Should I get a Squier Vintage Modified P Bass or Jazz Bass?

[Captain47]

Hey everyone! New here, I pretty much just signed up to ask this.

To the point. I'm getting my first bass after playing guitar for 4 years now. I'm thinking of either getting the Squier VM P-Bass or the VM Jazz Bass. It's mainly going to be for studio work, but I'd probably use it live sometime in my life. It does need to be versatile since I record pretty much every genre. My main two genres would probably be punk and metal, but I'd love to learn jazz, slap and some of the more experimental stuff like Primus.

So which of the two should I go with? I hear plenty of good things about the jazz bass, but can it get a good punk or metal tone? Is it a bit of an upgrade compared to the p-bass? Looking at it this way, do you think the jazz bass can get a better metal tone compared to the p bass getting a better jazz tone? Does that make sense?

I'm also leaning towards the p bass since I like the look of it much better which is a pretty big factor. Oh, and I should note I'm not going to amp it, I'm just going to be plugging it into my Line-6 TonePort UX1 and running it through GearBox just like I do with my guitar.

And one last question. Pretty much the only decent music place here is Guitar Center and even that's 20 miles away. I was thinking of waiting until Black Friday but should I even bother? Would they have some sort of substantial deal on Squier VM basses or is it usually nothing special?

Thanks ahead!

[pwnyman]

If you want the best bass for metal you should probably look into letting the mothman get his hands on you.


And also lolno a P is not a downgrade from a J they are just different.

[SurferJoe46]

If I was in such a pickle, I'd get both VMs - in matching colors.

Then again, maybe you should consider the VM-Jaguar with both a P and a J p'up - no?

Lots of versatility there and a great guitar too.

[Captain47]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

If I was in such a pickle, I'd get both VMs - in matching colors.

Then again, maybe you should consider the VM-Jaguar with both a P and a J p'up - no?

Lots of versatility there and a great guitar too.

I really can't afford both. I would get a jaguar since it's pretty much the answer to my dilemma but I really don't like the look of it at all unfortunately. I'm really picky about my instruments, it's a pain, but I can't help it. And I would never buy an instrument that I don't like the look of, it'd feel like a huge waste of money.

[SurferJoe46]

The I say go with the VM-Jazz:::



...then add a little glitter:::



It can look like that for a few bucks.

BTW: leave the hardware alone and just enjoy it. The bridge is just fine, the p'ups are decently hot and all I did internally was add a Parallel-Series switch and it really sings.

NOTE: I changed a pix there as an edit for the VM as it was stock.

[Zoa]

The Jazz bass will be more versatile than the P, but the P tone is the classic bass tone that fits in well with anything. Tone is pretty much subjective, but the jazz will have more high-end content, where the P has a bump in the low mids.

A P will nail the older-school punk and metal tones ( Steve Harris played one, was did Simonon) but if you are going for more pop/modern/core-y type punk/metal you should probably get the J. The J will also work better for slap and jazzy stuff. It is a jazz bass after all.

[Captain47]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

The I say go with the VM-Jazz:::

...then add a little glitter:::

It can look like that for a few bucks.

BTW: leave the hardware alone and just enjoy it. The bridge is just fine, the p'ups are decently hot and all I did internally was add a Parallel-Series switch and it really sings.

NOTE: I changed a pix there as an edit for the VM as it was stock.

But how does it sound for getting a metal or punk tone? Also, I feel like such a bass newbie for asking this but since I can't find it anywhere, what are those things you added on and what do they do? The things covering the strings on the bridge and pick up? And then what's the parallel-series switch do?

Originally Posted by Zoa

The Jazz bass will be more versatile than the P, but the P tone is the classic bass tone that fits in well with anything. Tone is pretty much subjective, but the jazz will have more high-end content, where the P has a bump in the low mids.

A P will nail the older-school punk and metal tones ( Steve Harris played one, was did Simonon) but if you are going for more pop/modern/core-y type punk/metal you should probably get the J. The J will also work better for slap and jazzy stuff. It is a jazz bass after all.

The type of punk I play is more... I'd say think Rise Against with some Blink-182 influences. As for metal, I'd say more Protest the Hero. Besides, can't I just EQ the bass on GearBox or even on an amp to compensate for it not having a bump in the low mids?

[Zoa]

It might help us if you describe what you mean by metal or punk tone.

[Captain47]

Originally Posted by Zoa

It might help us if you describe what you mean by metal or punk tone.

Here's some examples, this is a song I recorded two months ago. It isn't too accurate in recording quality since I've improved a lot. But that's the style of punk I play. As for metal, this or even this is the best I could find, once again, not to accurate quality-wise, but it gets an idea out there. The basses I've used have all been VST that I mix to make it sound decent.

I might also use the bass to get some more experimental tones for electronic music since I love messing around with sounds.

Edit: But yeah, I pretty much can't stick to one genre, so I need something extremely versatile since I can't afford much, so the $300 budget I have for this bass is pretty much going to have to last everything I do for the next maybe two years.

[carlos840]

Smooth way of hiding a "best bass for metal" thread! I almost fell for it!

For what your playing either bass will work, just try both and buy the one you like most!

[johnson79]

Well, both Joe Principe and Mark Hoppus play P's. (albeit the Hoppus has a Jazz body). Maybe that helps.

I prefer a Jazz bass, but that is just me.
I'd check out the Classic Vibe too, I played them side by side with a VM and prefered them.
They are all nice basses, that's for sure.

[lfmn16]

Originally Posted by carlos840

For what your playing either bass will work, just try both and buy the one you like most!

+1

I came back after taking some time off and bought a Precision bass. After playing it for a while I found a Jazz that I liked better. After playing that for a while I found a MusicMan StringRay that is now my main bass and I've sold the Precision and the Jazz.

I would take an afternoon BEFORE the sale when you can go in and spend some serious time trying out basses. Decide what you want and then when the sale comes you can go right in and grab it.

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by Captain47

But how does it sound for getting a metal or punk tone? Also, I feel like such a bass newbie for asking this but since I can't find it anywhere, what are those things you added on and what do they do? The things covering the strings on the bridge and pick up? And then what's the parallel-series switch do?

The type of punk I play is more... I'd say think Rise Against with some Blink-182 influences. As for metal, I'd say more Protest the Hero. Besides, can't I just EQ the bass on GearBox or even on an amp to compensate for it not having a bump in the low mids?

The chrome is/are bridge and pickup covers which were thought to be needed 'way back when Leo was building basses and felt they needed the shielding from stray RF getting into the electronics. It didn't work that way, but they look good - so I installed them.

The Series-Parallel switch changes the wiring of the pickups for (natch) series to parallel and back again to change the way the pickups sound.

In series, there's somewhat more of a 'bite' to the output than in parallel, so you've got a much larger range of voicing from the same bass.

I think you'd be happy with a Jazz bass, wired with a Series-Parallel switch to give you a much broader voice capacity.

It's an easy and inexpensive conversion that requires no more holes or routing out on the body to install it, just a new push-pull potentiometer and some soldering skill.

One more pix of the chrome covers to make you drool a little more:::



I don't know what Rise Against is, but if you need a cutting sound, then the S-P switch can get you there I feel without ruining any of the standard J-Bass voicing.

I've heard of Blink182, but can't say I've ever played anything by them. Don't really know if I'd want to - but I know with some SS strings on a Jazz and that S-P combo, you've gotta be where you want to be.

Maybe.

[ysand]

Hmm, in general the J bass is more versatile than the P.

The truth is that with both you can play and record everything, it's more a matter of technique, strings, amp settings etc.

So, as an owner of a VM P, I definately approve the VM line.
If I were to have a single bass, I would pick the (new) 5-string version of the VM J

[Captain47]

Originally Posted by carlos840

Smooth way of hiding a "best bass for metal" thread! I almost fell for it!

For what your playing either bass will work, just try both and buy the one you like most!

Hah, it honestly wasn't. But yeah, the nearest Guitar Center (Which is the only decent music place around here) is 20 miles away, so it's a bother to go there. I'm still going to wait until the Black Friday sales comes in, I believe they always send in a booklet with all the sales, maybe for some crazy reason they're having a huge sale on VM's.

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

The chrome is/are bridge and pickup covers which were thought to be needed 'way back when Leo was building basses and felt they needed the shielding from stray RF getting into the electronics. It didn't work that way, but they look good - so I installed them.

The Series-Parallel switch changes the wiring of the pickups for (natch) series to parallel and back again to change the way the pickups sound.

In series, there's somewhat more of a 'bite' to the output than in parallel, so you've got a much larger range of voicing from the same bass.

I think you'd be happy with a Jazz bass, wired with a Series-Parallel switch to give you a much broader voice capacity.

It's an easy and inexpensive conversion that requires no more holes or routing out on the body to install it, just a new push-pull potentiometer and some soldering skill.

So how much does it cost? Since I obviously can't do that myself, I'd need a professional to do it for me. And it can be done on any bass, right? I was pretty sure on the jazz bass before this thread, but even after everyone telling me to go with the jazz, I'm starting to lean towards the precision solely on the fact that I love the look of it a lot more. I'm pretty bad with decisions like this, it's a really close tie between the two.

Originally Posted by ysand

Hmm, in general the J bass is more versatile than the P.

The truth is that with both you can play and record everything, it's more a matter of technique, strings, amp settings etc.

That's what I was thinking. I'm sure they both have their own sort of "base" sound to it, but since I'm just going to be running it into GearBox, I can easily do some EQ'ing to make either bass sound like the other, right? And even on an amp, couldn't I adjust the EQ knobs to get a jazz tone out of a precision? Because the fact is, I think I'd rather have a precision with a make-shift jazz tone, than a jazz with a make-shift punk tone.

[bobbybass85]

First off, I own both. I've got 2 Jazz's and 1 Precision.

In my opinion the Jazz offers a wider variety of tones than the Precision does. If you solo the neck pickup you get a similar feel (not exactly, but close) to the P, but the neck pickup adds a lot of clarity and high-end zing. Playing around with just the volumes of each pickup will get you many different tones (without touching the tone knob)

That said... my P-bass sits well in almost any mix. I've played hip-hop/rap, bluegrass, punk, metal, modern rock, classic rock, worship, and slap-bass with it. The P has a unique tone that will provide a solid foundation in most musical situations, because of that you won't need a whole lot of tone shaping options.

I've played all the above styles, plus a few I'm forgetting, with both. Primarily I play Worship, Punk, and Modern rock and I grab the Jazz as my go-to bass and love the tone it gives me.

You can't go wrong with either, but I think a Jazz does the Precision sound better than the Precision does the Jazz sound.

[C.Linton]

A primary consideration you're missing is the neck width at the nut. The J has a smaller width than the P and might make a big difference for you how comfortable it is to play. Yet again, another reason to play them both before you decide.
BTW, I have both, except my P is the amber/black/maple version. Love both, but I tend to lean to the Pbass. Personal preference only.

[Herrick]

I don't know if waiting for Black Friday will be any good. Sorry about that. If you plan on buying a bass from your local Guitar Center, you can just play both of them (assuming they're both in stock) and decide which one you like better.

In the meantime, check out this video. It compares the sounds of a Precision, Jazz, and Stingray (but the Stingray wasn't done justice methinks). Sorry, I am unable to post the direct link because Youtube is blocked at work. Just type Jazz bass vs Precision vs Music Man Stingray demo into Google and it'll be the 1st video listed. Good luck, sir.

PS: The Jazz neck is thinner than the Precision neck.

Edit: SurferJoe46, I like your pillows, mang.

[SMaubass]

Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass; here's why:

1: The bass has a jazz neck, which means it still has the fast action of a jazz bass.

2: The bass has two pickups: a j pickup and a p pickup.

3: Although it looks like the bass only exhibits 2 controls, it actually has 4 - they are stacked. That means you can turn off either pickup and change the tone individually. Thus, you can silence the j pickup, which means it would act alone on the p pickup essentially making it a p bass. You can then turn the j pickup up and keep the p pickup at maybe a medium or low for a jazz bass sound, and thats just some stuff without messing with the tone, making this a very versatile bass.

Because of the above reasons, you can basically make it either bass, or even its own. That means you can do some metal stuff, and you can get some good slap out of it (upping the tone helps this.)

Here's a picture of it, though there is one earlier; personally, I love the body shape and this will probably be the next bass (being my second bass) that I will acquire:
Happy bassing

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by Herrick

Edit: SurferJoe46, I like your pillows, mang.

Thanks - we live on 40 acres here and are moving to a 50 acre home in Montana and my wife has horses - ergo, the pillows.

You should see the guest bathroom - horses everywhere.

Wimmen and horses - I say if they fit on the BBQ, then they're OK I guess.