Yamaha BB vs Jazz Bass comparison

[Vanheusen77]

I made this short comparison with both clean DI sound and amp sim sound to test the difference between the PJ and JJ configuration.

 

[Marvin]

I liked both. Which isn't very helpful is it...

[bigthumb]

Listening on my computers speakers I could hardly tell any difference. Maybe the Jazz a little quieter? But both sounding great. 

[nilebodgers]

2 hours ago, bigthumb said:

Listening on my computers speakers I could hardly tell any difference. Maybe the Jazz a little quieter? But both sounding great. 

They sound very similar on headphones too, I couldn’t reliably tell them apart.

[LukeFRC]

to my ears one sounds like a jazz and the other a PJ. I listened with my eyes shut and could tell them apart. Which is better? Depends on the track, for that one I liked the Jazz

[Woodinblack]

For me the yamaha was just marginally more likeable on some sections, but only because they were switched in small sections. If the guy and done one whole section, waited a minute and done the same thing on the other bass, I doubt I would have been able to tell the difference.

And of course from a practical point of view, the jazz had a string missing!

[Guest]

The similarity between the two says something about how Fenderish the most recent generation of BB pickups are. 

I found that the difference between the Jazz and the BBP became more apparent as the video went on. I wonder if that's just my ears tuning in? At any rate, after I had heard the PJ being replaced by the JJ a couple of times, I knew for sure which I preferred.

Definitely just a subjective preference though, and I can see why some might think the JJ more suitable to the music being played.

[Ltsal]

I have to listen again with headphones but I heard a very small difference with in the mid range, at least I think I heard that 😅. 
The Jazz Bass had that classical mid scoop with both pickups wide open and the BB didn’t have that. 

(But take my opinion with a grain of salt since I’ve got my Fender mim Jazz Bass last week and I haven’t played a different bass since then. )

Edited March 3, 2021 by Ltsal

[Ltsal]

1 minute ago, Ltsal said:

The Jazz Bass had that classical mid scoop with both pickups wide open and the BB didn’t have that. 

I usually have the bridge pickups wide open and the neck Pickup a little less open. This gives me the more mid forward sound like the BB had for example. 

[petebassist]

22 hours ago, Vanheusen77 said:

I made this short comparison with both clean DI sound and amp sim sound to test the difference between the PJ and JJ configuration.

 

Nice bit of playing there mate, I can't hear a difference in tone. I think it's your similar vid showing a BBP34 doing a very good impression of a Fender P. It's a very versatile bass !!

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by petebassist

[LukeFRC]

1 hour ago, petebassist said:

Nice bit of playing there mate, I can't hear a difference in tone. I think it's your similar vid showing a BBP34 doing a very good impression of a Fender P. It's a very versatile bass !!

 

I liked that. I wondered what it was I liked... then realised it was the lake placid blue precision! (I've got similar colour precision on order) 
Yamaha sounds good too, slightly more modern sound? 

[Lozz196]

Re the Jazz/BB, I felt that overall the sound was very similar, but that on the higher notes the Jazz was a bit treblier. 

[EJWW]

I just love the fact that we can discuss at length these extremely subtle tonal differences. I am a self confessed electric bass obsessive and I could pore over this kind of thing forever.

I don't think anyone outside of the bass community would get this at all. I know my wife doesn't. 

[LukeFRC]

5 minutes ago, EJWW said:

I just love the fact that we can discuss at length these extremely subtle tonal differences. I am a self confessed electric bass obsessive and I could pore over this kind of thing forever.

I don't think anyone outside of the bass community would get this at all. I know my wife doesn't. 

The geek in me Knows that if the Yamaha PJ in the opening video was mine I would lower the bridge pup a smidge for my taste... of course saying something like that out loud would make me look a right knob

[EJWW]

1 minute ago, LukeFRC said:

The geek in me Knows that if the Yamaha PJ in the opening video was mine I would lower the bridge pup a smidge for my taste... of course saying something like that out loud would make me look a right knob

You'll be alright as long as you don't write it down or post it in a discussion on Basschat 🤓