Jazz or P

[Basszilla]

Pbass all the way

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1466508011' post='3076302']
...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..?
[/quote]

I have had a similar internal debate this morning about posting in the Morrissey thread... Thus far it appears to be some enthusiasts suggesting tracks for a new listener of the band... all very good natured

I suspect that despite the thread being the best opportunity for me to use the phrase "monumental bellend" since the recent Kanye West thread, doing so is not really much of a contribution and probably not in the community spirit...

[discreet]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1466511223' post='3076331']
I suspect that despite the thread being the best opportunity for me to use the phrase "monumental bellend" since the recent Kanye West thread, doing so is not really much of a contribution and probably not in the community spirit...
[/quote]

Your considered restraint is admirable.

[Painy]

My cheap and cheerful Chinese built Fender Modern Player Jazz would be my recommendation if you had to go with just one bass (although it's sadly now discontinued) mainly for the versatility of it's individually coil tappable twin humbuckers.
The neck pickup solo'd in humbucking mode and with the tone rolled off a touch, while not an exact P tone, certainly comes much closer than the standard single coil J pup does.
Both pickups in single coil obviously sounds like a jazz while both as humbuckers just sounds like a beefier jazz.
My favorite trick at the moment though is to solo the bridge humbucker and add an EHX Knockout pedal for a really good Stingray tone.
All that said though, since I got my precision I actually just use that for 9 out off ten songs in our set!

Edited June 21, 2016 by Painy

[The Dude On Bass]

first question, what kind of music do you play the most?

[Cato]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1466511223' post='3076331']


I have had a similar internal debate this morning about posting in the Morrissey thread... Thus far it appears to be some enthusiasts suggesting tracks for a new listener of the band... all very good natured

I suspect that despite the thread being the best opportunity for me to use the phrase "monumental bellend" since the recent Kanye West thread, doing so is not really much of a contribution and probably not in the community spirit...
[/quote]

I had a similar dilemma and reached the same conclusion.

Time and a place and all that. And that time will surely come..

Edit.

And for the record, Jazz. Although I did spend about 20 years hating the look of them, they are now my undisputed favourite basses.

Which just goes to show... something.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Cato

[tom1946]

Look, if your hands ache because your old like me then a Jazz is easier, if you don't have that problem you need at least one of each.
I have a lot.

nowt else to say

/end

Edited June 21, 2016 by tom1946

[zawinul]

neither because we are ****ing bored of the same old bass sound. Get a ACG BASS NOW!

[Dazed]

ACG Hmmmm, now would that have a split coil or some single coils and a skinny neck?

[lojo]

Can someone hurry up and answer because I don't know which one to take to a session tomorrow night .

[AlpherMako4]

[quote name='The Dude On Bass' timestamp='1466512780' post='3076349']
first question, what kind of music do you play the most?
[/quote]
Various rock n roll outfits and an r and b soul jazzy type band with horns and Hammond etc.

Cheers

[TrevorR]

Well, my sig would suggest that for me the answer to the question "P or J?" is actually "W" but if I had to choose between the two it would be "J". That's mostly down to neck width and feel, though I do also enjoy the particular tones of a J and the flexibility of the two pickups.

[Highfox]

Both will do it for you.
The P bass is simpler to eq, just plug and play,no fuss and you'll fill your spot, with a jazz for some reason I need7tend to fiddle more with the controls . Both can sound great, but have different feels of course.

edit: must get myself some reading glasses lol, all the editing!

Edited June 22, 2016 by Highfox

[Conan]

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1466457645' post='3076023'] 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.
[/quote]

Well, I respectfully disagree. In a loud and busy band mix, the difference is (to my ears) barely perceptible. At home, or in a studio, maybe - but even then it depends on the individual bass. Not all Js sound the same (even Fenders) and neither do all Ps.

I have a J and a P, but rather than continually swap basses during a set (for some songs I favour a P bass sound) I stick to the J and use the neck pickup in isolation to get a decent approximation of a P sound. Obviously though it doesn't [i][b]feel[/b][/i] like a P, and I wonder if that is part of the reason why some people say that one can never sound like the other?

Edited June 22, 2016 by Conan

[cocco]

Depends on context. I find the shape of a P way more comfortable though.

[mcnach]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1466511223' post='3076331']
I have had a similar internal debate this morning about posting in the Morrissey thread... Thus far it appears to be some enthusiasts suggesting tracks for a new listener of the band... all very good natured

I suspect that despite the thread being the best opportunity for me to use the phrase "monumental bellend" since the recent Kanye West thread, doing so is not really much of a contribution and probably not in the community spirit...
[/quote]

[LewisK1975]

I was always a Precision nut, but loved the sound of a Jazz every time I heard one. Now got 3 Jazzes and 2 Precisions. Use whichever I feel like!

[AlpherMako4]

This is great guys, thank you . My next question is this. What difference does the fingerboard make? Maple or Rosewood?

This isn't a wind up by the way, I'm genuinely interested

[Cato]

[quote name='AlpherMako5' timestamp='1466621013' post='3077359']
This is great guys, thank you . My next question is this. What difference does the fingerboard make? Maple or Rosewood?

This isn't a wind up by the way, I'm genuinely interested
[/quote]

Maple looks nicer. (Unless you prefer rosewood).

Edited June 22, 2016 by Cato

[EssentialTension]

Maple looks worse ( because I prefer rosewood).

[ras52]

So the answer is both: maple and rosewood. So now you need four basses: a maple P, a maple J, a rosewood P and a rosewood J.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='AlpherMako5' timestamp='1466621013' post='3077359']
This is great guys, thank you . My next question is this. What difference does the fingerboard make? Maple or Rosewood?

This isn't a wind up by the way, I'm genuinely interested
[/quote]

Sound-wise very little, and IMO any difference in sound between the two is far more to do with the differences in construction and finish of the two types of neck than the material of the fingerboard itself.

Edited June 22, 2016 by BigRedX

[thegummy]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1466579777' post='3076859']
Well, I respectfully disagree. In a loud and busy band mix, the difference is (to my ears) barely perceptible. At home, or in a studio, maybe - but even then it depends on the individual bass. Not all Js sound the same (even Fenders) and neither do all Ps.

I have a J and a P, but rather than continually swap basses during a set (for some songs I favour a P bass sound) I stick to the J and use the neck pickup in isolation to get a decent approximation of a P sound. Obviously though it doesn't [i][b]feel[/b][/i] like a P, and I wonder if that is part of the reason why some people say that one can never sound like the other?
[/quote]

I should have said in my opinion of course.

As a newcomer to playing the bass myself but years of being a critical listener/hobbyist engineer, I'm basing it all on sound rather than feel. I was really hoping the Jazz could get very close to the P tone and suspected those who said it couldn't were either exaggerating or being pedantic but I've found it to sound totally different.

On records as well, any time I hear a record and think "that's the nice P tone I like" and research it, it's always an actual Precision being used.

Could you recommend any records that has that P style tone but you know to have actually been a Jazz style bass?

[thegummy]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1466631595' post='3077499']
Sound-wise very little, and IMO any difference in sound between the two is far more to do with the differences in construction and finish of the two types of neck than the material of the fingerboard itself.
[/quote]

Are there people who would claim to be able to hear 2 recordings of one of each fretboard type and be able to tell which is which?

[BigRedX]

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1466640410' post='3077564']
Are there people who would claim to be able to hear 2 recordings of one of each fretboard type and be able to tell which is which?
[/quote]

I'm sure there are. However there are so many variables that how can anyone be sure that the difference in the sound is simply down to the fingerboard material?