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I hate my Fender!


phaty
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Make sure it is setup well.
All this talk of P basses sounded poop solo I don't believe should be taken as fact. I've played plenty of very good P basses at home or in stores, but fund them abhorrent in a band.

Your headphone amp however will not being the bass any favOurs. I figure it's giving out an extremely flat and clean sound and with more treble extension you are used to. This can amplify mistakes, or how much buzz there is. Coupled with the pickup and electronics in the Mark Hoppus it doesn't sound pleasant IMO.

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1423957774' post='2691002']
Air needs to be moved. Trousers need to be flapped. Wombs need to be vibrated.
[/quote]

This. Like watching an HD movie on your phone - yes, it's possible, but much more enjoyable through the [i]proper[/i] kit.

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The fact that this particular bass has no tone control may not lend itself particularly well to playing through a headphone amp which may in itself have quite limited tone shaping abilities.
Assuming the long term plan is to get into a band situation though I'd say it's worth sticking with as long as you like the way it feels to play. It's already a lot of bass for a beginner and as someone else has already mentioned it can be an expensive journey in search of 'the one'!

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[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1423996166' post='2691213']


Yep, included a 57, a 66, a 71 and a (my) 78 Precision and the Hoppus beat them all significantly.
[/quote]

I don't mean to disrespect the Hoppus basses, they are good basses I know. But the quarter pounder pickup will always sound much bigger and more impressive than most P Bass pickups when played on its own and that can easily sway people if just hearing the bass going through an amp.

I have friends that swear by them, personally I never liked them in the mix - only as they don't suit my style. And as noted earlier, it's all about the mix. Edit - I'm talking about the quarterpounder pickup, not the Hoppus bass!

Edited by Chiliwailer
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[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1424000899' post='2691300']
I'm saying this from a, i have no idea perspective, but is there a reason why a P Bass sounds bad soloed,? might it be the player, or just the focus in tone of the instrument.?
[/quote]

I think it`s the tone of the instrument - with a flat eq a P Bass is all about the mids, which is why it sits so well in the mix. I wouldn`t say bad, but compared to a Jazz or an active bass set flat it sounds much less refined, coarse maybe the word. Admittedly the Hoppus has a QP, which is less middy, I find them big on lows, and rather metallic sounding on the highs myself, but they`re a big seller, so many like them.

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Basses either have a good or bad sound, so an amp can't really do that much altho
I do believe most people's sound problems are because they are asking the bass to
do something it can't do and therefore they fight the inherrent sound too much.

The tone stack is a series of complimentary choices that enhance and you can't correct
a wrong turn at a later stage in the signal, IMO.. as that just muddles the water.

I tend to prefer pure signal chains for this reason..

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Agree with Jus Lukin, I'd get some sort of amp simulation if you're going to solo a P through headphones. I came across exactly the same thing when I took my P to Bassgear to buy a new cab. They had the PJ headphone amp there and it sounded horrible, way too hi-fi to enjoy playing through (although didn't try it with mp3 backing track in). Made me realise how perfect my old Pandora PX4D is - warms up the tone and means I enjoy playing it solo or along to rhythm tracks when I'm practising with cans.

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I have had several J basses in the past and LOVE the sound when practicing, usually both pickups on full so you get that lovely scooped sound which sound big and smooth when you have headphones on. Playing in the band, that sound gets eaten up and lost, and I usually end up boosting the mids and then depending on the song I lean heavily towards neck or bridge pickups.

I have had a P bass for a coupe of weeks now and when I practice the sound is pretty awkward and clanky and I don't really like it because there is a lot of mids. like other folks have said, those mids are amazing when your in a band and just sound superb.

I don't know why my ears like the scooped sound so much but live it never works for me, bring on the P bass.

Edited by NJE
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[quote name='Jus Lukin' timestamp='1424003882' post='2691356']
Through headphones you lose both the colouration of an amp, plus the 'room shaking' nature of the air vibrating around you.

Having something to get the air moving defeats the point of headphones, but perhaps an amp sim (BDI21?) would give you a more appealing tone, plus give you the ability to tweak the character of the sound a bit more. The 'bigger' sound you'd get can also trick the mind into perceiving the sound 'in the room' a little more, too.
[/quote]

That makes sense to me! Thanks :)

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1423957774' post='2691002']
Playing solo bass through headphones is like having a hand shandy on a bus. No-one does it unless they [i]really [/i]have to.
[/quote]
You speak from expierience?
Mind you,you can only be arrested for one of those actions.........it's time they outlawed headphones.

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The PJB Bighead and headphones are superior at highlighting the inadequacies of the instrument and players capabilities, compared with an amp/speaker in a room at all variables associated with that. Therefore, perservering with the headphone amp will hone your playing to a level where you'll sound cleaner and produce a more even attack. Stick with it and you'll grow to like the tone :)

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When I'm on headphone with my bass, I don't really care about the tone as long as I can hear myself jamming along a track to practice. Most headphone I played my bass on sounds crap.

I know how my bass sounds in band and live mix, so I'm not overly worried about how it sound on the headphone.

What it sounds at home is different then it sound in live anyway lol.

My bass sound best unplugged.

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[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1423957658' post='2691000']
Also:
Rickenbackers have no low end.
Ashdowns are ill-defined and muddy.
Gibson have never made a decent bass.
[/quote]

Totally agree about Ashdowns, they can be very muddy and indistinct, I drove miles to buy one and then drove miles back again without it. Poor miles :lol: :D
I now only use Orange & Trace Elliott. B)

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I suppose I'm lucky in that, when I play in the house, I have the amp turned up quite loud. I don't have to use headphones. It seems to me that headphones is the issue here. I have 3 P basses, and they all sound great on their own. I have 3 J 's too, which all sound great too. It's funny but I can change the sound by turning the little knob things on the front. Try it.

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I've got a PJB Big Head and my Spector sounds ace, even with the sh*tty in-ear cheapo headphones. I can't wait to get a decent set of cans. Plus I can play along to stuff on me laptop and mix levels and that. Have you tried altering the Eq on it? I set everything at noon and adjust at the bass.
I need to play the JV through it and see how it fares.

Edited by Billy Apple
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