Why do the session legends all use P basses? Here’s why.
Ever wondered why so many top session bassists use P basses?
Ever wondered why certain producers and engineers almost flat out refuse to track with anything other than a P bass?
It’s weird, right?
Well, in this lesson I’ve got a very special guest with me… the LA session legend, Sean Hurley. Bassist for the likes of John Mayer, Robin Thicke, Idena Menzell and many, many more.
And you’re about to hear his story about the P bass.
About the time when he turned up to the studio with his active 5 string, cut the track… and then was politely told…
“great playing, but errrr… that bass sound… errrr… I’m sure we’ll be able to fix it in the mix”
Bass. Players. Nightmare.
Let’s be serious.
Any musicians nightmare!
Obviously, check out the video… and find out what happened next, and how it was a defining moment in Sean’s career.
As always, see you in the shed…
Scott 🙂
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Originally posted by UCWTj3vCqkQIsrTGSm4kM34g at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRlsSC400pM
I just use "E Bass 1" preset in my Roland XV-3080 Rom Synth Module
I thinks it’s just audio engineers being lazy. I have a stingray special HH, and I can dial in unlimited tones for filling any space necessary, and I’m sure there’s a lot of high quality instruments from many different manufacturers that could do the same.
This is really interesting because in a gig environment it is the P bass that I find hardest to get a decent tone with, compared to my Stingray and Jazz. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
I watched this full course. It made me sad, like I should sell my basses and buy whatever rig is on the cover of Bass Player Magazine. Like I should buy a vintage P before a house. ????
Love the P-bass, but I have a couple of opposite stories as a drummer and recording engineer. Sometimes the «plum-plum-plum» of the P-bass isn't what the recordng needs… Give the bassist a Jazz Bass with everything open and…bliss…..
Don't most active basses go passive?
I've been playing for more than 25 years, I only have a Pbass… why? Think carefully about the simplicity and genius of this instrument… No matter how many years pass, Leo found the perfect, timeless and unbeatable design back in the day. At what point did it occur, for example, to divide the pickup in two and wind it in reverse to avoid noise? It's just a small example of the pbass perfection…. There are so many basses out there, but Pbass will be always king…
Hmm, maybe because it was one of the only electric bass options when these legends were being made? There…answered the question for you.
Enough has been said about the sound. I also love the neck. The big hunk of lumber keeps your hand and fingers open and faster.
im lucky that my travis bean can sound like lots of basses , specially in a studio,it has a clear open sound with great fundamentals,that can be high lighted to suite,from j ,p ,rick.mudbucker, to even a double bass clone,i played 10 tb basses and this one was the real deal , live and studio people love it ,so easy to eq, and sits in the mix like no other
I was interested in the kind of mute he has on his bass but couldn't find it anywhere for bass. After doing some research, I found that it's a string mute typically used on Fender Jaguar guitars. Didn't see anyone commenting on it but for whoever is curious now you know!
flats or rounds…simple 2 sounds 1 knob to adjust, KISS "keep it super simple"
It really doesn't matter if it's a Fender P bass
or a Samick P bass
or a Crate Electra P Bass
or a Greco P Bass
or a Cameo P Bass…..
It all goes back to MOTOWN with James Jamerson's P bass ,and the way it sat in the mix.
Check out leeland sklar's session bass, and see why P bass pickups are not ideal
Answer: because a majority of mixing engineers are lazy AF.
so basically everybody should play a Fender P-bass with flats? I think the real problem is that producers do not understand the bass, bass players usually suck and bass is reduced to an undetectable level because kid's bluetooth speakers don't produce the bass sound anyway.
Because they don't suck.
Why do the session legends all use P basses? Apparently because sound engineers are lazy.
Fascinating, thanks
It took me over 40+yrs to finally get it: simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
what do you think about american deluxe active p-bass?
I once owned an 80s power jazz bass special which is active. Tried recording with it and the engineer said you need to use another bass.
Cool toys in the background
I like pbass's…..but seems ike a fast track to derivative, homogenous, repetition. Blame the industry for wanting JUST THAT. It'll get you more gigs , but the cost is everything sounding…the same. Probably why I DON'T listen to mainstream music anymore.
I've got a cheap 81 Ibanez blazer with dimarzio split p pickup. Sounds like a million bucks at a gig and recording. Saves getting my vintage jazz bass stolen…
It was fun listening to you! 🙂
I know it's very white-bearded old-school but I play my P-Bass through a pair of Ampegs, 8Ă—10 plus 2Ă—15, gives great response down to 40Hz and perfectly sits below 2 guitars.
I tried other basses but the only one I kept was… a P-Bass with an additional J-pickup at the bridge.
When I was learning, in the early 1970s, I remember reading an interview with Ray Shulman(of Gentle Giant) and he said "I have always been able to get any sound I wanted from a Precision Bass," and I always liked their nicely produced sound. It's always worked well for me, too.
Consistency, a P-bass is like a machine with very few moving parts in mechanics. Session players are dealing with this for hours at a time, and a p-bass gives the least headaches.
I like Jazz Basses better, they're more versatile and I'm in love with the tone, but they are more likely to give you some issue, even if it's minor.
Why does Flea play a Stingray?
Why did Jaco play a Jazz Bass?
Why did Chris Squire play a Rickenbacker?
And why is Carol Kaye now using an Ibanez SRX700?
I did learn from an engineer that some producers will listen with their eyes and just like the way a p bass looks so they assume it will sound better than any other bass
Coulda swore I just saw multiple videos saying Jazz Bass is the way to go as it has more versatility. If I learned anything then, if you are playing without a group, do what you want and like/will play. If you are playing with a band or recording, ask them what they want.
I definitley prefer the Jazz Bass… the variety of sounds you can generate through these 2 pick ups is fantastic. If you play the lower pick up you can get close to a P Bass and the higher one sounds crispy and bright. Love it so much.
The P-Bass tone is the safe choice. But it’s also a question of style and genre. For more up-front bass lines, the Jazz Bass is better. My touchstone for that stuff is things like Bootsy with the JBs (Superbad, etc) and John Paul Jones with Led Zeppelin. Jazz bass is definitely killer in the right context.
Do you have a fender p-bass blacktop series? If so what are your thoughts on it? I personally think it's the perfect bass. It has a different pickup configuration than a standard p-bass. It's got two soap box pickups. A separate volume control for each pickup, and a separate knob for tone. The thing sounds like thunder with just the neck pick up on high. It also sounds great with both on high too, and everything in between. You can adjust them for desired tone. Plus you have the master tone knob for even more options. I love it. I originally had my heart set on an Fender J-bass…
i didnt watch your video but i can tell you why the p bass matters. real estate. the fretboard is bigger than the j bass. j bass is meant for speed. p bass is meant for technique…thus the name. bigger fretboard means that each note played can be bent and twisted further.
Bass
I’ve been thinking of building my own P Bass using an all parts Ebony c shaped neck and vintage size frets. Also an Alder body and I’d like to give the body the Bacci worm bass treatment. With the fender 62 pickup. Any suggestions
Fender precision usa is the best bass in the world than fender jazz bass usa
I have a P-bass and a J-Bass….you don't need anything else…..
Conservatism and looks means more than sound it seems – musicman stingray 5 is a great sounding bass to my ears. The producers are used to P-bass conservatism wins over good taste.
anyone notice? he looks like paul mcartney & billienjoe armstrong