Jazz or P

[mcnach]

Summer is here, I guess...

[HowieBass]

P with flats, Jazz with rounds...

[thegummy]

Of course this comes down to personal preference but one piece of information I gathered from these kind of forum threads that I found to be wrong was that some people claim you can get a P tone out a jazz bass if you use certain settings on the knobs.

It's not possible at all, it doesn't sound anything like a P. I bought a jazz based on this, thinking I could get the P tone plus other tones. I'm now having to buy a P because that tone is not possible from a jazz.

[Foxx]

Stingray...

[discreet]

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1466457645' post='3076023']
...some people claim you can get a P tone out of a jazz bass if you use certain settings on the knobs. It's not possible at all, it doesn't sound anything like a P.
[/quote]

Agreed. If it were true, no P Basses would be sold as everyone would just buy a Jazz instead. The P is still the most ubiquitous bass by some margin.

Edited June 20, 2016 by discreet

[eddiehoffmann]

I'm yet to experience a musical situation where I needed more than my P Bass. Tone control is your friend and different strings for different sounds too. Finger style, slap, pick, palm muting... I guess what I'm trying to say is... The sound is in your hands 😁

[JapanAxe]

I don't really have a strong preference one way or the other, as you can tell from my signature.

[discreet]

[quote name='eddiehoffmann' timestamp='1466458520' post='3076039']
The sound is in your hands...
[/quote]

He said it!

[Grahambythesea]

Neither thank you. Had 'em both but they are the sound of the fifties and sixties and even Leo redesigned them after he sold Fender, hence Stingrays and G & L. Many great designers and luthiers have created far better instruments since so why not move with the times, this is the 21st century. There's a place for nostalgia but even that's not what used to be!
I used to think it was just guitarists who couldn't think beyond Strats & Les Pauls, but now it seems that bassists have slipped into a similar mould.

[eddiehoffmann]

[quote name='Grahambythesea' timestamp='1466459311' post='3076057']
Neither thank you. Had 'em both but they are the sound of the fifties and sixties and even Leo redesigned them after he sold Fender, hence Stingrays and G & L. Many great designers and luthiers have created far better instruments since so why not move with the times, this is the 21st century. There's a place for nostalgia but even that's not what used to be!
I used to think it was just guitarists who couldn't think beyond Strats & Les Pauls, but now it seems that bassists have slipped into a similar mould.
[/quote]

There are better engineered and far better built basses for sure and I even tried some myself. But then you get to a recording session and try everything and what sounds best to everyone is your old reliable P. I guess it's because that's the sound people in general, including producers, engineers and the other band members are used to listen to and associate with the bass guitar. There must be a reason why after so many new designs came over the years still today what you hear in most records is a J or a P or some slight variation of one of the two.

[thegummy]

[quote name='eddiehoffmann' timestamp='1466458520' post='3076039']
I'm yet to experience a musical situation where I needed more than my P Bass. Tone control is your friend and different strings for different sounds too. Finger style, slap, pick, palm muting... I guess what I'm trying to say is... The sound is in your hands
[/quote]

Rush cover band?

[eddiehoffmann]

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1466460430' post='3076069']


Rush cover band?
[/quote]

If I was asked to play in a Rush cover band (doubt it haha) I would probably use a Jazz. But I played Rush songs before with a P with rounds and some overdrive and it sounded great. I also played some Motown lines on a Jazz and even though it didn't have THAT sound it did sound great too.





And the sound is in your hands 😂

[ubit]

I've got two of each. Love them all !

[AlpherMako4]

This is actually VERY helpful to me. Thank you

[The Dude On Bass]

just make up your mind, if you can get both!!!
I would say that the pbass, due to it's nature is the "meat and potatoes" bass imo, it's construction makes you wanna play just the bass.
The jazz can do that of course, but it can lead to more solo stuff because of the different possibilities of tone!

http://youtu.be/uGXZ3DQRHGY

[paul h]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1466458913' post='3076049']
He said it!
[/quote]

He didn't say fingers...it doesn't count.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='eddiehoffmann' timestamp='1466459619' post='3076061']
There are better engineered and far better built basses for sure and I even tried some myself. But then you get to a recording session and try everything and what sounds best to everyone is your old reliable P. I guess it's because that's the sound people in general, including producers, engineers and the other band members are used to listen to and associate with the bass guitar. There must be a reason why after so many new designs came over the years still today what you hear in most records is a J or a P or some slight variation of one of the two.
[/quote]

What a load of bollocks!

When recording you should use the bass that you are the most comfortable with. Any decent engineer and producer will be able to get a great sound in the context of the band mix in a matter of minutes, and if they can't you should be sacking them off and getting in someone who can actually do their job.

[eddiehoffmann]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1466505097' post='3076264']


What a load of bollocks!

When recording you should use the bass that you are the most comfortable with. Any decent engineer and producer will be able to get a great sound in the context of the band mix in a matter of minutes, and if they can't you should be sacking them off and getting in someone who can actually do their job.
[/quote]

I didn't say you can't get a good sound out of a different kind of bass. I just said that in my experience that's what end up happening in a session scenario.

I agree with what you said anout a good producer being able to get a good sound out of anything you like. But in real life that's not what happens most of the time. Even Daryl Jones borrowed a P Bass to audition for the Stones. I have a feeling he wouldn't have impressed Keith Richards very much if he took some esoteric 6 string out of the gig bag. Even if it sounded amazing.

Edited June 21, 2016 by eddiehoffmann

[eddiehoffmann]

Anyway... That's besides the point of the topic. He's asking about Jazz or Precision. In my opinion and in my personal experience you can cover any scenario with either of the basses. Just go out and try different ones and get the one you lie best. Or get both!

[BigRedX]

[quote name='eddiehoffmann' timestamp='1466505606' post='3076270']
Even Daryl Jones borrowed a P Bass to audition for the Stones. I have a feeling he wouldn't have impressed Keith Richards very much if he took some esoteric 6 string out of the gig bag. Even if it sounded amazing.
[/quote]

I have no idea why he should feel the necessity to do this considering that his predecessor favoured a wide variety of unusual short scale basses. AFAICS the closest Bill Wyman ever got to a P-Bass was the Musicmaster he used for a short while.

[Ghost_Bass]

Neither for me. A HH configuration works best for my tonal goals (wich need lots of variety and tonal range). If i really had to choose one i would go for the P but it would need to have a split coil J or H on the bridge position... and a preamp with blend pot... and flat fretboard... and... oh, wait! that's not a P anymore... [i](EDIT: i forgot to add that it shouldn't be build as an IKEA kit and sold for a premium...)[/i]


I found my tonal nirvana years ago when i got my TRB5PII, haven't stop buying and selling basses since but that's the one that stuck around and is yet to find a rival to take its place.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Ghost_Bass

[BigRedX]

[quote name='eddiehoffmann' timestamp='1466505841' post='3076274']
Anyway... That's besides the point of the topic. He's asking about Jazz or Precision. In my opinion and in my personal experience you can cover any scenario with either of the basses. Just go out and try different ones and get the one you lie best. Or get both!
[/quote]

I'll settle for neither:

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/Dick%20Venom%20In%20The%20Studio/DSC00829_zpsjwjn0abu.jpg[/IMG]

This is what I took to my last recording session. The Warwick and the red Gus got the most use.

[discreet]

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1466503858' post='3076252']
He didn't say fingers...it doesn't count.
[/quote]

Oh all right, then... IT'S ALL IN THE FINGERS. And I really do believe that, folks.

[Ghost_Bass]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1466507461' post='3076288']
I'll settle for neither:



This is what I took to my last recording session. The Warwick and the red Gus got the most use.
[/quote]

Ohhhhh! That Starbass! The only piece of kit with a big W stamped that ever made my trousers feel tighter...

[discreet]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1466507461' post='3076288']
I'll settle for neither...
[/quote]

Yes... I think everyone on this board is well aware that you're not a Fender P or J fan, which is of course fine - each to his own, and all. Having said that, I wonder at the wisdom of posting in a thread titled 'Jazz or P' - surely it must be quite obvious that it's going to be about Fender basses..?

Over four decades I have owned and played lots of different basses from lots of different manufacturers - which was fun, if a little expensive at times - and having done so, I prefer to play a classic P bass, or as close to one as I can afford. I wouldn't expect to be criticised for this choice on a bass forum. Or anywhere else, come to that.