ianrendall Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Ok so, we as bassists can all agree that the granddaddy of basses is the P Bass, like it or not. And I assume that we can all agree that the three most recognisable basses in terms of sound are the P, the J and the Stingray. So what if another came first? If the J or Ray came in 1951 instead of the P would they be the benchmark? Is the P’s success down to it just being the first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 At least partly, that's very much the sound we're conditioned to hearing. I'm sure others can comment with greater authority on how the narrow(ish) frequency range sits nicely between an old kick drum and other sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 This. Probably why it's the most recorded bass ever. Look at Later....loads of bands every series using P's. Ease of use, no doubt.....you'll always cut through. Many other basses, as I'm sure we've all had, don't always quite so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 The Fender P wasn't the first. Paul Tutmarc's Audiotex Model 736 pre-dates Fender's offerings by many years. However, Fender's success with their solid electric guitars paved the way for the Precision Bass. Personally I don't think that the P bass slots into the mix as seamlessly as others would have you believe. Listen to rockabilly records from the 50s and the mixes are different to allow for the change from traditional upright bass to Fender's solid-bodied electric bass guitar. And for recognisable bass sounds what about the Rickenbacker 4001? It also had the advantage of being visually much more distinctive than Fender's rather anonymous offerings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 But most Brits of our generation grew up listening to Hofners ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Just now, Happy Jack said: But most Brits of our generation grew up listening to Hofners ... And the bassists in the bands I grew up listening to in the 70s played Rickenbackers or Gibsons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleat Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Most the bands I listened to growing up played …. synthesisers... what is this "Fender Precision" you speak of? 🤪 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 18 minutes ago, BigRedX said: And the bassists in the bands I grew up listening to in the 70s played Rickenbackers or Gibsons. Pah! Kids of today, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 3 hours ago, ianrendall said: Ok so, we as bassists can all agree that the granddaddy of basses is the P Bass, like it or not. And I assume that we can all agree that the three most recognisable basses in terms of sound are the P, the J and the Stingray. So what if another came first? If the J or Ray came in 1951 instead of the P would they be the benchmark? Is the P’s success down to it just being the first? Apologies for being pedantic but ... the 1951 P bass with a single coil pickup was different to the 1957 and after P bass with a humbucking split coil pickup. Hence, the benchmark P bass you seem to refer to, if it is such , was 1957 not 1951, and that 1957 P bass was not the first. And, I suspect, not everyone will agree about 'grand-daddy' or even 'most recognisable'. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgehouse Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 53 minutes ago, BigRedX said: The Fender P wasn't the first. Paul Tutmarc's Audiotex Model 736 pre-dates Fender's offerings by many years. However, Fender's success with their solid electric guitars paved the way for the Precision Bass. Personally I don't think that the P bass slots into the mix as seamlessly as others would have you believe. Listen to rockabilly records from the 50s and the mixes are different to allow for the change from traditional upright bass to Fender's solid-bodied electric bass guitar. And for recognisable bass sounds what about the Rickenbacker 4001? It also had the advantage of being visually much more distinctive than Fender's rather anonymous offerings. Yep. Tutmarc 736 in 1935 was definitely the first. It wasn’t popular, and didn’t continue for long. I suspect that the reason the 51P bass did succeed was because it was more playable, sounded better and was easier for upright bass players to convert to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said: Yep. Tutmarc 736 in 1935 was definitely the first. It wasn’t popular, and didn’t continue for long. I suspect that the reason the 51P bass did succeed was because it was more playable, sounded better and was easier for upright bass players to convert to. I think the question of whether the Fender bass sounded better than the competition of the time is entirely subjective. These days we take the P-bass sound for granted as the "benchmark" electric bass sound, but as I said in my previous post if you listen to rockabilly and rock n roll records of the time the mixes change to accommodate the different sounding electric bass guitar instead of the upright bass. The Fender bass became established off the reputation of the Fender's other solid bodied instruments rather than because there was anything intrinsically superior about them at the time of their introduction. Everything after that is about familiarity. Edited October 22, 2018 by BigRedX 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 That 736 would probably have played better if he hadn't been wearing that silly ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roblpm Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 How old are all you guys?????!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 (edited) Ancient! I also remember when all this was fields! Edited October 22, 2018 by Teebs Sqelling 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Just now, Teebs said: Ancient! I also remember when all this was fields! Do you remember when it was woodland? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Just now, EssentialTension said: Do you remember when it was woodland? ...as far as the eye could see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Just now, Teebs said: ...as far as the eye could see... Could you see the wood for the trees? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 10 minutes ago, roblpm said: How old are all you guys?????!!!! Hazard a guess, go on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Just now, EssentialTension said: Could you see the wood for the trees? Yes, back in those days. It was before the interweb you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 10 minutes ago, EssentialTension said: Do you remember when it was woodland? I remember when it was all just Hydrogen and Methane. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgehouse Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 I remember when this site was in black and white 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectoremg Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Well done for derailing the thread guys - it was a silly one anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 3 minutes ago, spectoremg said: Well done for derailing the thread guys - it was a silly one anyway. Yeah, when I turn up it's pretty much all over... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgehouse Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 4 minutes ago, spectoremg said: Well done for derailing the thread guys - it was a silly one anyway. I fail to see how a pointless question could derail this thread..? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roblpm Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 20 minutes ago, EssentialTension said: Hazard a guess, go on. 23? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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