Jazz Bass and the Blues - Which Pickup Do You Use?

[Misterwogan]

The P-Bass sound appears to dominate the Blues, but if you are a Jazz Bass player who plays the Blues, do you do this to avoid the P-Bass tone?

What Jazz pickup blend do you use and in what circumstance?

[gjbassist]

I have used a jazz bass for blues for years. I prefer the brighter overall tone of the J bass over the P. I do roll of the bridge pickup volume slightly to favor the neck pickup. This gives me a bit more deep tone.

[Gougedeye]

I am in a Blues/Funk Rock band and I use a Jazz Bass. I change my sound, depending on the song, but generally, I roll a little bit off the neck pick up off. I like the little bit of bite it adds.

[dvlmusic]

I toured with a blues band for awhile and used my Jazz exclusively the entire run. I just went flat out: volume for both pickups and tone up full. I've always felt that this is the most universal tone for any style of music.

That being said - experiment. Figure out what you like best and go with that. As you said, you're already avoiding the obvious by not playing a P, so embrace that and come up with something unique.

[Mastermold]

I just favor the neck pickup (use both but back off the bridge pickup by about 15-20% or so, neck pickup at full), but I do that with most music I play.

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by dvlmusic

I just went flat out: volume for both pickups and tone up full.

When I play my J, that's how I roll.

[Misterwogan]

Originally Posted by dvlmusic

I toured with a blues band for awhile and used my Jazz exclusively the entire run. I just went flat out: volume for both pickups and tone up full. I've always felt that this is the most universal tone for any style of music.

That being said - experiment. Figure out what you like best and go with that. As you said, you're already avoiding the obvious by not playing a P, so embrace that and come up with something unique.

I have one of the active Deluxe models, so instead of individual volume posts there is blend pot. Would the middle position for this pot be the same as both pickups on full?

[bassdog]

Hmmm. So you can play blues on a Jazz Bass? :-)

Bob

[georgiagoodie]

I've been playing blues on a jazz for over 35 years. I typically have the neck pup full up, the bridge pup turned down just enough to get that fat sweet spot that is not there when they are both full up. I fiddle around with the tone knob all night, depending on the tune; full up on modern tunes and sometimes all the way down for old jump tunes. You also get many different tones from where and how you pluck.

[Mastermold]

Originally Posted by georgiagoodie

I've been playing blues on a jazz for over 35 years. I typically have the neck pup full up, the bridge pup turned down just enough to get that fat sweet spot that is not there when they are both full up. I fiddle around with the tone knob all night, depending on the tune; full up on modern tunes and sometimes all the way down for old jump tunes. You also get many different tones from where and how you pluck.

+1

[Belka]

Originally Posted by Misterwogan

I have one of the active Deluxe models, so instead of individual volume posts there is blend pot. Would the middle position for this pot be the same as both pickups on full?

Yes, it would.

[M.R. Ogle]

Originally Posted by georgiagoodie

I've been playing blues on a jazz for over 35 years. I typically have the neck pup full up, the bridge pup turned down just enough to get that fat sweet spot that is not there when they are both full up. I fiddle around with the tone knob all night, depending on the tune; full up on modern tunes and sometimes all the way down for old jump tunes. You also get many different tones from where and how you pluck.

By Georgia, I think he's got it!