Help me pick my first bass!

[Maude]

15 minutes ago, NickD said:

^^^This^^^

There are pros to both....

The Jazz has more flexibility, in that you can choose between an awful nasal bridge pickup that sounds nothing like a bass, or a nondescript, bland neck pickup sound that sounds a bit like a bass (underwater). Additionally due to the single coils, by adjusting the balance between them you can create a wonderful annoying background hum.

The Precision is less flexible, but looks cooler, is cooler, and sounds like a bass should. 🤣

So which do you prefer? 🤔

[pepsi-abi]

32 minutes ago, NickD said:

^^^This^^^

There are pros to both....

The Jazz has more flexibility, in that you can choose between an awful nasal bridge pickup that sounds nothing like a bass, or a nondescript, bland neck pickup sound that sounds a bit like a bass (underwater). Additionally due to the single coils, by adjusting the balance between them you can create a wonderful annoying background hum.

The Precision is less flexible, but looks cooler, is cooler, and sounds like a bass should. 🤣

AHHA! Someone prefers precision, god now i'm really stuck lol! you guys 😂

[pepsi-abi]

and just for the reference, whats your opinions on this bass against the squier?

https://www.andertons.co.uk/sire-version-2-marcus-miller-v7-vintage-alder-4-string-black-ver2v7va4bk?gclid=CjwKCAjwvZv0BRA8EiwAD9T2VbxU88j_DwJtVu5X-MUMuqaLRRAgdUmLB7x2y_HwXTkiYoIBr09jiBoCO98QAvD_BwE 

 

[NickD]

3 minutes ago, Maude said:

So which do you prefer? 🤔

🤣

There's a time for both, but it's always the P Bass I reach for if I'm leaving the house. 

To be serious for a moment though, back when I had more 'standard' Ps and Js, I always found that to get a good sound out of a Jazz (and yes, it was a good sound), I needed both pickups and the tone full on, and for the Precision, both volume and tone full on, so the flexibility element (unless you're going for the Jaco thing) wasn't a thing. They both IMO have one good core sound, I think it just comes down to which you like most. Same with the Stingray, one good core sound. Any variation comes from technique.

[NickD]

3 minutes ago, pepsi-abi said:

AHHA! Someone prefers precision, god now i'm really stuck lol! you guys 😂

Don't read too much into it. It's just the case that growing up, most of my favourite players favoured the Precision (with the odd notable exception), so in my head it became established that it's how a bass should sound. Further down the line, you may develop your own preference for certain tones. 

Honestly, I don't think it's crazy important at this stage. Just buy something that's decent quality (pretty much everything mentioned in this thread), that you like the look, of and that makes you want to play... then get on with learning. Eventually you'll know what you like in a more understanding way.

 

[jezzaboy]

I have one of the Jazz basses you are looking at, bought from Andertons as well. It`s a really well made and put together bass but mine is quite heavy, round about 9 to 9.5 lb`s. If thats not a problem for you then go for it. 

The Sire bass is a great bit of kit with a really good pre amp and loads of tonal options. And the neck on them is peachy due to having the edges of the neck rolled making it really comfy to play.

Either one will do the biz but I see the Squier isnt in stock at the moment.

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by jezzaboy

[Lozz196]

1 hour ago, pepsi-abi said:

Difference between the squier classic 70s precision bass and the squier classic 70s jazz bass? Just want to know the differences but i prefer the jazz

As others have said, the classic question, which for me can be answered:

The neck on a Jazz is slimmer. This could make it an easier bass to learn on.

Precision has one pickup, and a very meaty/full powerful sound.

Jazz has two pickups, a more refined sound, and more variety of sounds due to having two pickups.

The Jazz can get fairly near the sound of the Precision, the Precision can’t get hear the sound of the Jazz.

And finally, both of those CVS are basses I’d have been happy to have as my first bass, and similarly as others have said, go with your gut feeling and get the one that you’ve thought about and really wanted.

[pepsi-abi]

1 minute ago, Lozz196 said:

As others have said, the classic question, which for me can be answered:

The neck on a Jazz is slimmer. This could make it an easier bass to learn on.

Precision has one pickup, and a very meaty/full powerful sound.

Jazz has two pickups, a more refined sound, and more variety of sounds due to having two pickups.

The Jazz can get fairly near the sound of the Precision, the Precision can’t get hear the sound of the Jazz.

And finally, both of those CVS are basses I’d have been happy to have as my first bass, and similarly as others have said, go with your gut feeling and get the one that you’ve thought about and really wanted.

Thank you for that it's much appreciated

I definitely am set on a jazz bass, but i'm just stuck between the Squier CV 70s Jazz or the Sire Version 2 Marcus Miller V7 because of the differences I can do on the bass with it being active lol, it's so hard, i originally wanted the Sterling Sub Ray 4 but being told that would be best to get as a second bass in the future rather than my first bass 

[Al Krow]

25 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

As others have said, the classic question, which for me can be answered:

The neck on a Jazz is slimmer. This could make it an easier bass to learn on.

Precision has one pickup, and a very meaty/full powerful sound.

Jazz has two pickups, a more refined sound, and more variety of sounds due to having two pickups.

The Jazz can get fairly near the sound of the Precision, the Precision can’t get near the sound of the Jazz.

And finally, both of those CVS are basses I’d have been happy to have as my first bass, and similarly as others have said, go with your gut feeling and get the one that you’ve thought about and really wanted.

Blimey Lozz, what's happened to you? Did I just read you recommending a Jazz over a Precision? (Picks himself up off the floor 😁)

But for all the reasons you've said, starting out on a Jazz seems to be great advice.

There's always the halfway house of a PJ bass of course, where you can maybe get the best of both worlds, particularly if you go for a bass with a relatively slim-line playable neck. For £350 you could get a very nice nearly new Yamaha BB434 or a Sire P7v2. But that would be muddying the waters...although not in a way you would ever likely regret!

Edited April 3, 2020 by Al Krow

[rasher80]

If it's your first bass I'd go with the Squier. It's simple to use where the Sire might take a bit more getting used to

[pepsi-abi]

5 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Blimey Lozz, what's happened to you? Did I just read that you recommending a Jazz over a Precision? (Picks himself up off the floor 😁)

But for all the reasons you've said, starting out on a Jazz seems to be great advice.

There's always the halfway house of a PJ bass of course, where you can maybe get the best of both worlds, particularly if you go for a bass with a relatively slim-line playable neck. For £350 you could get a very nice nearly new Yamaha BB434 or a Sire P7v2. But that would be muddying the waters...although not in a way you would ever likely regret!

 

3 minutes ago, rasher80 said:

If it's your first bass I'd go with the Squier. It's simple to use where the Sire might take a bit more getting used to

Haha this is so exciting and interesting all this research on my first bass i love it, i really do appreciate it! 
I just don't want to get the squier and then think damn why didnt i get the sire as i want to try different tones or if squier is definitely the one as ive had my eyes set on it and just gonna have fun playing on it and not worrying about all the different tones lol

[NickD]

I'm not sure the Sire would cause any confusion really. It's always nice to have something to mess around with tonally, and chances are you'd just end up leaving things set flat to start with anyway, then the extra options would be handy further down the line. It's definitely the most tonally flexible of the 2.

[Lozz196]

10 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Blimey Lozz, what's happened to you? Did I just read that you recommending a Jazz over a Precision? (Picks himself up off the floor 😁)

But for all the reasons you've said, starting out on a Jazz seems to be great advice.

Not exactly, I’ll always be a Precision player through and through, if I could only have one bass it would be a Precision, no contest. That said I think it’s best to outlay the various points objectively on a topic like this. 

[NickD]

So do we start on Flatwounds vs Roundwounds yet? 🤣

[pepsi-abi]

Just now, NickD said:

So do we start on Flatwounds vs Roundwounds yet? 🤣

well im gonna need to know so educate me please lol  

[Frank Blank]

Welcome @pepsi-abi. See, the thing is you can get right into a debate like this and never settle on a bass and never get started into actually playing. It would be a one in a million chance if you happened on the bass that you are going to stick with for the rest of your playing life first time! Obviously the lockdown situation makes trying things out virtually impossible but don't get stuck in the inertia of indecision which we will all exacerbate by chipping in with our comments and knowledge (altogether a great thing I might add). You seem to have a strong idea about what style of bass you want so just get one, personally I'd go for the Sire, I bought a five string Jazz recently and was well impressed, I've had a few Squiers and none were as good as the Sire IMHO. I think it is important to start by getting your hands on a bass and start learning, once that's under way you'll then begin honing your criteria for a better (as in more suited to you) bass. These threads can go on for pages and pages, it will (mostly) all be extremely useful info from some very wise and experienced bass players, being a member of the forum has revolutionised my outlook and equipment totally, but nothing will really get you playing and understanding your personal relationship to an instrument like getting started with a bass in your hands. Good luck, stick with it, it's the coolest instrument. I wish I'd found something like this forum over forty years ago.

Edited April 3, 2020 by Frank Blank

[NickD]

Honestly, we're terrible!

There's Lozz expounding the qualities of the Jazz while clearly playing a Precision in his profile pic, while I'm banging the drum for Precisions, while playing a Jazz style in my profile pic! 🤣

[pepsi-abi]

2 minutes ago, NickD said:

Honestly, we're terrible!

There's Lozz expounding the qualities of the Jazz while clearly playing a Precision in his profile pic, while I'm banging the drum for Precisions, while playing a Jazz style in my profile pic! 🤣

HAHA! Love it 

[pepsi-abi]

2 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

Welcome @pepsi-abi. See, the thing is you can get right into a debate like this and never settle on a bass and never get started into actually playing. It would be a one in a million chance if you happened on the bass that you are going to stick with for the rest of your playing life first time! Obviously the lockdown situation makes trying things out virtually impossible but don't get stuck in the inertia of indecision which we will all exacerbate by chipping in with our comments and knowledge (altogether a great thing I might add). You seem to have a strong idea about what style of bass you want so just get one, personally I'd go for the Sire, I bought a five string Jazz recently and was well impressed, I've had a few Squiers and none were as good as the Sire IMHO. I think it is important to start by getting your hands on a bass and start learning, once that's under way you'll then begin honing your criteria for a better (as in more suited to you) bass. These threads can go on for pages and pages, it will (mostly) all be extremely useful info from some very wise and experienced bass players, being a member of the forum has revolutionised my outlook and equipment totally, but nothing will really get you playing and understanding your personal relationship to an instrument like getting started with a bass in your hands. Good luck, stick with it, it's the coolest instrument. I wish I'd found something like this forum over forty years ago.

Thank you! I've just popped you a message! 

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, linear said:

There is one other thing that might make a difference to you: the fingerboard on a P-bass is traditionally a bit wider than a Jazz.  If you look at the description you will see the nut width on the CV P-bass is 42mm, and the nut width on the Jazz is 38mm.  This is a small difference, but noticeable when you hold the neck in your hand.  Which is better is just a personal preference.

 

Very much this. I seem to find that P necks seem flatter in profile on the back (no doubt due to the wider nut dimensions) and fit my medium to large hand better than a J. Realistically I'm happiest with a 40/41mm width (best of both worlds), thus my custom builds feature this. Conversely, the J has a slightly bigger, offset body compared to the P. The only way to find which you prefer ergonomically is to try both side by side, but then we're back to the current restrictions making this nigh on impossible. The pickup thing is a conundrum, but you can always fit more (in the case of the P) or different pickups at a later date, should you wish to.

However, as this is your first bass, you'll have nothing to compare it to and will adapt your style accordingly (it's unlikely that the differing ergonomics will make either model unplayable). At this early stage, it's important not to ignore how much you like the look of it, as that will often determine your desire to pick it up and play and the '70s CV with those block inlays is a looker.

Sires get a lot of love around these parts (I've never played one, so I don't have an opinion as to their sound or playability) but, rightly or wrongly, something from the Fender stable will always have a higher resale value and be more desirable should you decide to move it on down the line.

[pepsi-abi]

6 minutes ago, ezbass said:

Very much this. I seem to find that P necks seem flatter in profile on the back (no doubt due to the wider nut dimensions) and fit my medium to large hand better than a J. Realistically I'm happiest with a 40/41mm width (best of both worlds), thus my custom builds feature this. Conversely, the J has a slightly bigger, offset body compared to the P. The only way to find which you prefer ergonomically is to try both side by side, but then we're back to the current restrictions making this nigh on impossible. The pickup thing is a conundrum, but you can always fit more (in the case of the P) or different pickups at a later date, should you wish to.

However, as this is your first bass, you'll have nothing to compare it to and will adapt your style accordingly (it's unlikely that the differing ergonomics will make either model unplayable). At this early stage, it's important not to ignore how much you like the look of it, as that will often determine your desire to pick it up and play and the '70s CV with those block inlays is a looker.

Sires get a lot of love around these parts (I've never played one, so I don't have an opinion as to their sound or playability) but, rightly or wrongly, something from the Fender stable will always have a higher resale value and be more desirable should you decide to move it on down the line.

Thankyou! 
I'm beginning to lean more towards the Sire, i've listened to both and the Sire sounds so much more alive, where as the squier seems very quiet and not as alive as i'd hope lol! 

[ezbass]

5 minutes ago, pepsi-abi said:

Thankyou! 
I'm beginning to lean more towards the Sire, i've listened to both and the Sire sounds so much more alive, where as the squier seems very quiet and not as alive as i'd hope lol! 

That'll be down to the Sire having active circuitry and the Squire being passive.

[la bam]

The bonus being you can use the Sire in passive (just use the first 2 control knobs - tone control, master volume and pick up blend (move between both pickups - towards the neck for a more warm punch and towards the bridge for more bite), then when you're used to it the active mode brings it to life and you can use the lower 3 control knobs - high, mid (and freq) and bass cut and boost to fine tune to taste. Theres lots of videos where Marcus Miller himself describes how to use it.

If it helps, the sires are now hands down my first choice basses, and I've been playing around 30 years now.

[Al Krow]

28 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

...personally I'd go for the Sire, I bought a five string Jazz recently and was well impressed, I've had a few Squiers and none were as good as the Sire IMHO...

Frank's a real BC gent and that recommendation would certainly sway it for me.

It also seems to me that you're keen to explore the tonal options available and something like the Sire is going to be able to go on that journey with you.

FWIW, I've been playing bass for a fair few years (although not as many as some of my fellow BC'ers on this thread, Frank included!) but have just bought my first Sire (s P7 5er v2) a few weeks back. It's lovely instrument and holds its own with others in my herd past and present that cost a lot more. I'm really looking forward to gigging it, when such things start happening again! 

[ricksterphil]

All the above is sound advice, but the best advice is...pick one and get playing. Squiers are great for the money and easily saleable when you want to upgrade. 

There are Bass Collection Jive basses you might want to consider

http://www.basscentre.com/bass-collection-jive-bass.html

I have one of their Power Basses and it's excellent