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Vanheusen77

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Posts posted by Vanheusen77

  1. In my experience the BB P pickup compared to a P bass is quite different. It’s closer to the neck which gives it softer less honky sound, with more lows. The response is very fast, clean and tight. Sometimes I prefer it to a P, sometimes not.

  2. I like the look of them, but I agree the idea of a passive stingray is a bit wierd. Again, I love the purist conceptual part of it, but in reality the sound you hear on Vulfpeck records sounds like it has a massive low frequency eq boost. Same thing with a passive J on the back pickup only. It’s a sound that’s cool in theory but for most practical purposes it’s just not supportive enough without a lot of processing. But what do I know? Jaco didn’t let any of this stop him!

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  3. ”Bite” is, like most adjectives in music very subjective. To me, a P bass with round wounds played in anger (preferably with a pick, but finger style works too) is one of the most aggressive bass sounds there is. A Stingray for example have more treble, but less of those scratchy grinding mids. Same with a J bass. A PJ might be an idea but like you said, it’s better to just buy another bass rather than mod your favourite. A lot is eq actually, so a preamp or eq pedal might do wonders. And of course roundwounds is the way to go. 

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  4. As a huge fan of both his sound and playing… If he would have played a Wal with stainless steel string people would have called that a “classic vintage Motown sound”. From all accounts he was not a gear nerd at all. He just got out there and bought whatever bass that was the most functional and established electric bass that he could find. Another counterfactual: If Sir Paul had not on a whim bought that Hofner, no musician today would even have heard of that brand (and I appreciate the Hofner sound). 

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  5. On 18/01/2024 at 09:45, uhuglue said:

    Hi All,
     

    For those of you own/owned Sandberg basses or have played one, specifically the VM series - how do you compare the build construction, worksmanship and tonal characteristics with the BBP34?

     

    I'm a long-time Sandberg player having owned the TM2 and a couple of VM4s. I am in love the Sandberg neck profile which I feel the most "at home" with and am actually thinking of placing another customer order for one but recently the BBP34 in Vintage White has caught my attention.

    I owned a BB1024x about 12 years back and had it for a couple of years. I remember it being a "p-bass" on steroids and absolutely loved the punchy tone, apart from that my memory of it has been quite hazy. I "think" I remember it being a little on the heavier side, at least compared to the Sandberg basses I own. How does the feel and neck profile of the 1024x compare to the latest top-of-the-line offering?

     

    Your thoughts and opinions will be very much welcomed - should I get the BBP34!?

    I own and have played several BBP and Sandberg California TT basses (active and passive). Build quality is about the same - really good! Maybe slight advantage to the Yamahas for the generally super solid feel. The Yamahas are about the same weight as new Fenders, the Sandbergs are slightly below that I would say. The Sandberg TT’s sound a lot like classic jazz basses to me (especially the passive). The Yamaha BB sounds a bit more “unique”. Whether that is a plus or minus is a matter of taste. The necks are both very comfortable. The Yamaha neck is slightly wider, but not like a P bass. 

     

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  6. I’ve had a lot of passive BB’s. If you are after a Fender then nothing else will satisfy that itch. Personally, I like the Yamahas as much or more. I sometimes think the BB’s get unfairly criticised for not sounding enough like a jazz or P. They have their own great sound and feel! I never felt I needed the active preamp on my passive BB’s.

  7. Looks like the P is starting to look like a winner in this poll (happens quite often in my experience). If you on top of that factor in the Yamaha BB votes that was for P pickup only, it’s starting to look like a landslide. I might have to do a new “P-off” between a BB and the Fender at some point! Thanks everyone!

    • Like 1
  8. I made this video a couple of years ago. Since then I have made better ones, but not with all of these basses at the same time because I have not had them in the same place (some I have sold). The Stingray special is better than the Ray4 for sure, although it’s the same type of sound. 
     

    When I have comparisons between entirely different types of basses I generally play them the way I would on the track. More to get a feel for the different flavours so to speak.
     

    When I have made comparisons between the P pickup of a Yamaha and a P bass, or the PJ sound compared to jazz I have tried to play them the same way since they are within the same category to me.

     

    The fact that votes cannot be changed was by mistake and not intentional. If someone knows how to change this after posting, please let me know!

    • Like 1
  9. If you have a bass you love, play it out on gigs! Otherwise what’s the point unless you are more of a collector? Get insurance if it is expensive. I also play upright, and in that world people routinely play £1k+ instruments on bar gigs. Instruments that are way more fragile and bulky than a Wal or something.
     

    Interesting topic from another angle though… What do you guys look for from the bass itself at home/studio vs live? Personally I value things like reliability and sound that cuts while being easy to manage for front of house. This is probably why I gravitate towards passive P or Yamaha basses, especially live. 

  10. 11 minutes ago, Gramski said:

    It would stop me thinking that if buy the TT or the BBP then it would magically make me a better musician. 

    I have tried the ”cheaper” versions of these and the difference in sound is minimal. Slightly more of a difference in feeling but still not much of a difference. I’m probably not keeping both of these btw which is why I wanted to test them.

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