Why do Pros use a P Bass...

[BreadBin]

Do a Google image search for Pino Palladino

[bassbiscuits]

Probably because it's very easy to get it sounding good very quickly, and is familiar to a lot of studio folks. 

Adds up to making it an easy bass for everyone involved to work with. 

 

[drTStingray]

32 minutes ago, BreadBin said:

Pino? Are you sure?

Have you seen this?

 

He was famous throughout the 80s and later for Fretless playing, largely with his 79 Stingray, long before the P bass period. In his own words, he was in demand to use that sound on lots of albums and songs after the Paul Young Wherever I Lay My Hat single. 

A good example of the live sound can be heard on Live Aid - compare with Marcus Miller's sound on Bryan Ferry's set.

Back in those days it seems producers and sound engineers had no problem dealing with other types of basses (my own experience has been they still don't). I guess it all depends what you're playing and who for. 

Edited December 30, 2018 by drTStingray

[Muzz]

1 hour ago, skankdelvar said:

Pro bassists favour the Precision because it produces a pleasing sound and is visually appealing in almost every colour scheme*. The controls fall easily to hand and the instrument can be field-stripped and reassembled by an average player in under ten minutes. 

Most importantly: research has conclusively proved that bass players are 42% more likely to get laid if they appear onstage with a Precision than any other bass. This is because the Precision is a manly instrument which combines earthy sexual power with a sensitive vulnerability which appeals to women of all ages and social classes. Gig a Stingray or a Rick and the only date you'll be having is with Mother Thumb and her four daughters.

* Excludes Antigua and International Blue

Quite. The clue's in the name...or an anagram of it, at least:

Fender Precision = Reinforced Penis

[dmccombe7]

44 minutes ago, BreadBin said:

Do a Google image search for Pino Palladino

I did a search and he is shown with P basses, Jaguar basses, Jazz basses and of course his fretless stingray basses. His Gear rundown page lists all of them and in the past 5 years he has returned to his 80's fretless sound again with his own band PSP altho it mentions his sound it doesn't actually say what fretless he is using now.

He became famous for his Stingray fretless sound back in 80's with Paul Young.

Dave 

[skankdelvar]

33 minutes ago, Muzz said:

Quite. The clue's in the name...or an anagram of it, at least:

Fender Precision = Reinforced Penis

Outstanding work, Sir.

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, Muzz said:

Quite. The clue's in the name...or an anagram of it, at least:

Fender Precision = Reinforced Penis

^^ brilliant! 

I'm now going to feel like a right di*ck if I ever find myself with one of those on stage...

[Bridgehouse]

1 minute ago, Al Krow said:

^^ brilliant! 

I'm now going to feel like a right di*ck if I ever find myself with one of those on stage...

I just have to know - what letter did you star out? Was it an ‘s’? Or an ‘n’? Or maybe an ‘r’? 

[skankdelvar]

26 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

di*ck

An interestingly different approach to defeating the profanity filter. Avoids necessity for diacritics, alt codes etc.

This merits further exploration. Well done, Sir 

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, skankdelvar said:

An interestingly different approach to defeating the profanity filter. Avoids necessity for diacritics, alt codes etc.

This merits further exploration. Well done, Sir 

Oh believe me, I wasn't going to let myself be defeated by any computer algorithm regarding profanity. It's depressing enough not being able to beat a computer programme at chess...

Up the humans!

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 2, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[BreadBin]

6 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

I did a search and he is shown with P basses, Jaguar basses, Jazz basses and of course his fretless stingray basses. His Gear rundown page lists all of them and in the past 5 years he has returned to his 80's fretless sound again with his own band PSP altho it mentions his sound it doesn't actually say what fretless he is using now.

He became famous for his Stingray fretless sound back in 80's with Paul Young.

Dave 

Of the first 20 images he is playing a Precision in over half of them, but hey, whatever... 

[Cuzzie]

On 29/12/2018 at 13:47, Al Krow said:

Who cares what session players do anyway?

What are the bassists in the world's top bands playing? I suspect you'll find just as many J bass players as P bass players.

This is a wildly rogue rogue and crass statement. Some of the very best musicians are sessions players, and a massive proportion of the musicians playing in ‘top’ bands have come from a session music background, and probably still do session work.

The argument for split coil/single coil/humbucker/active or passive for sessions can rage on (in truth most will have all in their arsenal) but it should be conflated by denegrating a session player.

 

[dmccombe7]

4 hours ago, BreadBin said:

Of the first 20 images he is playing a Precision in over half of them, but hey, whatever... 

 

OK i'll give you that but his fame and popularity came from his fretless Stingray with Paul Young back in 80's

Edited December 31, 2018 by dmccombe7

[mcnach]

15 hours ago, paul_5 said:

Most engineers that I know will favour a Precision style bass, simply because of the quick turnaround times between acts at festivals etc; it’s a sound that works and doesn’t require too much monkey business to get it to sound good in the mix.

 

... to get it to sound like the idea of a bass they have in mind, not necessarily the bass the band goes for.

Funny you could play vastly different sounding guitars and that's not a problem

[mcnach]

14 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

No. Horses for courses. Use the tool for the job. Plenty of things a P doesn't do, but it makes sense to use one for the things it does do.

 

That would be my view, yes. Use whatever bass gives the sound required. Not just a Precision for everything. 

I think those wanting a P for everything they just want to make things sound in a particular way they have in mind, which may well be good, but it's not necessarily the only way it can sound good. It's just their personal vision. Hence my inertia comment.

[mcnach]

12 hours ago, bassbiscuits said:

Probably because it's very easy to get it sounding good very quickly, and is familiar to a lot of studio folks. 

Adds up to making it an easy bass for everyone involved to work with. 

 

 

I guess it is a matter of: do you want to make it easy? (lazy) or do you want to make it right? (where right may well be a Precision in many cases, after all many players/bands do use a Precision first and foremost, but right may be other basses too)

[Drax]

4 hours ago, BreadBin said:

Of the first 20 images he is playing a Precision in over half of them, but hey, whatever... 

My Pino comment has really ran and ran. It was really about the session work they're famous for, but yeah like you say, whatever 😊🤷‍♂️ 

The strange world of signature models; 

Pino's sound and fame earned on a MM, gets a Fender signature. 

Joe Dart's sound and fame earned on a Fender, gets a MM signature.

[Monkey Steve]

seems the discussion has veered from "producers want the P sound so you'd better have one if you're going to play sessions" (which is the subject of the video) to "P basses are brilliant/awful"

Personally, I find Fender necks uninspiring, as I said on a very similar thread a few weeks ago (this topic come up like every month, right?) but I don't earn my living from playing recording sessions. 

Can't argue with the logic about how the P sounds sits in the mix, so if it was my living, I figure I'd either get a P or PJ, or get very similar pickups put onto a bass with a neck I preferred.  Probably the former - right tool for the job and all that

[oldslapper]

52 minutes ago, Monkey Steve said:

seems the discussion has veered from "producers want the P sound so you'd better have one if you're going to play sessions" (which is the subject of the video) to "P basses are brilliant/awful"

(this topic come up like every month, right?) 

This argument is like the P bass of bass forums......?

[stingrayPete1977]

1 hour ago, Drax said:

My Pino comment has really ran and ran. It was really about the session work they're famous for, but yeah like you say, whatever 😊🤷‍♂️ 

The strange world of signature models; 

Pino's sound and fame earned on a MM, gets a Fender signature. 

Joe Dart's sound and fame earned on a Fender, gets a MM signature.

Flea on a Fender signature model now that resembles something else, just can't put my finger on what it looks like though..... 

[Al Krow]

The day I get asked by a studio producer to pick up a reinforced-P (aka Fender Precision) for use on someone else's track, I will happily oblige.

Until then, I'll play what sounds and works best for me with my little pub band and ignore any implied suggestion from a video blogger that a P bass is better than a J bass. It's not, just different.

Edited December 31, 2018 by Al Krow
I do like the more civilised reinforced-P concept... 😄

[stingrayPete1977]

Which well known session players only play a P bass, and on what recent well known tracks? 

 

Edited December 31, 2018 by stingrayPete1977

[Cuzzie]

Oh I like a New Years quiz - I dunno the answers so am happily waiting!

[oldslapper]

14 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

Oh I like a New Years quiz - I dunno the answers so am happily waiting!

a) All of them on all of them?

b) All of them on some of them?

c) Some of them on all of them?

d) some of them on some of them

e) some of them on none of them?

f) none of them on some of them?

g) none of them on none of them?

h) only on Thursdays?

Winners win a reinforced P...

(I think I need to get back to work)