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Thumping P bass


hooky_lowdown
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My upgraded Yamaha 260 is a little monster, it's now my go to bass, and is a thumping machine. Its set up as follows: Old flatwounds + MIM Fender pup (hot 14k) + CTS pots and 0.1 cap.

It's the thumpiest (is that a word?) and punchiest bass I've ever played, I really like it but I'm having difficulties finding a context to use it.

What songs have a pounding/thumping bassline?

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You can play any song.

You've set your bass up like 90% of the session players in the 50's and 60's and they managed to play everything on a bass such as this.

You can add a lump of foam under the strings by the bridge if you want to kill some of the dynamics, but the way to do it is to change your technique to fit the song.

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23 minutes ago, chris_b said:

You can play any song.

You've set your bass up like 90% of the session players in the 50's and 60's and they managed to play everything on a bass such as this.

You can add a lump of foam under the strings by the bridge if you want to kill some of the dynamics, but the way to do it is to change your technique to fit the song.

This. The great thing about this P setup is that it generally sounds great in the mix of almost anything other than possibly slappy stuff. 

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I generally play P basses with flats, love the sound, but the thump I get from the Yamaha is immense, far too much for any songs I know and that’s with everything on full and with a pick, if I roll off the tone or play fingerstyle the thump is even bigger. It’s a real punch in the gut sound. I guess the best I can describe it as a Jamerson sound on steroids.

I think the hot pups are the issue, maybe I should use more vintage pups - lower output.

Edited by hooky_lowdown
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8 hours ago, hooky_lowdown said:

if I roll off the tone or play fingerstyle the thump is even bigger. It’s a real punch in the gut sound. I guess the best I can describe it as a Jamerson sound on steroids.

Honestly, there are a lot of bass players who would love to sound like that.

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Agree with some of the comments of other posters, in that you have described what a fairly hefty chunk of bassists would consider ‘the’ bass sound. 

My main go to Jap P has a crazy hot pickup, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Works with anything...

Edited by mr4stringz
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