Would you...

[uk_lefty]

I love my 70s reissue MIJ P bass. However, push to shove I'm a jazz bass man. I don't own a jazz bass at the mo but have had a Mexican and a Sire. I've seen a beautiful Japanese jazz come up, a rare spec I've not seen often. Would you trade the P plus some cash for the J? I can't afford to just buy the J but my quandary is that the P is a slightly less common spec (alder body, not basswood, USA hardware) so not sure if it's worth hanging on to and biding my time for if and when I can afford a Jazz. 

[therealting]

I think it’s worth having both a P and a J, personally. That said, if you’re a J man, then you could always trade and then save up for a P when you can afford one. 

[Happy Jack]

It took me years to realise that I was a P-man and not a J-man, we're talking strictly binary here.

Finally accepting the situation has saved me a serious amount of money in Jazz basses that I was able to walk away from rather than pressing the button.

If you're strictly a J-man then why bother to hang on to a P-bass? You'll only ever play it out of a sense of duty, to justify still owning it. 

 

[Cuzzie]

Get the jazz

Bit by bit (as money allows) build a parts P bass that will satisfy your need, be cheaper and sound better if you get the correct second hand parts 

[Reggaebass]

My P was my go to bass for years but the jazz gives me the right sound for what I play and I prefer the look of them, having said that I wouldn’t part with my P, if you can stretch the finances I’d say have both , if not get the jazz , ( it sounds nice) and maybe save for another P 🙂

[Lozz196]

I’d say go for the good Jazz as that’s the instrument type you mainly gel with, and maybe later on get something like a Squier Classic Vibe Precision. I’ve done the same but in reverse, always worth having “the other” for a bit of flexibility.

[chris_b]

You are a Jazz man, and you don't have a Jazz?!?

But you do have a P bass that "you love".

I think you probably have the right bass, but just want another. Bide your time. Save up and get a Jazz when you can afford both.

[uk_lefty]

18 minutes ago, chris_b said:

You are a Jazz man, and you don't have a Jazz?!?

But you do have a P bass that "you love".

I think you probably have the right bass, but just want another. Bide your time. Save up and get a Jazz when you can afford both.

Yeah I had two jazzes, an MIM with a load of upgrades and a 5 string Sire. I traded the Fender in against a new Stingray then later felt guilty about having too many basses and sold the Sire. I'd just bought the Stingray which will lose a load of its value if I sell it too soon and I have a Fretless that is very special to me and I won't sell it ever. So the jazzes went. The P is great for what a P does. I just feel a bit more at home with a Jazz. The Stingray is great for playing live, so is the P, but if I were recording and playing more at home for my own enjoyment it would be jazz bass as a preference every time. 

[therealting]

That’s why I almost always buy secondhand - I don’t lose anything if I decide to sell them on later, plus I get a bass that was originally worth twice as much as I paid (as opposed to having a bass that originally cost me twice as much as it’s worth).

[uk_lefty]

3 minutes ago, therealting said:

as opposed to having a bass that originally cost me twice as much as it’s worth).

Never thought of it like that! I like your thinking. 

[therealting]

7 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

Never thought of it like that! I like your thinking. 

I actually do the same with most things - I buy almost all my clothing secondhand (I draw the line at underwear and socks), and have a load of designer wear that I’ve purchased from charity shops, including a £400 All Saints leather jacket that cost me £25 plus £6.99 to have a hole in a pocket repaired.

Also for £10k I’d rather own a five year old Audi that originally cost £40k than a brand new Hyundai.

😉

[Guest]

Keep the P and save up. Japanese jazz basses aren’t that hard to get hold of (even left-handed, I assume), whereas if your P really is as good as you say you may change your mind in 6 months then waste more money buying another one - probably for more than you paid for the one you have, assuming you got a bargain

Edited November 28, 2019 by FDC484950

[TheGreek]

This..

Or alternatively look for a PJ.

Better still save up and get yourself an Enfield with the SimS system which gives you a P/J/H 

[uk_lefty]

9 hours ago, TheGreek said:

This..

Or alternatively look for a PJ.

Better still save up and get yourself an Enfield with the SimS system which gives you a P/J/H 

I do like the Sims pickups idea. It's a lot of saving though! 

[TheGreek]

If you're keeping the bass they're worth every penny. 

[therealting]

Personally I’d rather have the excuse to have two* basses 😉

 

*as if I could stick to just having two

[uk_lefty]

5 minutes ago, therealting said:

Personally I’d rather have the excuse to have two* basses 😉

 

*as if I could stick to just having two

Haha I have three already... It is a bit greedy when the justification for buying the Stingray was "I'll never need another...." 

[Rich]

On ‎28‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 09:44, Cuzzie said:

Bit by bit (as money allows) build a parts P bass that will satisfy your need, be cheaper and sound better if you get the correct second hand parts 

I'm a J man too, and that's what I did for a P bass... gradually built one up from bits. It turned out pretty good too, and saw some use until the Thunder 1-A came along, which does the P-bass-on-steroids thing even better.
I definitely recommend the bitsa route though. It's good fun, apart from anything else.

Edited November 29, 2019 by Rich