hooky_lowdown Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 I have a preference for P basses, I've owned many, I might be alone here - but I find it interesting I can get some to growl and others don't, despite using the same D'Addario flatwound strings and setting up the basses roughly the same on every bass I've owned. Some growl and other haven't. Interestingly (for me atleast) I've had expensive P basses which growled - others didn't, and I've had cheapo P basses (most didn't growl), but now I have a super cheap P bass by a brand (Arrow) which I've never heard of before and is about 10 years old - but this thing growls brilliantly - it's totally stock with the exception of the strings. So I was wondering why some P basses growl, and others don't. Is it strings, pickups, necks - or a combo of all three? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 I think pickups & electrics will have a major influence on this. As will body-woods, I found that in general the ash-bodied Precisions I had were more aggressive sounding, where the alder-bodied ones have been fuller sounding (maybe just a bit more in the low mids). But pickups really change it, I`ve had 3 different pickups in one of my Precisions, and the difference it makes getting the right one is pretty amazing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 The ash bodied one makes my nethers twitch. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nilebodgers Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 That Ash one sounds outrageous with a pick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted January 11, 2018 Author Share Posted January 11, 2018 Thanks fretmeister - that's a cool video. I should say I primarily play with a pick. I'm not sure what the body of my cheapo P bass is made of but it's ultra light. Weights not much more than a hollow bodied Dano I used to own. The sound I get is closest to the USA 1977 from the vid, with tone at 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronJ Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 Love that video. And yes, the brown ash USA77 with the maple neck is the one...so unique sounding compared to the others! Much more definition at every setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 I named my ash/maple 78 Precision Ian Paisley as it just seemed to bark aggressively, there were no subtleties with that bass, especially with the (ham-fisted) way I play. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 1 hour ago, Lozz196 said: I think pickups & electrics will have a major influence on this. As will body-woods, I found that in general the ash-bodied Precisions I had were more aggressive sounding, where the alder-bodied ones have been fuller sounding (maybe just a bit more in the low mids). But pickups really change it, I`ve had 3 different pickups in one of my Precisions, and the difference it makes getting the right one is pretty amazing. Lozz - I totally agree with you that pups are perhaps the single most important ingredient in bass tone on the bass itself. Really interested to find out a bit more detail about the three different pups you used and the differences in sound you got from them? The Warwick MEC pups are famous for their growl. Put them on a Streamer Stage 1 neck-through and you have, for me, a fantastic P-bass. If only they did them in a 5 string! (And, yes, I appreciate that may be sacrilege to Fender purists ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted January 11, 2018 Author Share Posted January 11, 2018 Out of curiosity - what (affordable i.e below £100) P bass pups would people recommend for an aggressive, slightly vintage (not too modern) tone and growl? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 2 minutes ago, Al Krow said: Lozz - I totally agree with you that pups are perhaps the single most important ingredient in bass tone on the bass itself. Really interested to find out a bit more detail about the three different pups you used and the differences in sound you got from them? Well the three were/are: Martin Herrick 65 - as the blurb on Martins site says, these had more lows & highs, and were a bit high-powered, went into breakup quite easily on my regular settings. Quite a modern sound really. Seymour Duncan Steve Harris - much more emphasis on mids, seemingly less lows & highs as a result, similar sort of power as above. Nice vintage sound. Fender Custom Shop 62 - my fave, the ones I have in all my Precisions. A very vintage tone, much like the Steve Harris, but not so powerful, so doesn`t go into break-up quite so quickly. A really vintage sound, I bought my first 2012-16 Series Precision based on a sound-clip of Sponge Bobs one that he put on here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 3 minutes ago, hooky_lowdown said: Out of curiosity - what (affordable i.e below £100) P bass pups would people recommend for an aggressive, slightly vintage (not too modern) tone and growl? Seymour Duncan Steve Harris would get my vote for the under £100 category Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted January 11, 2018 Author Share Posted January 11, 2018 Thanks Lozz196. I used to have a MIJ 62 RI P from early 90s, one of my fav basses, nice vintage tone, but it didn't have much bite. Will have to check out the Seymour Duncan Steve Harris. Ta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 They all sound like a P bass (oddly enough) but the 77 sounds distinctly better to my ears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 The ‘77 is a bit of a monster isn’t it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronJ Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 It really is. It’s gotta be at least 70% the pickups, surely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisK1975 Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 This has got me thinking. My '78, nicknamed 'DeeDee' for the obvious reasons: I put an SPB-3 in it many years ago along with a Badass2 and I loved it so much I've since been scared to change anything... Still have the original pups and bridge, and she doesn't go out gigging anymore. Should I return her to stock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
police squad Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 that's a great demo with the 77 sounding sounding great BUT, it's the only maple board in the test, so it's not comparing anything like the others. They were all rosewood with alder of basswood. It would have been great to hear a maple board alder body too, as I personally prefer the thump of an alder body. I have numerous P type basses and the ash body one is the weakest IMO but I used to have a Sting Jap Fender with an ash body and it really purred. My '73 is alder and rosewood and sounds amazing, My alder with fretless maple board bitsa (custom shop fender 62 pickup) also sounds marvellous. some nice playing on that demo too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 I can't stop thinking about that Brown 77 OMG!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted January 12, 2018 Author Share Posted January 12, 2018 @LewisK1975 DeeDee looks amazing. Only you know what she sounded like stock, and with upgrades! You must have thought she sounded better with the upgrades originally, but our preferences change over time. I liked a more modern sound a few years ago, but now I’m older I like a rounder, more vintage growly tone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisK1975 Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 16 minutes ago, hooky_lowdown said: @LewisK1975 DeeDee looks amazing. Only you know what she sounded like stock, and with upgrades! You must have thought she sounded better with the upgrades originally, but our preferences change over time. I liked a more modern sound a few years ago, but now I’m older I like a rounder, more vintage growly tone. Thanks, she really is a thing of beauty, aging very nicely indeed, actually the paint is a see-through finish too, which can't be seen at all in that pic. And yes, you're exactly right, I must have thought it was an upgrade at the time, but that ash bodied 77 in the vid a few posts up sounds sooooo good, I think i'll have her on the bench this weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misdee Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 (edited) I had a '73 P Bass identical to DeeDee back in the '80s. I sold it for £200 when I moved house in late 1988 . I thought I had done a good deal. ( Although, to be fair, £200 was the going rate back then.) There's lots of great P Bass pups on the market nowadays, but to my ears the DiMarzio Model P is still one of the growliest and obnoxious. Edited January 12, 2018 by Misdee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted January 12, 2018 Author Share Posted January 12, 2018 I guess what you dial into your amp also can affect the growl or bite in your sound. Are there certain frequencies which will pronounce or emphasis bite or growl more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisK1975 Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 For me, growl is in the low mids, and bite in the high mids. YMMV! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted January 13, 2018 Share Posted January 13, 2018 On 11/01/2018 at 15:26, Lozz196 said: Seymour Duncan Steve Harris would get my vote for the under £100 category A good pickup. I have it on my Japanese P Bass (could be basswood body) 1970 reissue. Getting the best out of that pickup for me involves using rotosounds Steve Harris strings. There is just a presence, power and clarity that fits perfectly live. I've got thomastik flats on now and they don't get the best from the pickup, sadly, though I think they'd sound great on my jazz or with a more vintage voiced p pickup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjimmyc Posted January 13, 2018 Share Posted January 13, 2018 I have a passive bitsa precision which is by far the best sounding bass I’ve owned, clean or dirty. In my opinion this is mostly down to the EMG Geezer Butler pups. I highly recommend them There is a ton of growl there, admittedly with regular rounds which are well worn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.