P Bass Blindfold Quiz | Can you hear the difference? | Thomann

[@GreekDude]

Moral of the story: can't go wrong with a p-bass. With flats. And tort guard.

[@killercour]

The tort guard makes all the difference to the tone

[@viniciuscomacento]

that's it

[@Bubinga5]

Moral of the story. They all pretty much sound the same. Said the audience.

[@mapsgillnet6762]

Any seasoned musician who couldn't tell the 2nd bass was a Fender should probably quit the bass

[@thebassrogue]

My favorite was the G&L! So deep, thick sounding! I guessed the sandberg instantly lol

[@djeric1000]

I loved the Sandberg, disappointed with G&L, and positively surprised by the HB

[@XavierD62]

In my opinion, at this days, all instruments are well made, and sound fine, big difference like for example the 90s. But, the feeling that you feel makes the difference or how you feel whith this or another instrument. Thanks Julia for this test

[@eplunk3742]

I wasn't familiar with the sounds of each brand, so I didn't try guessing. I simply liked basses 3 and 4 best. :-)

[@klaymeister]

I like the Squier most!

[@f7viivvgiv]

All the basses sounds awesome but I like that Harley Benton bass

[@eupraxis1]

I love the faces.

[@rkimball6]

This was a hard one. I didn't have a clue. They all sounded good.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

I know it is even hard for me and I played them ;) // Cheers Julia

[@acekkkkkk]

I heard differences, but I could not assign them to the respective basses...but one I got so right: I knew with 100% certanty that the Bass 1 was the Sandberg. The bass lacked what I like about P basses - the huge low fundament and it had too much treble. That is what Sandberg is known for and that is what I hate about their basses. Got that one totally right. The rest was difficult. All sounded like good P basses, eventhough Bass 5 had a bit less attack than Bass 2-4 (which I dont like)

[@randtotheboone4897]

This inspired me to plug in the P Bass and jam a bit. Fun Comparison. I'm a big advocate of kicking ass with what you can afford. Potentially a lot of bang for the buck if you find a good Squire P Bass and set it up properly . Its wood, each individual is slightly different sounding IMO

[@johannsoncrusoe5589]

Thought that the 5th was the G&L! Was my favorite, too. I thought that the HB was the first one! 2nd Squier, 3rd Fender, 4rth Sandberg. But the only way to listen for me was to hear differences when pic playing.

[@trunks828]

I couldn’t tell the difference till I heard it with a pick. I like 2 the best all around and I loved the mids on 4 it was so clear and the price point for that omg.

[@VincentDuxD]

All I know is the sandberg sound, their pickups are rather hot and distinct, and that’s why I love em, guess that fender isn’t bad as well xD

[@hugopalomares146]

surprisingly I was able to get the fender right which was also my favorite of them. I actually didn't like the Sandberg at all.

[@salliemusic5016]

Interesting. I didn't try to guess, but my favorites for sound were the Squier and the G&L. I think G&L sounded better with a pick, but in the other styles they were even.

[@rcbock15]

I'm amazed at how good all of them sound. They are all very similar (My practice amp is my computer speaker)

[@p9jpd9]

BTW I know Julia dosn't like these kind of comments. But she did a great job! She is lovely and has a beautiful smile. Please keep her around and pay her well!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Oh yes, I like it :D Thanks a lot Rattbones!! // Cheers, Julia

[@johnr374]

Could spot the HB a mile away with that fret buzz

[@egroegmcdonald9870]

I figured that # 4 was the Sandberg or Fender because of the harmonics when being picked. Surprised the hell out of me to be told it's the HB. I already have 2 USA Fender P's too. I also have 3 HB basses, a J, a MM and a MP. I think a HB-20 is in my future. Love the HB-J. The MP and the MM are very nice but just don't suit my taste.

[@juanpablostrada249]

A long time ago had a vintage '62 fender pbass. I knew it as soon as I heard it. The best pbass sound. Unmistakable. Greetings

[@EmersonWW]

Favourites were 4, 2, 5 which were clearly better than 3 and 1... then on the pick test I decided I liked 2 better than 4, so my ranking was: Fender > Harley Benton > G+L > Squier > Sandberg

[@18CC]

My fav List 1. Sandberg won by far. 2. Fender 3. Squier 4. Harley Benton could be 2nd if it didnt lose notes. Maybe with better strings ? 5. G&L I thought it was the lower range price bass. I never played Bass.

[@jcsk8]

Sandberg was too bright and not grease enough to a PBass. Good sounding, but far more modern than a PBass.

[@alexdattel2757]

I made a list of which one I liked most. Order was G&L, Fender, Squier/Harley Benton The Sandberg was the most distinguishable out of all of them to me because it had less boom in it which is cool for some stuff but terrible for other stuff so I'm not sure where to put it. The others were all pretty similar to me in the bass territory. Soundwise Squier and Harley Benton can be used just as well as the others so I'd conclude just buy what you can afford.

[@charlescdt6509]

Short scale would be a good one to do. Keep up the good work. You are my new guitar hero!!!

[@FrancoGrimoldi]

My blind guess: 1. Sandberg 2. Fender 3. G&L 4. Harley Benton 5. Squier

[@TheOverlordOfProcrastination]

I liked 2, 3 and 5 the most but couldn't guess which they were. But I'm a Fender guy so maybe it was the familiarity of the tone.

[@BoneMachineMUC]

4 was noticeably weaker than the others, 5 also a bit disappointing. 2 & 3 almost identical.

[@henriquedemachado]

I felt the same about them.

[@risksylvan]

Felt like #2 was the best of the bunch by a small margin. Just the right growl with a bit more punch than the others. But I was surprised by the reveal.

[@millll111lllI]

All the buzzing from the Squier and Harley Benton gave them away

[@Grandpa-js7xv]

I can't say for sure which bass is which. I liked #2 and #5 the most. #4 is probably the squire or harley benton because of the noise. Nice playing and bass face!

[@kylitosan]

I thought I'd like the G&L the best but it's the squire! ... Thanks for keeping it real

[@indelebi]

Great video! Please do a slap comparison with a wide mix of P, J, PJ, PMM, Humbuckers Series/Parallel etc.

[@jimalbruzzess2445]

Hello Julia, I was dead in the water right from the beginning. I could hear the differences, but couldn't tell which bass was being played. Great video. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hey Jim Albruzzess, thanks a lot! // Cheers, Julia

[@rabian333]

I bought a Fender P bass ultra (mocha) at Thomann .I love it .P>J !!😈

[@arnlmndza]

Not much difference. But listening to them a second time, #5 for fingerstyle, #4 finger picking, and #3 for pick. And I wanted the Sandberg all along!!! :)

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Clear statement, like it! :) // Cheers, Julia

[@richrenken]

5, the G&L, was my fav followed by 3, the Squire. My least fav was the Fender. Weird. BTW, your playing is killer. Great feel.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hey Rich Renken, thanks a lot! I really appreciate it :) // Cheers, Julia

[@pdornai]

Thanks Julia, as always you make everything sound good🤘

[@empatage]

$81 bass win .....

[@LucaDigioia83]

I only got right the Harley Benton because of that fret buzz on fingerstyle :D my fav two were sandberg and fender

[@LucaDigioia83]

@Mark Seymour it sounds really good, for the price they sell it at you can get a really nice fret job from a luthier...can't really complain there.

[@dobiloru]

sandberg are rly easy to spot tbh they so crisp and so powerfull ,harley bentons are a bit louder then fenders but sound a bit artificially and copied from the fender sound also kinda easy to spot ,the hardest thing for me was too find the difference from the squier and the harley benton

[@GunnySmithApple]

I had the Harley Benton and the G&L right initially but swapped after the pick tones. I had all the others right. It surprised me that was the G&L after listening to the pick tone. Fender is unmistakable. The best tone by far was the American Fender. I would like to say I’m surprised at how good the Squier tone is, but I’d you’ve been paying attention these last few years, you’d know that so many of the Squier basses sound great!

[@dansaghin1]

the character and tone of the P bass matters only in the mix, there is shines as it`s tone fills the room and supports all the other instruments...

[@chrisjamessfsd]

I thought they Harley Benton was one of the best ones! For sure picking...very crisp & clear. Anyway, great video--you rock! ;-)

[@ravelitschimo]

5-times right... gonna order the Harley beton

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Wow, congrats! // Cheers, Julia

[@ravelitschimo]

Thomann's Guitars & Basses thanks 🙏🏻 Can they build a pj one? With a black Pickguard? And better mechanics and pickups available? So electronics? I mean I have to change it anyway. Can pay few 100 bugs more.

[@vara_v]

Only one I can tell is Sandberg, since i used to own quite a few of them and they have pretty distinct sound. They have this mid scoop and really crisp high.

[@SombraPiloto]

I liked #2. Just proves that I was meant to become the Fender fanboy that I turned out to be!

[@edbrito-swdev]

My headphones are not neutral at all; they tend to exagerate (not in a good way) the bass. Having said that, in fingerstyle I didn't notice much difference. With thumb I noticed more and with pick there was a lot of difference. As I have no experience with G&L and Sandberg I had no idea what to expect. The Harley Benton was really surprising! Very nice!

[@JasperVanMarcke]

Went in with the opinion of what could sound better than a Fender P bass? Noted down my favorite (secretly hoping it wouldn't be a Fender, so that I could have and excuses as to buy another bass) Favorite was the Fender. Moral of the story: Fender P bass still the best.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

haha...what Fender P-Bass do you have? // Cheers, Julia

[@JasperVanMarcke]

Thomann's Guitars & Basses An 2011 American (professional) bass ? Don’t really know the exact name, they change a lot these days, basically a typical sunburst tortoise shell p-bass oh and lefty ;)

[@jeffreyeagen4896]

I didn't get any right, but surprisingly I liked the Sandburg the least. And our prize is getting to watch you 😁

[@joesasser4421]

Heard the most differences using a pick (which is how I play), and #4 the HB had the best sound, to me.

[@achimdg6335]

I best liked Bass2, so this was that bass.

[@LCA1985]

Fender sounds warmer and rounder than the others. Sandberg sounds more on the modern side, but for the price you cant go wrong with the HB. Sounds so good for a 90$ bass.

[@Iofflight78]

I didn't know which was which but I liked thumb the best on the Sandberg and the Pick best on the Fender. Good to know.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Interessting, I never thought about taking two P-Basses to a gig :D //Cheers, Julia

[@Iofflight78]

Thomann's Guitars & Basses you know I think a lot of People take a back up, but I would probably go with 2 p basses one with rounds and one with flats

[@Kawabxl]

I would find interesting to have pro bass players having to find the good order and to tell what sound they find the best.

[@elpez71]

I couldn’t really tell a difference but there is. My favorite is the Fender 60s / Gand L. Thanks love your playing groove! 👍

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks a lot John Perez! // Cheers, Julia

[@PingPongPix]

Admittedly, I'm listening on my phone BUT I can't hear anything between all 5 of them!! 🤔

[@Leiria65]

First one was clearly brighter, but all the others were pretty much the same

[@zaxmaxlax]

Use quality HEADphones. First one is too bright for my taste.

[@kenmorley2339]

I agree more or less .😄

[@paulybassman7311]

I've owed, used and gigged 100+ basses and only ever owned 1 PBass (which I no longer have). They are not versitile, they are popular because producers and sound engineers both find them easy to eq into the mix. Unfortunately time has moved on and playing many types of music requires a better built more flexible instrument (usually a 5 string with a good basic on board eq) , which the PBass is not.

[@kingstumble]

All sound the same to me too. Apart from brief dalliances with other basses I have only played a P Bass for the last 40 years. The main reason apart from the sound is the neck width. They are the only basses which give you acres of room on the fingerboard which I like, and is the reason why I've never got along with Jazz Basses

[@basswars7060]

I really wanted to love the G&L, but I found the fret noise annoying. The Fender was my favorite for fingerstyle. However, they all sounded like a Precision. I am very impressed with the Squier.

[@mowmowjapan]

Thank you for your test. I didn't know they are really that different. I liked #2 and #5. It was a surprise to find out that the G&L was really good.

[@max-pax]

I couldn't tell much difference, but basses 3, 4 and 5 in last lick are worse balanced, so I figured out two of these three must be cheapest. And roundwound strings might be cool :)

[@viniciuscomacento]

[no spoilers about the correct order] by the end of the day the Squier sounded way better than you might have expected. Fender was the best, of course, but not by a large scale. Sandberg was amazing too!

[@rome8180]

Huh. Without knowing which was which, I liked the sound of the Harley Benton the best. That's definitely the cheapest bass of the bunch.

[@0oTHEJACKo0]

A slapping section would have been nice, but for me it was the Fender. All the way. Perfect tone!

[@mahircankucuk7016]

Bass 3 was my favourite, 1 and 5 were the least favorite.

[@cnltaf4532]

The Harley Benton PB-20 is my choise ,...but it is soo far away from Thomann´s stock, with a bit of luck it arrives in late April or may,...ohh i want one now,.. LOL,... ;) Thanks Julia ure awesome

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks a lot! Many greetings to Sweden! // Cheers, Julia

[@kosmicwizard]

#1 is gandl, #2 is harley benton, #3 American P, #4 Sandberg, #5 classic vibe.

[@gcvrsa]

I liked the Sandberg best, by a large margin. Next, a toss up between the Squier and the Harley Benton. I didn't like the Fender or G&L, at all. Now, I prefer a Jazz or a StingRay to a Precision, but I'm happy, because I have been seriously considering a Sandberg for my next bass. I just went back and listened to the Jazz Bass blindfold test, again, and there, I also preferred the Sandberg by a wide margin. Looks like Sandberg just went to the top of my list.

[@HumbertoSilvaPT]

They sound fine but you cans see a difference in output between the Fender (bass 3) and the HB (bass 4) in decibel meter. Fender has a +10db difference . And there it is your price difference.

[@MotoGreciaMarios]

The Sandberg really stood out during pick playing, but sounded more muffled during finger playing. Must be something with the different pole pieces in relation to all the others I suppose.

[@jameslewis2635]

TBH the Harley Benton was the one that had the best sound. SUprisingly enough, I would have expected it to go to either the Fender or the G&L but that does not seem to be the case as to my ears bass #4 was the one that stood out on most of the clips. I usually conclude that I have expensive taste, but not in this example it seems.

[@neilcartwright1679]

Crazy. Throughout, I preferred bass No 4. Harley Benton. (Are you sure this isn't a marketing scam?) Very nice.

[@Amhotep999]

Had the sandberg and fender right :). Could only tell them apart with the pick.

[@edwither8284]

I liked number four the best.

[@12x]

bass 1 sounded best to me, which turned out to be the sandberg, followed by bass 3, the squier. the worst was bass 5 for me, g and L. although the 4th i wasn't too keen on either, the harley benton. listening through a v high end setup. (class a amp, high end DAC, all costing over 1k).

[@harshtree]

That's not the first time my favourite was the Harley Benton... Damn.

[@nunoreis2155]

Couldn't distinguish one from the other but, to me, for my preferred tonality, guess I would have to buy a couple of them as I noticed that they each sounded different for each technique. Probably a tweak in the settings could do the trick and save tons of money but, if I had it, I would buy a couple of them and forget about adjustments...😅😅😅

[@danadane2501]

Anything related to precision basses I'm all ears . Let's do this .

[@MrRichowl1]

I have the Squier. Love it.

[@bobbybeast1000]

I liked the 2nd one - it was the Fender P Bass - Hmmmm, good to know

[@chriscuthbertson]

Love Julia's 'bass face'

[@hetschhog]

At least had the first two right. Sandberg just very distinctive with its pickups.

[@jayformicolamusic1337]

Ouch... I thought the squire was one of the high end basses and the G&L was the Squire...

[@30smsuperstrat]

Bass number 2 had the most neck dive while thumb picking

[@sylvaingagnon3211]

I like the Squier and the Benton. I’m surprised.

[@munneysh]

I love her so much. 💜💜

[@GuitarJesus84]

Close, ... mixed up the Squier and the HB. Still it is not easy.

[@Bewar3them00n]

Just bought the HB, looks awesome

[@therealpaulnewman]

The Fender sounded like the Tone control was turned down. I just compared to my 1990's American Standard Precision & it has much more "life" than the Fender you played. Also during the pick segment, you played the Squier hard & the G&L much softer, less pick attack until the last few notes.

[@loomer3473]

This part written before seeing the reveal: #1 nice overall sound #2 so vintage and dirty/muddy, this should be the Fender. It has a huge low end (that I’d definitely cut most of them out in the mix anyway). I don’t like this one. #3 nice but not much punch, sounds pretty much like #2 may be it’s a HB #4 nice sustain and sparkly highs #5 This is it. It’s all I want from a P bass After the revelation: #1 not surprised, a great bass #2 whaaatttt!!?? That’s actually a Fender! #3 some upgrade would definitely make it a decent P bass #4 wwwwwhaaatttttt? That’s a HB! I’d love it with some pickup upgrades. I have to revise my plan on purchasing a P bass this year #5 A true legacy of Leo Fender!

[@LeeJoRo]

Love your playing.

[@TheIronWord]

Listening through studio monitors the #4 sounded best, then the #2

[@micah9052]

Good bass sound... really interesting video👌

[@shamsam69]

1 G&L 2 Fender 3 Squier 4 Harley Benton 5 Sandberg Dammmmmm I was close

[@iSteen]

I would love a blindtest of amps - cheap as well as expensive amps, tube vs solid state

[@MonserratFoster]

Sadly it seems the fender is not available anymore on the website :(

[@adamsdan1]

2 and 4 win for me, and 1 is the clear loser to my ears. I wonder how my favorite, an early 80s Ibanez rb630 would stack up.

[@Charlie-hp2oh]

guessed the cheap one by looking at the dBa: nr 4 harley benton

[@zaxmaxlax]

I think she covered all the bases.

[@kosmicwizard]

What I thought was a gandl was my favourite, I guess that means it was the Sandberg. I can live with that.

[@abeare9616]

Just shows, you can pay considerably more for a bass but you don't necessarily get that cost back in tone. The best "value" basses are those in the lower and mid range of prices. The HB pa bass is incredible valu. It's £77! www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_pb_20_sbk_standard_series.htm

[@frederickvondrasek5618]

...the Fender, for sure, was my favorite. I was surprised...