NancyJohnson Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Yesterday I was doing some basic tracking...I tend to record: bass>Sansamp BDDI>Boss BR-600 eight-track and then my bass stuff gets circulated, guitars arrive, we mix in Audition and so on. My Thunderbird is pretty shagged at the moment; a couple of very sweaty midweek rehearsals has resulted in dead strings and it just felt [i]icky[/i], so I used an Aria ProII Primary bass; effectively a 1978 Precision copy out of the Matsumoko factory. Aside from the machine heads, it's 100% stock and this is what came out: [media]http://www.chevril.com/nancyjohnson/media/july2012/12%20-%20New%20Big%20Thing.mp3[/media] This is straight no-frills playing with a pick, it's just the early stage of a song (no vocals), all downstrokes, but dammit, I may well leave my part as it is I'm so pleased with the tone. I'm not looking for criticism or anything, I just wanted to blow my own trumpet from a tone perspective and get over how pleased I was with the sound. This is the tone I've been searching for since I started out. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Sounds cool! I think I'd personally dial out the string sound just a tad but really REALLY nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 (edited) [quote name='charic' timestamp='1344163515' post='1760494'] Sounds cool! I think I'd personally dial out the string sound just a tad but really REALLY nice [/quote] I agree sounds ace.. but starts to get a bit much after a while. It sounds like a P bass and a Ric had a baby. edit : Does it have cream DiMarzios? Listening to it again it sounds a lot like my 70s Jap P which came standard with them. Edited August 5, 2012 by Ou7shined Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krysh Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 congrats, but: [quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1344163636' post='1760500'] I agree sounds ace but starts to get a bit much after a while. It sounds like a P bass and a Ric had a baby. [/quote] +1. the treble in the bass sound gets a bit annoying after 30seconds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 [quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1344163636' post='1760500'] edit : Does it have cream DiMarzios? Listening to it again it sounds a lot like my 70s Jap P which came standard with them. [/quote] The pickups are non-descript with black covers. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Re the thread title.... don't you mean your "Bream" tone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Agreed it's a tiny bit 'clanky' but that's not really a criticism, just my taste, still sounds really cool as it is . I've never really been drawn to the Fender side but I picked up an Aria STB Series P bass for £40, I'd heard the necks were really nice and they weren't wrong, I put some Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders in it and set of Chromes on and somehow it became my main bass. It plays beautifully and sounded instantly like the sound I had in my head, especially in a band situation, strange how you stumble across the sound you're looking for when you're not really looking isn't . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennysFord Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 You're a lucky man !! Sounds great to me.......I'm still on the search for mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 [quote name='Conan' timestamp='1344174758' post='1760676'] ...don't you mean your "Bream" tone? [/quote] 'Holy Carp, I've found my Bream tone on my Bass...' Sounds fishy to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 [quote name='Maude' timestamp='1344193255' post='1761058'] Agreed it's a tiny bit 'clanky' but that's not really a criticism, just my taste, still sounds really cool as it is . I've never really been drawn to the Fender side but I picked up an Aria STB Series P bass for £40, I'd heard the necks were really nice and they weren't wrong, I put some Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders in it and set of Chromes on and somehow it became my main bass. It plays beautifully and sounded instantly like the sound I had in my head, especially in a band situation, strange how you stumble across the sound you're looking for when you're not really looking isn't . [/quote] I paid - are you sitting down? - £50.00 for a job lot of the Aria, two other guitars and a small practice amp. I gave the guitars and the amp to my nephew (ten years old). The Aria had a set set of Schaller machines on it as well. The thing is, I probably wouldn't have given it a second glance when it was new. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennysFord Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Pics ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 and how much money have you spent on basses since you started out before you realised that "your" sound was a P bass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 (edited) I've spent a lot, with potentially another huge wedge going out once I find a black Thunderbird. Let's leave it at that. I think if my wife did the numbers she might pull my scrotum right over my head. That said, the only thing I'm not fond of with the Aria are the 12th fret dots, but otherwise... Edited August 5, 2012 by NancyJohnson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 It didn't really strike me as anything wild, though the 'grating' quality of it did start to irritate me quite quickly. Enjoy it though, you'll probably keep it for a week or two and change your mind, subsequently changing your gear and then deciding a couple of years later you want that tone after all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 I had a SansAmp BDDI years ago and I never left home without it. Performs really well live and in the studio. Mine broke and never replaced it, but I strongly recommend them to any player looking for great instant tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstrike Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Sounds a wee bit like Oceansize's bassist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlungerModerno Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Nice bass tone... It sits ok, but It'll mangle the vocal unless you clamp it down with some Eq and/or compression. IMO. If you have the track on it's own, I'd try running it with some EQ automation and compression at the mixing stage to let it 'get out of the way' with a little less attack & treble during some of the vocals... Nice tune, reminds me of thin lizzy for some reason.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRichards Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Very nice! Everyone has always lauded the Aria Pro II SB-600/700/900/1000 as incredible, but these often forgotten and neglected P and J copies by Aria were better build quality then Fender at the time, and had more innovative and advanced pickups and electroincs, which gave the the ability to do just what you did here. Throw the T Bird away (okay, sell it) and use the money to buy three or four of these. You'll be happy you did. tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 (edited) [quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1344163051' post='1760483']Aria ProII Primary bass; effectively a 1978 Precision copy out of the Matsumok[u] factory. Aside from the machine heads, it's 100% stock ...[/quote] Several different version of the Primary. The PB400 and 450 where alder, and tended to have four or three piece bodies. The PB500 and 550 were sen ash, and tended to be three and two piece bodies. Alder versions usually weight circa 4.0/4.1 kg, with sen versions circa 4.3/4.4 kg. Necks mostly one piece maple, with bonded maple touchboard, although some rosewood versions can be found. Necks are usually slightly slimmer at the nut than the Fender models these are based on: circa 40.0/40.5 mm. Most didn't have DiMarzio pickups fitted, contrary to urban myth. Matsumoku, mostly, bought in pickups from Maxon and Gotoh for these, until it started building its own. You can tell the date from the first three characters of the serial number - letter is month, first two numbers are year. Knobs: usually chrome, so those might have been replaced. Covers: Usually came with a bridge cover, some models came with a pickup cover also. Edited August 6, 2012 by noelk27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mog Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 I love it. All I'd change would be the pick. Sounds like Delrin. I'd go with a nylon 1mm to take the harshness out of the highs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 [quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1344267437' post='1761963'] Several different version of the Primary. The PB400 and 450 where alder, and tended to have four or three piece bodies. The PB500 and 550 were sen ash, and tended to be three and two piece bodies. Alder versions usually weight circa 4.0/4.1 kg, with sen versions circa 4.3/4.4 kg. Necks mostly one piece maple, with bonded maple touchboard, although some rosewood versions can be found. Necks are usually slightly slimmer at the nut than the Fender models these are based on: circa 40.0/40.5 mm. Most didn't have DiMarzio pickups fitted, contrary to urban myth. Matsumoku, mostly, bought in pickups from Maxon and Gotoh for these, until it started building its own. You can tell the date from the first three characters of the serial number - letter is month, first two numbers are year. Knobs: usually chrome, so those might have been replaced. Covers: Usually came with a bridge cover, some models came with a pickup cover also. [/quote] Thanks for this info...this is what is so good about this site. From this, it's a July 1980 model. I've already put on some tele-style chrome knobs (the ones on the photo were black - it didn't have any when I got it, but thankfully the pots were OK). The neck is a single piece of maple, with a glued-on maple fingerboard, the headstock is clearly three pieces, the body is three pieces. I used to own a 1979 Precision (US...weren't they all US back then?) and if memory serves, the neck is certainly slimmer on the Aria. I'm becoming an advocate of cheap old basses and this one is quite the beaut. Might try and find a Jazzer at some stage. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 [quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1344267437' post='1761963'].... Most didn't have DiMarzio pickups fitted, contrary to urban myth..... [/quote] Although bizarrely enough all of the original examples to be found in the first 5 pages on [url="https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-ContextMenu&q=Aria+Pro+II+Primary+bass&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&biw=1243&bih=529&wrapid=tlif134427947538710&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=shMgUMeVOMaR0AWXiIC4BA"]google image search[/url] (bar this one ) did... Filtering out the bad results these are they [url="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3020/3112361535_df3215225c.jpg"]1[/url] [url="http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd117/vintagejapanbass/Aria%20Pro%20II%20Primary%20Bass/100_4400.jpg"]2[/url] [url="http://s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd117/vintagejapanbass/Aria%20Pro%20II%20Primary%20Bass/?action=view¤t=100_4660.jpg"]3[/url] [url="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3321/3437564155_8e068f7316.jpg"]4[/url] Obviously NJ's one is different in this respect - I don't know much about these Arias (and my question earlier was purely coincidental) but was certainly not attempting to perpetuate any urban myths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 £50 for the lot, absolute bargain. Not to miss a chance of a quick piccy, only to show some more Aria bargainyness (not entirely sure that's a real word) Plays and sounds better than any Squier or other non Fender P bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 [quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1344279362' post='1762231'] I'm becoming an advocate of cheap old basses and this one is quite the beaut.... [/quote] There are some real nice ones out there. I totally love my old '70s P... which cost me a staggering £80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 The guy w [quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1344280957' post='1762269'] Although bizarrely enough all of the original examples to be found in the first 5 pages on [url="https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-ContextMenu&q=Aria+Pro+II+Primary+bass&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&biw=1243&bih=529&wrapid=tlif134427947538710&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=shMgUMeVOMaR0AWXiIC4BA"]google image search[/url] (bar this one ) did... [/quote] The guy with his arm in a sling is me! Two operations to correct thumb and middle-finger issues. I look very pretty in blue. That's also me leaping out from between the two flashpods. Heh. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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