Jazz basses, what's the point?

[thegummy]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1478886691' post='3172507']
Yes, Amy Turtle, Meg Richardson & Benny were all well known for their love of Jazz basses.
[/quote]

for a minute I was actually thinking "I don't know any of those bass players..."

[NickA]

cause guitarists etc just want a deep thud thud thud sound underneath their lovely imaginative solo work. It's an ego thing I reckon. I get "can you make it sound more fretted?" (luckily my Wal has a switch for that).

There is a kind of fix for a J-bass which is to put in a switch that puts the pickups in series (they add rather than cancelling any harmonics) I put one on my Frankenbass. Makes it sound louder, fatter and less "interesting". A P switch in fact - then you sneak the pickups back to parallel when no-one's watching ;¬)

[chris_b]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1478880418' post='3172388']No one is telling me what bass to play[/quote]

I don't get the "digging heels in" approach. If anyone has a constructive comment on my gear, technique or style I'll listen.

Sometimes other people's opinions will be valid.

[Highfox]

I know where you are coming from with the Jazz P thing.
It's much the same with me. Live my P just sounds better for what I play, but on some of the recordings I have done the Jazz has nailed it. Maybe it just needs more eq'ing for some players live as has been suggested. Of course I have heard them sounding great.

I was fairly sure I would want to go the PJ route at some point and ended up buying a bass with the Simm's quad pickup system and now at the flick of a switch I can go between 15 different pick up configs It's nearly got everything covered for me.
Still hard to beat a P for plug and play

[Cuzzie]

It is very interesting how things blend depending on guitars, song, mix etc.
I don't have a Jazz and have never played one, but sonically I definitely see the merit of them and occupying the correct sonic space.
I am a big G&L nut, with 2 ASATs one solid and one semi hollow and the L1500.

It's fairly simple, if my guitarist has the Les Paul out I have to thin my sound with the bridge Pup and very clean to sound right.
With his Strat I can go deep and full and distorted with the ASATs with both or neck Pup.
With his Musicman Albert Lee the L1500 has that perfect punch.

Have you recorded live play not necessarily through a board with each bass and them, then sat back and listened, or have you bass line on loop they play and you sit out front?

May help

[Cato]

I love jazzes, although my next bass is going to be a PJ.

I reckon if you get an active jazz with a decent preamp and onboard EQ you can get pretty much any sound you like out of it.

A P bass , active or passive doesn't have that versatility, purely in my opinion of course.

Edited November 12, 2016 by Cato

[Freddy Le Cragg]

All basses sound the same to me.....

[FinnDave]

[quote name='Cuzzie' timestamp='1478894817' post='3172607']

Have you recorded live play not necessarily through a board with each bass and them, then sat back and listened, or have you bass line on loop they play and you sit out front?

May help
[/quote]

I record nearly everything I am involved with, and it is true the P base always fit better in the mix, both live and studio, so I am at a loss as to why I keep buying Jazz basses! I'm still paying for the lovely US Standard Jazz I bought in March, and have only played it a few times.

[White Cloud]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1478897720' post='3172632']
I record nearly everything I am involved with, and it is true the P base always fit better in the mix, both live and studio, so I am at a loss as to why I keep buying Jazz basses! I'm still paying for the lovely US Standard Jazz I bought in March, and have only played it a few times.
[/quote]
Whats not the point of jazz basses?

You keep buying jazz basses because you are trying to tell yourself something, maybe you should listen to yourself?

[Geek99]

I keep trying them but find them a bit thin sounding, I always go back to precision basses for the full-on sound I hear in my head

[Twincam]

Is the point of Jazz basses to play Jazz? Lol

[drTStingray]

I guess it's personal preference - I much prefer NOT to play either a Jazz or Precision but that is just me and the way I play and sound - they both sound too thin to me and can often disappear in the mix - the Jazz more so if used with scooped tone.

However I've heard many people sound great on Precisions and also Jazzes - I also heard lots of people sound mediocre on them - I'm firmly of the belief that it's the player, not the bass that determines this.

If I was playing in a professional situation and got asked asked to play a certain type of instrument I probably would (if they provided it) and quietly chuckle inwardly because it'll just sound like me whatever!! And the basses I use suit my playing and fit perfectly, so playing something else might compromise my playing anyway - but I'm being paid so more fool them I guess, but how silly!!

If someone asked me to buy and play a certain instrument in the semi pro environment I play music in I would politely decline and pursue music collaboration with someone who was after me as a musician rather than a preconceived notion of what instrument you use.

I can't think of any situation where I would, for instance, suggest to a sax player they change to a different make of instrument (I can think of one or two who might wrap their sax around your head if you did), or that your acoustic singer songwriter use a specific model of Martin acoustic rather than the Gibson they have.

I firmly believe that all musicians (even the bass player) should be treated with respect and not be told what they should and shouldn't play - people who do this, to my mind, are disrespectful and actually miss the point completely. Now if they were James Brown, for instance, it would be a different matter - but I suspect even he would be more interested in the musicianship.

Edited November 12, 2016 by drTStingray

[M@23]

I can't believe that many people were so concerned. I've played with many experienced musicians, and some of them guitarists, drummers and keys players who were also very good bass players and no one has ever once suggested I play a different instrument or EQ a certain way. I've been asked for an octave pedal or overdrive, but because the original tune did so.

Bass sounds like bass in a live setting, to most people.

The studio is a completely different matter. But live, never.

Edited November 12, 2016 by M@23

[thegummy]

[quote name='NickA' timestamp='1478891744' post='3172577']
cause guitarists etc just want a deep thud thud thud sound underneath their lovely imaginative solo work
[/quote]
[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1478911406' post='3172724']
If someone asked me to buy and play a certain instrument in the semi pro environment I play music in I would politely decline and pursue music collaboration with someone who was after me as a musician rather than a preconceived notion of what instrument you use.
[/quote]

I think there might be some truth in this idea.

Sometimes people want that very specific bass sound as an accompaniment to their own playing rather than wanting to collaborate with a bass player who will choose what sounds to make

[drTStingray]

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1478912782' post='3172734']



I think there might be some truth in this idea.

Sometimes people want that very specific bass sound as an accompaniment to their own playing rather than wanting to collaborate with a bass player who will choose what sounds to make
[/quote]

The skill of the bass player is to play a sound and (heaven forbid) with notes and a feel which provides what the band or individual wants. However if someone has a preconceived idea that only a certain type of bass will make a generic bass sound, then they are clearly totally wrong - im afraid I certainly wouldn't be putting my hand in my pocket to service their preconceptions.

I haven't found the need to play a Fender bass in nearly 40 years (studio or live) and have never had a problem making a sound that people liked. So I'm afraid I'm unlikely to start doing it now.

Edited November 12, 2016 by drTStingray

[thegummy]

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1478913812' post='3172736']
The skill of the bass player is to play a sound and (heaven forbid) with notes and a feel which provides what the band or individual wants. However if someone has a preconceived idea that only a certain type of bass will make a generic bass sound, then they are clearly totally wrong - im afraid I certainly wouldn't be putting my hand in my pocket to service their preconceptions.

I haven't found the need to play a Fender bass in nearly 40 years (studio or live) and have never had a problem making a sound that people liked. So I'm afraid I'm unlikely to start doing it now.
[/quote]

Out of interest, do you play J/P style basses made by other companies or do you play different designs completely?

[drTStingray]

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1478915643' post='3172743']


Out of interest, do you play J/P style basses made by other companies or do you play different designs completely?
[/quote]

Single or dual pick up Musicman

[DarkHeart]

really you get comments on what your bass is?? Seriously?

[FinnDave]

Let's get this straight, no one tells me what I should play, but if I take both J & P basses with me, play both, and then ask which sound the band prefers, the answer is always the Precision. The same thing happens with guitarists, they may try a strat and a les paul on a certain number and ask which sounded better. In that case it may one or the other, depending on the song and musical style, but with my basses, the answer is always the Precision. Which makes me wonder why I have over 2 grand's worth of J basses sitting upstairs unused! I only play in bands, never record at home or noodle in my bedroom.

[FinnDave]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1478909611' post='3172715']
Is the point of Jazz basses to play Jazz? Lol
[/quote]

That could where I'm going wrong!

[Geek99]

Would you let them tell you where to live, who to marry or what car to drive ? Tell them to get stuffed

[bassbiscuits]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1478934417' post='3172766']
Let's get this straight, no one tells me what I should play, but if I take both J & P basses with me, play both, and then ask which sound the band prefers, the answer is always the Precision. The same thing happens with guitarists, they may try a strat and a les paul on a certain number and ask which sounded better. In that case it may one or the other, depending on the song and musical style, but with my basses, the answer is always the Precision. Which makes me wonder why I have over 2 grand's worth of J basses sitting upstairs unused! I only play in bands, never record at home or noodle in my bedroom.
[/quote]

I hear you.

I took my old P and my new Mike Lull to a biggish (for me anyway!) dep gig last weekend in front of a few hundred people.

I was itching to use the Lull and it sounded fantastic in soundcheck. Then I got the old P out for comparison and it just sounded great - big and full, just right blend of thump and attack, and the band basically said "yeah use that one!"

That's not being ordered around - that's just offering a choice to people. I'd have been happy too if they'd preferred the Lull but for that particular music, the P has always fitted it better.

[bassbiscuits]

But back to the OPs original point - I guess it depends on what music you play, your individual playing style and the sound in your head that you want, which all adds up to make some basses appeal to you more than others.

I liked all my jazzes and would happily own one again in the future. But in meantime I've come full circle and realised that the bass I had to start with - a P - pretty much nails most of what I want.

Edited November 12, 2016 by bassbiscuits

[bubinga5]

I'm a jazz bass man through and through. I do like that P bass thump. But I much prefer the articulation of a Jazz bass. Isn't the Jazz bass an evolution of the P Bass anyways.😉

Edited November 12, 2016 by bubinga5

[yorks5stringer]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1478886691' post='3172507']


Yes, Amy Turtle, Meg Richardson & Benny were all well known for their love of Jazz basses.
[/quote]

Ah, but Miss Diane was P.Bass girl...