Convince me to keep my Fender Jazz

[AuntieBeeb]

So you're boosting your mid and treble but cutting the bass? If you're doing this when you play with the band, you probably need to re-think it. Start with your EQ flat (i.e., bass, mid and high all at 12 o'clock, nothing cut or boosted), bash through a chorus or two with the rest of the band and see where you sit. By the sound of it, you need more low-frequency to make your presence felt. Don't try competing at the treble end, because your guitarist will win outright!

If anything, I might suggest using your EQ is a bit like cooking with spices. Use it to accentuate certain aspects, but use it sparingly, or else you may end up with some very odd flavours in the mix!

[Russell L]

Much of the rock music you hear that has a good ballsy bass sound has been played on a passive Jazz Bass. I play one myself, and it sounds fine. I think your eq is the problem. Nothing AT ALL wrong with a passive Jazz Bass.

[drTSTingray]

Originally Posted by El Raro

So I picked up this 2011 MIM Jazz a couple months back - I can't seem to sit well with it in my band mix during rehearsal at all. I simply get drowned out, even if I'm cranking in some overdrive or distortion (which usually helps). Basically, I love the way it sound and plays if I'm doing some solo stuff in my room but its night impossible to replicate that beauty in a band setting.

We play mostly gritty rock music but in saying that we're only a 3 piece. Between the guitar and the cymbals, the Jazz just fails to deliver the balls I'm after/need. I was considering trying out a Precision bass which I hear is great for loud rock music as far as how well it sits in a mix but I'm worried I'll have the same issues seeing as both the P and J are passive. Does a P usually have hotter output than Jazz basses?

But hell...if there's a way to make my Jazz's presence be felt more prominently, I'll take it. Like I said, I love the way it sounds on its own...but I really need something that will work in my band too.

You have described the main reason active basses became popular in the 70s - these passive basses didn't do it - especially through the amps of the day.

Amps are a lot better these days so you can up the mids to cut through better.

If you don't like what your Jazz does you're hardly likely to find the P that different - same total area - more thump and maybe more mids. Otherwise get an active bass where you will have more control over your sound and can perhaps pick one you like.

Fender Jazz basses can sound scooped with both pick ups on full - perhaps you should favour the bridge pick up more to cut through.

There are a lot of people on this forum who will say you can do anything with a passive P or J bass - they are entitled to their view - conversely there are lot of people who would advise you to not be so brand focussed and look for the sound you want - there are a lot of famous players who don't use Fenders so you would be in good company! There are others who've dabbled live (Flea for example) and gone back to an active to get the required punch and grit. Tim Commerford proves you can do this with a Jazz - but he does do serious mods to the electronics/pick ups plus uses effects significantly.

One of my favourite bands was built around an active bass sound for many years (Musicman/Warwick) - I went to watch them recently and their bassist was using a passive elderly Fender - for me it ruined the sound of the band (even though the player is one I love and who is highly talented, the bass was simply not prominent enough - it sounded like a late 60s sound - you couldn't hear what should be prominent late 80s style funk lines clearly in the mix - so the whole sound changed) - I will not be seeing them live again in that format. To me it's like seeing the Beatles play I Am the Walrus without a strings section.

Best of luck with your choice.

[MICKUSS]

+1 on wiring it in series. I had the same problem for years with my Geddy Jazz until I wired it in series. I have the switch to go back to parallel but NEVER do. To me it sounds great by itself AND in the mix with a loud band.

[LowNotes1]

Before changing anything, one question I'd ask is how your audience thinks you sound. It can sound a lot different on-stage than in front of the stage. I remember playing one night thinking my sound was lousy, and then later a bass-player friend of mine told me he could hear every single note I played. FWIW, I was playing a passive P with volume and tone full up, amp knobs with treble half up, mids half up, and bass 3/4 up, with flats.

[davidjackson]

Originally Posted by drTSTingray

If you don't like what your Jazz does you're hardly likely to find the P that different

Lots of sensible advice in your post drTSTingray but I have to take issue with this. The difference in a band situation between a passive Jazz and a passive P is massive. I don't understand enough about the physics to say why but I have switched between the two in a few different 5 and 6 piece bands and always hear a significant difference. My beloved Jazz bass simply sounds thin and out of place whereas my P booms and sits perfectly with everything else.

PS: I'm not one of those people who can hear the difference between rosewood and maple boards, .100 and .105 E strings or string through body systems so if I can hear it there has to be a fairly obvious difference!

[cchorney]

Originally Posted by smeet

Also, use technique to alter your sound. Play over the bridge pickup for a snarly sound. Play over the end of the fingerboard and smack the strings into the frets, this gives a very cool aggressive attack. Just two ideas out of many.

Originally Posted by klaus486

Did you adjust the gain section of your amp to match up with the new bass or is still set for your active bass?

Also maybe try adjusting the pickups to be slightly closer to the strings. Several attempts at this may be needed to adjust for your playing style.

You didn't mention strings....Try some Stainless steel roundwounds. Again Several sets of strings may have to be tried to find the set the bass likes.

Geez you guys didn't leave me anything to suggest!

[MrLenny1]

Yup, spin some knobs.
What you are missing(ears) is your active bass.
Passive is harder to EQ but can be done.
Started using an active bass in 1991 & everyone I work
with says the same thing, that bass really stands out in the mix.
Keep the bass, work on the EQ.

[Bassmunnky]

Tis Why WILL LEE uses a Mid Boost Circuit 500-800 hz on his Jazz Style basses. (active yes) I've seen him several times at the bitter end with Passive Jazz basses..Fenders...lotsa Mids

Get with your amp.

Boost the crap out of the mids...You'll hate the solo sound. But when the band plays it will be perfect.

Just the way it is. P Basses have the snot built in already. Add Snot.

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by jumblemind

P bass will solve your problems.

^^ This

Or a Ray

I have 2 Jazz's and love them but kept running into the same thing.
I tried a lot of different pick up's and pre amps and strings.

When I picked up a EBMM Sub 4 I cut right through.
I just got my first P bass and have not touched ether of my Jazz's sense.

[ThudThudThud]

+1 on Series wiring (I used a push/pull pot).

Plus flats.

Huge......HUGE.....

[Ric5]

Originally Posted by El Raro

So I picked up this 2011 MIM Jazz a couple months back and its been really good to me so far...but really only in my bedroom. I can't seem to sit well with it in my band mix during rehearsal at all. I simply get drowned out, even if I'm cranking in some overdrive or distortion (which usually helps). Basically, I love the way it sound and plays if I'm doing some solo stuff in my room but its night impossible to replicate that beauty in a band setting.

We play mostly gritty rock music but in saying that we're only a 3 piece. Between the guitar and the cymbals, the Jazz just fails to deliver the balls I'm after/need. I was considering trying out a Precision bass which I hear is great for loud rock music as far as how well it sits in a mix but I'm worried I'll have the same issues seeing as both the P and J are passive. Does a P usually have hotter output than Jazz basses?

But hell...if there's a way to make my Jazz's presence be felt more prominently, I'll take it. Like I said, I love the way it sounds on its own...but I really need something that will work in my band too.

Put in a 4 band Audere preamp and Seymour Duncan hot SJB-2 pickups. The SJB-2 pickups boost mids and the Audere preamp has high mids and low mids controls. This will give you ADJUSTABLE GROWL! It will make you p-bass sound dull and whimpy. But you can still dial in the smooth jazz bass tone as needed.

[Emibass]

Originally Posted by Bassmunnky

Tis Why WILL LEE uses a Mid Boost Circuit 500-800 hz on his Jazz Style basses. (active yes) I've seen him several times at the bitter end with Passive Jazz basses..Fenders...lotsa Mids

Get with your amp.

Boost the crap out of the mids...You'll hate the solo sound. But when the band plays it will be perfect.

Just the way it is. P Basses have the snot built in already. Add Snot.

Well, until not long ago I was thinking the same way.....but.
After many recordings and live gigs, everytime I had to compete with complicated guitars or piano the best way was to make my bass sound low, bassier, deeper, and this way was not competing with anything and was sounding like a bass should.

I always try to find a place in the mix where the bass sound doesn have to fight anything. But sometimes is likely imposible.

[bassbully]

I used to live in your shoes with my bands in the past...then I bought a P bass.

[Danno1985]

Originally Posted by ThudThudThud

+1 on Series wiring (I used a push/pull pot).

Plus flats.

Huge......HUGE.....

I'm running LaBella flats with my Jazz in parallel wiring, and have no problem being heard, whether it's in my R&B groups or power trio. Of course, I pretty much live in that Rainey/Babbitt/Jamerson/Paul Jackson and ESPECIALLY Jerry Jemmott zone. Not trying to "cut" so much as fill a void that the guitar and/or keyboards aren't occupying. Flats can be great for that. I know they're associated more with Precisions but the mid-bump really suits the Jazz Bass sound for me. So that's another approach you might try.

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by Ric5

Put in a 4 band Audere preamp and Seymour Duncan hot SJB-2 pickups. The SJB-2 pickups boost mids and the Audere preamp has high mids and low mids controls. This will give you ADJUSTABLE GROWL! It will make you p-bass sound dull and whimpy. But you can still dial in the smooth jazz bass tone as needed.

Been there done that
still didn't cut through like my stock P or my Ray

[Luckydog]

Originally Posted by Danno1985

I'm running LaBella flats with my Jazz in parallel wiring, and have no problem being heard, whether it's in my R&B groups or power trio. Of course, I pretty much live in that Rainey/Babbitt/Jamerson/Paul Jackson and ESPECIALLY Jerry Jemmott zone. Not trying to "cut" so much as fill a void that the guitar and/or keyboards aren't occupying. Flats can be great for that. I know they're associated more with Precisions but the mid-bump really suits the Jazz Bass sound for me. So that's another approach you might try.

Im surprised you consider labella flats on a jazz to give you a mid bump. Labellas are somewhat scooped. I like their sound on a jazz but i find it gives me more meaty low thump rather than mids, as long as i dont go crazy boosting lows. You must be favoring one or the other pickups and thats why youre perceiving mids?

[Hopkins]

I've never had any problem what so ever cutting through with any of my Jazzes. I never run both pickups full on. If I want a more growly sound I back the neck pickup off a little, if it want a smoother tone I back the bridge off slightly. You should hear a slight volume boost when you back one of the pickups off. This is because the mid scoop is going away.

[EricssonB]

Originally Posted by georgestrings

I have series/parallel switches in both my Jazz basses, but almost always run them in series - this makes them louder, more mid present, and have stronger lows... IME/IMO, a Jazz in series has the best qualities of both the P and Jazz: thumps like a P, but cuts in a mix like a Jazz...

If not in series, the next best way to make a Jazz work in a mix is roll back the bridge pup 20-25%, increase the amp's gain and low end 'til you're happy with the results...


- georgestrings

I don't ever play in the bedroom in series, but it sits well in a jam.

[uOpt]

The Jazz bass simply has too much happening is the same regions where guitars and keyboards hang out. It sounds great alone because it's less muffled but in the band you have those frequencies go under and you don't have enough oompf to add below them.

There are plenty more heavyweight pickups available for Jazz Basses. The Quarter-Pounder is an example.

Not all active pickups change the frequencies you operate on. You really need to pick something that is quite a bit hotter.

Putting the existing pickups in series isn't playing well with the two pot design and the pickups aren't suitable for it.

A floor EQ pedal also helps.