ian61

Depends really. You have to work a P bass, they don't sound that great out of the box so to speak... but once you get it then there is nothing like it. I have several playback vids of my tone from various shows/festivals and I sound like Im playing the bridge PU on a Jazz but with with more grunt. I wouldn't swap that tone for anything, but it took a good few years to reach that point.

Yep really great amps but not with the EQ set the way it is that photo. Loose the bass and push the low mids then let the magic begin.

Yep. Superb quirky writing, arrangements and melodies. Great bass playing. Often click the play list and have a playalong.

30 minutes ago, TimR said:

Were you coming along to a band where the arrangements were already sorted? Did they give you charts or a recording of the band playing their versions? 

Yep all sorted and I was simply asked, 'do you know this stuff'. As for "arrangements"? We played everything as per the recording unless there was an obvious vamp where you could have fun.  Back in the 80's there was only ever one version of a tune unlike today when you look online and are bombarded by a thousand different versions. Plus if your all good you can now and again change things in the studio, tho I don't really remember it happening much.

I'll always remember the moment I went playing in pub bands to joining a semi-pro function band. The difference in prep was huge. With horns, two keys and everyone singing backing vox I was terrified of not knowing what I was doing so worked like mad prior to the first rehearsal which for them was a just a refresh before an important event. It was really satisfying playing with guys who were note perfect.

15 hours ago, chris_b said:

Play with guys who don't need to be told

Yep. Nothing irritates more than trying to work with people who are lazy and who haven't put the hrs in at home.  Its up to the BL to make sure everyone has the right versions for them to learn. 

John Taylor

Paul Denman

Mick Karn

Cant see anything surpassing my CV 70 for 250 quid. Its got the thickest 70's neck Ive seen on any repro. 

My goodness only just seen this. It's like he's always been around. Legend.

22 hours ago, Suezee said:

vintage button pressed in

There's ur problem. As the band get louder you need to reduce bass and push mids, almost to the point where it sounds weedy and crap on stage...however out there in the room it'll be punchin thru.

Happened to me. I call it the pop/rock plateau, and the cure for me was to get serious about Jazz/Big band and get out there and play it. It completely upended and improved the way I do bass 100%. Fifteen yrs on and Im a far better, more accomplished player.

Definitely not. I just like playing tunes written by people with talent. If said tunes have pleasing bass lines embedded them it's a bonus and has nothing to do with me being creative. Even adding an extra run here and there would be stretching the point a bit, Im just doing what I've trained for.

On 31/07/2025 at 09:39, BassAdder60 said:

I always felt mine really sounded it’s very best second set onwards ( IE been played loud for around an hour ) 

Yep. Reading ur post reminded me, back in the day you switched it on at sound chk then it would be left on standby until show time which cld be hrs later.. they always sounded better toasty hot. 

Bad move requesting a repair. The guy is clearly a chancer so it'll prob come back with a whole set of different probs. If you did this on credit card you should be good to go.

Great shots of Freddie and that good ole meat and potatoes tone... works with everything, every time. Brilliant.

My 0.2$

I bought a CV 70 SQ P bass for pennies that was literally perfect in everyway and would have kicked that into the grass. The trouble with these so called "Luthiers" is there is no quality control, they don't have to answer to the man above smoking the big Havana so to speak.

Those scratches, tatty frets and markers?..At that price? No way. Whoever sent that badly finished bass out needs to redress the balance asap.  

However don't name him on here yet as it could make him disappear altogether seeing as he's already pushing back.  Better to show him this thread privately so he realises the community is not happy and that bad press moves like wildfire, then give him fair warning, if still no joy only then plaster him all over the place.

The interview above is great and remands me of a recent interview with Ron Wood. How old is he? .. But he's got a ton of old tunes written years ago and he too is itching to get back in the studio. Their decision for me is a no brainer. Life is to be taken, good on them.

10 hours ago, chris_b said:

 

If your Precision has a "dullish" low mid thump you need a different bass. The better Precisions have a lively and resonant low mid thump.

Dead chromes, a light touch straight into the board on a good few recordings disagrees with that statement 100%. My P bass records with a thick gritty tone that studios have found very easy to deal with.

19 minutes ago, peteb said:

They do another take with a P bass and suddenly, everyone is happy.

Been there and the simple truth is its the P basses dullish low mid thump that kinda overloads the board giving the sound guy a ton of signal to play with.

As above. Remember that your also auditioning the band so be confident, pleasant and unassuming but not a shrinking violet. It's a difficult balance but most people just want to work with others who are easy to get on with. As for the notes? Show a bit of spark, attitude in your playing like your really loving it. Make eye contact, show em your fun to be with on stage. Good luck.  

Def not Freddie but could be Stanley, Larry or maybe someone else? Anyway Chuck Rainey played on the original studio recording if that helps at all.

On 18/09/2025 at 10:18, Beer of the Bass said:

Nobody is saying anything should be crushed, destroyed or banned, the thread is literally a question of "I am unsure if I want to do this thing, would you?". Personally I would choose not to, we all have that choice

And in  not doing so you have un-knowingly added yet one more nail in the coffin of free speech and free expression. You, ie humanity  cant have it both ways.

The endlessly offended need to do some careful thinking. There are a million books some may deem offensive, do they all need to be burnt?  And lets not even get started on painterly art and, hard sculpture dripping with the "exploited nude female".

Three pages in and no-one has said these words...."Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". 10cc wrote a fantastic little tune and figured in all innocense it would make sense to try and make it sound black, makes perfect sense to me.

How about UB40?  I dont know if Ali's voice is naturally black sounding or he's putting it on.....but it certainly sounds appropriate and the band and entourage was full of black comrades and great friends. 

Be careful what you wish for cause if we carry on down this path, all art and expression which is wrongly deemed to be be-litteling someone will eventually be crushed. Then what? 

2 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

The one I have trouble with is Brown Sugar. It’s a great song but does it have racist overtones

Its been endlessly debated. Jagger wanted to tell the story of the horror. Yes the lyrics are crude but clever and written as we know by a pair of total Blues nuts who hung out with the best. I suppose being such a great upbeat tune is the weird part, but its art without the awful gratuitous language we hear so often nowdays. I think its a song that cannot be played anymore except by the guy who wrote it, and he wont do it anymore so its effectively gone forever.

There's TV studio footage of them in Germany with Marshall, Hi-Watt BL which seems live and he sounds exactly the same so I would imagine as with many of us he sounds the same whatever he's playing due to his bass, strings, and technique.