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P bass alternatives


Callumjord
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Hi guys, I am looking into getting a p style bass to use for soul and Motown covers I do with my band. Wondering if you guys have any suggestions?

In before "get a p bass", I ant to get something that's different and unique but still offer the same sound, generally I find p basses to be very common.

I have been looking into the Yamaha bb424, I assume that someone on here has one? How do they compare to a fender standard p bass? Apart from being nearly half the price?

I have a couple of gigs over the Christmas period coming up and I think I will use the money from them to invest into one, after I have paid the practise space off.

Cheers in advanced

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I think the B424 is about the best bass you can buy for the money. I have the X version which is the same, just a bit flashier -looking.
To my ears it nails the P sound if you want it to - a lot of folk on here disagree as the P pickup is apparently a couple of mm out but it certainly does the job for me.
My only dislike is the feel of the back of the neck which is indicative of basses in that price range, but that's purely personal preference and a very easy fix.

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Hi,

I picked up a reasonably priced second hand BB1025 based only on the on-line reviews and WOW!!! I love the sound. Roll-off the tone a bit and you get a great P-Bass sound. Combine with the bridge pick-up and you get instant focus without loosing the warmth. I guess a BB1024(X) should be similar.

It seems not many come up second hand, however for some reason Yammies are frowned upon, so if one does it will probably be a lot cheaper than new and not that much more expensive than a new BB424.

good luck with the search.

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[quote name='mcc' timestamp='1445632735' post='2893080']
Hi,

I picked up a reasonably priced second hand BB1025 based only on the on-line reviews and WOW!!! I love the sound. Roll-off the tone a bit and you get a great P-Bass sound. Combine with the bridge pick-up and you get instant focus without loosing the warmth. I guess a BB1024(X) should be similar.

It seems not many come up second hand, however for some reason Yammies are frowned upon, so if one does it will probably be a lot cheaper than new and not that much more expensive than a new BB424.

good luck with the search.
[/quote]

Yea I have seen the bb1024, a little bit more than the 424's. It looks like a lot of the Bb range has been discontinued. Seen a lot of 626's (I think that's right) on eBay.

Yea I don't understand why Yamaha gets a bit of a bad rep, I have a Yamaha rbx775 and it slays, perfect for playing heavier stuff and sits just right in the mix

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Lots of basses with humbuckers in the neck/central position will do an approximation of a Precision. But truly, if you want a Motown sound, buy a Precision with Flats......they're common because that's how you nail the tone.

Si

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[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1445632263' post='2893076']
G&L L2000 does a reasonable P bass sound and lots more besides. The Tribute version is a bargain from Thomann at the moment.

Frank.
[/quote]
[quote name='Callumjord' timestamp='1445633784' post='2893088']
Never looked into g&l, must have to have a look
[/quote]

I used to own a Tribute L2000, and I can confirm that the neck pickup does a very convincing Precision imitation. Use passive mode for a vintage Motown sound, active mode for more punky clank.

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Honestly can't go wrong with a 424 and flats and they have a great vintage look about them too.

Have previously owned a 1024 and didn't really see where the extra money got spent so kept the 424 and released some cash by selling the 1024.

The 2024's are on a different planet though. Outstanding instruments by anyone's standards!

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I play a lot of Motown/soul. In the past, I have used a Precision and a Yamaha BB -- they are both great basses and you can't go wrong with either. However, I've been using a 2EQ StingRay for the last year and really enjoying it for live work.

I would say that, whatever bass you choose, the key to the Motown vibe is flatwounds strings, a foam mute, and plucking near the end of the neck (rather than towards the bridge).

I've found that the advantages of the StingRay are that it responds better under my fingers, cuts through on stage better (10-piece band) without being too forward in the mix, and it is sunburst. My Precision is not sunburst.

Having said that, I have a recording session coming up for which I'll use the Precision.

Here is a back-to-back comparison, if anyone is interested:
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVf_5-Y9l94"]https://www.youtube....h?v=dVf_5-Y9l94[/url]

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Don't know how easy they are to come by these days, but I'm still very fond of my Schecter Model T for filling that Precision-like niche. Body has a bit of 'retro' P-bass look, but the neck has more of a Jazz profile. Duncan P-bass pickup in the middle position, and a J-pickup by the bridge. It may be a bit bright-sounding for Motown, but that can be countered by rolling the tone down or - as people are suggesting - popping some flats on it. In any case I've found it very versatile. (Longer ramble about it can be found [url="http://thecrowfrombelow.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/gear-review-2-schecter-model-t/"]here)[/url]

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[quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1445784530' post='2894140']
I was looking for a P bass but no longer since I got a G&L SB-2 in a trade. It's a great bass and there is a Tribute version that may be worth a look.

Very usable and punchy
[/quote]

I've been gigging my US SB-2 in recent weeks and have found that by having the bridge pup volume off and the neck pup volume backed off to about 70% (or thereabouts), I'm very much in vintage P bass territory. :)

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Sandberg Basic VM. Just select the P pickup and it sounds, well, like a P bass. However, you also get the MM style pickup in the bridge position (this makes it sound like a meaty J pickup rather than a 'Ray) for those moments when you want to add some bite to your tone. Quirky styling, but with very good balance, make it something a bit different.

[URL=http://s308.photobucket.com/user/ezbass/media/PB090001.jpg.html][IMG]http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk344/ezbass/PB090001.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

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