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Looking for direction

I'm a guitar player who has had the good fortune to have played with some exceptional Drummers and Bass players in various projects I have been involved with.

This has helped me to create good parts for my originals. (New Country, I play all the parts).

While tracking, I re-create that magic in my mind that happens when muscians lock onto a groove and seem to anticipate crecendos, accents and dynamics and the song takes on a new meaning!

I remember the vibe that the drummer and bass player had together and would sometimes lay back and just enjoy! ( This can sometimes be difficult for guitar players-you know how we love the spot light!)

I have a question for you bass players; what do you consider to be the quintessential bass guitar for recording?

I'm getting the tech side of the instrument recorded well, I'm not getting any "frequency masking" between the kick and low end of the guitars, (ie, the bass is clearly present in the mix). I'm putting all the magic I can muster in my playing but I'm unhappy with the "tone:! I'm using a Fender Squier P Bass that I bought for $45.00 from a small studio in Burbank. (Thats what guitar Center was going to give the owner of the studio for trade in on a guitar flavor of the month that he was jonesing for) He had the bass taken to a guitar tech and had EMG pick ups put in and intonated etc,

I know that this is a budget bass but wondered if the original pick ups might have more of that "woody" bass tone I'm invisioning!

Any suggestions would be much appreciated! New pick- ups? Retire it and use it for a boat oar and step up?

Trying, as always, to take my music to the next level!

Thanks
Rob

There's nothing like a Fender bass. A Squier is not a Fender. A Squier with EMG pickups, even less so. If you go around to the music stores in your area and try the old worn-in-looking Fender Precision basses that still have all their original electronics, I think you'll find one with the sound you want. There's a magic in the sound of these instruments that you don't find in other brands, not even in a new Fender. You'll have to pay ten times what you did for the bass you have. If that's too much, then at least put some old Fender pickups in your Squier. You can probably get some on eBay. Some tool probably took them out so he could put in EMGs.

Thanks for the reply King!

I suspected that was the case. Its the same in the guitar side of things. I've got six guitars, all $1500.00 and up but my '61 tele I bought in the '70's for $150.00 gives the best results when tracking.

The way I see it, I can't afford not to pop for $500.00 or so for the sound I'm lookinf for. Thanks again for the input.
Rob