diskwave

This is how to do it...no razzamatazz like some others I could mention just good solid instruction......guys a gem, I've learned a lot recently from his site.

Maybe its all to do with what you know. I do still get a massive kick out of playing along to a play list of golden oldies, maybe its cause I did a lot of summer shows years ago so its what I know...But it's interesting to hear various perspectives on what playing an instrument means.

I'm really surprised by the number of posts here saying that the instrument is a means to an end etc and not there just for the sheer love of playing it. In order to try and stay sane I'll click on a 70's/80's pop compilation, wander over to the back window stare at the garden and let it rip.....after an hour I probably feel as satisfied and knackered as a jogger does after a blast across the park and back. Feels good and weirdly cause work has dried up a bit my stamina seems better, I really feel like I'm playing the best I ever have.

I don't have a theory its fact. The more the gear boosts the mid range the more ur gonna sound like Jaco. Ok I'll put it another way. Ur twin active bass cuts thru the stage like a buzz saw/lead instrument and one would imagine that's why you play it...I guess ur not someone who wants to sit quietly underneath the band.

The Jaco tone is any bass tone that emphasises due to very short string travel, ie down by the bridge, the high mid to low mid spectrum with very little high bass and low bass. So the complete opposite of the solo Jazz/Rick front PU and to some extent the P bass sound. And yes we hear it all time in high output twin pu active boutique basses where the active bit kind of allows that tone away from the bridge.

Fair do's and u wont find many if any on the cruiser/pit scene...All I said was that I thought quite a lot of bassists at some point might enjoy playing a P bass...Just curious what do u play?

ha ha...but seriously do it but you'll prob find it weird. First thing is it'll sound rubbish in ur room noodling...kinda dry and dull sounding....but take it to a room full of people chatting and shouting and you'll see what were on about....perfect. 🎶

Its ok...how many times have us olduns heard that....you'll come around, everyone does..it's an inescapable fact everyone ends up playing a P bass at some point.....peace.👍

Yes sorry all went off piste a bit, anyway. The one for me would be the lightweight 66 P I played a few years ago...scuffed to hell and back but the sweetest bass Id ever picked up and way too much money, wonder who owns it now.

Cheers. Yes Indonesian, brand new this week Its a bit of story actually. When I was 16 bk in 76 there was a punkyish band playing locally and the bassist who I got to know played a mid seventies walnut P bass just like this so Im kind of re-visiting the past in some ways, always loved the look.........Its a bit shiny and smooth but feels as good as any of the vintage P's Ive had.

Think I'll leave it there...cheers.

I said robust debate not...well..ummm.. right. Jamerson. The softish typical hit parade P bass tone. JJ Burnel. Thats the Squire clank! Pino. If Jaco slid up and down a fretless neck thats how he'd sound Im old so dont know about the Tim guy And Freddie plays a P bass with rounds so he slaps and plays fingerstyle. I dont think the audience can really here the difference between the P bass slapped and Marcus Millers J bass slapped.

Musicman is just a Jaco tone But fair point forgot about the Hof hollow body spectrum, ok so thats four basic tones. All in the fingers?...I never said that...

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I said three with variations, you appear to be saying there are a myriad of exciting new bass tones that we haven't heard yet. Well if you think the trebly twangy Primus tone is a good bass tone then we are on very different pages it seems.

Blimey Ive been down this rabbit hole a million times. What is bass? What is its purpose? If you want ur bass to sound like a lead guitar and neglect the purpose of the job then I suppose sadly new music has basically decided that bass is no longer an instrument that is required....almost like shooting one self in the foot because of the need to be different. Sounds like a rather sad state of affairs.

Honestly I really am a nice guy but I do enjoy robust debate. Primus?. What bass, hes playing it as a lead instrument....come off it r u serious? MM?....hes slapping it which is nothing new, we were doing that 40 years ago Janek?. Thats just Jaco with a variation. The other band is just a bassless noise...sorry

Nope been at it a long time and Ive just bought another bass so Im def not a troll.....But when I see young players today fretting over "their tone" I have to have a chortle...cause its all been done, there is no "new bass tone"....How can there be. We've had the bridge PU punch of Jaco, Bernie Edwards, John Taylor and John Patitucci, the synth bass of Jan Hammer with the clank of Geddy and Squire and the smooth woody P tone on a million top ten hits....Guess if you have a new tone we havent heard before then maybe we ought to be all ears.

I think most here are missing the point. There are basically with some subtle variations three bass tones. Jaco, Squire and everyone else. The Jaco tone is used by cruisers, pit guys and jazzers across the board with subtle variations. The Squire "clank" and variations is used by Punks, Metal heads etc etc And the rest which is a soft P bassy type of tone by just about everybody else. There are no other radically different tones from those listed...unless you use a flanger reverb, or whah peddle all the time.

Compared to the Mex P I had years ago and even my current VM P which is nice its light and day...just noticed the body edges and arm cut are completely smoothed over as all American Fenders are/were....it all adds the feel of quality...not super light at 8.6 Ibs but I cant put it down the neck is kind of slick and comfy.....Anyway, just felt it needed a shout out. If the American Fenders are better, what ever that means then so be it...its definitely not worth the extra £1000 to me, no way.

Been playing drums for a few years and spent a lot on good cymbals which Covid has messed with big time so sold them and bought a sweet Classic Vibe Squire P bass for home noodling. How do they do it for the money...incredible workmanship and sounds, well, like a P bass. There's no doubt about it the balance of power is moving away from Fender, this thing is crazy good easily as good if not better than any Fender I've owned over the years and I've had a few. Surprised Fender allows it really.

Another great comment. I think about all the different rigs and basses I've played and its always the same responses from band mates...."sounds good man" and "nice groove mate".....I have never had anyone on stage or off stage say..."bass sounds crap, old fruit".

This in spades. Probably the most enlightening paragraph ever written on BC. Id even go so far as saying don't let anyone tell you you need a fancy rig or bass....but definitely do listen to the guy who says you need to work on ur technique and practise more.

Yes ok a bit of an exaggeration, of course a jazz bridge PU sounds different to a J neck PU or Tele bass PU. I meant in general. Out front most basses do sound very similiar.