flat strings and precision not sounding right.

[red rooster]

Ok hi all was at bass classes last night I normally take my precision which has flat strings on it and generally it sounds ok in most songs we play .I got asked to go do a song with the youngsters a seven nation army song easy enough but it just didn't sound right timing and notes were ok but the bass just didn't seem to cut it.got home and played the same song on my active bass and the difference was unreal.now obviously I'm don't want to be lugging two basses about for different songs thinking maybe just go with the active .never noticed The difference before.

[Bassman Steve]

Well certainly, sometimes flats and a P-bass won't get you the sound you're after. I guess it's whether or not you think the active can do a reasonable job on the other songs where the P-bass was right in the past.

[Delberthot]

I've recently found that my Precision with PJ EMGs and Chromes sounds really punchy through a Hartke LH1000 and Laney cabs but decidedly dull through my Fender Rumble 500 Combo. There was just something missing

[Happy Jack]

Fitting a John East P-Retro would offer you the choice ...

[gary mac]

If you were accompanying a whole lot of youngsters playing guitars, it could just have been that they were taking up a lot of your sonic space.

A few years back I was in a band that had a very open door policy with guitarists (it was HELL), they came and went, sometimes not enough went and we would be gigging with five of the buggers, all strumming away and trying to out do each other. It gave me some eq'ing challenges.

[stingraybassman]

Maybe a touch of overdrive? Thats what I do on my P with flats to get a bit more bite and cut.

[miles'tone]

Roll back the bass a bit on the amp, boost the mids a bit more, adjust master volume accordingly and play with a pick near to the bridge. Boom! 💥

[red rooster]

Hi thanks for the answers we don't really touch the amps teachers set them for us we just plug in and go sort of thing.going to try playing both basses today see which sounds better ill let my girls and wife decide then go from there.or maybe put a sett or rounds on the precision. Decision s decisions.

[No lust in Jazz]

If a P Bass doesn't work for me, its generally me who's at fault and I'm tired.

[spongebob]

I tried with a couple of sets of different flats on my P, and it just didn't sound right.

Stuck some D'addario Nickels on, and immediately it was 100% better. Funny thing is I had flats on a previous P, and it was fine!