Why do the session legends all use P basses? Here's why.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ธ.ค. 2018
- Ever wondered why so many top session bassists use P basses?
Ever wondered why certain producers and engineers almost flat out refuse to track with anything other than a P bass?
It's weird, right?
Well, in this lesson I've got a very special guest with me... the LA session legend, Sean Hurley. Bassist for the likes of John Mayer, Robin Thicke, Idena Menzell and many, many more.
And you're about to hear his story about the P bass.
About the time when he turned up to the studio with his active 5 string, cut the track... and then was politely told...
"great playing, but errrr... that bass sound... errrr... I'm sure we'll be able to fix it in the mix"
Bass. Players. Nightmare.
Let's be serious.
Any musicians nightmare!
Obviously, check out the video... and find out what happened next, and how it was a defining moment in Sean's career.
As always, see you in the shed...
Scott :)
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“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 ))
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.
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 th-cam.com/video/fr8JxggJpW0/w-d-xo.html
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 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'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.
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
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’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.
It took me over 40+yrs to finally get it: simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
I could actually listen to you guys for hours. This kind of in depth knowledge is hypnotizing to me almost regardless of the subject.
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
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 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.
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!
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 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!
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.
🧡🧡🧡
(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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 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.
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.
It all goes back to MOTOWN with James Jamerson's P bass ,and the way it sat in the mix.
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.
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.
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.
Thanks for the video Scott. Sean is wonderful.
Great conversation lesson learned 🎶🎸
i just love the sound of the bass guitar ( any of them ) i play Yamaha 5 strings and 4 strings too.. also Ibanez 5 strings and i just love them all 😁 God bless you all, keep going Scott great vids!!!
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.
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.
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
It's all about finding the right tone for the song/genre. I definitely believe that having a completely open mind about what the personnel hiring you want out of your playing is essential. If I get asked to do that kind of thing, I definitely ask on the front end what type of overall sound/feel are they looking for. If I happen to not have what they need then I'm always more than willing to play what they want me to to get the sound thats required.
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: th-cam.com/video/9byIPki4jEc/w-d-xo.html
I watched this about 5 months ago. And I've dealt with this also having a custom bass, and this just makes so.much sense, I love fender now. And will be buying a mustang bass very soon!!!!
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.
@@youthmanrecords965 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
"Learn how to pick which bass is appropriate for the song..."
You spoiled that one, tho...
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
Awwsome convo and tips!
Well, they don't. Numerous players get by just fine without a p-bass. In the studio as well.
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
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.
Love the rec at the end!!
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.
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
A contemporary of mine says "if it's not a Precision I've made my decision"
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."
I get happy watching you. Thanks...
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
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…. th-cam.com/video/AcGx6G-9dHU/w-d-xo.html
Fascinating, thanks
Fantastic, how crazy is that. In my early playing years I had 3 Ibanez musician bases, now an active Yamaha 5 string, and yet its that P bass or PJ setup that somehow is just there and feels like butter....
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.
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.
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.
Good information to know...I started on a p-bass...but things shifted and active bass became the thing..I find myself foing back to that passive sound.....great information
FIRST 2 MINUTES AN HALF AND HE HASN'T SAID NOTHING YET
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
Great conversation. I dig what he says about Pino.
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.
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.
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.
Hey Scott! That was a great interview!
35 years playing guitar, only recently started playing bass more. I bought a Gretsch Jetbass and immediately put flats on it and love the sound. I have soundgear Ibanez with rounds for everything else.
Michael Keaton has convinced me, I need a P bass.
:D
You better get your eyes checked because that's clearly Ray Romano.
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?
Nice to see you got the outside studio sorted
I have a 1990 J Bass Plus, it can be active or passive with the Kubicki preamp. Best of both worlds :)
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.
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!
Would be cool to see a vid that compares how the p bass compares to other basses in the same mix. Thanks for the vid.
Great content, Scott!
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?
Other than "the engineer don't like it" you didn't tell us ANYTHING!
When time is money, producers/engineers prefer user friendly
Pure wise. Thanks to the All father Leo Fender for his creation, thanks for thinking in the musicians and engineers needs
Wow, that last session bit with the P bass is fantastic!
That track at the end of the video is just deelish. I actually have two P-Basses, both "Frankenstein-Fenders" that I built from parts: a 1st Gen slab body with tape wounds, and a 2nd Gen contour body with La Bella flats. Gives me all the Precision goodness I'll ever need! I do have a Roscoe LG-3005 for anything else though ...
Roger Sadowsky got started by hot rodding Fender basses for New York session guys. The studio scene in that city was centered on TV and commercials. The studios had one channel set up for bass & every bassist came in and plugged into that channel. If you showed up with something that wasn't a Fender they'd hire another guy.
Bill Wyman in the 60s with his Framus bass was magic .Especially the tone he got on the long version of " Out Of Time " it was and is magic.
Great guys. I loved the humor.
Brought a smile to my face. I think I'm going P-Bass now.
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
Idk who that guy is, he seems pretty chill and knowledgable though!
Love your videos
Thanks for this Scott. From a bass Nerd!
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.
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
Many years ago I asked Myron Dove about active pickups to fix up a Squire bass I had (I'm a guitar player), and he just gave me that look of his and said "Passive pickups and good strings will give you more tone". Every bass I've had since them has stayed passive. I have a Sadowsky preamp I use for direct recording but keep the tones turned down so it's not so scoopy. Lately I've been putting a mic in front of my EA Wiz cabinet. As I learned long ago with guitar, what sounds amazing in isolation rarely sits in a mix well.
Excellent groove near the end from the bass