P bass motown sound help

[lojo]

With an RH450 and my P bass, I am trying to get closer to the jamerson/babbitt style sound for some live playing

Learning to play is a endless quest, but I wish to focus on the equipment tweaks also

So

I have flats on a P bass, and wonder if I should purchase a string mute, or buy some sponge!

Basically Id love any advise re equipment (or playing) that will help my quest, thanks

I have also posted for help in the amp section re amp settings

Edited August 22, 2010 by lojo

[Cat Burrito]

[quote name='lojo' post='932884' date='Aug 22 2010, 05:16 PM']I have flats on a P bass[/quote]

That coupled with using your right hand up by the neck should be 90% of the battle.

[Grand Wazoo]

If you want some foam strips I've still got a few left [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=78577&view=findpost&p=873970"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&sho...st&p=873970[/url]

[dr1]

find some sponge at your kitchen or bathroom and cut it. for amp, i had TC head and P bass with flats. i kept everything on 12 o'clock with slight adjustment regarding the room i am playing (bit more or less treble or mids)

[derrenleepoole]

This guy has the sound down to a tee

[url="http://www.youtube.com/user/jamersonshook"]http://www.youtube.com/user/jamersonshook[/url]

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='932896' date='Aug 22 2010, 05:28 PM']If you want some foam strips I've still got a few left [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=78577&view=findpost&p=873970"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&sho...st&p=873970[/url][/quote]

Quite an overwhealming response chaps, I had 7 strips left, as of now 5 of them have been secured by pm, and I've only got 2 left (they're free by the way).

One left only now!

Edited August 23, 2010 by Grand Wazoo

[Brother Jones]

Apparently (and this was quoted in the bass mags of the late eighties so must be true...) JJ would coat his strings with margerine and leave them for weeks until they were really, really, really dead.

[dannybuoy]

I've not tried the TC heads, but I'm really loving what the Catalinbread SFT can do to Motownify your tone:



I go P-Bass + Flats -> SFT -> Orange Terror -> Trace Elliot 1153 and get a great motown tone. A bit of foam would help even more, so PM sent to the Grand Wazoo!

[gjones]

[quote name='Brother Jones' post='934220' date='Aug 23 2010, 09:59 PM']Apparently (and this was quoted in the bass mags of the late eighties so must be true...) JJ would coat his strings with margerine and leave them for weeks until they were really, really, really dead.[/quote]

I heard it was lard!

[thisnameistaken]

1) String your bass with La Bella flatwounds, jack up the action so you never get anywhere near fret noise no matter what you're playing.

2) Pick ahead of the P pup, with one single picking finger as much as possible.

3) Get an old neoprene mousemat, slice it up into strips that will wedge comfortably (and fairly evenly, according to the way your strings sit by the radius of the fingerboard) under your strings right by the bridge. You will need one or two strips to get enough thump happening.

4) Try a Barber Linden EQ pedal to get that Ampeg B15 combo sound, and send your bass signal via the Linden EQ into the effect return (rather than input) of your bass amp, thus bypassing the amp's EQ.

5) Play bass like a total m*****f***er.*

Job done.

* Note that point #5 is the most important one.

Edited August 24, 2010 by thisnameistaken

[thisnameistaken]

TBH I can get a good Motown sound with a Squier Jazz, La Bella flats, a Hartke LH500, Schroeder 1212L and good old Yorkshire gumption. It's more about the strings you use, how you pick and note selection / timing than anything else.

[OliverBlackman]

Something lots people have missed, his action was really high. Couple this with flats (i use elites which are budget la bella's) and your p bass shouldnt be far off if you play up the neck and really groove. I dont think the mutes are that necessary tbh

[EssentialTension]

+1 on the following points:

*La Bella flats - the older the better and the older they are the less you need to roll off the treble
*High action - this is important, not even the slightest fret sizzle and then a bit higher
*One finger - unless you can make [i]exactly[/i] the same tone with both fingers
*Play between the pickup and the fingerboard
*Foam mute at the bridge

I'm not convinced about the lard/margarine story.

However, as always, it's in your soul and in your fingers