Why do strings that play well on a P not necessarily do the same on a J?

[BassTractor]

Clarky, you ain't not not told us two IMHO very important bits yet:

- Do you play on the same spot of the length of the strings with those different basses? I'd guess this is hardly likely, and it may influence how the timbre develops. I'd suppose different strings "like" different positions of the playing hand

- How do you perceive the sound? Does this influence your valuation?

[Clarky]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1401920150' post='2468443']
Clarky, you ain't not not told us two IMHO very important bits yet:

- Do you play on the same spot of the length of the strings with those different basses? I'd guess this is hardly likely, and it may influence how the timbre develops. I'd suppose different strings "like" different positions of the playing hand

- How do you perceive the sound? Does this influence your valuation?
[/quote]
In answer to your questions, I tried shifting my right hand position on the Jazz (which, as someone pointed out earlier, one tends to play closer to the bridge than on a Precision) and it made no difference. The sound (obviously the two basses differ) doesn't influence my question, its about the comfort and feel of playing on the hands. Given family/neighbours etc I often practice unamplified and it was in this context I posted my OP.

I do want to try swapping the old La Bellas on to my Jazz but I am slightly put off by the fact that I will have to alter the truss rod again - I have already tweaked it several times) and I don't want to get closer to stripping the screw holes for the neck (remember its a 62 reissue so there is no convenient truss rod adjuster visible and the neck has to be taken off, at least partialy to adjust)

[RhysP]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1401887627' post='2467857']
It is widely known that - compared to a P - the visibly 'offset' nature of the Jazz body shifts the node of fundamental psychic resonance 22mm to the left*

[size=2]* Or to the right if a LH Jazz. (Source: Tomkins. Thomkins - Univ. Auckland, NZ. 1972)[/size]
[/quote]

I've always wondered why Jazz basses are anathema to me - this must be it.