would i be mad to sell my P to buy a J?

[thebuckets]

advise please!
I am currently advertising my 2008 usa P Bass (3TS tort RW) on BC hoping to raise the money to but a Jazz in the same colours. WHY? well I learnt on a p bass (a nice squire silver series) i learnt fingerstyle but then because of the stuff we were playing in the band at the time I switched to playing mostly with a pick and the P did a great job.

I then decided after ten years that i had to own a 'real' grown up bass and went to buy a USA p. Several cock ups (on fenders part) later I ended up losing patience with fender, decided not to wait for them to send me the P bass i had on order (you wont believe how hard it was to order a stock colour!) and walked out of the shop with a sunburst jazz.

All was fine till 3 weeks later the screw in the front strap button flew out mid practice. a trip back to the shop resulted in an exchange (dolphin in Liverpool who were very good about it) and me being offered any bass in the shop at cost price. how could i resist? i walked out with a stingray for a steal and it has served me well to this day. If your reading this fender that is what i call customer service!

Anyway i digress my GAS for a fender was unabated and i decided i must have a P bass again so started saving and got myself the new 2008 described above. thing is since the ray i have gone back to fingerstyle exclusively and the P doesnt seem to sound as i would like it. Question is would the jazz suit fingerstyle better (i remember liking the neck) or should i be looking at upgrading my 15 yo amp (a Peavey tnt 150W combo) to something that would do my p justice? everything about my USA P oozes quality but the sound to me is a little muddy (is this me, my amp, my ears?)

I'm in a quandry want a jazz dont want to possibly regret letting the P go cant afford both
HELP!

[Hutton]

You really like your P bass. You don't know if you will like a Jazz bass. Both are just dandy for fingerstyle. Many of us have both and use them for different applications. I wouldn't sell the P unless you are certain that you don't need it anymore. I also wouldn't buy a Jazz until you know that you will like it. You mention about the time when you had your Stingray and then saved up for the P. Why not do the same again and save up for the Jazz. I can almost guarantee that if you sell the P you will only want one in the future.

[OutToPlayJazz]

If it's just sounding too muddy, try some new strings on your Precision. Yes, perhaps the amp could do with an upgrade, but try taking your bass to a music store and plugging it into some amps. I find the traditional P sound very muddy as well. Perhaps because after having spent some years in noisy rock bands in the past, I've lost a little of the top end from my hearing, but I do prefer a more scooped sound personally. Lots of bottom and top together.

So I'd say that step one is to get some nice zingy new strings on your 2008 P. Step two is to try it through some new amplification & step three is while you're there, try some Jazz basses as well & see if one of them gives you more of the sound you want compared to your P. Job done.

[warwickhunt]

Alternatively...



Get the best of both worlds and mod the P bass with a J pup.

[OutToPlayJazz]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='675906' date='Dec 6 2009, 05:27 PM']Alternatively...



Get the best of both worlds and mod the P bass with a J pup. [/quote]

Another highly credible piece of lateral thinking from the North East contingent!

[Al Heeley]

No, you need a MM humbucker fitted in the bridge position, the P-bass pups as standard then a jazz bass pickup in the neck. Now you're talking!

[4-string-thing]

I would also say go and try a few amps out, I've had a P for 30 years (the strings have been on it for at least 15) and it has only sounded rubbish twice. Once through some poxy Behringer amp, and once through A Peavey TNT combo (both rehearsal room amps) In fact, when I tried it through a Markbass stack, our drummer declared it the best sounding bass he'd ever heard, and spent the next week telling anyone he met just that!

I may even try some new strings at some point, but am worried that it will just sound twangy!

[jonny-lad]

I find that precisions sound a bit muddy on their own, but great in the mix of a band!

Maybe try experimenting a bit with EQ - everything flat works well for me with my squier 60s P...I'd expect things to get a bit muddy if I boosted the bass EQ though.

I think you'd regret selling the Precision in the long run.

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='675907' date='Dec 6 2009, 05:29 PM']Another highly credible piece of lateral thinking from the North East contingent! [/quote]

Trust a Geordie to try and find a way of saving money... worse than Yorkshiremen by all accounts.

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='675908' date='Dec 6 2009, 05:31 PM']No, you need a MM humbucker fitted in the bridge position, the P-bass pups as standard then a jazz bass pickup in the neck. Now you're talking![/quote]



... or follow Billy Sheehan's example and stick a Gibbo mudbucker up by the neck. In fact I'm sure the North's very own Bass Doc (another renowned tight-fisted Geordie ) did that very same mod way before Mr Sheehan.

[thebuckets]

Many Many thanks to all who responded,

not one condesending remark and lots of helpfull ideas- i love this forum!

Despite playing bass for the last 16 years in 'the buckets' I still consider myself somewhat of a novice having had no formal music training, my sight reading is still slow and i dont fully understand my way round my EQ!

But man I do like to rock out with my bass and am finding a new found love of funk (wanting to slap and pop at every opportunity)
so its great to have questions answered in an encouraging and inclusive way (what else could i expect Bass players are the gentlemen/ladies of the music world)

I think what most of you are saying is right, after gassing for another P in the past I might regret getting shot, I also have to echo others on the forums in that I Ithink the new USA Fenders are quality instruments.

I dont think i will mod my P as I I like instruments to stay stock, they are what they are and I like em for that. If i want a j pick up at the bridge sound i will have to go for a J bass. But i have to concede Warickhunt's modded P has a lot of charm and looks to have been modded expertly.

4 string thing- strange you say that yours only sounded bad twice and once was through a peavey tnt (the amp i have used for the last 15 years!) so I think looking at a new amp might be a good idea-any sugestions folks?

OTPJ my strings are quite new they are the original rounds supplied on it just replaced, i switched to flats immediately after purchase hoping to get that Jamerson sound, so i dont think they are the source of my poor sound. indeed acoustically it is bright and resonant with lots of sustain.
I having been in the same band with two extremely loud guitarists coupled with standing next to the drummers ride cymbal for the last 16 years so like you probably have lost a little top end! this might be why to me the stingray seems to cut through the mix rather well.

anyway think i will keep the P look at some new amplification (suggestions please) whilst saving for a J

Many thanks to all who responded
Bri

[4-string-thing]

[quote name='thebuckets' post='676167' date='Dec 6 2009, 09:32 PM']Many Many thanks to all who responded,

not one condesending remark and lots of helpfull ideas- i love this forum!

Despite playing bass for the last 16 years in 'the buckets' I still consider myself somewhat of a novice having had no formal music training, my sight reading is still slow and i dont fully understand my way round my EQ!

But man I do like to rock out with my bass and am finding a new found love of funk (wanting to slap and pop at every opportunity)
so its great to have questions answered in an encouraging and inclusive way (what else could i expect Bass players are the gentlemen/ladies of the music world)

I think what most of you are saying is right, after gassing for another P in the past I might regret getting shot, I also have to echo others on the forums in that I Ithink the new USA Fenders are quality instruments.

I dont think i will mod my P as I I like instruments to stay stock, they are what they are and I like em for that. If i want a j pick up at the bridge sound i will have to go for a J bass. But i have to concede Warickhunt's modded P has a lot of charm and looks to have been modded expertly.

4 string thing- strange you say that yours only sounded bad twice and once was through a peavey tnt (the amp i have used for the last 15 years!) so I think looking at a new amp might be a good idea-any sugestions folks?

OTPJ my strings are quite new they are the original rounds supplied on it just replaced, i switched to flats immediately after purchase hoping to get that Jamerson sound, so i dont think they are the source of my poor sound. indeed acoustically it is bright and resonant with lots of sustain.
I having been in the same band with two extremely loud guitarists coupled with standing next to the drummers ride cymbal for the last 16 years so like you probably have lost a little top end! this might be why to me the stingray seems to cut through the mix rather well.

anyway think i will keep the P look at some new amplification (suggestions please) whilst saving for a J

Many thanks to all who responded
Bri[/quote]

Hmmm, I did say bad, didn't I... I should perhaps say, not so good. We used to use a rehearsal room that had a large TNT combo, it sounded ok through that, but we switched rooms and the new place had a smaller one, which didn't sound too good at all. The Behringer just sounded bad, really bad! I would try it through a couple of amps, both old and new, but hang on to it, you won't regret it.

[AdamWoodBass]

All comes down to preference in my opinion, I don't like P Basses and I'm yet to play one that I would consider owning but I love jazz basses and have owned 5 of them (not all at once though!) If the P tone and feel does it for you then stick with the P, what I would do is go try some J's in a shop at varying prices and see how they feel to you. With regards to your amp you could probably do with an upgrade, Peavey don't tend to make great gear unless you pay loads for the pro stuff which is actually very very good. As far as a recommendation goes if you're playing rock and funk and you're looking for that classic P Bass sound I'd maybe look into something like an Ampeg? They do some nice combos actually and even the entry level heads and cabs are quite nice too, if money's no object of course go for an SVT and you'll get that really cool 70's sound. If finger style funk is your thing check out Frances Rocco Prestia from Tower of Power, probably the best in the genre (gets ready to avoid the flak for having a controversial opinion lol!) He's used a P Bass for a long time and has this awesome almost "rubbery" sound which just works so well.

Adam

Edited December 9, 2009 by AdamWoodBass

[rjb]

I use a P for fingerstyle, but because there is no bridge pup I obviously struggle to get the the defined Jaco "twang". If I want that sound then I switch to my Thumb BO bass which has two bridge pups (see my avatar pic).

With a Stingray and a P you should have both areas similarly covered, so I don't think a switch to a Jazz is hugely necessary unless you fancy a change for its own sake.

Edited December 9, 2009 by rjb

[thebuckets]

rjb
you might have hit the nail on the head -maybe i am just gassing for a jazz-love the look of them and am trying to convince myself that i need one,

e.g.i have small hands that thin neck would be easier to play, the tonal variation would come in handy etc etc...

[FuNkShUi]

you can get a Fender PBass deluxe series.Picture of one example here :

[url="http://www.zzounds.com/item--FEN135762"]http://www.zzounds.com/item--FEN135762[/url]

It has a Jazz neck, J Pup at the bridge and P Pups at the neck, which you can sweep between to chose your tone. Active 3EQ. Can get them pretty cheap too. I just sold one recently and im regretting it. Great bass, and so so versatile! Maybe an option for you?
kert

[Nostromo]

Ive got a Fender Deluxe Active P Bass Special, Black with Maple neck. It sounds awesome . . obviously you have to be someone who gets along with actives ? . .

Must say, I find it very difficult to make it sound exactly, and I'm splitting hairs here, and I mean precisely like either my passive Jazz or passive Precision . . . but . . . actives do give you loads of sonic range/options/flexibility, and so, for most gigging situations where, for example, you want one bass to cover all the options at a long gig its an excellent choice. We do loads of covers and I have to be able to quickly get umpteen different bass tones ! . . Anyway I use my Fender Deluxe Active P Bass Special a hell of a lot at live gigs - over 50% of the time definitely.

I probably wouldn't use it in a recording studio situation though . . . when its real subtlety you are after and youve got the time to swap between instruments, in that situation, there are probably better options ? . . . its in the studio when, for the sort of music I play, I'd probably go back to an appropriate passive bass to get the sound I wanted ?

I was initially attracted to my Fender Deluxe Active P Bass Special because of the neck profile and feel . . it played like an absolute dream . . effortless . . and for me, its always the feel of the neck that's the biggest deciding factor in my buying impulses ! . . . but once I'd got it home and experimented with it I just liked it more and more.

Well hope that helps . . guess I'm just saying I really rate my Fender Deluxe Active P Bass Special and, in support of FuNkShUi's comment, I would wholeheartedly recommend you give one a try !

Could solve all your conundrums with one bass ! ! . . well maybe ?

Good luck !

[matski]

How about another option - keep the StingRay and the Precision but invest in a better amp.

I use an Ampeg SVT3 Pro head which cunning features like two little buttons marked 'ultra hi' and 'ultra lo', and a switchable on/off 10-band graphic equaliser.

I play both a StingRay and a Precision through this. I use the main rotary pots on the amp to get the sound I want from the StingRay - then I plug in the P, switch on the graphic eq and fiddle about with the sliders until I get the sound I like from the P.

Hey presto!

[thebuckets]

[quote name='matski' post='680620' date='Dec 10 2009, 08:18 PM']How about another option - keep the StingRay and the Precision but invest in a better amp.

I use an Ampeg SVT3 Pro head which cunning features like two little buttons marked 'ultra hi' and 'ultra lo', and a switchable on/off 10-band graphic equaliser.

I play both a StingRay and a Precision through this. I use the main rotary pots on the amp to get the sound I want from the StingRay - then I plug in the P, switch on the graphic eq and fiddle about with the sliders until I get the sound I like from the P.

Hey presto![/quote]
think you might be on the money there
I own 2 top draw basses one passive one active both have stood the test of time for gigging and recording so I should be able to get all the tones i need. maybe a new amp should be top of my list.
I will have a look at at a deluxe p bass though i like the sound of the jazz neck and active options. still cant get the sound of Guy Pratt playing his 60s jazz out my head though! Gas eh! there's no cure for it!

[Moos3h]

I'll echo some of the comments here, your Peavey TNT is a good, solid workhorse, but it's not an amp for getting the best out of a bass. I'd certainly look into trying some other amps, just to see.

For grins, take your bass to a shop and plug into something TOTALLY different, say, a Markbass and see what you think. You may not care for the Markbass tone (or you might love it) but then might find something that you feel differently about.

In my opinion, and not saying this applies here, but I'd always prefer a GREAT amp with an acceptable bass in preference to a STUNNING bass through an average amp.

Cheers,
James