CliveT Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 I’ve got a fretless Jazz bass but I’m not really after the Jaco tone, as much as I admire his talent. I want more the P bass fretless tone, ie, Pink Floyd - Hey You, Sting, David J of Bauhaus. I can’t afford the TF fretless or an older fretless P bass so can I get a P bass fretless sound out of my fretless Jazz using pickup balance, tone, eq settings etc? Quote
Stylon Pilson Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 [quote name='CliveT' post='465073' date='Apr 17 2009, 02:45 PM']I’ve got a fretless Jazz bass but I’m not really after the Jaco tone, as much as I admire his talent. I want more the P bass fretless tone, ie, Pink Floyd - Hey You, Sting, David J of Bauhaus. I can’t afford the TF fretless or an older fretless P bass so can I get a P bass fretless sound out of my fretless Jazz using pickup balance, tone, eq settings etc?[/quote] I think (hopefully someone else will correct me if I'm wrong) that flatwound strings + neck pickup soloed will take you as close as possible. Whether that's close enough for you or not, you won't know until you've tried it. S.P. Quote
wateroftyne Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 [quote name='Stylon Pilson' post='465077' date='Apr 17 2009, 02:49 PM']I think (hopefully someone else will correct me if I'm wrong) that flatwound strings + neck pickup soloed will take you as close as possible. Whether that's close enough for you or not, you won't know until you've tried it. S.P.[/quote] Yep... that's as close as you're ever going to get without modding the bass... Quote
The Bass Doc Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 (edited) Yup, WoT is right - he knows a thing or two about fretless Fenders. Since the front pickup is in the same area as on a Precision the tone will be close enough with perhaps a slight reduction in volume when you compare them - however that's what your gain is for on your amp. Edited April 17, 2009 by The Bass Doc Quote
Beedster Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 Mmmm, I have to say the tone on my fretless Precision is a world away from the neck PUP solo'd on my fretless Jazz. There's a whole lot of bass in the Precision that the Jazz can't match. For sure this might just be my basses, but I suspect that if you could get a decent Precision tone out of a Jazz neck PUP, no-one would ever buy a Precision. Quote
CliveT Posted April 17, 2009 Author Posted April 17, 2009 Thanks for the replies guys. I know I won't get an exact P tone from the jazz but working more with the Neck pickup seems to be the way to go. And, I have the bridge pickup if I want to change things a bit too. Quote
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted April 19, 2009 Posted April 19, 2009 You could replace the volume control with one that also has a push/pull series/parallel switch similar to the one the S1 jazz basses had. Quote
Hit&Run Posted April 19, 2009 Posted April 19, 2009 [quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='466805' date='Apr 19 2009, 04:36 PM']You could replace the volume control with one that also has a push/pull series/parallel switch similar to the one the S1 jazz basses had.[/quote] +1 It shouldn't affect the cosmetics of the instrument & is easily reversible. Quote
CliveT Posted November 26, 2009 Author Posted November 26, 2009 This is the closest I've found to a Precision fretless tone from a Jazz type fretless. Great tone and exactly what I'm after. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1KJKRG4ZoY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1KJKRG4ZoY[/url] Quote
Beedster Posted November 26, 2009 Posted November 26, 2009 [quote name='CliveT' post='666205' date='Nov 26 2009, 01:31 PM']This is the closest I've found to a Precision fretless tone from a Jazz type fretless. Great tone and exactly what I'm after. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1KJKRG4ZoY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1KJKRG4ZoY[/url][/quote] Problem is you simply don't know what he's actually playing and what he's playing through. Of course a Jazz can sound something like a Precision - for example an Audere with the preset vintage tone engaged - you've just got to paly around with playing style, strings, electrics, electronics, and amplification. Of just get a Precision Quote
CliveT Posted November 26, 2009 Author Posted November 26, 2009 [quote name='Beedster' post='666216' date='Nov 26 2009, 02:45 PM']Problem is you simply don't know what he's actually playing and what he's playing through. Of course a Jazz can sound something like a Precision - for example an Audere with the preset vintage tone engaged - you've just got to paly around with playing style, strings, electrics, electronics, and amplification. Of just get a Precision [/quote] Very true. It's from a DVD so there will have been post production taking place. I imagine the original must be in the right ballpark though. Quote
Starless Posted November 26, 2009 Posted November 26, 2009 If you have a really nice Jazz then maybe you could do a trade?........ [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=65517&hl=maple+fretless"]WITH THIS ONE[/url] Quote
WarPig Posted November 26, 2009 Posted November 26, 2009 Try finding a set of jazz pups that are split coil (DiMarzio Model J's), they have a more P-tone. Quote
CliveT Posted November 27, 2009 Author Posted November 27, 2009 [quote name='Starless' post='666820' date='Nov 26 2009, 10:17 PM']If you have a really nice Jazz then maybe you could do a trade?........ [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=65517&hl=maple+fretless"]WITH THIS ONE[/url][/quote] Very nice, but I don't think you'd trade for a stock MIM fretless Jazz. I wouldn't !! Quote
LawrenceH Posted November 27, 2009 Posted November 27, 2009 [quote name='Hit&Run' post='466816' date='Apr 19 2009, 04:01 PM']+1 It shouldn't affect the cosmetics of the instrument & is easily reversible.[/quote] +2. S1 mod is the way forward. Dirt cheap, reversible, and the old tones still available should you need them. Quote
henry norton Posted November 27, 2009 Posted November 27, 2009 [quote name='LawrenceH' post='667366' date='Nov 27 2009, 03:00 PM']+2. S1 mod is the way forward. Dirt cheap, reversible, and the old tones still available should you need them.[/quote] If you're handy with a soldering iron you can try wiring the pickups in series first before you lay your cash on the table for a switched pot a-la S1. I've heard switching from paralell to series makes quite a difference. Quote
CliveT Posted November 27, 2009 Author Posted November 27, 2009 Listening to the audio samples on the Lakland website are useful. They have samples with rounds and flats on many basses, and the 2 pickup basses they solo each pickup as well as both together. Whilst they don't have a fretless sample it was obvious that the neck pickup on their Jazz basses was close to the Precision pickup tone. Quote
dmz Posted November 27, 2009 Posted November 27, 2009 The Jazz bass neck pick up does come close - there is no doubt that with modern eq and effects you could get something darn close to a P-bass. Remember however that the P-bass pickup is a humbucker whilst in the Jazz is a single coil - so it is going to have a good bit more bottom end thump than a single coil. You could of course get some twin coil Jazz bass pickups - like the DiMarzio Super Jazz pickups - i.e., they don't suffer the electromegnetic interference that normal Jazz bass pickups do and tonally, certainly in the neck position, have a good bit more welly than standard Jazz bass pickups. [url="http://www.dimarzio.com/site/#/pickups/"]http://www.dimarzio.com/site/#/pickups/[/url] I have these on a fretless Jazz and find them more versatile than "normal" Jazz pickups Wasn't Pink Floyds "Hey You" David Gilmour on his JayDee fretless - wonderful tone - wonderful playing....... Quote
CliveT Posted November 28, 2009 Author Posted November 28, 2009 [quote name='dmz' post='667841' date='Nov 27 2009, 10:58 PM']Wasn't Pink Floyds "Hey You" David Gilmour on his JayDee fretless - wonderful tone - wonderful playing.......[/quote] I didn't know that, I presumed it was a fretless P. What style of fretless is the JayDee ? Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.