Callumjord Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Hi guys, I am looking into getting a p style bass to use for soul and Motown covers I do with my band. Wondering if you guys have any suggestions? In before "get a p bass", I ant to get something that's different and unique but still offer the same sound, generally I find p basses to be very common. I have been looking into the Yamaha bb424, I assume that someone on here has one? How do they compare to a fender standard p bass? Apart from being nearly half the price? I have a couple of gigs over the Christmas period coming up and I think I will use the money from them to invest into one, after I have paid the practise space off. Cheers in advanced Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 I think the B424 is about the best bass you can buy for the money. I have the X version which is the same, just a bit flashier -looking. To my ears it nails the P sound if you want it to - a lot of folk on here disagree as the P pickup is apparently a couple of mm out but it certainly does the job for me. My only dislike is the feel of the back of the neck which is indicative of basses in that price range, but that's purely personal preference and a very easy fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 G&L L2000 does a reasonable P bass sound and lots more besides. The Tribute version is a bargain from Thomann at the moment. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcc Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Hi, I picked up a reasonably priced second hand BB1025 based only on the on-line reviews and WOW!!! I love the sound. Roll-off the tone a bit and you get a great P-Bass sound. Combine with the bridge pick-up and you get instant focus without loosing the warmth. I guess a BB1024(X) should be similar. It seems not many come up second hand, however for some reason Yammies are frowned upon, so if one does it will probably be a lot cheaper than new and not that much more expensive than a new BB424. good luck with the search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callumjord Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 [quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1445632263' post='2893076'] G&L L2000 does a reasonable P bass sound and lots more besides. The Tribute version is a bargain from Thomann at the moment. Frank. [/quote] Never looked into g&l, must have to have a look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callumjord Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 [quote name='mcc' timestamp='1445632735' post='2893080'] Hi, I picked up a reasonably priced second hand BB1025 based only on the on-line reviews and WOW!!! I love the sound. Roll-off the tone a bit and you get a great P-Bass sound. Combine with the bridge pick-up and you get instant focus without loosing the warmth. I guess a BB1024(X) should be similar. It seems not many come up second hand, however for some reason Yammies are frowned upon, so if one does it will probably be a lot cheaper than new and not that much more expensive than a new BB424. good luck with the search. [/quote] Yea I have seen the bb1024, a little bit more than the 424's. It looks like a lot of the Bb range has been discontinued. Seen a lot of 626's (I think that's right) on eBay. Yea I don't understand why Yamaha gets a bit of a bad rep, I have a Yamaha rbx775 and it slays, perfect for playing heavier stuff and sits just right in the mix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Yamaha instruments are very good. The only slight criticism I have is that my old BB1100s sounded a bit "clinical" but to many that`s probably a very good plus point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Check out the Epiphone Jack Casady bass too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Lots of basses with humbuckers in the neck/central position will do an approximation of a Precision. But truly, if you want a Motown sound, buy a Precision with Flats......they're common because that's how you nail the tone. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number6 Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Clearly you need a BC Rich Mockingbird.....two lots of P pickups and definitely a body shape to start a conversation about. May not fit into the Motown aesthetic though 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHeart Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 [quote name='Number6' timestamp='1445682724' post='2893344'] Clearly you need a BC Rich Mockingbird.....two lots of P pickups and definitely a body shape to start a conversation about. May not fit into the Motown aesthetic though 😊 [/quote] Damn got there before me ☺ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigman Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Make a warmoth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 [quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1445632263' post='2893076'] G&L L2000 does a reasonable P bass sound and lots more besides. The Tribute version is a bargain from Thomann at the moment. Frank. [/quote] [quote name='Callumjord' timestamp='1445633784' post='2893088'] Never looked into g&l, must have to have a look [/quote] I used to own a Tribute L2000, and I can confirm that the neck pickup does a very convincing Precision imitation. Use passive mode for a vintage Motown sound, active mode for more punky clank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesBass Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Limelight P bass? Or how about a Maruszcyck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Don't discount the Ibanez talman bass. I've got a USA P bass and I've had a 424. Lovely both of them. The talman is awesome and does the P bass thing very well. Thomann give them away for around £160. Unbelievable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsgbass Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 I'd just go with the Precision strung with D'Addario ETB92 Nylons onboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeycrikey Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 I have the 424x with TI Flats on it. It does a fantastic impression of the Motown sound. It also offers so many other useable tones and feels fantastic to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Honestly can't go wrong with a 424 and flats and they have a great vintage look about them too. Have previously owned a 1024 and didn't really see where the extra money got spent so kept the 424 and released some cash by selling the 1024. The 2024's are on a different planet though. Outstanding instruments by anyone's standards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinball Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 I was looking for a P bass but no longer since I got a G&L SB-2 in a trade. It's a great bass and there is a Tribute version that may be worth a look. Very usable and punchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Sandberg VS4 passive. Nicer neck shape IMHO, great balance, and built superbly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrixn1 Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 I play a lot of Motown/soul. In the past, I have used a Precision and a Yamaha BB -- they are both great basses and you can't go wrong with either. However, I've been using a 2EQ StingRay for the last year and really enjoying it for live work. I would say that, whatever bass you choose, the key to the Motown vibe is flatwounds strings, a foam mute, and plucking near the end of the neck (rather than towards the bridge). I've found that the advantages of the StingRay are that it responds better under my fingers, cuts through on stage better (10-piece band) without being too forward in the mix, and it is sunburst. My Precision is not sunburst. Having said that, I have a recording session coming up for which I'll use the Precision. Here is a back-to-back comparison, if anyone is interested: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVf_5-Y9l94"]https://www.youtube....h?v=dVf_5-Y9l94[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Don't know how easy they are to come by these days, but I'm still very fond of my Schecter Model T for filling that Precision-like niche. Body has a bit of 'retro' P-bass look, but the neck has more of a Jazz profile. Duncan P-bass pickup in the middle position, and a J-pickup by the bridge. It may be a bit bright-sounding for Motown, but that can be countered by rolling the tone down or - as people are suggesting - popping some flats on it. In any case I've found it very versatile. (Longer ramble about it can be found [url="http://thecrowfrombelow.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/gear-review-2-schecter-model-t/"]here)[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutton Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 (edited) I don't suppose the fact that Jamerson and Babbitt used Fender Precisions could possibly get you into the p-bass way of thinking? Edited October 27, 2015 by Hutton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 [quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1445784530' post='2894140'] I was looking for a P bass but no longer since I got a G&L SB-2 in a trade. It's a great bass and there is a Tribute version that may be worth a look. Very usable and punchy [/quote] I've been gigging my US SB-2 in recent weeks and have found that by having the bridge pup volume off and the neck pup volume backed off to about 70% (or thereabouts), I'm very much in vintage P bass territory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Sandberg Basic VM. Just select the P pickup and it sounds, well, like a P bass. However, you also get the MM style pickup in the bridge position (this makes it sound like a meaty J pickup rather than a 'Ray) for those moments when you want to add some bite to your tone. Quirky styling, but with very good balance, make it something a bit different. [URL=http://s308.photobucket.com/user/ezbass/media/PB090001.jpg.html][IMG]http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk344/ezbass/PB090001.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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