E string quiet on P-bass

[Guest MoJo]

I'm not sure if I've read something about this being a common trait with P-basses but my E string seems quieter compared to the other three strings. Thinking it may have been a dodgy string, I changed it but it's still the same, lacks the bite of the other strings. It's a shame because it's a really playable bass that I'd like to use more often. Any ideas anyone?

[johnnylager]

Bring the E side of the pup up?

[Guest MoJo]

I'll give that a go

[timloudon]

I've had this problem. Mr Lager's suggestion of moving the Pup closer might work. Also, try moving the Pup slightly away from the other strings to maybe get the balance right.

Are you using a compressor when you're playing?

[Guest MoJo]

I do normally use a bit of compression, but I noticed it at rehearsal on Tuesday when I played through the studios backline (a Behringer 300 watt head which had no compression.

I'll have a fiddle with the pick-up, see if that helps. Cheers

[octavedoctor]

Quite a common complaint this; it seems to be worse with some strings than others. It's possible that one of the pole pieces is demagnetising slightly.

If you can, try turning the lower half of the pickup around to see if the problem transfers to the A string. This is a bit fiddly and you can't always do it but it's better than guesswork.