Five basses in, I'm starting to realise I'm just a P kinda guy

[mingsta]

I've got a nice little collection going, H and HH Rays, Bongo 5HH and my latest addition, a Sire V7 five string in Maple/Ash that nails the Jazz tone. But having gone through all of them tonight in rehearsal, it's my sadowsky HPJ with the P solo'd that always sits nicest in the mix and has the perfect balance of definition and neither to big sounding nor too thin. I find that I almost always end up grabbing it for gigs, despite promising myself to give one of the others a run out. We play everything from rock, funk, soul, pop to reggae and it just does the job, roll on/off and bit of treble and you're there. Can't see myself moving the others on as variety is the spice of life an all, but for me the P is the one bass to rule em all! 

[chris_b]

I think the Sadowsky bit might be responsible for a lot of your happiness.

[mingsta]

  On 19/12/2018 at 23:44, chris_b said:

I think the Sadowsky bit might be responsible for a lot of your happiness.

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Yes, it could be that, but I no longer have the budget for find out if you're right! 

[ianrendall]

Pic of the Sadowsky please! 😁😁😁

[Guest MoJo]

  On 19/12/2018 at 23:38, mingsta said:

I've got a nice little collection going, H and HH Rays, Bongo 5HH and my latest addition, a Sire V7 five string in Maple/Ash that nails the Jazz tone. But having gone through all of them tonight in rehearsal, it's my sadowsky HPJ with the P solo'd that always sits nicest in the mix and has the perfect balance of definition and neither to big sounding nor too thin. I find that I almost always end up grabbing it for gigs, despite promising myself to give one of the others a run out. We play everything from rock, funk, soul, pop to reggae and it just does the job, roll on/off and bit of treble and you're there. Can't see myself moving the others on as variety is the spice of life an all, but for me the P is the one bass to rule em all! 

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Leo Fender was either a genius or extremely lucky to create an instrument that works in almost any live situation, first time

[chris_b]

  On 20/12/2018 at 10:41, MoJo said:

Leo Fender was either a genius or extremely lucky to create an instrument that works in almost any live situation, first time

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Sorry to nit-pick, but the P bass we know today was the second iteration.

Leo Fender was in charge and made all the final decisions, but all his products were the work of many people.

Edited December 20, 2018 by chris_b

[totorbass]

Just a P-bass guy…  Isn't it a song by John Lennon?

[FinnDave]

  On 20/12/2018 at 12:02, totorbass said:

Just a P-bass guy…  Isn't it a song by John Lennon?

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No, you're thinking of 'I'm just a J Bass guy'

[Guest MoJo]

  On 20/12/2018 at 11:59, chris_b said:

Sorry to nit-pick, but the P bass we know today was the second iteration.

Leo Fender was in charge and made all the final decisions, but all his products were the work of many people.

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Leo Fender was either a genius or extremely lucky to create an instrument that works in almost any live situation, first second time

Corrected

[4000]

  On 19/12/2018 at 23:38, mingsta said:

I've got a nice little collection going, H and HH Rays, Bongo 5HH and my latest addition, a Sire V7 five string in Maple/Ash that nails the Jazz tone. But having gone through all of them tonight in rehearsal, it's my sadowsky HPJ with the P solo'd that always sits nicest in the mix and has the perfect balance of definition and neither to big sounding nor too thin. I find that I almost always end up grabbing it for gigs, despite promising myself to give one of the others a run out. We play everything from rock, funk, soul, pop to reggae and it just does the job, roll on/off and bit of treble and you're there. Can't see myself moving the others on as variety is the spice of life an all, but for me the P is the one bass to rule em all! 

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At least you're only five basses in. Some people will go through dozens, hundreds even, finding out what bass suits them best.

[FinnDave]

  On 20/12/2018 at 12:58, 4000 said:

At least you're only five basses in. Some people will go through dozens, hundreds even, finding out what bass suits them best.

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I certainly know a few guitarists who have gone through over 100 guitars without realising that the problem is simply that they can't play.

[Guest MoJo]

  On 20/12/2018 at 12:58, 4000 said:

At least you're only five basses in. Some people will go through dozens, hundreds even, finding out what bass suits them best.

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That's me

[Paul S]

  On 20/12/2018 at 13:04, MoJo said:

That's me

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And me.  And my 'journey' has ended with Precision basses, too.

Although, to be fair, I've enjoyed the ride.   

 

[walshy]

  On 20/12/2018 at 13:57, Paul S said:

And me.  And my 'journey' has ended with Precision basses, too.

Although, to be fair, I've enjoyed the ride.   

 

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Yep, all around the houses for 25 years looking for the right 'sound and feel' and back to P basses. Kinda fun though!

[Rollin Thunder]

It's posts like these that make made me feel i was seriously missing out in not having a P bass, so i got one, and its OK it sounds pretty good but it has that one sound and not much else. prefer my Jazz and My new Ibby. would i  miss it if i did not have it? i play it because its there, but its not my go to bass. Could sell it but its a Noir limited edition with upgraded Emg geezors so think it will mature in price if i hold on to it.

[miles'tone]

  On 20/12/2018 at 10:41, MoJo said:

Leo Fender was either a genius or extremely lucky to create an instrument that works in almost any live situation, first time

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He smart enough to create a top team around him, listen to working musicians and give them what they wanted. With visual appeal in spades. 

 

[mingsta]

  On 20/12/2018 at 10:09, ianrendall said:

Pic of the Sadowsky please! 😁😁😁

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Excuse the crappy phone pic and the toy graveyard in the background. I have almost as many brats as I have bass guitars. 

 

I bought this in 2012 off ProjectC from this good forum. Almost flipped it a few months later as I bought a Stingray 4HH around the same time and was only going to keep one. Glad I didn't, it took a while to grow on me, but is now my undisputed First Bass! 

Edited December 20, 2018 by mingsta

[fretlessguy]

They tend to grow on you. I was a jazz man for years, and now I play my P Bass mainly. Enjoy!

[Tubster]

Quite surprised there has not been an outcry of something along the lines of “it’s a Sadowsky, it may have similarities, but for sure, it’s not a P-bass unless it’s got Fender on the headstock”.

Just sayin’!

[chris_b]

  On 20/12/2018 at 23:52, Tubster said:

Quite surprised there has not been an outcry of something . . . .

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That is because we are all far too sensible at Basschat.

[Graham]

  On 20/12/2018 at 12:26, MoJo said:

Leo Fender was either a genius or extremely lucky to create an instrument that works in almost any live situation, first second time

Corrected

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I think it was the other way round, he created a good quality instrument, at a decent price with consistently high quality so they became prevalent amongst players.

Engineering and production techniques then developed around recording and mixing these basses (as well as Strats  and Les Pauls), so a P bass sits really well in the mixes we're used to hearing.

[mingsta]

  On 20/12/2018 at 23:52, Tubster said:

Quite surprised there has not been an outcry of something along the lines of “it’s a Sadowsky, it may have similarities, but for sure, it’s not a P-bass unless it’s got Fender on the headstock”.

Just sayin’!

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I thought I'd deftly avoided that issue by referring to the pickup rather than the bass. But just reread my post and I blew it in the last sentence. So, yeah it's a p bass, I don't care that it has a jazz neck, active electronics, a j pickup, half decent build quality, no dead spots, it's a precision goddammit!!! 

[ead]

I have much sympathy with this view.  I very much enjoy my ACGs but with the covers band, live, my MIJ P bass just gets the job done.

[ianrendall]

  On 20/12/2018 at 22:48, mingsta said:

Excuse the crappy phone pic and the toy graveyard in the background. I have almost as many brats as I have bass guitars. 

 

I bought this in 2012 off ProjectC from this good forum. Almost flipped it a few months later as I bought a Stingray 4HH around the same time and was only going to keep one. Glad I didn't, it took a while to grow on me, but is now my undisputed First Bass! 

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That is superb. Superb. Been Sadowsky gassing for 25 years, and now finally going over to NYC in 2020 to see Roger and his toys. Was always set on the J style, but my recent P bass acquisition has sent me into cahoots over a PJ Sadowsky. I much prefer the P body shape over the Verdine White satin though. 

Edited December 21, 2018 by ianrendall

[mingsta]

  On 21/12/2018 at 22:09, ianrendall said:

That is superb. Superb. Been Sadowsky gassing for 25 years, and now finally going over to NYC in 2020 to see Roger and his toys. Was always set on the J style, but my recent P bass acquisition has sent me into cahoots over a PJ Sadowsky. I much prefer the P body shape over the Verdine White satin though. 

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Go for it! Mine's a metro but the build quality is superb. I can only dream of an NYC, but as I'm not in to exotic woods and find the 9lb is fine for 2.5 hr gigs it's probably all the bass I'll ever need.