Not here in Australia. In all my years I've not seen a bargain,or even a fair price, on a decent instrument in a pawn shop. You've got more chance on ebay.
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Advice needed: Gassing for the Precision vibe but can't play them
- Thread starter ru32day
- Start date
Not here in Australia. In all my years I've not seen a bargain,or even a fair price, on a decent instrument in a pawn shop. You've got more chance on ebay.
Worth about $1400? - I don't think so, bud... and frankly, if *I* was going to spend $700-$800 on a P Bass, I'd be looking for an '08 or later American Standard - unless the one you're talking about is "the one" for you, that is...
Im a bit confused by your post,you say you want the p vibe but you have a short scale jaguar that has a p pickup (unless i am mistaken)Hi wise ones (and opinionated ones) of TB forums. Hoping you can give me some advice so I can start getting some sleep as the more I research and listen the more confused I'm getting. I'd even settle for "get your head out of your A.... - the problem is you and gear won't fix it!" if that's the right answer.
I have been playing bass on and off for about five years now, having been introduced to the instrument via a UBass and then a short scale Squier VM Jag. More recently I "graduated" to a full scale Yamaha TRBX304.
I love my Jag - light, easy to play and I think it sounds amazing (I've strung it with tapewounds). But lately I've been desperate for that Fender Precision vibe. I won't call it a sound (I've read the threads about what is a Precision these days anyway). The best way I can describe it is that hearing a Precision makes me feel like I'm lying on a thick sheepskin rug - supported by woolly softness, but not woolly sound. There's just something warm and wonderful about the vibe that this family of basses gives me and now I can't rest until I achieve "IT". I thought it was a matter of the right scale and a split pick-up in the middle, but the TRBX304, while it is beautifully balanced, great to play and also sounds lovely, also doesn't have "IT" (or maybe it does and I'm just not doing what's required to bring "IT" out of this instrument).
Significant issue is that chunkier necks and I just don't play nicely together. A few weeks ago I bought my partner one of the redesigned Yamaha BB's and I think it has "IT", but I'm not wholly comfortable playing it (it's close though).
I've tried various effects and multi-effects, but that hasn't worked out for me either.
So I'm thinking maybe I need a different instrument. I'm not flush with funds - this is more an act of desperation than a considered decision. So I'm looking at the low end of the market. Often there aren't options for me to demo (eg I had to order the TRBX by mail) and I'm not in the US or Europe so some stuff just isn't readily available here. Here are the options that I'm considering (mostly based on slimmer neck profiles and assuming that a key issue with the TRBX is the active vs a passive pickup), and any specific concerns about them:
- Squier affinity PJ (concerns - is it really a 1.5" neck? in some ads it says it's 1.625" ... with the affinity quality of electronics, will it "do" the sound I'm looking for, or will it be a bit thin?)
- Squier Eva Gardner precision bass - the only Squier PBass I could find that definitely has a jazz size neck
- Squier VM Jaguar in the full scale size (concern - will this sound any more like a P-Bass than the SS version?)
- G&L Tribute SB-2 (concern - some TB threads indicate the pickup is a lot hotter than a PBass. Does this mean it will sound more like the TRBX than a P-Bass - ie not "IT"?)
Or is there something I can do with my current instruments and EQ/effects or some other special sauce?
Anyway, sorry for the length of this - as you can maybe tell, I'm not feeling wholly rational ATM so if anyone can knock some sense into me I'd be grateful.
FWIW, I have a TRBX304 and a Squier P. I agree with your "wooly rug" description lol and LOVE the P sound.
You can't really get a true P sound on anything but a P, but you can get fairly close to a P sound on the TRBX304 by moving the 5-way switch to "slap", rolling the pickup selector all the way up to the front pickup, pushing your treble up to about 75 (3 o'clock), and bass right at or maybe slightly past noon (12-12:30). It makes your sound prettythick, but with a light touch at that setting, it sounds pretty much as close to a P as you can get on that bass. "YMMV"
You can't really get a true P sound on anything but a P, but you can get fairly close to a P sound on the TRBX304 by moving the 5-way switch to "slap", rolling the pickup selector all the way up to the front pickup, pushing your treble up to about 75 (3 o'clock), and bass right at or maybe slightly past noon (12-12:30). It makes your sound prettythick, but with a light touch at that setting, it sounds pretty much as close to a P as you can get on that bass. "YMMV"
Well I did get a P
but I'll try these settings out on the TRBX304. They're not ones I would have imagined for this so thanks!