Ever been asked for "that classic Precision sound"?

[OutToPlayJazz]

Just a late night thought...

A while back I was chatting to another pro bass player who was saying that every serious session player should have a vintage Precision in their armoury. Now I know some producers ask for a "classic bass sound" and I've had others who've been very happy to let me play what I'm happy playing, but has anyone ever been expected to play a Precision or any other specific bass?

I'm mainly just curious, as I've personally never got along with Precisions. I've tried to find P-love, but after buying and selling three I just find I don't get along with them & don't really like the sound. Now I've got a lot more session work coming in I'm wondering whether I should try again?

[ARGH]

Yep...

And fire back by asking "What era?"

[AM1]

I know I'm only a tadpole but I tried quite a few precisions vs jazzes and couldn't get along with precisions originally. Until a few months later when I tried a few more, now I am pretty much in love with them! The sound is absolutely fantastic, great tone. If you don't like the neck, stick on a jazz neck. The tone through an SVT3 is mind blowing.

[budget bassist]

i want a to give a proper precision a go one day, but if you have some fairly versatile basses (statii... fairly versatile right?), then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to get fairly close.

[yorick]

Yep, just used a Variax bass on the p-bass setting through a POD xt on an SVT set-up... mmm,nice!!!

[DanOwens]

I always get asked for a 'retro' sound in sessions. My Darkstar P is usually my go-to anyway. Tone open for rock, and gradually more closed for anthing else.

I rarely do modern-pop sessions anymore, and for most things I find a P or J is what the producer/songwriter imagines anyway!

Dan

[lozbass]

'Never had a real problem, I find most producers are preoccupied with voice and programming - everything else is a poor second. I've owned a few older and vintage Ps but oddly enough, never really used them for sessions. The Status Series II was a favourite with most producers as it's incredibly easy to record: straight into the desk, quiet, clean and sits in the mix (with just a bit of compression). I once took a Ripper to a pop reggae session and the producer wanted a dub sound...he didn't get it but was happy anyway (see above).

[51m0n]

In reality I think most producers don't know what sounds like what. They just know a P bass does that kind of music (if they are very well versed), they have no idea what else can do the same thing in a mix - why would they?

When they say P, any decent neck pickup (OK best if its either a P or soapbar rather than a jazz pup IME) on a decent bass will cut it, roll off the treble to taste. Then its a question of picking the spot to pluck, for a truer P sound then over that neck pup, but I often find you get a tone that sits in the mix better if you have a bridge pup to pluck over, even when using the neck pup, its that bit tauter and punchier.

Of course getting a producer/engineer to let you go through that couple of combinations rather than just taking a beaten up old P out of a bag is probably the diff between getting called again and not....

[Golchen]

I feel such a newb with this sort of thread. I wouldn't have the faintest idea what a Precision or Jazz sound is???

[The Bass Doc]

[quote name='Golchen' post='467811' date='Apr 20 2009, 08:18 PM']I feel such a newb with this sort of thread. I wouldn't have the faintest idea what a Precision or Jazz sound is???[/quote]

An old-school bassist friend once said he thought a Precision sounded 'woody' and a Jazz sounded 'fruity' - however you have to have owned them to get the idea.

[Marcus]

I've been really blessed with owning some of the nicest precisions and Jazzes around..... eg see Custom Shop Ltd Ed 1958 (1 of 100) in Avatar

You know what ? the best precision sound i've heard is from the neck pup of my sadowsky UV70 with a little bit of treble added for bite !! P tone to die for !!

Edited April 20, 2009 by Marcus

[Pookus]

Fenders are so last year darling Personally I'd go for a 1960's Gibson EB-3

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='51m0n' post='467297' date='Apr 20 2009, 10:55 AM']In reality I think most producers don't know what sounds like what. They just know a P bass does that kind of music (if they are very well versed), they have no idea what else can do the same thing in a mix - why would they?

When they say P, any decent neck pickup (OK best if its either a P or soapbar rather than a jazz pup IME) on a decent bass will cut it, roll off the treble to taste. Then its a question of picking the spot to pluck, for a truer P sound then over that neck pup, but I often find you get a tone that sits in the mix better if you have a bridge pup to pluck over, even when using the neck pup, its that bit tauter and punchier.

Of course getting a producer/engineer to let you go through that couple of combinations rather than just taking a beaten up old P out of a bag is probably the diff between getting called again and not....[/quote]

dunno, there is that P type thump that I really havnt heard in many other basses. A passive bass sounds different to active basses IMO and the P tone does sit in quite a specific place in the mix. I use mine at church cos im aiming for the same place, the deep woody low. When I used my warwick it didnt sit the same, stood out (not in a good way) too much and was too clean and percussive.

I think Outtoplayjazz, if you can afford it a CIJ P bass (with the us pups) would do the trick for not much, my old one i sold sounded amazing straight into a DI. You never know you may grow to like it.
Think of it as a historic version of a status, Like a status is a M16 and the P bass is a flintlock. They both do the same thing, just differently.

[Pookus]

EB-0 [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5iK9rH0Ftc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5iK9rH0Ftc[/url]
EB-3 [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1rigykTXz8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1rigykTXz8[/url]

Check out the vintage tones here!

[OutToPlayJazz]

[quote]I think Outtoplayjazz, if you can afford it a CIJ P bass (with the us pups) would do the trick for not much, my old one i sold sounded amazing straight into a DI. You never know you may grow to like it.
Think of it as a historic version of a status, Like a status is a M16 and the P bass is a flintlock. They both do the same thing, just differently.[/quote]

Thanks, I may look into that. First, I'll see how I go with my lovely Fender/Sadowsky jazz & the Status quintet. Lots of sounds to be had between that lot!

I'm liking the gun analogy here - Does that make a Stingray an AK-47 assault rifle?

[SammyDamacy]

I've found that what sometimes people (I mean none bass players) mean when they ask for that "classic precision sound", what they're really asking is a sound that just sits in the mix, which most producers associate a precision bass with.

When I had the Lakland DJ, that sound was really appreciated, especially on the neck pickup. Must say since I've started using the Status I haven't had a complaint, even from the guy who only believes that a 'real bass' is a 70's fender jazz or a p bass (even if he REALLY hates the look of it, love of god I don't dare flash the LEDs.......)

But back to the OP, I think it is a classic sound, won't argue with that. One I've never liked, but respect all the same. It seems to be a reliable tone.

Never got on with precisions. I personally only like the tone if it's played with a pick through a big dirty ampeg stack

[peteb]

The Precision bass is probably the bass reference tone and I have read of session players saying that many producers always ask for that particular sound

If you read the Guy Pratt book, he says that Gilmore wanted him to play a P bass when he joined Pink Floyd

[Josh]

[quote name='Golchen' post='467811' date='Apr 20 2009, 08:18 PM']I feel such a newb with this sort of thread. I wouldn't have the faintest idea what a Precision or Jazz sound is???[/quote]

And you've been playing how long?

[goingdownslow]

[quote name='Pookus' post='467862' date='Apr 20 2009, 09:19 PM']EB-0 [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5iK9rH0Ftc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5iK9rH0Ftc[/url]
EB-3 [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1rigykTXz8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1rigykTXz8[/url]

Check out the vintage tones here![/quote]

Drool.... they just don't make them like that anymore.

[rslaing]

"Ever been asked for "that classic Precision sound"?

Just buy the Roland VB99 - you can get any sound you want, and tweak it if you need to.

[Josh]

[quote name='rslaing' post='467904' date='Apr 20 2009, 10:37 PM']"Ever been asked for "that classic Precision sound"?

Just buy the Roland VB99 - you can get any sound you want, and tweak it if you need to.[/quote]

Or the more simpler option of just soloing the neck pick up, saves money.

[rslaing]

[quote name='Josh' post='467912' date='Apr 20 2009, 10:46 PM']Or the more simpler option of just soloing the neck pick up, saves money.[/quote]

But doesn't get the exact sound that the people that are paying you want to hear. I hated the idea of modelling units initially, but the VB99 is superb.

Really.

[Josh]

[quote name='rslaing' post='467915' date='Apr 20 2009, 10:49 PM']But doesn't get the exact sound that the people that are paying you want to hear. I hated the idea of modelling units initially, but the VB99 is superb.

Really.[/quote]

They want dull thud, they'll get dull thud .

Edited April 20, 2009 by Josh

[rslaing]

[quote name='Josh' post='467918' date='Apr 20 2009, 10:56 PM']They want dull thud, they'll get dull thud .[/quote]

If that is what they want, and they pay the money, who are we to question them? And if they want an EXACT sound, the VB99 is a great investment for the studio session player who wants to get the requested sound without having to carry a lot of basses around. It also replicates a huge variation of cabs and amps and is a dream for the engineer when all he wants is a good clean D.I. £700 is not a lot of money if you are a pro, good at what you do and can deliver on the spot!

[Josh]

[quote name='rslaing' post='467926' date='Apr 20 2009, 11:03 PM']If that is what they want, and they pay the money, who are we to question them? And if they want an EXACT sound, the VB99 is a great investment for the studio session player who wants to get the requested sound without having to carry a lot of basses around. It also replicates a huge variation of cabs and amps and is a dream for the engineer when all he wants is a good clean D.I. £700 is not a lot of money if you are a pro, good at what you do and can deliver on the spot![/quote]

Noted .

Still, I've had no complaints for just favoring the neck pick up, both my Siggery and MTD deliver a precision tone in spades.