NJE Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 (edited) I think Sean Hurley is a classy player and I love his approach and attitude towards playing from what I have read and seen in interviews and articles. I just stumbled on this video from iBass magazine (they do some great interviews on youtube, must get a subscription) with Sean talking about P basses and why he uses them. There is also another part talking about his live sound and its so refreshing to hear he has similar issues to mine (although on a larger scale than me) with booming stages, odd harmonics and the right front of house sound. So it has confirmed my thoughts for a while now, I need a P bass with flats, so gutted I sold my last one. http://youtu.be/2RPzwLH1EZc http://youtu.be/JmA_C5lFOaI Edited February 24, 2014 by NJE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick@ibassmag Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Thanks for the kind words about our magazine interviews - really glad you enjoyed the article with Sean! We had a great time catching up during the 2013 John Mayer tour. If you're a Fender fan you should check out the Anniversary Jazz and Precision reviews from our first issue. Here's Andrew Mckinney explaining a bit about what went on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyc7A_Mhe_M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 He's comes across as a proper amiable guy. I wish Fender would sell that mute kit separately... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 (edited) [quote name='NJE' timestamp='1393237691' post='2377560'] I think Sean Hurley is a classy player and I love his approach and attitude towards playing from what I have read and seen in interviews and articles. I just stumbled on this video from iBass magazine (they do some great interviews on youtube, must get a subscription) with Sean talking about P basses and why he uses them. There is also another part talking about his live sound and its so refreshing to hear he has similar issues to mine (although on a larger scale than me) with booming stages, odd harmonics and the right front of house sound. So it has confirmed my thoughts for a while now, I need a P bass with flats, so gutted I sold my last one. [media]http://youtu.be/2RPzwLH1EZc[/media] [media]http://youtu.be/JmA_C5lFOaI[/media] [/quote] I found that really fascinating. I really like Sean Hurley, and I am always interested in anything he has got to say about playing the bass. But could I play devils advocate for a moment? Here we have yet another bass player championing vintage- style equipment and a minimalist " less is more" approach to playing . This kind of a stance about bass has become [i]de rigueur[/i] in recent years, but it is just a trend in exactly the same way that elaborate hi-fi and hi- tech basses and equipment and busy, flamboyant styles of playing were the dominant trend in the era before this cult of back-to-basics became widely embraced as being received wisdom. Why is it that in the era from the mid-1970's to the 1990's when bass players gravitated towards as upfront a sound as possible, usually by means of modern bass designs, the latest amps and roundwound strings , that the bass guitar has been so clearly audible or as prominent in popular music, both live and on record? I saw plenty of stadium shows and big concerts of various kinds during the 1980's and 1990's where the bass was perfectly audible. Could it be that Sean and bass players like him are putting problems in their own way by following the zeitgeist of the time towards vintage and retro and then, perversely, offering advice on the solutions they are finding to those problems? Put simply , if you are playing a Precision with flatwounds through an old Ampeg B15 is not surprising you are having problems with getting clear articulation and being heard. That is exactly the reason why back in the day people started gravitating towards newer equipment. and the possibilities it offered . When Sean says that producers and engineers weren't happy with the sound of his more contemporary design bass , I can't help but wonder if what has changed since those kind of modern basses were what was fashionable is not so much the way that people want to hear the bass so much as the collective imagination those involved, specifically the romantic ideas in their heads and the associations they make between vintage equipment and the relative aesthetic value of the sound it makes. That is the fickle culture which surrounds music, I suppose. Fashion is always cyclical, and for every bass player in the 1980's who had a bass with a graphite neck, a Trace Elliot amp and mullet with flashed blonde highlights there is now an equivalent player with a vintage Precision with flatwound strings , an old Ampeg and a beard. Edited February 24, 2014 by Dingus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesBass Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I will echo EVERYTHING he has said about a P Bass. It is and always will be, a work horse. I have my Rickenbacker which is a beauty to play and it works for me, but there are times where only a P will do. Being able to switch from my P which sits in the mix nicely to a growlier and more punchy Ric just gives me the best variety I could ever dream of! As for amps and gear on stage, I've yet to gig my new rig but in the rehearsal room and studio its pretty good, I have definition and I have tone. Just need to see how it reacts out on stage. For the first time since I've played bass (10 years) I'm no longer worrying about my tone. I'm just thinking purely creatively! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesBass Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1393264926' post='2377989'] I found that really fascinating. I really like Sean Hurley, and I am always interested in anything he has got to say about playing the bass. But could I play devils advocate for a moment? Here we have yet another bass player championing vintage- style equipment and a minimalist " less is more" approach to playing . This kind of a stance about bass has become [i]de rigueur[/i] in recent years, but it is just a trend in exactly the same way that elaborate hi-fi and hi- tech basses and equipment and busy, flamboyant styles of playing were the dominant trend in the era before this cult of back-to-basics became widely embraced as being received wisdom. Why is it that in the era from the mid-1970's to the 1990's when bass players gravitated towards as upfront a sound as possible, usually by means of modern bass designs, the latest amps and roundwound strings , that the bass guitar has been so clearly audible or as prominent in popular music, both live and on record? I've seen plenty of stadium shows and big concerts of various kinds where the bass was perfectly audible. Could it be that Sean and bass players like him are putting problems in their own way by following the zeitgeist of the time towards vintage and retro and then offering advice on the solutions they are finding to those problems. Put simply , if you are playing a Precision with flatwounds through an old Ampeg B15 is not surprising you are having problems with getting clear articulation and being heard. That is exactly the reason why back in the day people started gravitating towards newer equipment. and the possibilities it offered . When Sean says that producers and engineers weren't happy with the sound of his more contemporary bass , I can't help but wonder if what has changed since those kind of modern basses were what was fashionable is not so much the way that people want to hear the bass so much as the collective imagination those involved, specifically the romantic ideas in their heads and the associations they make between vintage equipment and the relative aesthetic value of the sound it makes. That is the fickle culture which surrounds music, I suppose. Fashion is always cyclical, and for every bass player in the 1980's who had a bass with a graphite neck, a Trace Elliot amp and mullet with flashed blonde highlights there is now an [b]equivalent player with a vintage Precision with flatwound strings , an old Ampeg and a beard.[/b] [/quote] Almost a spot on description of me. Minus the ampeg and vintage P, my P is only a 2011 Mex and my amp is Ashdown though still all valve! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 To me, bass playing is not about 'being heard' or 'cutting through the mix'. I think that no one should really notice the bass player unless he stops, then they will realize that the bottom has dropped out of the music. And yes, I am another P bass with flats player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 (edited) And before anybody gets angry with me, I've got a Fender Precision Bass. And a beard. Edited February 24, 2014 by Dingus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zenitram Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Basses all sound the same anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I feel his pain. As I've mentioned before, too many engineers are lazy, and reach straight for the default bass EQ, which unfortunately is tailored for rounds. And it sounds bollocks. If you have time, you can work with them to get something usable. Thankfully there are a few that I work with who know who are sympathetic to flats. They should be wrapped in cotton wool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bass Doc Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1393265964' post='2378007'] flats. They should be wrapped in cotton wool. [/quote] No, I think you can get a dedicated mute for that purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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