Making Fender Bass sound better???

  • Thread starter Thread starter Toker41
  • Start date Start date
T

Toker41

Better Than You
OK, don't blast me too much...
I bought a Fender Precision Bass, but it's a mexican model. I know, I know...it's crap. However for $200 with a really nice case , and a useless little amp that will make for a nice foot rest in the studio. I figured it would be nice to have around the little home studio so I wouldn't have to borrow my friends Spector all the time. Problem is (and I'm sure this is no surprise to anyone) it really sounds like crap. Not being a bass player I'm a little rusty on my bass pick-ups. Can anyone suggest a pick up I could drop in this thing to help it out. I would love to get a nice round think booming bottom, kinda Godsmackish.
 
look for some EMG's...passives...which are what in a p-bass...


....AND P-BASS'S DONT SOUND LIKE CRAP....I MYSELF ENJOY THIER SOUND AND PLAYING OF THEM....



























i feel better now....


freak
 
This plays nice. Infact it was why I figured I couldn't go wrong for only $200. Guy I bought it from only had it a few months and it's like new. Figured I could always resell it if it sounds bad.
...and it does, but I like the way it plays and I figure if i put another $150 into a pick up I'm not too bad off.
 
if you dont like how it sounds it might be the amp, you said it was small...or the pickups, the stock ones arent that great, you might wanna look for some better ones, like i said, EMG's are rill nice.

freak
 
With new pickups it will still sound like a P-Bass. Sell it and buy something you like.
 
I find a parametic mid either on the bass or on the amp is pretty much a must for the sound I like. Low end is easy to come by if you have any decent amp. The midrange is the secret ingredient;) .

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure better pickups would help. After all you can't add what ain't there. But most pickups even cheap ones have more than enough low end.



F.S.
 
Last edited:
I have a mexican P Bass and a US one. They both sound fantastic, so similar in fact that playing the Us one is sometimes a let down. The only difference is the quality control on the US is better, it'a neater inside and is better finished.

The type of amp of DI you are using makes a massive difference to a bass, more so than when using a geeetar.

I have never changed the pick ups on any bass I have own.

Sometimes though a particular instrument, i don't think you can do much about it once you have bought it....the secret....simple.....sit in the shop and play the bass till they are about the throw you out, if you still like it, then buy it.
 
I changed the pickups in my first bass (p-type) to an active EMG PJ-setup with two-band EQ (18V)... never should've done that.. I NEVER use the jazz pickup on it, only the P one...

but then again YMMV ;)


Herwig
 
Wide Awake said:
With new pickups it will still sound like a P-Bass. Sell it and buy something you like.
Click to expand...
Not true.......drop a Bartolini in there....or EMG's (active if you can do a little wiring) or really, any of the premium pick-ups.
The passives will be easier to install.....the actives will probably sound better but a good passive like a Bartolini will sound great; they just don't have the EQ and Boost that an active will have. And if you go passive, I doubt it would be more than $100. Shoot, I think I have a set of Dimarzio P-bass pick-ups laying around here somewhere. I'll have to go look.
 
Read the original post again.

The problem is obviously the amp, not the bass.
 
Actually.....read the first post one more time.

He obviously knows the amp is no good as he refers to it as a "useless little amp" and also he obviously isn't expecting the amp to sound good since he plans to use it as "a nice foot rest in the studio."

It's quite clear that he's talking about its sound when using it in his studio and not thru the "useless little amp." And for that, the earlier advice to change pick-ups stands.
 
Yea, I was kinda thinking EMG. Just thought I'd get a few ideas from others. Seems to be the one that comes up the most. As far as amps....gotta Boogie....all set. Thanks for the replies.
 
Before totally trashing out Fenders or their pickups, there`s several factors standing out there I would wish to ponder.

Here' s a few variables to investigate before getting to the bass and then to the pickups, such as..
1. Are you a bassist or another technition playing a bass.
2. the tone variations allowed between two Jazz pickups or a P and J combo set of pickups can provide a range of tones that would need numbers on the knobs in centimeters and be written down as presets if you ever wanted to find them again. Unless you have an ear for bass tones.
3. How bout the strings? what manufacturer, guage, winding signature, metal composition?
4. What technique do you use when playing?
5. Is the intonation correct?
6. Pickup and bridge height correct?
7. is there anyting else in your signal chain after the bass before amping or recording?
8. What sound are you wanting to achieve?

another thing to consider. There's quite a few boutique bass lines out there that provide a VERY particular tone (spector included). An extreme rookie can have an instant cool tone without having to know anything, however still encompassed by the signature tone at all times even when doing tonal variations . Whereas a Fender with a dual set of pickups would come closer to emulating some other basses and some of the boutiques with some imagination and ear, than the boutiques could emulate most other basses.
Built in preamps can have signature tones as well. Trying to emulate those with a passive bass can be hard to do unless it`s patched into a processor, which of course then makes it a bass with an expensive, active outboard instead of onboard.

Some of the pickup replacement suggested are very good too. Not saying there`s a problem with Fender tone, but to get a different variation of tones.
I've used Old Bill Lawrence and Bartolini`s in Jazzes. Although I`ve played with Seymore Duncans and EMG`s in Precisions.
 
I have a US Jazz, an 81 Stingray, an ibanez roadstar with active EMG's and a complete chunk of crap P-style that cost $149 new. It was made by Aira I think. Someone else owned it and it went through an apartment fire that was pretty devastating. I knew the owner and saw him sitting outside the burnt down apartment with this somewhat burned bass the day after the fire. The overhead sprinklers had saved it from total destruction. The pickguard had melted and the wiring and knobs were shot. He was ready to throw it out.

I took it, cleaned it, repainted it, put some cream colored Dimarzio pickups (that I bought for $40.00 new) and a used set of electronics (from my roadstar) into it. I took it to one of his shows to give it back to him and he had just bought his dream US Fender Jazz brand new with his insurance dough and told me to keep the old one since I had put so much work into it.

It is now my primary recording bass. I also play it live about half of the time.

I would say, if you bass feels and plays well, then take it to a shop and get them to put in all new electronics and just about any pick ups from Dimarzio into it along with a nice shielded pick guard if your is not nice and you will be rocking.

You can hear This FrankenBass on our recordings at www.mp3.com/rmutt . The songs there rotate a bit, but anything from "Let it Pee" was done with this bass. Anything from "Steaming Hot Coolie" was done with the Ibanez with EMG's and on "Earth to Guy" I used the Music Man and the Jazz.
 
I still have the stock pickups in mine and it sounds fine at least when it is recorded.
 
yeah, I'm thinking that putting it in the shop, and dropping a couple EMGs is the way to go. Get it all set up and what not.
It seems to me that others are getting good tone out of them (or at least claiming too), so it can't be out of reach on this bass. Like I said, if I drop $150 into it, plus the $200 I paid for it...I'm ahead of the game.


Thanks all.
 
Hey Toker....EMG's are first rate stuff. I can't imagine that you'll be unhappy with them.
 
I had EMG 81 and 85 in my custom Rich warlock. Bypassed all the stupid usless electronics that B C Rich loves to put in thier guitars (the real ones, not that NJ or Bronze crap they have the nerve to sell today) I LOVED them. Made a thin guitar sound warmer and thicker than any Les Paul I've ever played. I REALLY, REALLY miss that guitar, and will NEVER again sell any guitar I ever own. (even if it is a mexican Fender bass...hehe).
 
Toker,

Give the Dimarzio's a chance. I think you might really like the authentic type p-bass sound you will be able to get for 1/2 the price.

Don't get me wrong, I have some EMG's that I like just fine, but I find myself reaching for the old sound much more than the EMG sound.

just $0.02
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top