Which p-bass would be the Jedi Grand Master?

[andydye]

Following on from this thread: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/214852-my-p-bass-is-a-jedi-master/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.u...__fromsearch__1[/url] which was about how versatile and 'right' sounding the p-bass is but how this one brand makes a much better p bass than a vintage fender...

I'm curious to know...

If I was looking for a rosewood fingerboard, alder body p-bass, passive, 4 string but without any of the usual Fender foibles (dead spots, neck dive, inconsistent sound, iffy q.a. etc etc) where should I look and what should I try...?

Other requirements...
It must be p-bass shaped!
No relicing - this is something earned not produced in a factory!

Budget would be anywhere between £200 and £2000 to leave the playing field nice & open

[discreet]

Lakland 44-64.

[url="http://www.lakland.com/44-64.htm"]http://www.lakland.com/44-64.htm[/url]

[Graham]

Having tried one recently a G&L SB2 is a stunning piece of kit, there's a USA one at Bass Direct I played it's just superb, has a jazz neck profile but Mark can order you one with a Precsion profile if you wanted that, came to about £1450.00 if you wanted that or the one in the shop was £1300.00

Also, Gareth on here is selling a Tribute (made in Asia - Korea I think) version for £445

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/214823-gl-sb2-tribute/page__p__2192181__hl__sb2__fromsearch__1#entry2192181-USA"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/214823-gl-sb2-tribute/page__p__2192181__hl__sb2__fromsearch__1#entry2192181-USA[/url]

Don't be put off by the lack of tone control, you don't need one on this bass.

[Mr. Foxen]

Try loads of basses, individually. Regardless of manufacturing tolerances, they are made of fundamentally inconsistent material, so the real top cream of the crop bit is going to be down to chance. Good manufacture pushes stuff to the high end of the middle 'goodness' rating, but the exceptionals are luck. Every time I leave my heavily modded cheapy P (chosen for its good acoustic sound) in favour of 'nicer' basses, I laugh when I come back to it because it sounds so good.

[Ou7shined]

G&L L-1000 boom!

[hamfist]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1378124205' post='2195942']
Try loads of basses, individually. Regardless of manufacturing tolerances, they are made of fundamentally inconsistent material, so the real top cream of the crop bit is going to be down to chance. [/quote]

this

[Lozz196]

This Pino Palladino Sig Precision on here at £2000. The best Precision, actually scratch that, the best bass I`ve ever played.

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/216057-usa-fender-custom-shop-pino-palladino-p-bass/

[grunge666]

G&L L2000 - try a tribute series and save a few quid!

[andydye]

[quote name='grunge666' timestamp='1378139885' post='2196192']
G&L L2000 - try a tribute series and save a few quid!
[/quote]

I kinda like g&l, have had 2 usa l2000 basses and sold 'em cos I didn't like the harsh top end out of those pups...

what I want is a passive p that looks like a p but oozes quality unlike a fender...?

[andydye]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1378124162' post='2195938']
Lakland 44-64.
[url="http://www.lakland.com/44-64.htm"]http://www.lakland.com/44-64.htm[/url]
[/quote]

Never tried a passive lakland but I have loved both my 55-02, this is a definite possibility for a soon bass!

[andydye]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1378133916' post='2196108']
This Pino Palladino Sig Precision on here at £2000. The best Precision, actually scratch that, the best bass I`ve ever played.
http://basschat.co.uk/topic/216057-usa-fender-custom-shop-pino-palladino-p-bass/
[/quote]

Yoda!

This is fenders finest!

[LemonCello]

Pino....that's it!

[Beedster]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1378124205' post='2195942']
Try loads of basses, individually. Regardless of manufacturing tolerances, they are made of fundamentally inconsistent material, so the real top cream of the crop bit is going to be down to chance. Good manufacture pushes stuff to the high end of the middle 'goodness' rating, but the exceptionals are luck. Every time I leave my heavily modded cheapy P (chosen for its good acoustic sound) in favour of 'nicer' basses, I laugh when I come back to it because it sounds so good.
[/quote]

+1, my £300 MIJ '62 RI Precision with the addition of a Lindy Fralin PUP is the best I've played or owned, and that puts it at the top of a long and often expensive list. I don't think any one brand or range has the consistent top spot, and often those that should do so, such as the Fender Custom Shop, often disappoint the most. There's a lot of emperor's new clothes in this territory also.

[nottswarwick]

To be fair, not all Fenders feel bad, have dead spots etc...surely.

I've had 3 and one Squire and although they were all different they were/are all nice basses.

Love to try that Pino out though

[basshead56]

I tried an 83 62RI in Fiesta Red with rosewood board (a dream bass as Kim Deal had one in the Pixies) and it was the best I've ever played.
Couldn't afford the ridiculous 'vintage' price the guy wanted but missing it haunts me still!

The second best one I've played is one I still own - a 78 in Siennaburst. Can't find a single thing I don't like about it (other thanit's sitting in my studio back in Ireland). Beautiful tone, lovely weight, great neck profile. a gem!

[LukeFRC]

If you wanna try a good one out for a few hours my JV is a good un - and I'ld love to try your ACG's!

[andydye]

[quote name='basshead56' timestamp='1378263906' post='2197866']
I tried an 83 62RI in Fiesta Red with rosewood board (a dream bass as Kim Deal had one in the Pixies) and it was the best I've ever played.
Couldn't afford the ridiculous 'vintage' price the guy wanted but missing it haunts me still!

The second best one I've played is one I still own - a 78 in Siennaburst. Can't find a single thing I don't like about it (other than it's sitting in my studio back in Ireland). Beautiful tone, lovely weight, great neck profile. a gem!
[/quote]

If you've found 'the one' then hold on to it for sure matey!

I've tried lots of different p-basses and they're all different but for the most part still good-great, what I've yet to find is 'the one' that carries the essence of the p-bass for me, there are too many variants, at the very least there'd have to be one with flats for that motown thang and one with rounds for the picky clank thing but there are variants on those too, rosewood/maple, alder/ash all providing different sounds, pickups, neck profiles, all alter the sound...

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1378274470' post='2197884']
If you wanna try a good one out for a few hours my JV is a good un - and I'ld love to try your ACG's!
[/quote]

I did have a beautiful jv in oly white with rosewood fingerboard that sounded and felt awesome, not sure why I sold it but it was frickin awesome for playing with a pick doing kinda punky stuff...

I'd be happy to meet up to tinker with toys, I can bring an EAD FN212 cab, Crazy 8 cab, LMIII, AI Focus II, a pair of ACG's and an NS NXT4...? Leeds ain't so far away that I couldn't pop for the afternoon one sat/sun sometime?

[Grand Wazoo]

A bloke by the name of Dave Swift for as long as I can remember has been on the search for the ultimate sounding P Bass and recently he stumbled upon one that he reckons is mustard. The bass in question is called Xotic and the model is this one: [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Xotic_XP5_3_tone_sunburst.html"]http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Xotic_XP5_3_tone_sunburst.html[/url] although Dave settled for a Shoreline Gold

[andydye]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1378286425' post='2198046']
A bloke by the name of Dave Swift for as long as I can remember has been on the search for the ultimate sounding P Bass and recently he stumbled upon one that he reckons is mustard. The bass in question is called Xotic and the model is this one: [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Xotic_XP5_3_tone_sunburst.html"]http://www.bassdirec...e_sunburst.html[/url] although Dave settled for a Shoreline Gold


[/quote]

That does look very p-bass while incorporating a lot of modern hardware appointments which will improve balance etc, the proof is obviously very much in the playing and Mr Swift is clearly happy with it!


I may need a trip to Bass Direct to sit and noodle on many p-bass type things...(I'll start with the Manchester Bass Lounge stock though as am going there anyway next week)

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1378289398' post='2198091']

That does look very p-bass while incorporating a lot of modern hardware appointments which will improve balance etc, the proof is obviously very much in the playing and Mr Swift is clearly happy with it!


I may need a trip to Bass Direct to sit and noodle on many p-bass type things...(I'll start with the Manchester Bass Lounge stock though as am going there anyway next week)
[/quote]

Andy, I've actually played Dave's one because I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. I can now see that the reason why it suits him so well is because of the very powerful onboard preamp capable of some serious lows, other than that the weight is perfectly balanced it has very nice thin and sleek neck for a fiver with the only problem perhaps being the outer strings too close to the edge for my liking.

That was 3 weeks ago, then we met again last weekend and I asked him if the honeymoon was over with the Xotic and he said oh no it's perfect for this gig (the jools gig) except that he also mentioned something about the [b]e[/b] and [b]b[/b] strings being too close to the edge, but it's something he can live with it, and so it appears it might be a keeper for him, considering that he goes through a lot of 5 strings P basses in his search for the ultimate one. The Dingwall Super P its still one of his favourite but he is waiting for John East to send him a revised preamp to suits his needs, he explained to me in quick details but..... [i][b]wooooosh[/b][/i] it went all over my head, too complicated

Edited September 4, 2013 by Grand Wazoo

[andydye]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1378293563' post='2198163']
Andy, I've actually played Dave's one because I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. I can now see that the reason why it suits him so well is because of the very powerful onboard preamp capable of some serious lows, other than that the weight is perfectly balanced it has very nice thin and sleek neck for a fiver with the only problem perhaps being the outer strings too close to the edge for my liking.

That was 3 weeks ago, then we met again last weekend and I asked him if the honeymoon was over with the Xotic and he said oh no it's perfect for this gig (the jools gig) except that he also mentioned something about the [b]e[/b] and [b]b[/b] strings being too close to the edge, but it's something he can live with it, and so it appears it might be a keeper for him, considering that he goes through a lot of 5 strings P basses in his search for the ultimate one. The Dingwall Super P its still one of his favourite but he is waiting for John East to send him a revised preamp to suits his needs, he explained to me in quick details but..... [i][b]wooooosh[/b][/i] it went all over my head, too complicated
[/quote]

I love it's looks (I'm a sucker for a nice burst) and all the modern hardware bits (bridge, tuners etc), not sure about having a pre at all I'd need to have a proper noodle as the passive p sound is what makes me want one, simplicity, 2 knobs, no fuss etc...if the xotic was as amazing when in 'passive mode' I'd be very tempted by it I think!

I even like that the headstock isn't too far removed from fenderishness as it just looks right that way!

I hadn't considered a 5 string p as it's not really wht I wanted a p for, I've got my ACG 5'ers for that sort of thing, a p would be for classy thick motown/bluesy/soul type stuff that only a p sounds right for...

oo those strings do look very close to the edge don't they! That's sure to tidy up vibrato technique in a hurry!!

[Grand Wazoo]

Bear in mind Dave uses thomasticks j144 strings flatwounds these are a very light gauge with the g string being 0.43 and the he uses a roundwound low b close to 130 gauge that makes the g string slippery like a eel and the low b slightly bigger . Each to his own I would have a set of .45 to 105 with a 125 low b.
That could the reason why those strings feel like that but if u were to get a four strings one I'm sure there will be plenty of space for a decent strings spacing.

Ps it sounded really nice and organic when in passive mode so I recommend you give one a go

[andydye]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1378296114' post='2198225']
Bear in mind Dave uses thomasticks j144 strings flatwounds these are a very light gauge with the g string being 0.43 and the he uses a roundwound low b close to 130 gauge that makes the g string slippery like a eel and the low b slightly bigger . Each to his own I would have a set of .45 to 105 with a 125 low b.
That could the reason why those strings feel like that but if u were to get a four strings one I'm sure there will be plenty of space for a decent strings spacing.

Ps it sounded really nice and organic when in passive mode so I recommend you give one a go
[/quote]

Wierd string continuity from Dave there! I guess he gets continuity of sound rather than feel, odd compromise though

'sounding really organic when in passive' ticks a few more boxes for me! I'd definitely like to try one at some point!!

[Legion]

Seeing as I'm no longer selling the Pino I would certainly recommend its better quality sibling:
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/214732-mike-lull-p4-7lbs-5oz-of-p/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/214732-mike-lull-p4-7lbs-5oz-of-p/page__fromsearch__1[/url]

[andydye]

[quote name='Legion' timestamp='1378300208' post='2198323']
Seeing as I'm no longer selling the Pino I would certainly recommend its better quality sibling:
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/214732-mike-lull-p4-7lbs-5oz-of-p/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.u...__fromsearch__1[/url]
[/quote]

I've looked at that and it's beautiful looking apart from I really don't like the headstock

You're keeping the lesser quality bass that you much prefer to play as it has an undefinable quality to it yes?

Edited September 4, 2013 by andydye