Happy Jack Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 (edited) I've been lucky enough to own some great basses and some great rigs. Most of the basses can be found through my sig, if you're interested. At Xmas, while recovering from a broken leg, Si Clifton came round to my place to do a deal. He left with four of my basses and I kept this: [url="http://tinypic.com/a/2jns1/3"]http://tinypic.com/a/2jns1/3[/url] What with me playing mainly 5-strings on stage, in small pubs where headstocks can easily get smashed and valuable basses can get nicked, I've only played this Precision at home at noodling volumes. I don't like owning basses that haven't been gigged (by me!) and an opportunity presented itself for me to play this live on stage at an open-air gig this Saturday (21st May), so I took the Precision along to a full-volume rehearsal on Tuesday, running through an Orange Terror Bass into a Barefaced Midget. It's the first time I've really given it some welly and [size=4][b]WOW![/b][/size] What a bass, what a sound, what a feeling. Given my age, I grew up with the sound of a P-bass in my ears, even if I had no idea that was what I was hearing. Well, now I do, and By God is that a lovely sound or what? Edited May 19, 2011 by Happy Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 P bass is like nothing else, agreed. Thump/welly/aggression all in one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Sadly I have never played a P bass. Something I feel I should rectify Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 [quote name='Blademan_98' post='1237429' date='May 19 2011, 09:15 PM']Sadly I have never played a P bass. Something I feel I should rectify [/quote] they are awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Innit. I decided to crank my '54 Sting last night and my god it sounds good! Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 [quote name='Happy Jack' post='1237396' date='May 19 2011, 08:53 PM'][size=4][b]WOW![/b][/size] What a bass, what a sound, what a feeling. Given my age, I grew up with the sound of a P-bass in my ears, even if I had no idea that was what I was hearing. Well, now I do, and By God is that a lovely sound or what?[/quote] Exactly the same for me. I grew up with the Precision sound, and tried out so many different makes and models of bass, but none were ever quite right. I then got a Precsion, and that was it - suddenly I`d found "my" bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Very nice Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus27 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Personally, I would say that the complete sense to your thread title would be, When you get right down to it ... there are only two basses, a Precision and a Jazz. Currently playing a Precision but I do prefer the articulation and detail of a Jazz. However, if I wanted power, balls and aggresion then it would have to be a Precision. Cracking looking Precision though Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Not for me afraid. I prefer rays (ATM) But you never really get a sense of what a bass is about until you are producing some high volume. A practice with the band always seals/breaks the deal for me. Even at home with considerable volume you don't get a sense of what its adding or missing in terms of sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 [quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1237591' date='May 19 2011, 11:35 PM']Not for me afraid. I prefer rays (ATM) But you never really get a sense of what a bass is about until you are producing some high volume. A practice with the band always seals/breaks the deal for me. Even at home with considerable volume you don't get a sense of what its adding or missing in terms of sound.[/quote] same for me.. a P bass at low volumes is not as good as a P bass loud through a good rig.. comes into its own then.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 [quote name='Linus27' post='1237561' date='May 19 2011, 10:02 PM']When you get right down to it ... there are only two basses, a Precision and a Jazz.[/quote] StingRay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom1946 Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 G&L does it for me, Precision is wasted in a church. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 So Jack, will you be selling the Allevas and Statii then? More seriously, I recently did a recording session with my '63P (on a Northern Soul-cum-Motown type song) and the man on the desk was raving over the sound. They may not have the articulation of Jazzes or the punch of Stingrays but they do sit so well as a rhythm section instrument Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo4652 Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 I have an 08 USA P, a USA G&L L2000 and an ATK 300 and I've been trying to decide which to use, when. At home, through the 75w practice amp, the G&L steals the show with it's richness and depth of tone. But that's when it's on its own, and I wondered whether it would be a bit OTT in a band setting, especially aongside two guitars. I decided to take all 3 to rehearsal and ask the others which they preffered. Through the 160w SWR rehearsal amp running at pretty much full whack, the P bass was universally judged to be the best because it produced the clearest, most defined sound. 2nd choice was the ATK - it can be set up with a full, rich tone without it becoming too phat or intense. 3rd choice, perhaps surprisingly was the G&L. It was considered to be just a bit too loud and full-on in terms of its tone, even when switched to passive and whichever it is of series/parrallel that pulls the bass tone back. I bought the bass because of its chocolaty, full-roasted, old shoe-leather-and-licorice tone and now spend most of my time working out ways to reduce that tone - all a bit daft really. Aongside 2 guitars the G&L can be good at adding to overall volume but can struggle to cut through and be heard clearly. Would I sell the G&L? No - it gives me a lot of pleasure playing it at home, and I'm going to use it for recording. So, in a band setting, I'm with Happy Jack - good ol' P bass through my Roland, with the ATK 300 on standby in the corner. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skychaserhigh Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Forget about all those fancy pants mega expensive boutique basses. Get a Precision or a Jazz and enjoy !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Damn! I really must get a P....anyone want to swap theirs for the Jazz in my sig? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 [quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1237591' date='May 19 2011, 11:35 PM']Not for me afraid. I prefer rays (ATM) But you never really get a sense of what a bass is about until you are producing some high volume. A practice with the band always seals/breaks the deal for me. Even at home with considerable volume you don't get a sense of what its adding or missing in terms of sound.[/quote] More so that you can't tell until it's being played with a full band. On it's own it bears no relation whatsoever to how it'll sound with a bass drum and a guitar fighting it for sonic space. My P always gets through without me having to crank it, this is a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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