplugged hey are louder than any other electric bass and that puts a grin on my face when playing alone. I set the action very high and now it has the feel of my acoustic upright bass as well. I love playing my Hofner Beatle Bass unplugged while in bed at night. It sounds so authentically like my upright bass but it's a lot smaller and lighter and is so easy to play. They are a true Joy to play and own. Even "IF" the Session men are not happy that you have a Hofner Beatle Bass, well ok, just play yours unplugged-acoustically at home on the couch, in a chair in your bed at night. If you like hearing the sound of an acoustic upright Bass then I am absolutely sure you will be very happy that you took my advice and purchased yourself a Hofner Beatle Bass with Flatwounds. Very happy indeed. Bass in a Bed! You can have your bedroom radio on and if you hear something you like you can just reach over to the Hofner leaning against the wall by your bed and pull her into bed and play. Just like that, and it is loud enough to hear over the radio at normal broadcasting listening levels at night. -Peter
my story: I’m now 34, started playing bass at 16. since the start i had several instruments (music mans, warwicks, spectors), but i was never able to settle down with the sound. 3 weeks ago i purchased a japan fgn p bass, and i feel i’m finally arrived.
@@pitchforker3304 you're welcome. I don't know if you're into neo soul, but the bass playing on that album is spectacular. Not in terms of playing super fast things, but it's truly the coolest stuff as they say: ua-cam.com/video/9byIPki4jEc/v-deo.html
"This is the thing", "that was the the transition", "yeah, yeah". I'm glad you guys agree, because us beginners don't know what you're talking about and aren't learning anything. It's just a bunch of insider talk for people who already know what you mean.
To be honest this particular one seems a lot more geared toward people who have a few years under their belt and might be thinking about getting into session work.
Many years ago, my best friend at school (still my best friend) starting learning bass and, because he was a huge Iron Maiden fan at the time, got a Squire P-Bass. As a guitarist I've always found that the sacrifice you make with Squires is of consistent build quality. My first guitar was a Squire and it was horrible, but I've also encountered a handful in my time that were out of the box superb. This P-Bass was one of them. About two years later he sold it to purchase a 6-string Yamaha active bass, and it was the saddest I have ever been over a friend selling a piece of gear. He still uses the Yamaha (he now also has a fretless version of the same bass as his main), but God I miss that P-bass. About fifteen years later a friend wanted to do a metal band and because we lived together and I thought it might be fun, I offered to get a bass and play for him. I was dead set on a P-bass but he insisted that it would need an active five-string, so I ended up relenting and getting that. Predictably, nothing ever came of the project, and now every time I record demos of my own I have to use that stupid five-string, wishing it was a P-bass. Sometimes it literally makes me want to stop recording. There is, however, a happy ending in that I'm a talentless hack who shouldn't be making music anyway.
From what I've seen, it comes down to people who want a bass because of low/mid thump for playing the role of bass in the context of a song vs the more "modern" mindset of people who want to noodle or shred and be more the focus of attention. People who think of bass and think of people like Carol Kaye, James Jamerson, Duck Dunn, vs people who think of bass and think of Jaco or Wooten. My first bass was a 70s Epiphone Newport. Nice bottom heavy tone. Next I had a P Bass. Even more bottom/mid thickness. Then one day some one handed me a Stingray style bass, I plugged into my amp at it's usual settings, and I was like, "where the hell is the bass??" That was when I learned that all basses weren't for me. P Bass has the ideal tone to my ears, but am also like a number of other basses As long as they have a good pickup snugged right up against the neck, with a bridge pickup only there to add highs to the neck pup tone, never to be used by itself. But it seems that's what the "modern" players all want. Basses with less bass and more treble frequencies so they can play out front. To each their own, but if I could only ever have one bass, it would definitely be a P Bass.
Certainly this is entirely genre specific, Bands like Rush, Yes, TOOL, even The Who, and many other groups ARE very Bass-driven and rely on sounds that don't just go thumpity thump in the background....not as ego-stroking bassists who want to be lead guitarists, but as a sonic palate supporting the overall production and arrangement requirements of these groups. certainly Carol Kaye and the players named above had some impact on the recordings of their time, but there were certain limitations of frequency response and dynamic range with Vinyl records as well as broadcasts of the time that required a certain "bass sound" in the mix of the mainstream popular records...and Hit songs were in many cases recorded with predictable session musicians with certain instruments so as to achieve a certain "formula" for the market. One of the most under rated but creative players of his generation was Trevor Bolder, who played some very out-front bass parts with David Bowie as well as Uriah Heep....for years without a P bass (until later in his career) and without playing "lead" guitar on the instrument but really driving the rhythm section with heavy melodic riffs that offered more than just simple bottom end support....then he also could solo like a mother..... Bass has MANY roles....too many to generalize...and everyone has their own opinions of course......and their own preferences for the instruments they prefer to achieve "their" sound.
Guitar Works I should clarify. I became a bass player because of the way Chris Squire played in Yes, and Entwistle played in the Who, and to a lesser extent, Geddy Lee, so you’re preaching to the choir in that respect. I came to appreciate players like Kaye, Dunn, Jamerson, etc., much later on, but I still love Squire and Entwistle for their style and sound. But take note that all bands you mentioned were not light on the Bass frequencies. I specifically mentioned Jaco and Wooten because they have created a new legion of players who are more about a soloing style of playing, not just playing melodically like someone like Squire. Squire played out front, but he played to the song,, not over it, and he *added* treble and crunch to his tone without sacrificing bass frequencies. The modern sound that people chase seems to put the most emphasis on the bridge pickup, often by itself, and to me, shredding around in the upper register, and using only the treble pickup, just makes me wonder why they don’t just take up guitar if they are going to play in the guitar register and with guitar tones. I think it’s all fine and well... to each their own; but for my taste, a P Bass has a great bass sound, and basses like Stingrays, or like J basses played on the bridge pickup, just sound thin and weak.
@@darwinsaye check out some of my band's stuff on youtube..."NAIL' king of fools, bottom feeder, or Superhuman and you will hear all these influences in the bass....currently I only play instruments that i build myself...all have active electronics etc...but i TOTALLY agree with you on the "modern' bass tones..especially some of the metal bands where the guitars are 7-string tuned to a low A and there is practically no room left for the bass to be mixed into the frequency spectrum. all you end up with is some clackety clack that gets covered by the double kick klicking and you can't tell where the guitars end and the bass begins. some of these guys are actually good players but never get properly appreciated because they are not being heard as "BASS" players in the first place. even players like Billy Sheehan never sacrificed their bottom end for the more overdriven top "lead" riffs, tapping etc...by splitting the output in a way that allows the instrument to occupy a wider frequency spectrum...like Squire, just as you said...great presence without sacrificing the bottom end. Joe Bonamassa tells it best in one of his interviews.. basically, ." you have to start with the sound in your HEAD and then express it with the equipment you have at your disposal"l...adding a couple of pedals along the way doesn't hurt, but your signature 'sound" and style comes from within....so regardless of the instrument in your hands, you somehow end up sounding the way you sound because of your personal influence and manipulation of the instrument. and that's true of bassists as well as guitarists or pretty much any decent player...Kenny G will never sound like Clarence Clemens no matter what kind of sax you put in his hands...
I've had a very similar experience. I play in a five-piece group, most often using my Fender USA J-bass. Deciding to purchase a used Fender MIJ '85-87 (serial ID E+3 numbers), I showed up at practice with it. Immediately after running through our first number, each band member enthusiastically appreciated and preferred the sound/tone/presence of the P bass over my J.
When I play with a keyboarder I always hope for "natural" sounds, like rhodes, organ, piano . . . something homegrown ;-) Maybe all the fancy basses don't sound very good to "non bass players".
You make a good point. These guys are killing the bass industry by forcing everyone into one channel and not letting it grow. We should be doing what you guys do with keys sounds. I hope the bass industry grows to let experimenting happen like all other instruments
We need more Rhodes pianos. Some might think that sound is dated, but growing up in the 60's and 70's, that was a cool sound. My 2 cents and I'm back to the nursing home to check my Depends.
A lot of it comes down to taste. Sometimes, I just don't like the sound of a P-bass, to my ears they can sound dull and thuddy, and get lost in the mix. I installed a Seymour Quarter Pound in the back position of my Jazz, and it almost always works. It cuts through the mix and it's not over powering. I've also had pretty good luck with a 4003 and a Music Man with flats.
Wrong! Louis Johnson played a Precision on their debut Brothers Johnson album. Chuck Rainey played extensively a Pbass in the 70s as session player, just look it up.
@@ericburger9334: Please read it again, as it clearly says that they're not "mainly" P bass players. Johnson is widely known for his MusicMan tone and Rainey plays every kind of bass out there. So, no... Not wrong.
Nothing is going to get you a Woody dark p bass tone like the p bass itself. I understand you can get a similar p bass sound with a jazz bass with the front pick up volume knob on 80%. Even with that tone merged with a good Eq pedal you can still hear the brightness and articulation in the jazz bass when mimicking the p bass. The P bass to me is hands down the best Tone of power for any genre for a band. Solo wise it has some capabilities. Most legends play the P Bass because that is the standard tone for the electric bass since the early 1950's plus it's a tone similar to the double bass.
i get a p-bass tone from mine by putting the bridge and bass pickups at 10 with the master tone off completely, the effect is that you get a tone with just the right amount of bass and treble will allow you to get a natural distortion while still sounding muted though i have a pre-amp as well, so shame on me!
Exactly. This video and your facts are something that every player should know. They don't have to own a p bass but they should try one out. I actually thought most players already know all this about the p bass.
@@InfiniteRhombus now imagine if you can fiddle with the eq and preamp with the pbass that's even more bass and you would have to blend the sound so it doesn't distort because the P bass carries a lot of low end. Now on the flip note The Pj bass is almost unbeatable tone rise. And the jazz bass has its own uniqueness
@@dlawlis Might also highly recommend El Ten Eleven's 2008 album release "These Promises Are Being Videotaped" for anyone lacking in a taste for such things.
Session, 1998. Playing an active Tobias Growler. LOVED THAT BASS. Sculpted neck, awesome slap sound. Engineer: "Can't you just go rent a P-bass or even a passive J-bass I can work with?" 20-years-later observation: he was right. (I came to the realization many years ago; as such this is such a great video.)
watching this and wishing my parents had let me keep the the 1962 p-bass I bought from my bass teacher in 2002. My life would have been different I think. But at the same time, it's good that I got the money back, because then I was able to buy my first half-decent amp, which I needed more. It was a 1962 p-bass with some modifications for $700, unbelievable considering today's prices
it's interesting that you begin with the premise, as my experience, in over 40 years as a recording engineer and producer, is that the vast majority of studio session bass players came in with JAZZ basses.
Hello, I know this reply is really late but do you know if jazz basses with flatwounds sound good in a mix? I want to get a Squier Classic Vibe 60s Jazz (i don’t have much money) and would like to put flats on it if I get it. I play rock kinda like The Jam’s style. Okay thanks!
@@untruth8828 bit of a late response but I got a jazz with flats on it. Sounds great in a mix. Just listen to this (not my video but a good example) ua-cam.com/video/WZ95dHUPq_0/v-deo.html
@@untruth8828 look for Joe Osborn stuff. Studio legend on 5th dimension, Carpenters, America, and so many other iconic 60's and 70's recordings. Joe used an early 60's Jazz bass, flatwound strings, and a pick. His sound absolutely kills, and it doesn't hurt that he was a great player as well with very beautiful bass lines. he will convince you that a jazz with flats works just fine.
I started out at age 14 on an arctic white Fender standard P bass. I ended up selling it. Fast forward 25 years and several basses later and I just bought a passive Fender standard P bass in arctic white. It just works.
Are you me? I've got a P-Bass myself since forever. I used Flats on and off. Since 2010 I'm using the same set of LaBella strings exclusively. I literally didn't spend a dime on my bass since then and I'm using it every other day, being active in bands. Every sound check I'm doing is over in a minute or two and engineers love the bass.
What a coincidence. I just finish reading everything I can find on James Jamerson and this very topic appears. Jamerson is known for his P bass with flatwounds and (live) his Ampeg B-15. The sound of Motown. By the way, if one does not know who James Jamerson is, and one is a bass player, do yourself a favor and check him out.
hahaha! I couldn't help but think about that, and couldn't get my mind off of it! (So I ended up replaying the portion of the vid where my mind took its own voyage!)
Agreed! DON’T do it! I knew a bassist who had his entire rig (Yamaha 6-string, SWR amp/cab, cables, effects, etc.) stolen. When we went out to the parking lot, his back window and ALL his gear was gone.
I definitley prefer the Jazz Bass… the variety of sounds you can generate through these 2 pick ups is fantastic. If you play the lower pick up you can get close to a P Bass and the higher one sounds crispy and bright. Love it so much.
Has anyone here ever heard of the hit song "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey (jk)? That was an Ovation Magnum....... Everything about production should be about the end result being it's overall best. Thank you Ross Valory and all you others who just give it your best no matter if it's an Ovation, Peavey, Steinberger, Music Man, Fender, Alembic or a home made plank. No matter what your flavor and spice of choice is.....it's all good if you're good.
I love Fender P & J Basses but several years ago I moved to G&L JB2 and L2000 and the engineers I have worked with have loved the tone of these great basses.
I love the sound of a P Bass. I just hate how they feel. I can make do with one in the short term. But I know the longer I play one the more magnified the issues I have with the neck become. Namely in the open and first positions. If I bought one; it having a J neck would a must.
Love p-bass tone, but my big palms, small length fingers can not get around a P neck. Would have to have a J neck or a luthier put a stingray neck on a P body.
Have you heard of the Fender "cowpoke" Precision Special. Has a J neck plus active PU at bridge, as well as split Pbass PUs. Many believe it to be the best Fender bass design. A Mex made Fender from only a few years in the mid 90s.
I love the look, love the sound of Fenders, but Fender necks just don't fit my hand. I've had several and always sell them. I play Spectors because it's the closest thing to the Guild Pilot neck. I miss the single coil sound! I'm going to get some EMG TWX 40's for that problem.
Id say it just depends on what sound you're going for. Geddy Lee's tone was my fav so i got a jazz bass, but a p-bass is solid. Another thing is ur attack on the strings and ur technique.
That's funny because I hated Geddy's sound with any bass except his Rick 4001. For me, there is no other bass that comes close to having a unique sound than a Rick. It makes me wince to see people holding a P-bass up as the standard because to me it sounds so fucking one-dimensional. I play guitar and back in the band days when a guy walked in with a Rick we knew he had the chops because you have to be confident in your playing. P-bass love is just snobbery and conformist BS.
@@wearetomorrowspast.5617 Never much liked their first album. Maybe you should listen to 2112, Kings, Hemispheres & Permanent Waves. I give Moving Pictures & Signals a pass as well because they are between 30-50% Rick. After that, I'm not really feeling the Rush love anymore.
@@escargotomy I get you, dude. A Farewell to KIngs is my favourite album by any band. But did you know that the bass Geddy plays on the first album is a P. bass. I was so surprised when I found out it wasn't a Rick.
@@wearetomorrowspast.5617 Yeah I didn't know that either. He's always pictured in those early days with that weird looking teardrop bass which I think he said was some made in Japan thing from the late 60's...forget the name. I'm sure some engineer convinced him to use a P-bass. LOL.
Great vid. James Jamerson knew this. I always hear, the P bass "cuts through the mix". Maybe, but that's because, as said here, it sits in its own space in the mix. The touch on the track at the end is what will get you a job playing bass, not slapping, or your musical virtuosity. Wanna be a good bass player? Learn TOUCH and locking in with a drummer. Once heard Vic Wooten say, learn as many ways as you can to play ONE NOTE.
Didn't know what I had! 1st Amp - 1958 (?) B15 "Head" and 1 x 18" (Badged KELLY - didn't fit the clean bit on the Grill Cloth) - £150 - Andy's Guitar shop, Denmark St, London. Only when I went to sell (money for food!) that I found out that it was a B15 "Chopped" (I couldn't see the join). Vintage and Rare said you only really see them in Studios. (it was my gigging amp). Showed me a lovely example. Andy's gave me £50 for it back!
Always played P-Basses till around late 90's . Switched to J-Basses , I get more of my own sound , seems like the tone is more defined . I hate active pickups !
The problem is often that bass players (and most other musicians in general) tend to sit at home and tweak and listen to their setup (bass, strings, amp etc), so that it sounds good on its own. The problem is that musicians often fail to understand that that's not necessarily what also sounds good in the live mix and on the recording in the studio.That's where the P-Bass excels. It just fits in nicely in almost every situation. Since I started playing my P-Bass for over 20 years ago, I have never ever had a complaint about the sound -no matter in what context I was playing. The right weapon for the right job. If you sit at home and perfect that Jaco sound and you play in a AC/DC cover band, then you are doing it wrong :o) Also interesting: ua-cam.com/video/byFsdHYoa-s/v-deo.html
I completely agree with you. Over the years I've tried many many instruments, but if I had to keep only one, it woluld be the Precision. Try a Rick with roundwounds played with a pick in a soft melodic song and see what happens. But a P Bass can sound ok in a Yes song. That doesn't mean every bass player should sound the same, but if you want versatility...
@Donal Finn That would surely be a problem with vocalists, guitarists and everyone else too then. There's this definite tendency to relegate bass players.
I don't know why more bassists don't use flatwounds; they sound awesome, they feel awesome. P bass + flats is my personal favorite combo, and it'll work in _a lot_ of situations.
@@elflakeador09 When I was very young and stupid(and waaaaaaay before the internet) I had a P-bass but I used roundwounds on it instead of flats. I went"huh, thats not the sound I'm wanting" not realizing I could just change the type of strings(again..Young and STUPID) Got rid of the bass and got something else.
@@aeloxton1 They're awesome, aren't they? Sound, feel, and play amazingly. I've had some sets for many years; they only wear out on fretted basses. I got into using flatwounds in 2004 when I was learning jazz guitar from a local teacher. Next thing I knew,I had them on almost all of my guitars and basses. Spread the word and enjoy!👍
Why does Flea play a Stingray? Why did Jaco play a Jazz Bass? Why did Chris Squire play a Rickenbacker? And why is Carol Kaye now using an Ibanez SRX700?
Had the same experience just a few months ago with my 79 USA custom P Bass . The studio engineer was like Ahh the Precision . That's the bass sound I want !
“They loved my playing but didn’t like my sound”
Same mate, but they didn’t like my playing either!
🤣
So, basically, some engineers have such limited abilities that everyone else has to change?
🤣🤣
LOL
@@leemaddison1286 Quite so quite so
This confirms it: I need to practice less and buy more gear 😉
That’s how you improve
When is more gear NOT the answer to improve your playing?
I've been using this philosophy for years, one day I hope to achieve a mediocre level of skill 😂
Could you explain this to my wife please?
@@unfunnydave5485 like to get lllloollloo
I love the concept of "precision bass": one pickup, one tone, one volume... for everything.
That's the beauty of it 👌
like surgical strike
Less is more
Mine has two soap box pickups, volume controls for each pick up and a master tone knob. It's a 2014 fender p-bass blacktop series. It's sounds killer without having to add effects. The only pedal I need, is a Big-muff.
and you keep the volume and tone full blast (wide open) on the bass, and adjust actual volume on the amp.
Short answer: P basses provide a wide background fill sound, taking up a lot of space, yet not intruding and becoming overly prominent in the mix. They’re there ... but not distractingly noticeable.
There. Just saved you 11 minutes.
Thank you
I mean it would have been pretty boring to have a 10 second video saying that, I don't mind hearing the conversations about it.
Dynamics come in to it you don’t have to beat the hell out of the string you can play softly you just have to listen to the music and play within the vibe no matter what bass you have.
@@stephenbarnardbass4029 True but p basses have a very specific sound, even with active pickups and a lot of tonal control you can't really replicate it.
Jaco you’re not betraying the Jbass are you?
My brother is a session guitarist who was in LA now in Nashville and he explained to me that as a session guitarist he has experienced people simply not liking the "look" of his guitar before he would even start playing. He would be tuning it and the engineers would ask him to play something else. He learned early on you just do not bring flashy guitars to recording sessions and you stick with looks that fit the musician or band you are playing for especially if you may be asked to join a stage band.
Over the years my rotation has stripped down to Jazz Bass, P Bass and Stingray. All classics that never look or sound out of place, and can always sit nice in a mix (or just cut through it in the case of the Ray).
How superficial! So much sticking to "boxes".
Yeah when he told that story, I wonder how much was actually the bass versus the perception the engineer and producer had of the bass
@@kingdeedee This is the answer. You don't really need more than the "holy trinity" of basses as you've got all important pickup types and positions covered. Also, it's not a coincidence that all of those three models were designed by the great Leo Fender. He was a genius who just nailed it each time! "Don't fix what isn't broken..."
@@hydraulixx couldn't agree more. I will say I do still enjoy having one or two more "fun" basses in the rotation which changes from time to time. I had an Ibanez BTB I recently sold that scratched that itch but I'm looking to dive into either a bassmods or kiesel custom sometime soon. Such a great time to be a bassist in my opinion
I’m actually a guitar nerd, but deep down, I love bass the most, and learning stuff like this is rad.
Love it ))
It took me over 40+yrs to finally get it: simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
I’ve always used squire p basses since I cannot afford the real thing. And they don’t disappoint at all. New strings and having everything in place makes the magic happen. Great video. Greetings from Mexico.
i've been primarily a guitar player, but over the years i found myself gravitating towards bass more and more. it's a gift that i found your channel man thank you.
Starts at 2:25... I hope this era of several-minute intros goes away sooner than later.
I read this comment at about 2'20"
Did he then try going back to the Lakland but time and time again producers didn't like it? If it was just that one time then I don't get the point of the video, especially when the previous producer loved the Lakland. Maybe that one producer specifically wanted a P Bass but most would be fine with others? It's not like there aren't thousands of hit records made using basses other than a precision.
Stewart Brand exactly. In addition you can dial in a fairly close replica of that pbass or has bass tone on a Lakeland or any of the higher end active basses. You just have to know how to eq it. That said I own 2 p-basses lol. I just like how they feel.
was about to write the same
Scott had similar experience. So it wasn't just a one off.
I was asked to come back and play Bass on our church Worship Team after being out of it for years. I decided to fit my Mexican P-Bass with Rotosound Flats mainly to save my fingers. The sound got great compliments from the other Bass players and the sound guys. Pretty good combination.
I could actually listen to you guys for hours. This kind of in depth knowledge is hypnotizing to me almost regardless of the subject.
P Bass: the SM57 of basses.
I reckon the SM57 is more like the P Bass of Microphones. coz the P Bass came first didn't it?
I'm so upset I didn't think of this. You made my day.
😹
+The Hard Problem ABsolutely. You nailed it here.
The 58 is better
Carol Kaye set the tone for LA studio hits. That's another factor. Producers want to chase that hallowed and authoritative tone of hers that fit so well in the mix. Flatwound strings appear on many more recordings than you'd expect if all you know is music store and garage band basses strung with rounds. She also used to put a piece of foam just in front of the bridge often when she used rounds to dampen sustain and remove the bright edge. Of course, Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, John Entwistle, Mr. Larry Graham all had different ideas and their sounds worked in the mix for the styles of their band. The real lesson is the producer and the engineer will decide what sound they want you to have, not you.
I get your point but Carol used tape over top the strings - not the foam mute under them like you can see videos of cats like Bob Babbit using. She mentions this in several videos here on youtube. It is a minor point to be sure but just a small correction. I had a Precision from that era and Fender would put foam rubber in the bridge cover that sat on the top of the string rather than under like a foam mute - just an fyi for anyone interested.
I watched this video a few years back and then bought a P bass. Having many basses in my stable from moderate priced to high end customs, to my amazement, the P bass ended up being the best in the mix. My whole bad agreed and I ended up exclusively using it on our second album that will be released soon. Thank you for making this video, Scott! I've been a Jazz bass guy for about 3 decades but this thing sits so good between the 2 guitars and drums.
J for the gig, p for the studio B)
It seems like as a bass player you're kind of shoe horned into a very narrow, boring tone, simply because it fits the sound of the band. *sigh* How annoying.
P bass is like a tele. It just works for everything
Not grindcore
Keanu Reeves first off: Teles do metal. Second: stop leaving breathtaking comments.
Keanu Reeves the frontman of the band gojira uses a black telecaster :)
I record metal and I always use telecaster: liberacion.bandcamp.com/album/liberaci-n-ii
@@yewstew8312 ua-cam.com/video/fr8JxggJpW0/v-deo.html
sean hurley is amazing. not only is he a talented player, but one of the coolest musicians i’ve met after a show. i met him in 99 when he was touring with Vertical Horizon. i don’t remember the rest of the band, but he was a class act.
I've played passive P's since 1970. Strung with either LaBella flats or RotoSound RS66's. Used them for ALL types of gigs, all types of music. Live and recorded. Never once has someone said umm your bass tone in the mix isn't fitting in.
There's a reason the Fender Precision has been used in thousands of recordings since it's Inception. It gets the job done period. That thick midrange punch cuts through. Leo created a winner!
Carl Montney
Leo's greatest invention
@@prd004 that's the Musicman Stingray or any of the G&Ls
@Wayne Green nah I didn't get around much. Just 10 years straight road work in every state west of the Mississippi and 4 Canadian provinces. And that's just the "road" gigs. And you?
Carl Montney
32 years and counting of the road for me
Never used Precisions and always had compliments on my tone
tool. mudvayne. megadeath, etc etc etc etc etc. many many recordings done without a p bass. so just stop with this. yeah, back in the olden days that was all there was. times have changed. you p bass fanatics just cant let go of the old tired past
I sometimes get fed up with Scott popping up everywhere on my YT, but got to hand it to him, on a regular basis he pulls it out of the hat. What an interesting video. Good stuff!
I couldn't stop laughing! I had almost the same experience when I started doing session work in New York back in the 80's. I was fresh out of a Rush tribute band, and showed up to the studio with my brand new 4001 Rick, and my Sunn 400 head wit my Ampeg 2X15 cab, and the engineer started rolling his eyes. He even commented about how he was going to have to "fix" the bass track in post. Later, he was cool enough to take me aside, and tell me to PLEASE go buy a Fender P bass. He explained why, and I listened. He also said I needed to study Donald Dunn. I listened to that as well. Best lesson I ever learned.
Eric Marshall I’ll take the Rick anyday.
Well, your example I don't really get as the Rick is quite mid-oriented and punchy, even has less overtones to worry about compared to a Precision. The rig might be indeed better suited for a big stage, but the bass is perfect for recording, live and anything really, as it goes through the mids, isn't it.
This is actually really interesting, thanks for the comment!
As an Engineer, I love the P-Bass. IMHO a 3 piece band sounds great/complete with a great bass player and an original New York Spector Bass. Awesome lows, clean mids, and crisp highs help a 3 piece classic/hard rock band sound very full live. Agreed the P Bass is perfect for about every genre. We all have our own style and ear even as Engineers and I've spent the majority of my time in Live venues. Over 30 years.
This points out something most musicians just can’t get. The most important job of an engineer is to create pockets of space for each instrument, in the mix. Active basses sound really amazing, but that high end “sparkle” totally interferes with guitar, snare, and some vocals. As nice as that sound might be to the player, if it can’t be dropped into the pocket between kick and snare, it will never sound like it really belongs there, and other instruments may suffer terribly. The difference between session players and everyone else is the willingness to do what is best for the project, and leave your personal feelings and preferences at the curb, outside. In fact, why not also be considerate of your band’s sound engineer, and allow him the same opportunity? What if it really does make for a better sound for the whole band?
Tone control. My active bass has no sparkle. Besides if the bass sound is allegedly interfering with the guitar why shouldn't the guitarist change their sound?
@@ian1352, so you're saying it's everyone else's responsibility to make the mix work, but the bass is perfect, and just never change? Playing in a band is team work - lots of give and take. What sounds good to us, as musicians on the stage, may sound like pure garbage to the audience, and/or the sound engineer. Our success in this business truly hinges around being flexible, and listening to suggestions of those who are tasked with the daunting responsibility to move your band up the success ladder.
@@ian1352 You simply don't understand how the instrument fits into the music.
Carey Hoffman it isn’t the engineers daunting responsibility it is everyone’s responsibility. Engineers and and musicians need to both need to work together. Teamwork. You can’t have difficult engineers or musicians. Having said that, I have an active bass. To have my basses covered I would like to have a P bass in my collection. Also, I have done paid studio and live guitar work for people. I usually say what do you want me to play. Style and or gear. I have used every thing to get a guitar sound. I don’t give a shit what they plug me into. Having my own studio helps keep an open mind. At a live guitar gig the engineer said can you use our equipment. I shrugged my shoulders like Pete Davidson and said “ok”. He looked so happy.
@@johnstitt2615 I'm so glad to have your input. The entire takeaway of this video is that, in a session, familiarity is key to everything. If I grab an SM57 for some instrument, it's because I fully understand how it's "color" will affect that instrument. Having tweaked 100s of sessions, using that same mic, I can easily get the sound I want, as it's predictable. Just like the famous tone of a Les Paul, a Fender Strat, or Pearl snare, starting with the right tone at the very start gets the end product completed on time, and on budget.
I completely agree. I had always eschewed buying a P-Bass because, it seems that everyone plays them. I happened to pick one up when someone stopped by a friends house and wanted to sell a Mexican Fender "Brickyard" P-Bass that is equipped with humbuckers. I put flat wounds on it and it has become my favorite bass despite the fact that I have several other, more expensive basses. It just simply sounds great. it is the Motown and classic rock machine.
Once I went to my Ibanez Musician in 1984, the neck of the '72 P Bass felt like a 2x4 in my hand. Became a better bassist overnight. Been with the Ibanez and its passive pickups ever since.
When I was learning, in the early 1970s, I remember reading an interview with Ray Shulman(of Gentle Giant) and he said "I have always been able to get any sound I wanted from a Precision Bass," and I always liked their nicely produced sound. It's always worked well for me, too.
🧡🧡🧡
Thicke was like, I need this to sound more like that Marvin Gaye song, here use this P bass.
haha!
LMAO
Dude as much as I don’t like robin thicke that lawsuit was complete money grabbing bs the songs are barely similar at all you can’t copyright a drum groove or chord changes and it’s a shame some
Dumbfuck jury with no knowledge or real understanding of music set that precedent for music in the future
@@williamallison5222 drum groove and chord changes...you mean the song?..lol
Olando McCall Lol no dude like honestly what’s next is someone going to copy right the blues chord changes or ii-V-I changes or a 4/4 groove with snare on 2 and 4 it’s ridiculous
Just do what Chuck Rainey did during the recording Steely Dan's, Aja.......play with your back turned to the booth and they won't know what bass you're playing!
Lee Sklar has a switch mounted on the body of his Bass called The Producer that does absolutely nothing. It isn't connected to anything. When the Producer says he wants a different sound he flips it, plays and the Producer says "OK, we'll go with that."
@@horowizard hahaha!!!!..... that's hilarious!
He did that so they wouldn't know he was slapping, nothing to do with the bass which was a 1957 Fender Precision, they loved his playing and sound which is why they used him whenever they could.
@@rodneymcintosh1484 He did that only because they didn't want him to slap nothing to do with the bass itself, he used a 57 Fender Precision on all that stuff.
@@G8GT364CI yes, I know. My point being, because they didn't "see" what he was doing, he got away with it!
(1) It stays in tune, and (2) it has a middle-of-the-road tone that old school engineers were more than happy to work with using console EQ and tube compressors.
Just bought my first bass. I chose a Jazz bass because of its flexibility. I have it set for warm low end but like the fact that I have more punchiness if I need it for say heavy rock music. Ironically, the P bass seemed better suited for Jazz than the Jazz bass as it has a naturally warm low end.
It depends on what type of music you are going to play. I use both passive and active basses. A lot of modern metal and even some older metal use active. More classic rock and alternative music use passive. Ether way if you use fingers or pick is also going to make your sound different.
Don't ever - EVER - leave a bass "in the car" - - - Came out of a studio with my P-Bass in hand, to find the car gone (with a 1988 Warwick Fretless 5 String resting in the back seat under a blanket)... A Nightmare that will haunt me until my death
I'm sorry...
But that'll learn ya!!
Our banjo player left a custom made Deering banjo in a branded case on the back seat of of his SUV while he bought cigarettes. When he came out, someone had smashed the window in and left three other banjos and an autoharp in there 😉🤘
Not only that but hot/cold swings aren't good for them.
Nightmare! You might be lucky like me though. I bought that exact same model for £50 off some bloke in a car park.
Be glad you took the P-Bass into the studio, instead of the Warwick. The nightmare that hunts you would even be worse when the P-Bass would have been resting in the back seat.
I'm a J bass player and I love the sounds I can get out of it. When I first bought it I spent months messing around with different tone and pickup volume knob combinations, different strings and different right hand positions to really get a feel for the sounds the instrument was capable of. Plus the smaller neck profile fits my hand better. But I'll never hate on a P bass, some of my favorite bassists use one but it's just not my go-to. I've also gotten some of my favorite bass tones from a buddy's entry level Ibanez bass and one time I got an old Squier bronco bass to sound incredible. Still not sure how I pulled that off but pedals, preamps, compressor settings, and amps and cabs and microphones also make a huge difference in sound. The bass itself is probably the most important but it's also just one part of the equation.
The letter P stands for
Precision Bass by Fender.
THANK YOU!
I'm a guitarist, playing in bands for 55 years. I never heard the term p bass. The guys in this video assume everyone knows that particular slang. What if I said that I play a Fender Cat? What's that, you ask? It's a Fender Jaguar guitar. Not everyone knows every slang term for an instrument.
Now he's a P guy only, not a poo guy
@@2011littleguy Do you know what a PJ bass is? Precision Jazz Bass if you wanted to know
Ah yes, I love my precision bass by fender bass
@@douglaslangley9251 joe dart on the fender bass
My first master recording session was in Los Angeles, for Motown Records, in the late 70s. I ordered a Precision Bass from SIR. They asked: "What kind of strings?" I said: "Roundwound." I plugged in, direct, and during the sound check the engineer said he couldn't get a signal. Luckily, I had brought along a Gibson Ripper which had flat wound strings. We tried it. The engineer got his signal and the problem was solved. The flat-wound strings made all the difference. I play Precision bass, with flatwounds.
this was sorta painfully wordy tho… 6 minutes into it, I still have no idea WHY P basses are preferred. I've determined that the P bass is a mixing/producer's issue, NOT. bassist's issue and better for music where the bass can be an 'ol drab Joe-bass-line sort of bass part in the song. vs intricate, innovative bass lines that require more presence. The kind of music should be addressed for reason a P bass is in any way superior. I'll never have a P bass.
Justin Time it sits better in the mix
it's less of a headache to mix
Yes i feel the same to most of Scott videos. He is an awesome guy and with positivity. But i think he could improve on length of non related issue in his comment. I watched Tim Pierce also and some how the guy can talk so seamlessly yet i got a lot from him, at less duration than Scott's video. Just a constructive critism.
P bass is the bass.
Just get right in there with the drummer and sit in your pocket letting all of the funk seep out like a creeping fog.
Can't do it with anything else.
Jazz pickups are too wiry and thin, no real low mid punch.
Music man are close but give a little too much juice, but are great for heavier or more energetic rhythm sections. (I use a P and MM combo on most of my basses)
Gibson style mudbuckers are as the name suggests.
Sound like a torn speaker cone.
Active barts and their ilk are all too top end focused, all sparkle and no grunt without serious active eq shenanigans.
My ideal bass are my two mains, my modded 90s yamaha bbg5a with Duncan MM and a 5 string P pickup with a duncan 3 band.
Or my sandberg california pm5, traditional P bass look with the MM and P combo and an active 2 band with passive if needed.
Sits in the mix with the kick and snare perfectly, and the actives are there for when that sizzle is needed (in a 3 piece you sometimes have to cover more than pocket funk)
Yeah, Scott is a great musician but I've stopped watching his vids as there's just too much random chit chat that make them drag on way too long. I guess some people like that but it's just not for me.
Nathan East, probably the most recorded bassist ever, plays a Yamaha, and unlike many other players who seem to endorse most brands in turn, I've not seen playing anything other than a Yamaha.
I always wanted a Yamaha bass. Mainly because they make bad ass motorcycles.
Well…. ua-cam.com/video/AcGx6G-9dHU/v-deo.html
I have always preferred P/J as far as pickups. My motto is,"Lemme dial in a little Duck on the P and a little Jaco on the J and I'm good."
In these days of independent musicians, and the ability to forge our own path, building your own sound is essential.
i learned to solder just to install new pickups on my tele to find my own sound. i have a lipstick on the bridge now, and i love it.
In my soul, I am a bass player... but invested way too much time being a guitar player... but yeah,I own a P-bass, and when I play it, it's always the right sound... and IMO, a 5 string is too low. 4 is it. It's about the groove, the music comes first... our egos last.
An Indian woman said i had "an erratic aura". 30 seconds after meeting me. I wasted my time on bass
Excellent, Scott! Just having bought a Glarry fretless P-bass @ $69. delivered, and hearing Sean play those flat wounds, I'm going to order flat wounds today. It's my birthday today, and you brothers just gave me a nice birthday present. Thanks, bro!
Little secret I learned from an engineer when asking which bass to bring. The main reason most will want you to use a P-bass is they already have your track EQ'd and ready for one. Simple as that.
Throwing anything else at them means they would need to adjust. Many engineers cant or wont and you wind up with a crappy or non-existent bass tone if you are paying.
Nah. There's no standard EQ for anything, totally depends on the song and part itself.
@@TheAerovons Regurgitating what I heard from the mouth of an engineer. Yes, I agree that EQ should be situational. Makes perfect sense, rite?
What dude was telling me is that there are a LOT of folks behind sound boards who either don't know how or are not willing to EQ for anything but a P bass. From what dude was saying, the higher up the food chain the worse that gets.
Take that however ye want, but no point arguing it with me. I thought it was stupid when I heard it too.
@@TheMemo659 Thats shame as I’ve taken a liking to the Jbass and would love to hear more of it
@@Zer0TheProdigy My Jbass was my #1 for years. Play what you like. Was just relaying an on topic random bit I was told by an engineer.
My workhorse bass is a P-J bass copy from a cheap DIY kit (I mostly use only the P pickup and blend in a bit of the J bridge when I need a bit more treble or if the bass needs to cut through), and I get compliments on my tone all the time.
I bought it intending to use it as a cheapo that I wouldn't be afraid of modding with all sorts of new gear for a bit of fun, but it works so well with everything I have ever done that I am scared to tinker with it at all.
All of you guys complaining about the "stubbornness of the engineer" need to realize that he was PLAYING THIS BASS IN A SESSION, NOT IN HIS OWN MUSIC. If you are recording someone else's music then IT IS YOUR JOB TO SOUND LIKE THEY WANT. If you were recording your own music, then I can at least understand why people would be irritated if an engineer (even though the engineer probably has better judgement anyways) asked them to play a different bass.
Would the engineer ask the guitarist to play some "standard guitar" using "standard" effects, and tell the vocalist to sing identically to some standard? I can guess that they might if the aim was to produce one of those interchangeable pop tracks.
The engineer can give advice to a band, but if the band is after a particular bass sound of their own then the engineer's job is figure out how to make it work, not tell them to play some generic bass.
@@ian1352 We're not talking about a band though. This is mostly geared towards session players, who are paid to play and sound a certain way. Even the legend Leland said in an interview that his job is to play the sound the producer/artist/engineer want, not that he wants.
I’m a bass player and have played off and in since 1996. I’ve been a member of the TalkBass forum and all that. What I see as a consistent theme with bassists is this whiny, hurt feelings, persecuted complex. It’s pathetic and ignorant.
It’s often stated in bassists circles “less is more” and “keep it simple”. So let’s live it already! If the engineer says to change something, change it. Don’t be such a punk about it.
“Would they ask the guitarist...?”
“Would they ask the vocalist...?”
The answer is YES! I’ve seen it. I’ve been there when it’s happened. I’ve heard guitarists corrected. I’ve heard drummers corrected. I’ve heard singers corrected. Etc.
Want gigs? Be EASY to work with. Humble yourselves and be team players for the benefit of the production. Are you the only one being corrected? Do they never call out the guitarist?
Maybe it’s because the guitarist has his/her shit together. Maybe it’s because you’re the worst sounding player of the group. Humble yourselves and LEARN. Strive to become the best musician in your group.
The FIRST gig I had as bassist for an 8 piece group was going to be in front of hundreds of people. We did a sound check and the first thing the engineer told me was “change your strings”. I didn’t get hurt about it. I changed the strings. Not a single problem after that. Just do it.
Ian. Absolutely. If you’re doing dumb sounding stuff in a session like playing a heavy fuzz guitar in a country song then yes they’re gonna be like man will you put down that Ibanez and grab this tele, plug into this compressor and play some dang G major or go home
@@ian1352 You just don't get it, do you!
Well, they don't. Numerous players get by just fine without a p-bass. In the studio as well.
FIRST 2 MINUTES AN HALF AND HE HASN'T SAID NOTHING YET
"Learn how to pick which bass is appropriate for the song..."
You spoiled that one, tho...
I agree with all of what’s said here except one thing you said Scott - just because a P bass (or any bass for that matter) costs $400.00, doesn’t mean it’s “...not a real bass.”...as you stated in the video.
For instance, I have an old Fender Jazz bass that was about $400.00 when I bought it used and I would put it up against any bass out there. It sounds that good. Also, Geddy Lee bought his first Fender Jazz Bass for $200.00. That very bass (not modded in any way) is played on Moving Pictures on the track “Tom Sawyer”. I’m sure you’ve heard of that song..... The cost or price of the bass does not determine whether said bass will be great or not. The person playing the bass does.
ya gotta keep in mind that 200$ back in 1972 is worth just over a grand now.
I think he meant 'not real p bass' as in 'not Fender'. You are right, but the point of the video was to discuss the track record of the fender P bass generally.
He seems to be referring to whether it was a Fender, not whether it was authentically a bass
I disagree re: cost and price vs. the person playing. I used to play (started out with) an old Ibanez PJ bass that served me well. When I started touring the thing I was getting ragged on by the FOH engineer. I could play but the thing sounded like crap. Ended up getting a Yamaha TRB5II and the first time I plugged it in everyone stopped and you heard the same engineer on the talkback mike asking, “Wait, what was that?!?”
The only difference was the bass, and, yes, it did cost an order of magnitude more. I’ve never had anything but compliments from some very picky folks since, so, yeah, I’m convinced there is truth to it also being about the gear and not just my talent.
I have a Greco precision bass and it is a monsters better than some americans fender made
Love these little snippets. Thank you. And then, there are us Stingray proponents.... never have had an issue with it anywhere. Then again, if the producer said to play XY or Z in order to get a paycheck, then I will play XY or Z. Love the information, cheers!
Maybe it's just a matter of using a single pickup? In a mix my Ray sounds kinda like my P basses but a bit more pronounced and up front, or if I want (because actives are awesome) like a P bass with the tone rolled off but somehow still holding some bite to it.
I'm not huge on Stingrays but they are really damn good basses.
Brock fair enough. I get it. No matter what someone may play, as long as they played their heart out; that's what is important! Cheers!
My first thought; I see as many Music Man basses as the P out in session land. Myself, I do use a Precision. It s warm, and easy. Bless you
It all goes back to MOTOWN with James Jamerson's P bass ,and the way it sat in the mix.
My top ten list of bass guitars
Fender Precision
Fender Jazz
Then everything else
MM Stingray
Rick 4001
MM Stingray is #3 with a bullet...... and then everything else
Fender Precision Bass with 4-string,MAPLE Fret, HOFNER 500/1CT Violin Bass, Rickenbacker 4003 Stereo, G&L Tribute KiloTron & Fallout, L-2000& CLF L-2000, Warwick CORVETTE ROCKBASS 4,GIBSON GRABBER,EPIPHONE EBO.ARE MY FAVORITE BASS,GUITARS.
Every bass configuration has a sound of it's own and can suit a mix well, but I can't think of a situation where a P-Bass wouldn't fit the bill perfectly.
From the "Everything must always sound the same" school of music.
Right....pisses me off really.... that and the "buy American" snobs. Maybe I want an Australian Boutique guitar instead of the same Fender everyone else has. It blows my mind how stadardized things are in a craft that's about creativity and expression. The more I learn the more I want to stay away from other musicians.
MkxOzB guess what. That Australian boutique guitar is most likely based on an American fender / Gibson / Epiphone for pickups / body or sound.
So now what.
@@youthmanrecords420 Who cares? At least it has a cooler name, sweet headstock and will piss off guys that think buying the exact same guitar as everyone else is cool. I'm a Cort fan anyway...They make fenders gibsons and ibanez....That's why they have exclusive rights to that horrid gibson headstock....So Now What Dude....You should really buy a Cort.
@@Unmaleable espltd have one of the sexier bass headstocks ever! I have a 6 one and fuck everyone stares at him and take photos with hahahahahah
A contemporary of mine says "if it's not a Precision I've made my decision"
Interesting conversation that I can relate to. I’m an amateur musician & have played bass on my own recordings & for friends.
I had one recording session in a major professional studio for a friend’s track. I came w/ a Gibson EB-3 bass (Jack Bruce) & had a Hofner violin bass (McCartney) as a backup. The recording engineer came out, looked at my Gibson, shook his head, and said it would not sound right. He went in the back & handed me a P bass. That’s what I played.
But I’ve never owned one. I prefer a short scale & a sound which can stand out more if I want.
It just depends on what purpose the bass is serving. If its function is more melodic or chipper, a shorter scale is more appropriate, but sometimes when you want to grip the listener more physically than aurally I think a beefier piece is better for the job. I like my J bass because I feel it's on the lighter sounding side but without sacrificing the heft in its scale length.
Many years ago, my girl friend switched from guitar to bass. We found a used P Bass for a song. It was '84, and she got it for $150(even in the '80's, it was a friggin' score!!!). That was over 25 years ago, and she still plays that as her main axe. Why? All you have to do is plug it in, and you'd know. Big bottom, beautiful high end, clear, clean and great intonation. There's just nothing like 'em.
As an alternative to our fender "P" Basses I recommend the Hofner Beatle Bass to you all. They look like solid bodies but they are Hollow Bodies. They come with quality flatwounds and to my ear when played unplugged they sound most like an actual acoustic bass. Played unplugged hey are louder than any other electric bass and that puts a grin on my face when playing alone. I set the action very high and now it has the feel of my acoustic upright bass as well.
I love playing my Hofner Beatle Bass unplugged while in bed at night. It sounds so authentically like my upright bass but it's a lot smaller and lighter and is so easy to play. They are a true Joy to play and own. Even "IF" the Session men are not happy that you have a Hofner Beatle Bass, well ok, just play yours unplugged-acoustically at home on the couch, in a chair in your bed at night. If you like hearing the sound of an acoustic upright Bass then I am absolutely sure you will be very happy that you took my advice and purchased yourself a Hofner Beatle Bass with Flatwounds. Very happy indeed. Bass in a Bed! You can have your bedroom radio on and if you hear something you like you can just reach over to the Hofner leaning against the wall by your bed and pull her into bed and play. Just like that, and it is loud enough to hear over the radio at normal broadcasting listening levels at night.
-Peter
Are u getting paid?
Also a very good looking bass
I agree! My German made one is such a cool alternative to the pbass
my story: I’m now 34, started playing bass at 16. since the start i had several instruments (music mans, warwicks, spectors), but i was never able to settle down with the sound. 3 weeks ago i purchased a japan fgn p bass, and i feel i’m finally arrived.
I love the moment at the third minute with two great bassists agreeing about how incredible was Pino Palladino on Voodoo.
Thanks. Guess I'm a noob but didn't know what they were talking about, and I wanted to track it down.
@@pitchforker3304 you're welcome. I don't know if you're into neo soul, but the bass playing on that album is spectacular. Not in terms of playing super fast things, but it's truly the coolest stuff as they say: ua-cam.com/video/9byIPki4jEc/v-deo.html
"This is the thing", "that was the the transition", "yeah, yeah". I'm glad you guys agree, because us beginners don't know what you're talking about and aren't learning anything. It's just a bunch of insider talk for people who already know what you mean.
To be honest this particular one seems a lot more geared toward people who have a few years under their belt and might be thinking about getting into session work.
J bass roll off the b pickup. Next these engineers will be whining about frets.
Many years ago, my best friend at school (still my best friend) starting learning bass and, because he was a huge Iron Maiden fan at the time, got a Squire P-Bass. As a guitarist I've always found that the sacrifice you make with Squires is of consistent build quality. My first guitar was a Squire and it was horrible, but I've also encountered a handful in my time that were out of the box superb. This P-Bass was one of them.
About two years later he sold it to purchase a 6-string Yamaha active bass, and it was the saddest I have ever been over a friend selling a piece of gear. He still uses the Yamaha (he now also has a fretless version of the same bass as his main), but God I miss that P-bass.
About fifteen years later a friend wanted to do a metal band and because we lived together and I thought it might be fun, I offered to get a bass and play for him. I was dead set on a P-bass but he insisted that it would need an active five-string, so I ended up relenting and getting that. Predictably, nothing ever came of the project, and now every time I record demos of my own I have to use that stupid five-string, wishing it was a P-bass. Sometimes it literally makes me want to stop recording.
There is, however, a happy ending in that I'm a talentless hack who shouldn't be making music anyway.
I freakin love this comment
Could always, I dunno, hock the active, pick up a used P-Bass?
From what I've seen, it comes down to people who want a bass because of low/mid thump for playing the role of bass in the context of a song vs the more "modern" mindset of people who want to noodle or shred and be more the focus of attention. People who think of bass and think of people like Carol Kaye, James Jamerson, Duck Dunn, vs people who think of bass and think of Jaco or Wooten. My first bass was a 70s Epiphone Newport. Nice bottom heavy tone. Next I had a P Bass. Even more bottom/mid thickness. Then one day some one handed me a Stingray style bass, I plugged into my amp at it's usual settings, and I was like, "where the hell is the bass??" That was when I learned that all basses weren't for me. P Bass has the ideal tone to my ears, but am also like a number of other basses As long as they have a good pickup snugged right up against the neck, with a bridge pickup only there to add highs to the neck pup tone, never to be used by itself. But it seems that's what the "modern" players all want. Basses with less bass and more treble frequencies so they can play out front. To each their own, but if I could only ever have one bass, it would definitely be a P Bass.
Certainly this is entirely genre specific, Bands like Rush, Yes, TOOL, even The Who, and many other groups ARE very Bass-driven and rely on sounds that don't just go thumpity thump in the background....not as ego-stroking bassists who want to be lead guitarists, but as a sonic palate supporting the overall production and arrangement requirements of these groups. certainly Carol Kaye and the players named above had some impact on the recordings of their time, but there were certain limitations of frequency response and dynamic range with Vinyl records as well as broadcasts of the time that required a certain "bass sound" in the mix of the mainstream popular records...and Hit songs were in many cases recorded with predictable session musicians with certain instruments so as to achieve a certain "formula" for the market. One of the most under rated but creative players of his generation was Trevor Bolder, who played some very out-front bass parts with David Bowie as well as Uriah Heep....for years without a P bass (until later in his career) and without playing "lead" guitar on the instrument but really driving the rhythm section with heavy melodic riffs that offered more than just simple bottom end support....then he also could solo like a mother..... Bass has MANY roles....too many to generalize...and everyone has their own opinions of course......and their own preferences for the instruments they prefer to achieve "their" sound.
Guitar Works I should clarify. I became a bass player because of the way Chris Squire played in Yes, and Entwistle played in the Who, and to a lesser extent, Geddy Lee, so you’re preaching to the choir in that respect. I came to appreciate players like Kaye, Dunn, Jamerson, etc., much later on, but I still love Squire and Entwistle for their style and sound. But take note that all bands you mentioned were not light on the Bass frequencies. I specifically mentioned Jaco and Wooten because they have created a new legion of players who are more about a soloing style of playing, not just playing melodically like someone like Squire. Squire played out front, but he played to the song,, not over it, and he *added* treble and crunch to his tone without sacrificing bass frequencies. The modern sound that people chase seems to put the most emphasis on the bridge pickup, often by itself, and to me, shredding around in the upper register, and using only the treble pickup, just makes me wonder why they don’t just take up guitar if they are going to play in the guitar register and with guitar tones. I think it’s all fine and well... to each their own; but for my taste, a P Bass has a great bass sound, and basses like Stingrays, or like J basses played on the bridge pickup, just sound thin and weak.
@@darwinsaye check out some of my band's stuff on youtube..."NAIL' king of fools, bottom feeder, or Superhuman and you will hear all these influences in the bass....currently I only play instruments that i build myself...all have active electronics etc...but i TOTALLY agree with you on the "modern' bass tones..especially some of the metal bands where the guitars are 7-string tuned to a low A and there is practically no room left for the bass to be mixed into the frequency spectrum. all you end up with is some clackety clack that gets covered by the double kick klicking and you can't tell where the guitars end and the bass begins. some of these guys are actually good players but never get properly appreciated because they are not being heard as "BASS" players in the first place. even players like Billy Sheehan never sacrificed their bottom end for the more overdriven top "lead" riffs, tapping etc...by splitting the output in a way that allows the instrument to occupy a wider frequency spectrum...like Squire, just as you said...great presence without sacrificing the bottom end. Joe Bonamassa tells it best in one of his interviews.. basically, ." you have to start with the sound in your HEAD and then express it with the equipment you have at your disposal"l...adding a couple of pedals along the way doesn't hurt, but your signature 'sound" and style comes from within....so regardless of the instrument in your hands, you somehow end up sounding the way you sound because of your personal influence and manipulation of the instrument. and that's true of bassists as well as guitarists or pretty much any decent player...Kenny G will never sound like Clarence Clemens no matter what kind of sax you put in his hands...
I've had a very similar experience. I play in a five-piece group, most often using my Fender USA J-bass. Deciding to purchase a used Fender MIJ '85-87 (serial ID E+3 numbers), I showed up at practice with it. Immediately after running through our first number, each band member enthusiastically appreciated and preferred the sound/tone/presence of the P bass over my J.
Idk who that guy is, he seems pretty chill and knowledgable though!
I love mine. I can play things on it that I can't on other basses. Despite its single split coil, it's amazingly versatile.
When I play with a keyboarder I always hope for "natural" sounds, like rhodes, organ, piano . . . something homegrown ;-)
Maybe all the fancy basses don't sound very good to "non bass players".
You make a good point. These guys are killing the bass industry by forcing everyone into one channel and not letting it grow.
We should be doing what you guys do with keys sounds.
I hope the bass industry grows to let experimenting happen like all other instruments
@@WorshipShed who is killing the bass industry?
We need more Rhodes pianos. Some might think that sound is dated, but growing up in the 60's and 70's, that was a cool sound. My 2 cents and I'm back to the nursing home to check my Depends.
@@gutbucket260 yes . . . some warm sounds . . . like a rhodes.
@@detlevgebers Listening to Jeff Beck's "Diamond Dust" right now.
A lot of it comes down to taste. Sometimes, I just don't like the sound of a P-bass, to my ears they can sound dull and thuddy, and get lost in the mix. I installed a Seymour Quarter Pound in the back position of my Jazz, and it almost always works. It cuts through the mix and it's not over powering. I've also had pretty good luck with a 4003 and a Music Man with flats.
You only swapped out the bridge in your jazz for the quarter pounder?
Other than "the engineer don't like it" you didn't tell us ANYTHING!
When time is money, producers/engineers prefer user friendly
Marcus Miller
Anthony Jackson
Will Lee
Chuck Rainey
Nathan East
Abe Laboriel
Louis Johnson
Bootsy
Bobby Vega
None of these are mainly P bass players.
Wrong! Louis Johnson played a Precision on their debut Brothers Johnson album. Chuck Rainey played extensively a Pbass in the 70s as session player, just look it up.
@@ericburger9334: Please read it again, as it clearly says that they're not "mainly" P bass players. Johnson is widely known for his MusicMan tone and Rainey plays every kind of bass out there. So, no... Not wrong.
@@ericburger9334 learn to read.
Add John Paul Jones in the list
@@petrosavraam: Not a session legend.
Pure wise. Thanks to the All father Leo Fender for his creation, thanks for thinking in the musicians and engineers needs
Nothing is going to get you a Woody dark p bass tone like the p bass itself. I understand you can get a similar p bass sound with a jazz bass with the front pick up volume knob on 80%. Even with that tone merged with a good Eq pedal you can still hear the brightness and articulation in the jazz bass when mimicking the p bass. The P bass to me is hands down the best Tone of power for any genre for a band. Solo wise it has some capabilities. Most legends play the P Bass because that is the standard tone for the electric bass since the early 1950's plus it's a tone similar to the double bass.
i get a p-bass tone from mine by putting the bridge and bass pickups at 10 with the master tone off completely, the effect is that you get a tone with just the right amount of bass and treble will allow you to get a natural distortion while still sounding muted
though i have a pre-amp as well, so shame on me!
Exactly. This video and your facts are something that every player should know. They don't have to own a p bass but they should try one out. I actually thought most players already know all this about the p bass.
@@InfiniteRhombus now imagine if you can fiddle with the eq and preamp with the pbass that's even more bass and you would have to blend the sound so it doesn't distort because the P bass carries a lot of low end. Now on the flip note The Pj bass is almost unbeatable tone rise. And the jazz bass has its own uniqueness
You'll never see a tapping solo on a P bass with flatwounds. I'm ok with that.
... all the more reason to play one. ;-)
It actually sounds pretty great if you know anything about tone shaping
@@ericwilcoxen2805 I'm a bass player myself and I would rather swallow broken glass than watch a bass tapping solo. YMMV
@@dlawlis yeah me too. But I mean sucks for you I guess.
@@dlawlis Might also highly recommend El Ten Eleven's 2008 album release "These Promises Are Being Videotaped" for anyone lacking in a taste for such things.
Session, 1998. Playing an active Tobias Growler. LOVED THAT BASS. Sculpted neck, awesome slap sound. Engineer: "Can't you just go rent a P-bass or even a passive J-bass I can work with?" 20-years-later observation: he was right. (I came to the realization many years ago; as such this is such a great video.)
watching this and wishing my parents had let me keep the the 1962 p-bass I bought from my bass teacher in 2002. My life would have been different I think. But at the same time, it's good that I got the money back, because then I was able to buy my first half-decent amp, which I needed more. It was a 1962 p-bass with some modifications for $700, unbelievable considering today's prices
Close your eyes and this becomes a video of Lars Ulrich talking about the p bass
This deserves WAY more likes
Okay, this guy reminds me of Lars, lol. No offense
Once you hear it, there's no going back
Not enough "um"s and gum-chewing
Needs more food chewing
I've always preferred Fender Basses
With Ampeg amps
Just such a nice warm tone and you can get pretty dirty too if you want to
Who makes the B15?
Ampeg
Odd title.I know a number of session legends and none of them have ever used P Basses. Probably because they are keyboardists.
I'm not gonna lie, they had us on the first half therr
So they be using P boards, then?
@@andre-michelgoulet6933 touché 😀
And this is relevant because?
@@ziggybass8592 clickbait entrapment and comedic value.
P-Bass is THE sound of bass; classic in every sense. Really depends on the vibe you're going for though.
it's interesting that you begin with the premise, as my experience, in over 40 years as a recording engineer and producer, is that the vast majority of studio session bass players came in with JAZZ basses.
Hello, I know this reply is really late but do you know if jazz basses with flatwounds sound good in a mix? I want to get a Squier Classic Vibe 60s Jazz (i don’t have much money) and would like to put flats on it if I get it. I play rock kinda like The Jam’s style. Okay thanks!
@@untruth8828 bit of a late response but I got a jazz with flats on it. Sounds great in a mix. Just listen to this (not my video but a good example) ua-cam.com/video/WZ95dHUPq_0/v-deo.html
That's what I would've expected, due to their versatility.
It would be interesting to have a p bass with 5 strings and 2 (4) pups?
@@untruth8828 look for Joe Osborn stuff. Studio legend on 5th dimension, Carpenters, America, and so many other iconic 60's and 70's recordings. Joe used an early 60's Jazz bass, flatwound strings, and a pick. His sound absolutely kills, and it doesn't hurt that he was a great player as well with very beautiful bass lines. he will convince you that a jazz with flats works just fine.
What is the difference
I started out at age 14 on an arctic white Fender standard P bass. I ended up selling it. Fast forward 25 years and several basses later and I just bought a passive Fender standard P bass in arctic white. It just works.
Start at 2:23 if you just want the interview
I have a P bass with flats and I don’t want to play anything else.
Good for u
Flats are great. I played with them for a long time.
Nice. Just got some EMG's and D'addario rounds. I need to switch up my string styles I always use the same.
Are you me? I've got a P-Bass myself since forever. I used Flats on and off. Since 2010 I'm using the same set of LaBella strings exclusively. I literally didn't spend a dime on my bass since then and I'm using it every other day, being active in bands. Every sound check I'm doing is over in a minute or two and engineers love the bass.
Same Precision American Special w Rotosound rs88ld nylon tape flats
What a coincidence. I just finish reading everything I can find on James Jamerson and this very topic appears.
Jamerson is known for his P bass with flatwounds and (live) his Ampeg B-15. The sound of Motown.
By the way, if one does not know who James Jamerson is, and one is a bass player, do yourself a favor and check him out.
Jimmy played a double bass and overdubbed with the precision bass in the early days I'm told.
It was fun listening to you! :)
I have a 1990 J Bass Plus, it can be active or passive with the Kubicki preamp. Best of both worlds :)
1:29 Don't leave stuff in the car, remember what happened to the Moollon bass? ;)
hahaha! I couldn't help but think about that, and couldn't get my mind off of it! (So I ended up replaying the portion of the vid where my mind took its own voyage!)
Agreed! DON’T do it! I knew a bassist who had his entire rig (Yamaha 6-string, SWR amp/cab, cables, effects, etc.) stolen. When we went out to the parking lot, his back window and ALL his gear was gone.
I definitley prefer the Jazz Bass… the variety of sounds you can generate through these 2 pick ups is fantastic. If you play the lower pick up you can get close to a P Bass and the higher one sounds crispy and bright. Love it so much.
Michael Keaton has convinced me, I need a P bass.
:D
You better get your eyes checked because that's clearly Ray Romano.
Has anyone here ever heard of the hit song "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey (jk)? That was an Ovation Magnum....... Everything about production should be about the end result being it's overall best. Thank you Ross Valory and all you others who just give it your best no matter if it's an Ovation, Peavey, Steinberger, Music Man, Fender, Alembic or a home made plank. No matter what your flavor and spice of choice is.....it's all good if you're good.
I love Fender P & J Basses but several years ago I moved to G&L JB2 and L2000 and the engineers I have worked with have loved the tone of these great basses.
Holy shit that jam at the end was TIGHT
I love the sound of a P Bass. I just hate how they feel. I can make do with one in the short term. But I know the longer I play one the more magnified the issues I have with the neck become. Namely in the open and first positions. If I bought one; it having a J neck would a must.
Love p-bass tone, but my big palms, small length fingers can not get around a P neck. Would have to have a J neck or a luthier put a stingray neck on a P body.
@@bobrouse8634 My hands are the same way. Hence why I can make do with one for a short time, but wouldn't want to use one all night.
Have you heard of the Fender "cowpoke" Precision Special. Has a J neck plus active PU at bridge, as well as split Pbass PUs. Many believe it to be the best Fender bass design. A Mex made Fender from only a few years in the mid 90s.
I love the look, love the sound of Fenders, but Fender necks just don't fit my hand. I've had several and always sell them. I play Spectors because it's the closest thing to the Guild Pilot neck. I miss the single coil sound! I'm going to get some EMG TWX 40's for that problem.
@@chewbackywooky Got one, love it :)
Id say it just depends on what sound you're going for. Geddy Lee's tone was my fav so i got a jazz bass, but a p-bass is solid. Another thing is ur attack on the strings and ur technique.
That's funny because I hated Geddy's sound with any bass except his Rick 4001. For me, there is no other bass that comes close to having a unique sound than a Rick. It makes me wince to see people holding a P-bass up as the standard because to me it sounds so fucking one-dimensional. I play guitar and back in the band days when a guy walked in with a Rick we knew he had the chops because you have to be confident in your playing. P-bass love is just snobbery and conformist BS.
Give the first Rush album a listen. What bass is Geddy playing?
@@wearetomorrowspast.5617 Never much liked their first album. Maybe you should listen to 2112, Kings, Hemispheres & Permanent Waves. I give Moving Pictures & Signals a pass as well because they are between 30-50% Rick. After that, I'm not really feeling the Rush love anymore.
@@escargotomy I get you, dude. A Farewell to KIngs is my favourite album by any band. But did you know that the bass Geddy plays on the first album is a P. bass.
I was so surprised when I found out it wasn't a Rick.
@@wearetomorrowspast.5617 Yeah I didn't know that either. He's always pictured in those early days with that weird looking teardrop bass which I think he said was some made in Japan thing from the late 60's...forget the name. I'm sure some engineer convinced him to use a P-bass. LOL.
Great vid. James Jamerson knew this. I always hear, the P bass "cuts through the mix". Maybe, but that's because, as said here, it sits in its own space in the mix. The touch on the track at the end is what will get you a job playing bass, not slapping, or your musical virtuosity. Wanna be a good bass player? Learn TOUCH and locking in with a drummer. Once heard Vic Wooten say, learn as many ways as you can to play ONE NOTE.
Didn't know what I had! 1st Amp - 1958 (?) B15 "Head" and 1 x 18" (Badged KELLY - didn't fit the clean bit on the Grill Cloth) - £150 - Andy's Guitar shop, Denmark St, London. Only when I went to sell (money for food!) that I found out that it was a B15 "Chopped" (I couldn't see the join). Vintage and Rare said you only really see them in Studios. (it was my gigging amp). Showed me a lovely example. Andy's gave me £50 for it back!
Always played P-Basses till around late 90's . Switched to J-Basses , I get more of my own sound , seems like the tone is more defined . I hate active pickups !
The problem is often that bass players (and most other musicians in general) tend to sit at home and tweak and listen to their setup (bass, strings, amp etc), so that it sounds good on its own. The problem is that musicians often fail to understand that that's not necessarily what also sounds good in the live mix and on the recording in the studio.That's where the P-Bass excels. It just fits in nicely in almost every situation. Since I started playing my P-Bass for over 20 years ago, I have never ever had a complaint about the sound -no matter in what context I was playing.
The right weapon for the right job. If you sit at home and perfect that Jaco sound and you play in a AC/DC cover band, then you are doing it wrong :o)
Also interesting: ua-cam.com/video/byFsdHYoa-s/v-deo.html
I completely agree with you. Over the years I've tried many many instruments, but if I had to keep only one, it woluld be the Precision. Try a Rick with roundwounds played with a pick in a soft melodic song and see what happens. But a P Bass can sound ok in a Yes song. That doesn't mean every bass player should sound the same, but if you want versatility...
So does everyone use the same guitar, vocals, drums and so on too?
@Donal Finn That would surely be a problem with vocalists, guitarists and everyone else too then. There's this definite tendency to relegate bass players.
I don't know why more bassists don't use flatwounds; they sound awesome, they feel awesome. P bass + flats is my personal favorite combo, and it'll work in _a lot_ of situations.
Agree with you 100%, flats and pbass were made for each other 👌
@@elflakeador09 Couldn't agree more.
I bought 2 sets of flatwounds that were on discount just so that one day i could put them on a pbass.. best investment ever
@@elflakeador09 When I was very young and stupid(and waaaaaaay before the internet) I had a P-bass but I used roundwounds on it instead of flats. I went"huh, thats not the sound I'm wanting" not realizing I could just change the type of strings(again..Young and STUPID) Got rid of the bass and got something else.
@@aeloxton1 They're awesome, aren't they? Sound, feel, and play amazingly. I've had some sets for many years; they only wear out on fretted basses. I got into using flatwounds in 2004 when I was learning jazz guitar from a local teacher. Next thing I knew,I had them on almost all of my guitars and basses. Spread the word and enjoy!👍
Why does Flea play a Stingray?
Why did Jaco play a Jazz Bass?
Why did Chris Squire play a Rickenbacker?
And why is Carol Kaye now using an Ibanez SRX700?
Had the same experience just a few months ago with my 79 USA custom P Bass . The studio engineer was like Ahh the Precision . That's the bass sound I want !