P Bass vs Jazz Bass Flatwound string tone test (Bass Chat No:5)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 พ.ย. 2024
- #gavinforbesmusic #pbass #jazzbass #flatwoundstrings
I hope you enjoy this video all about the sound of flatwound strings on jazz and precision basses! Today we look at just how different your fingers, a pick, palm muting, slap and even drive and fuzz pedals sound on both instruments!
Both the Fender jazz bass and Squier P bass in the video are strung up with heavily played in Rotosound Jazz 77 flatwound strings for the best representation of their classic tone.
As well as this, the mixing on the bass tracks was kept to a minimum to give the truest representation of the sounds used.
Other gear in the video:
•Korg Pitchblack tuner pedal
•Boss OD3 overdrive pedal
•GojiraFx Sub Dark fuzz pedal
•Cioks DC7 power supply
•Practical Patch custom cables
•Eden WTDI preamp pedal
Drums are samples in Ableton controlled via the Roland TR8.
Song in the background is my song ‘41Hertz’. To hear the song without me talking over it you can listen hear: • 41 Hertz (Music Video)...
I hope you enjoyed the video! If you did please consider liking and subscribing to see future content!
And if want to rock some GFM tees or hoodies, firstly thank you so much! I really appreciate the support! You can find tees and hoodies available here: gavin-forbes-m...
And for more bass content or to get in touch for bass lessons, please check out my pages on:
Instagram : www.instagram....
Facebook : / gavinforbesmusic
Thank you very much for watching and until next time, keep working on those bass faces!
All music written, performed and recorded by Gavin Forbes.
I own both a P Bass and a J Bass atm, but they're both using roundwound strings.
Overall, I'm very impressed on how much treble the J bass was able retain despite having flats on it. I actually really liked how gritty is still sounded when using a pick and some drive. That's personally super important to me, since I play a bit more aggressively.
Both of them sounded the same to me when using fuzz though, but I think that's just how fuzz is a lot of the time haha.
Great job, man!
Ah nice one, glad you enjoyed it. I too was surprised how much I like a jazz with flats. It’s always the P with flats thing people talk about - but the jazz can be just as cool!
Yeah on video the fuzz was similar, but in person I can confirm that fuzz is usually a little smoother on flats. More synthy. Depends on the fuzz & rig though. But generally that’s how it feels to me.
Thanks again for watching and commenting!
Fantasticly organized and executed presentation! Very helpful. Thank you so much!
Thank you! It took a lot of work to put this video together so I really appreciate you saying that. Hope you enjoy the future videos coming very soon!
Thanks again
Gavin
This is a great video to show the differences. This video def shows how the pbass is mids dominant.
Great video mate.
Thank you! I’m so glad that came across. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thanks
Gavin
Class video. Didn't know how different the 2 types of bass can sound. Looks like I need to get another bass :P
Thanks, appreciate that! Yeah it’s really amazing how different they both sound. I’ve always primarily been a jazz bass guy but it’s hard to argue with the sound of a P bass! Thanks again!
Those are the brightest sounding flats I have ever heard. Quite round like. Try Labellea flats with the tone rolled down to hear a true Flatwood sound. Or listen to James Jameson playing on any Motown hit from the sixties. Good playing.
The Rotosound flats tend to be a little brighter at first, not quite as bright and metallic as their rounds but definitely take longer to get to the desired sound than others. I personally wouldn’t have said they were as brights as the rounds I use when compared to the rounds on my other basses but they definitely are a brighter flat than some others you’re right. Theres a whole video on my channel doing that comparison, this one was purely comparing the vibe of a P Bass and J Bass with flatwounds.
The ones on the jazz bass are now over a year old and have settled to the right flatwound tone that I’m happy with. Although I am actually waiting on la Bella flats arriving so will likely be using them on future videos soon. And I totally agree, Jameson is great! I think all bass players need to study his playing.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Gavin
Nice video bro! Currently wanting to either get a P-Bass or stick to my Jazz Bass and putting flat wounds on them. Still kinda undecided, but I now tend towards getting an additional P-Bass.
Thank you! I Really appreciate it!
Totally understand that predicament, its a big decision choosing whether to add another bass to the rig. But if you do choose to go that route, you won’t be disappointed. Both have their own sound and are great for different things!
And of course it’s easy enough to switch between string types but two basses would mean can keep one set up with each which makes having tonal options easier.
I recently had a similar situation when I added a second jazz bass to the rig. Granted it was 100% due to falling in love with the new squier 54 jazz, But it did meant that I can keep the flats on my other jazz and have two different tones available.
Hope that maybe helps. Would love to hear what you decide to go for!
Thanks again
Gavin
@@gavinforbesmusic5164 Thanks for the detailed answer man! Guess there is too much tonal and haptic options to basses but no single tool that delivers it all at once. E.g. I lately minimized my bass collection to a single Sire Macrus Miller V7 5-string and now regret that I did that. I sold two great basses (a Rickenbacker 4001 and a PRS SE Kestrel - two awesome basses) that I used in different tunings (one EADG and the other in BEAD). I hated switching between them, because of the limited range of notes on each. So my logical conclusion was to get something that does both at the same time and can be played active or passive by the flick of a switch. Don't get me wrong, the Sire Marcus Miller V7 is an awesome instrument for this incredible price and this 5-String really felt as if it was thee solution to all my problems at first. But 6 Months in now, and I miss the tone of the Rickenbacker which is really P-Bass'ish and the general feel of a 4 sting - especially the PRS Kestrel, which is the most incredible bass in terms of haptic that I ever played - it is super light, perfectly and I mean PERFECTLY balanced, so easy to play and has a thick low end like a 70s Fender. But both are "only" passive. I think the sire pretty much covers everything I wanted in a Jazz-Bass, but is very neck heavy. So I think a Sire Marcus Miller P7 (which is a passive/active PJ-Bass) with flat wounds will be a good addition.
But thanks so much again for your feedback and your video! It brought me a lot closer to a decision! I subscribed as a little thank you and be looking forward to more good videos like this!
No problem at all. Wow that’s some set up you been using! I’ve heard nothing but good things about the Sire basses, they really do seem to be great!
I did the same thing before and regretted selling basses, even a bass set up BEAD too!
The P7 looks amazing, I recently looked at the Fretless one and it does look like a fantastic bass, with a great price too! I’m sure you won’t be disappointed sticking with sire basses!
That’s no problem at all, thank you for subscribing (subbed on yours too, hope to see some Sire bass in action! ) and talking in the comments. Appreciate that! Hope all goes well with the bass plans, definitely let me know how you get on!
Many thanks
Gavin
To me I was surprised to hear that the J seemed to be stronger in the lows and the P had more punch in the mids.
Why is that?
I would have expected the opposite 🤔
Good question. All of this will vary slightly with different pick ups etc, but all the clips used the same signal path, settings etc.
My personal take aways are that I like the mid punch of the p bass - is personally one of the things I love about P basses on the rare occasions I play them.
But for me the thick and slightly mid scooped sound of a jazz is my comfort zone. Not perfect for everything, but I like it.
I like the way you have described what you heard though, and have to say I agree. I expected the mid punch of the P but the fullness of a jazz with them was a pleasant surprise. Maybe different brands pick ups would be different though…
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks
Gavin
P bass with flats and a pick 😍
It’s a classic combo! Thanks so much for watching!
I'm assuming the Pbass is wide open. But what about the Jbass? The pups sound very different by themselves, and depending on how you blend them, you can get even more tones out of them.
Hi, yes for this demo I kept things as simple as possible so it’s p bass volume and tone wide open, and the jazz is both pick ups and the tone wide open too.
You are so right, the jazz can do so much more than what was shown here.
I could have done individual pick ups (and may do a different video involving that at some point actually), but for this I wanted the most traditional/ text book J and P tones to show the different vibe of each bass with flats.
Thanks for watching and for commenting. I really appreciate that.
Thanks
Gavin
Made me wanna get a P bass too. Nice tones.
Nice one! Glad to hear that. You running a jazz just now? Thanks for watching!
Yeah I'm not much of a bassist by any stretch, just gotta layer one in when recording, you know.
I've a cheap Jazz which I truly love how it feels to play and would like to keep and upgrade but yeah, some of these tones you played, by comparison, are perhaps more the tones I ultimately want if you get me.
The quest for sounds eh? We all turn a little Cookie Monster on it, cause yeah, now I'm already browsing bay for P Basses that I really don't have the money for right now. :)
Peace, man.
Hey if you enjoy it, that’s all that counts. That’s far more important than anything else, plus the stuff in your tracks sound great!
Yeah modding cheaper instruments in itself can create some great tones, actually something I’m thinking of doing with that P bass. Nothing drastic, but some tweaks here and there to make it mine.
Yeah you’ve nailed it, the quest for tone is an endless pursuit but a really fun one at that. Sorry to be a bad influence hahah
Thanks again, all the best with the pursuit of tone!
Gavin
Cool, man, would love to see how you upgrade it. to my bass elements in general and get it all tighter.
I'm looking forward to hear more of your music too, that tune on that vid was almost similar in style to some tunes I was making there for while so I can really tell I'm gonna dig your stuff for sure.
Keep up the good work, brother. :)
Thanks, I definitely have a video in the works all about the work being done to that bass so hopefully won’t be too long before that one is finished.
Thanks, I though the same with your music, really enjoyed what I heard and can’t wait to hear more!
Thanks you too!
I prefer roundwounds on my basses, even fretless. The difference in tone between the two basses is simply due to pickup placement. Of the two, I'll take the jazz style. I built a bass recently with 3 jazz pickups. I get jazz sounds from the neck and bridge, and p-bass sounds from the middle. There's a volume knob for each and a master tone. so I can really dial it in.
While I do believe the strings make a difference I do also 100% I agree that pick-ups definitely do make a difference. And the placement especially.
That bass you’ve built sounds awesome! Would love to hear that in action!
Thanks for watching and commenting on the video. Sorry for the delayed response. I didn’t get any alert about this comment and have only just seen it now.
Thanks again
Gavin
Always preferred a jazz. I can get any tone I want from a jazz.
Same here, do love the sound of a P bass but jazz basses are the go to bass for me 90% of the time. So versatile, and doesn’t hurt that they look so cool!
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Gavin
is that a Squier P bass Affinity Series? I tend to prefer (and play) Jazz basses... but this P has something that makes it sounds killer! Maybe the Rotosound flats are a good combination with this P! Really like it!
Anyway, good and useful video:)
Yeah it is a very old affinity that I picked up a few months back as a project but honestly the only thing I’ve done to it is add the flatwounds adjust the playability slightly to suit the flats.
But honestly i really like the tone, might try some other pick ups in the future but tbh I’m happy with it as is. I love that so many affordable basses can play and sound great these days and give everyone access to fun instruments.
Thank you very much for this comment, I really appreciate it!
Love the video Gavin. I have two questions, what were the BOSS OD3 settings used on the precision? Why Rotosound as opposed to other leading brands?
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed it!
If I remember right, my go to setting for the OD3 is with the tone about 3 or 4 o’clock roughly. Gain is pretty high but not completely up full, again probably about 3 o’clock maximum. And volume set to level out with the clean tone. Hope that helps.
As for strings, I like the brightness that their round sounds have, and their flats are very affordable compared with others. But I will say they are very rough to the touch, even the flats have an edge and a brightness at first that most don’t have. And over time I’ve just got used to them.
But before that I used D’addario and Ernie balls which were good too. And I recently decided to try out some la Bella flats and rounds so will be keeping the channel updated with how I get on with those.
Thank you for watching and commenting, I really appreciate that.
Many thanks
Gavin
@@gavinforbesmusic5164 Thanks for the info, much appreciated. Just starting to play bass so your channel is very helpful and informative. BTW do you have a website?
@@geoorobo1549 your welcome. That’s great, I hope you are enjoying playing this great instrument! I’m so glad to hear you are enjoying my videos and find them useful.
I don’t currently have a website but that is very much in the works currently, so I will keep the channel updated once it goes live.
Until then though you can find me here or on Instagram as Gavin Forbes Music for short form practice tips and exercises.
Plus for any other enquiries you can get in touch via email at: gavinforbesmusic@yahoo.com
Thank you again for commenting and watching, I really appreciate it.
Many thanks
Gavin Forbes
As a bassist myself, here's my take on the sound of each bass. The p-bass has a kind of growl to it that's hard to describe without hearing it. The j-bass has a kinda zingy sound to it that almost sounds a little bit cartoony. Great video nonetheless.
That’s a very good analysis of the sounds. That scooped mid on the jazz definitely gives a very different sound to the P bass and I really like the way you’ve put that there!
Thanks for very much for watching and commenting on the video. Sorry for the delayed response. I didn’t get any alert about this comment and have only just seen it now.
Thanks again
Gavin
How stiff is that Rotosound set?
Not super stiff but definitely not low tension. The thing for me that’s different with these flats is the fact they still have a touch of that rotosound brightness and rough feel that their rounds have. Also I’m so sorry for the delayed response, I got no alert about this comment and have only just seen it. Hope that explanation of the strings helps.
The good news is as well that they are relatively cheap compared to others (at least here in the U.K. that is) so not as bad an expense if you want to try them.
Thanks for your comment and for watching. I really appreciate it.
Thanks Gavin
The P bass is way better sounding, on all the different applications.
Yeah I do agree it sounds good. As much as I love jazz basses, have to admit a P bass just does everything perfectly and always fits perfectly into any musical scenario. Guess that’s why it’s the ultimate tool for session bassists.
@@gavinforbesmusic5164 I still have the 1959 fender precision I bought new when I was 20. 5 years ago I bought a Fender Jazz (crafted in China). Modern player 4 rows of humbuckers. It sustains for 1 minute. Great action.
Wow that is awesome! That 59 Precision must be an absolute beauty to play! That’s cool to hear about the modern player, never tried one but always thought they looked really cool. And if it has sustain like that maybe I do need to try one!
Thanks for sharing that, love hearing about other bassists rigs, especially when it’s got such cool basses as that!