Does this Bass Guitar exist?

[LewisK1975]

Here's a challenge for you my fellow Bass Brethren!,

Is there a Bass which looks like a precision and feels like a precision when you play it, but sounds like a Jazz?

Through donkeys years of trial and error, I've come to the frustrating conclusion that I prefer the feel of precisions, but prefer the sound of a Jazz.

I'm toying with the idea of adding a J pickup to my Roadworn Precision, but I only expect this to get me 'in the ball park' as it were...

What's out there for me? Anything? Or will I just have to suck it up?

[Jack]

If you just want the neck feel then it's easy enough to add a P neck to any jazz bass. If you want the full on precision but with jazz pickups then I think (and I'm happy to be corrected) it'll have to be a custom job. Plenty of people will make you one, [url="http://www.valentibasses.com/models.html"]such as the blue Valenti on the bottom of this page[/url].

Edited March 30, 2017 by Jack

[police squad]

you could just get yourself a good P bass and route it out for a bridge pickup and add a front jazz pickup. A new scratch plate will cover up the old P bass route.
Make sure your position the front pickup the correct distance from the bridge like a proper jazz bass.

[Machines]

[quote name='police squad' timestamp='1490882302' post='3268767']
you could just get yourself a good P bass and route it out for a bridge pickup and add a front jazz pickup. A new scratch plate will cover up the old P bass route.
Make sure your position the front pickup the correct distance from the bridge like a proper jazz bass.
[/quote]

This is by far the most cost efficient and logical way of doing so.

[LewisK1975]

And here lies my problem - It's the shape and position of the precision pickup which feels right to me when I'm playing. When I put my thumb behind the screw 'ear' of a Precision pickup it instantly feels right.

So I suppose the question is, is there a precision shaped pickup that sounds like a Jazz pickup? I'm guessing not, due to the single vs split coil.......

[Conan]

A P bass with Jazz pickups, with a suitably-placed thumb-rest?

Edited March 30, 2017 by Conan

[Dood]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1490883491' post='3268792']
A P bass with Jazz pickups, with a suitably-placed thumb-rest?
[/quote]

Or a dummy P set of covers fitted in place. everyone will think it's a cool J-P-J hybrid too!

[Conan]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1490883806' post='3268793']
Or a dummy P set of covers fitted in place. everyone will think it's a cool J-P-J hybrid too!
[/quote]

Or one of these...

[Lw.]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1490883491' post='3268792']
A P bass with Jazz pickups, with a suitably-placed thumb-rest?
[/quote]

This. Cheap & easy.

[Dood]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1490883906' post='3268797']
Or one of these...


[/quote]

Ah yes! ha ha! I forgot about the Hamm bass!

[LewisK1975]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1490883491' post='3268792']
A P bass with Jazz pickups, with a suitably-placed thumb-rest?
[/quote]

This does seem like the best solution..Time to get mocking up I think!

[BassApprentice]

As ridiculous as it may look, you could try crafting a thumbrest out of cheap P pickup cover, since you mentioned you like the position of having your thumb resting on screw 'ear' of the pickup....

Not using the whole pickup cover but just the top bit, so it's secured to your bass by the normal screw hole of the pickup cover.

Could look awful though

Edited March 30, 2017 by BassApprentice

[fretmeister]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1490883906' post='3268797']
Or one of these...


[/quote]

I;ve got one of them.

Lovely thing it is. Very sensibe switching system too.

Just the Js - with a pan pot
Just the P
The whole lot - pan pot still working on the Js.

Well worth trying out.

[No. 8 Wire]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1490883906' post='3268797']
Or one of these...


[/quote]

Or one of these from Maruszczyk:

https://www.public-peace.de/index.php/bass-guitars/maruszczyk/jake/4-string/508-jake-4p-c3pu-el-comandante130137

Just turn down the P pickup volume and there you have it.

[LewisK1975]

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1490885127' post='3268809']
This does seem like the best solution..Time to get mocking up I think!
[/quote]

So I'd end up with something like this:

[attachment=242034:Fender-Roadworn-Bass.jpg]

[BassApprentice]

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1490886251' post='3268818']
So I'd end up with something like this:

[attachment=242034:Fender-Roadworn-Bass.jpg]
[/quote]

Interesting...Could that be done with a 3D printer?

[No. 8 Wire]

Could this be achieved with a PJ bass, but wiring the the P pickup in parallel (or having a series/parallel switch). Would that give the P pickup more of a J flavour, especially when combined with the bridge pickup??

[Jack]

[quote name='No. 8 Wire' timestamp='1490886766' post='3268827']
Could this be achieved with a PJ bass, but wiring the the P pickup in parallel (or having a series/parallel switch). Would that give the P pickup more of a J flavour, especially when combined with the bridge pickup??
[/quote]

That's what I was thinking. I've got a S1 bass from way back when and that was the idea. It's a decent enough impression. How does a Jazz bass [i]sound[/i] anyway?

[No. 8 Wire]

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1490888731' post='3268853']
That's what I was thinking. I've got a S1 bass from way back when and that was the idea. It's a decent enough impression. How does a Jazz bass [i]sound[/i] anyway?
[/quote]
Jazzy?

A quick google search indicates it's definitely an option - looks like some P pickups work better than others though. I guess you want a high output P pickup since you'll be halving the output by going parallel?

[Prime_BASS]

Warmoth will make you a P shape body and you can have it routed for two J single coils.

Add a P neck and you have a precision feel bass that sounds like a jazz

I'm also pretty sure G&L have made or make a bass that's basically precision but has two J single coils in it.

[Grahambythesea]

Prime Bass is right. G &. L MJ bass is precisely that.

[bazzbass]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1490883806' post='3268793']
. everyone will think it's a cool J-P-J hybrid too!
[/quote]

opportunity for a John Paul Jones signature model perhaps?

[Fisheth]

Email Adrian, he could do exactly this:

[url="https://www.public-peace.de/index.php"]https://www.public-peace.de/index.php[/url]

Edited April 2, 2017 by Fisheth

[Rich]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1490883906' post='3268797']
Or one of these...


[/quote]
Ooh good call. I've always had a bit of a hankering for an Urge. I suppose you could call it an Urge urge.
Ahem.

[Marc S]

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1491070281' post='3270341']
Warmoth will make you a P shape body and you can have it routed for two J single coils.

Add a P neck and you have a precision feel bass that sounds like a jazz

I'm also pretty sure G&L have made or make a bass that's basically precision but has two J single coils in it.
[/quote]

You could indeed get a Warmoth body routed to your spec, and buy Rumple's Limelight neck?
http://basschat.co.uk/topic/302501-limelight-jazzprecision-neck/page__p__3271193__hl__neck__fromsearch__1#entry3271193

Or get Mark at Limelight to do you a custom bass?

Alternatively of course, you could put one of your Fender Roadworn necks on the Warmoth body?
Out of interest, which of your Roadworn necks do you actually prefer? The P, the J, or the Flea sig J?
I can't decide - I really like all the Fender RW necks - which is why I can't decide which one I really ought to sell (tho I'm not going to part with the P)