I had a couple of very similar situations decades ago. Looking back I am thankful for the patience and guidance of some keen producers and engineers who believed in me and my abilities but needed to recalibrate my compass. Invaluable lesson. Thanks!
Without getting too lengthy, I appreciate you, loved your videos on SBL, thanks for the insight/reenforcement of what so many already know to be true. I don't have the scratch for the "real vintage" but do play some American standard Fenders. Gotta love the P and the J.
I looooove this video! Everyone should be so lucky as to see this video before they put themselves in that situation. I skipped the not knowing the classics bit because that's what we listened to in my home, but I sure came in hot with the gear nobody wanted to record and the licks that didn't fit! I just picked up the hint after two sessions or so, brought Fenders, sold the bourgeois basses, and it seemed to work. Fortunately for my generation and younger there are resources like this in case we don't get the cool producer. And fortunately for me I get to work with an artist now who loves licks that don't belong on other people's records!
Ian is spot on here. If you show up to a session, especially for a new client, with anything but a passive Fender P or Jazz bass you blew it. I did. I showed up to my first big session in LA back in 2005 with an active Spector 5, red, flame maple top, EMG hum buckers, the works. The producer looked at me like I had a branch growing out of my forehead. He politely suggested I use the Vintage Guild Starfire hanging on the wall, or perhaps the vintage Gibson EBO. I didn't event plug in the Spector. Sold it the next week and never went back. JMJ talks about this as well, and his insights really shaped my approach. I do a ton of session work now and always bring a '73 Fender P w/flats, a Modern Fender 5 set passive (but can go active if they want more bite), a Gibson Grabber for something more vintage rock n' roll, a Yamaha fretless, a Moroccan Guembri for something mind blowing, and a Broughton Audio P-15 Tube Pre if they want it.
As the owner of version 3 of that bass, I will say that the best thing about it is that is cops both modern AND vintage tones. Covers a lot of ground, if you can get people past the optics.
Wonderful advice :>) back in 1987 I bought the bass I always dreamed of growing up in the 60's a Rickenbacker 2003 all Maple and I loved it.However this last Spring I bought a 2018 American made Fender Precision 5 string bran new.I absolutely loved it ! Enough so to have Warmoth construct a 5 string lined fretless 3-A BirdsEye Maple neck.10 weeks later it arrived.Some fitting issues at first however no big deal.I have never played every day with any instrument in the 54 years of playing ! I have to force myself to play Guitar to keep up with it.I now understand why the millions of players use this bass.Thank you for everything ,Saw you on Scott's video ! I am going to try the double thumb work in the morning .Cheers :>)
Funny thing: The Attitude bass was created as a copy of Billy Sheehan’s own vintage Precision Bass - as he had modified it over the years, to get the specific sounds he wanted. For mellow and boomy tones, Billy uses the neck pickup. The P-Bass pickup doesn’t have a tone control, though, as he keeps it totally bright to go alongside the neck pickup sounds.
The Yamaha literally has a P bass pickup and a mud-bucker. Literally a one stop shop for vintage tone. The bass is really is a lesson in 1: that people listen with their eyes and 2: Learning the greats and knowing how to reference/respect their work.
I was thinking this the whole time. It's basically a P bass! It's not even active! Oh but the pickup is slightly hotter.. well that's just ALL WRONG I bet with flats and foam it would sound very close while also doing a few other more interesting tones
As the owner of an Attitude LTD II, I find this bass to be wound hotter than a normal P bass but it was still designed after a P bass pick up in the same general position, want more vintage just use the woofer pick up, want even more thud .. put foam under the strings , want it even more "fundamental" put flats or tape wound strings on it, want a little more cut dial in the P pickup, want it more modern just use the p pick up and string with stainless steel strings...
it's so true..but to me (and it s not an ego statment just how things played) vintage fender etc and vintage sounds always was number 1 for my ears and soul!! Ian is a very cool guy!!
Totally get you with that. My second bass I ever bought was a second hand 79 P Bass that in the 80's had a jazz pickup added for extra flexability through the sound range . (still use it for live and recordings) its the best investment iv ever done . 2014 I went into do a session recording with a young singer song writer called Mae Challis ( you will hear more of her next year ) I brought my all singing all dancing custom headless active 5 string thinking this will impress the others . Plugged it in and the sound engineer said " errr what the hell is that it sounds weird " I thought holly crap this hasn't gone off to a very good start . Did my bit then went home to digest . Got a call from him a few days later saying have you got a normal bass to bring to the next session .. Trusty Purple Fender P bass in case I turned up . His words as soon as I played were .. " ahh the P Bass ! that sounds F***ing amazing what a sound" Have owned many basses over the years but lesson learnt . Its the most awesome all round bass you will ever need and I never play anything other than this live or in the studio !
Same question. We should ask this to a producer or engineer of non-western music; someone who's been minimally influenced by western music. Don't know where we can find that person now...
Bayley McNamee can’t take credit for the adage, but I’ve learned by experience that it’s true. I was always into active basses, bright tone. I’d play along with records, practice with friends. Then I played my first few gigs. “My tone” sounded terrible in the room. It didn’t gel with the band, it didn’t do the songs any justice. I still kept the active basses for quite a while, but when I’d play out, I started using the neck soapbar solo’d, I’d roll off the highs a bit, kept the rest of the EQD largely flat. Then I got into jazz basses. Still bright, aggressive, very geddy or Chris squire. Then I finally got my hands on a p with flats. I wasn’t UNAWARE of the Motown sound, but it didn’t jive with me until I wrapped my hands around it. Now my two main basses are a guild starfire 2 with chromes and a cheap 60’s P copy by Kent that I threw a GZR into and strung up with TI flats. Basically, exactly what’s said in this video. My friends have a production studio and I pride myself on being the guy to call if a bassist comes in and it just doesn’t sound quite right.
Nice video. Very honest about your own learning process. Something to add: visual aspect of instruments can confuss us. You can change your sound drastically with string type and passive pot.
I had the same experience when I showed up to my first session with my 93 Fender Deluxe with Active Pickups and flatwound strings. The producer said, "Glad you have flatwounds, but we're still going to have you play the '68 P-bass we keep on hand for players without one."
I had one exactly like that. First generation. Big, beefy neck, just a monster - made for the way Billy plays. It wasn't the bass for me, but what a monster.
What I find funny is that the Attitude has the split coil pickup made exactly the same way as the one in your PBass so it really makes no difference. You could’ve put flatwounds on the Attitude and it would’ve have sounded EXACTLY the same. Also, the Yamaha has that pickup very close to the neck that can sound a lot like a Hofner or Gibson EB0, people are just dumb
That yamaha bass is one of the most versatile basses money can buy, the only people who don't want those in the studio are either vintage gear snobs who think older always = better, or lazy sound engineers who don't want to bother EQ'ing a different bass... and I've always been a vintage fender lover too lol
Disagree. You con tell differences between instruments made by the same brand (fender example: a replica of a '60s jazz bass and an American ultra jazz bass sound completely different and are from the same brand) and you compared a vintage fender precision to an Attitude... It's not all about PU shape, their position on the bass or flatwound strings.
This is a great point, that hooks up to a lot of other session players... So I play drums, and you got to have a birch kit , or maple gum USA custom drum set and a Ludwig supraphonic and maybe a craviotto snare, you will never ever be a fish outta water.
Wow... great advice! Not the best thing every time! My one time in the studio I was told let's to a retake with out your Yamaha TRB 6 string. Bring the Fender Precision.... Different Tools for different Jobs.
I kept wanting there to be a 3rd part of the story with some other well known name. “Can you do a kind of Entwhistle thing?” “Steve Entwhistle? Sure!” “Err no…”
Put some foam under the strings by the bridge. Instant Motown. Use the neck humbucker with the tone rolled off and you have the "British Invasion" sound. It wasn't the bass that was the issue, it was your ignorance of the musical genres that was the problem.
Own 3 basses: A nice P bass Another "classic" studio choice (Ric, Jazz or Stingray) Your fun baby/yet another ckassic aha(5 string, Active, Warwick, Fretless, EB, Thunderbird, ESP/Ibanez/Metal style basses, Spector, ect)
If I’m ever seeking studio work playing for others, I’ll bring a P bass and pluck with gentle rest strokes. I’ve always known that’s what *they* want. If I want to be in a Rock band, I’ll bring my Rickenbacker, turn up the mids, highs, and the gain, and attack the strings with a Geddy clack. That’s playing for *me* and the rockers, money be damned.
Spot on!! I made the same mistake early in my playing. Buying the boutique basses with tons of knobs and switches. Took me a few years to realize that you really just need a P bass and a J bass and you're set for most stuff. Sound engineers know exactly what to do with those basses.
Oh...I forgot to mention....Pay attention to the other instruments in the band. You're playing BASS. Use a low pass filter or a shelving EQ to get all that clank, clack, string squeak, and harsh high end out of your tone. That competes with guitars, keys, etc. Lay down that low, and low mid thump and lock with the drummer to form a solid foundation for the rest of the band to stand on. You aren't Victor Wooten or Billy Sheehan. Victor told me once, "There are two bands that need a bass player like me...and I'm in both of them".
Its funny. Right after this video an Iphone commercial came on with music that had the exact kind of bass sound this guy was talking about. We see lots of videos on here with guys playing 7 string active boutique basses worth 10 grand and get lulled into thinking everyone successful plays those things. Perhaps if you are a solo bassist maybe, but for the most part its not practical for the average player.
Ian, not fair of you to suggest that struggling studio musicians should plunk down $10k+ on a vintage P-Bass. There are plenty of modern P's that let you get something close to that sound (though not completely nailing it) for a lot less.
Hahahaha. Maybe someone should have learned how to get all those tones from his instrument before carrying his ego into a home studio. ;) I played tons of sessions back in early 2000 at SCAD studios with my Blue Attitude and never was once asked to bring a different bass. I learned how to get the sounds from the bass to put down for the clients.
TOADWERX you've obviously never played a bass in your life. You betray yourself with that comment. Nothing you can ever say will convince me you know anything about the bass. And that... is my final word on the matter. Now... knock yourself out with your response.
They played those instruments because thats all there was in the 60's. You don't think if they had better tonal capabilities they would've used them? Plus alot of producers are stuck. But hey if that's what they are paying for I guess that's what you give them. In a couple years it will be "Can you sound like Bootsy Collins?" PS: Jazz basses are better.
What if you just...I dunno....adjust the EQ? I get the point you're trying to make but I feel like MOST basses can achieve the tone you're looking for. Sure if you're cranking up the WOOFER pickup on that Attitude using the dual input...may be tad too punchy. But I feel that you can get "vintage" tones. Hell, flat wound strings may have been your answer. Yes, know the classics. But you don't need to own a "classic" bass to get classic tone. All due respect...
That's not what he meant...he meant in a studio setting. The engineer will tell you to GTFO if they're looking for Jamerson motown sounds on a track and you show up with a 7 string schecter.
Andy Arnette Your advice is only half of what a musician should be about. Being a REAL musician is learning to be versatile and serving the music. Being a hired gun is useful if you want to grow and MATURE as a musician.
Hey, how about you play like YOU and not Paul and James whoever?? Why do you need to regurgitate The Beatles and Motown?? How about something new and fresh that's your own? That Attitude bass will absolutely sound great with those styles of music anyways. When I go into a studio and the producer wants me to play the "house" bass, I say; "who's the bass player??" If that means I don't get the gig, at least I can leave the studio with my dignity in tact.
Andy Arnette It seems like you still have a long way to go in your journey as a bass player. The mark of a mature musician is someone who listens, who is versatile, and most importantly, someone who is humble.
That’s great if you’re paying for the session. If someone is paying and wants a vibe - you can a) do the thing. b) play your own vibe and persuade everyone they want what you’re doing. One of these gets you unemployed…
