J5 for me 95% of the time.....I have 5 basses (3 J5s and 2 Kiesel headless single HBucker 5s) and I just ordered another (Lakland ) J5......nothing has ever scratched my musical itch like a J with both pups full on; it's the sound in my head. YMMV.
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Are Jazz Basses becoming less popular?
- Thread starter Warpeg
- Start date
I love my MIJ Custom, and I ain't giving her up.
I attend an open blues jam just about every Monday night and the Fender Jazz bass is still predominant by a wide margin.
Haha! Posts #2 and #3 sums up TB to a T!
The J is not losing popularity. Maybe, when looking at a small sample (especially on this site), it may appear that it's popularity is waning.
There seems to have been a movement towards (ultra) simplicity lately. Though the J only has one more knob and one more pickup vs a P, that is enough for many to throw their hands up and feign defeat.
The J is not losing popularity. Maybe, when looking at a small sample (especially on this site), it may appear that it's popularity is waning.
There seems to have been a movement towards (ultra) simplicity lately. Though the J only has one more knob and one more pickup vs a P, that is enough for many to throw their hands up and feign defeat.
Had several 5 string basses, as well as 2 pbass's, one with flats. Picked up an MIM Jbass. Put in EMG pickups and drop D tuning peg on it, never play anything else. I can dial it in to get that Pbass fat thump, or make it scream. I really like the neck of the J bass vs the P bass, for me its much faster. I believe I heard that a lot of studio engineers prefer the P bass because they are very predictable for dialing in the mix...don't know if that is true or not.
I would say that my Jazz American Deluxe is one of my two favorite basses, tone wise. I do not enjoy how heavy it is, so my other fav is an Ibanez sound gear SR500. It has great tone, and is light, and has a fast neck. All the other get played periodically, but don't stand up to these two.
I had to wait a few months to get my jazz bass because they were on backorder!!! Is that because they were selling more and couldn't keep up with the demand or because they (Fender) were selling less and slowed production?!? I tend to believe the first choice. Obviously the jazz basses are in very high demand in the US, the UK and Japan! Mexico and China have to figure into the equation as well. Maybe people are not selling them because they're keeping them! Jazz and jazz basses are not riding off into the sunset anytime soon. The jazz bass is still a viable part various music genres. Play on player!
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Everywhere I look there are new micro companies popping up that are selling jazz basses as their main product! I mention some of the names of these companies to my luthier and he only says to be careful about purchasing because they don't yet have a reputation yet. Are Jazz Basses becoming less popular is a great topic of conversation, but I believe that's all it is. As a native New Yorker, I know that the Jazz Bass is alive and well! However, the use of the standup bass in jazz music has dropped off bit. Play on player!
It's always good to the research. Great talking point though! If Jazz basses do go out of style, I will pass them on to my kids to save as collector's items and maybe they will pass them on to their kids and fetch a great price one day. Not!!
I don’t think that the high number of Jazz basses for sale has anything to do with a decrease in their popularity, rather the increase in their availability. Fender develops “new” models yearly and marketers them well. As mentioned here many other small manufacturers are making Jazz style basses. The market is flooded with these basses so they are readily available
This is not my experience. More gospel and smooth jazz bassists are using J basses. I'm really liking my Sire V7 5!
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If anyone cares, G&L Jazz in Turquoise Mist is the"Stupid Deal of the Day" today,
at MF. $349 Since we were talking "Jazz Bass".
EDIT--And already it is gone!! Another deal up to replace it. So much for waning popularity
at MF. $349 Since we were talking "Jazz Bass".
EDIT--And already it is gone!! Another deal up to replace it. So much for waning popularity
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The swing in P-bass vs. J-bass popularity has historically gone back and forth over the years, sometimes tied to a very influential player (or players) using one or the other. When Jaco became well known it seemed like everybody suddenly wanted J-basses - maybe Larry Graham and Verdine White had something to do with that surge as well. Right now I’m seeing a lot more P-basses around, for sure. You have people like Michael League, Tim Lefebvre and Kaveh Rastegar who are maybe not household names but who are revered by music students, and they are all solidly P-bass users.
J5 most of the time for me, opinion based input that clashes with reality creates irritation rather than agreement.
Actually, there are more Jazz basses available because my devious plan is coming to fruition. I've finished assembling my mind-control ray, right now it's reaching out across the Internet, seeking out Jazz bass owners, implanting subtle hints in their minds that they actually dislike their most beloved Jazz basses, nudging them to part with them and put them up for sale, for reasonable prices so I'll have a greater selection to choose from as I satisfy my addiction to own way too many/all of them. (Insert maniacal scientist laugh here)
"All your (Jazz) bass are belong to us (me)...."
"All your (Jazz) bass are belong to us (me)...."
When I first joined TB several years ago, it seemed like jazz basses were the big thing.
I used to be a diehard p bass guy but I've been experimenting with jazz basses for the past couple years. Now I'd say I like them equally.
I'm actually really starting to prefer a jazz with flats over a p with flats
I used to be a diehard p bass guy but I've been experimenting with jazz basses for the past couple years. Now I'd say I like them equally.
I'm actually really starting to prefer a jazz with flats over a p with flats
Shhhh... Not out loud man! Duck and cover before the black-P-bass-with-flats-and-tort mob get the pitchforks out
