To me, one is not better or worse than the other. They're just different.
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I have a couple P's. I have a couple J's. Both are great basses, though the ones I made do have certain improvements made possible by technology invented in the last few decades (humbucking J pickups, different circuits, roasted/graphite reinforced necks made on CNC machines). I don't take sides on this issue. What I do think is kinda silly is spending a bunch of time focusing on this nitpicky little fight. Decades ago, you could argue Mustang versus Corvette (or maybe Camaro), and yes you still can. However, if you take a look around, we have, in the last few decades created minivans (great for moms and their kids) and also Teslas and Chirons. Why are we still spending time arguing about which one of Leo's inventions from 50 or 60 years ago was better?
Absolutely the P! Unless a J works better, then absolutely the J. Unless a P works better, then...
Oh, what the what: StingRay!
Oh, what the what: StingRay!
I would say maybe a Jazz bass is better for slap but I've heard some really great slap tones on the P bass. Freddie Washington on Forget me nots; perfect example.
Jazz bass is better if you want a soloed bridge pickup tone like Jaco.
P bass is better for Jamerson style Motown although it can be copped on a J neck pickup.
Jazz bass is better if you want a soloed bridge pickup tone like Jaco.
P bass is better for Jamerson style Motown although it can be copped on a J neck pickup.
Both are different. Both are excellent. It all depends on your personal preference. A lotta bass players like to have a backup bass on hand ... one of each gives you the world, IMHO.
No, I use them for different affect. I wind up playing the P most of the time but I do like the Jazz neck profile.
That's like asking "What is Hip"??
That's like asking "What is Hip"??
I can only answer with a personal opinion. To me, it's no contest: Precision bass every time. I always felt like with my Jazz basses that I spent too much time fooling around with the knobs, and I never 'loved' my tone. But in the hands of other bass players, a Jazz bass can sound amazing.
Depends on what the song calls for. I think of a P bass as a pickup truck. It's big, powerful, gets the job done. I think of a Jazz bass as a sports car. It's sleeker, quicker, and stands out a little more.
EDIT: That being said, I own 3 of each. They all get equal play. Jazzes in my top 40 cover band. Precisions in my country band.
EDIT: That being said, I own 3 of each. They all get equal play. Jazzes in my top 40 cover band. Precisions in my country band.
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I like the P sound, but I also very much like the sound of my J with the pickups switched in series. Which is possible since I put in a push pull tone pot thingy. Which IMO should be standard on all Jazz basses.
Hoo boy. Here we go with this one again.
I've actually changed my mind several times on this topic over the years, but here's where I'm at currently: I like a P bass. I just like the sound of the pickup placement and I like the feel of the neck in my hands. That's my completely subjective feeling about it.
Furthermore, there are some technical things that are worth discussing as well. For instance, I think the split-coil pickup design is wonderful and I don't think it's been outdone by anything that's come after. It's an ingenious concept that keeps the sound clean without being too hot or overly coloring the tone. Normal single-coils are an EMI nightmare, and I'm not a fan of humbuckers.
Lastly, I just have a thing about using multiple pickups. I think you get too much harmonic phase cancellation, and it leaves the tone too smoothed out and lacking character. I think you should find a spot where a single pickup sounds good to you and stick with it. But all of this is just opinion, and I think you'll find as you go on that more and more falls under the category of opinion.
I've actually changed my mind several times on this topic over the years, but here's where I'm at currently: I like a P bass. I just like the sound of the pickup placement and I like the feel of the neck in my hands. That's my completely subjective feeling about it.
Furthermore, there are some technical things that are worth discussing as well. For instance, I think the split-coil pickup design is wonderful and I don't think it's been outdone by anything that's come after. It's an ingenious concept that keeps the sound clean without being too hot or overly coloring the tone. Normal single-coils are an EMI nightmare, and I'm not a fan of humbuckers.
Lastly, I just have a thing about using multiple pickups. I think you get too much harmonic phase cancellation, and it leaves the tone too smoothed out and lacking character. I think you should find a spot where a single pickup sounds good to you and stick with it. But all of this is just opinion, and I think you'll find as you go on that more and more falls under the category of opinion.
That's funny since of course Rocco Prestia used a P bass for that song.
My preference is Ps in the studio and Js on stage. Nothing sits in the mix of a recording like my #1 P. I’ve brought lots of basses with me to the studio over the years to try out, but one particular “Frankenstein” P of mine always seems to beat everything else I ever bring. It’s a Custom Shop ‘59 gold guard ash body, with a vintage 1961 neck/tuners, and a 1980 P/U & pots.
Live though, I love my Jazz basses (not that I won’t play a P live too sometimes). But Js are just a little smoother sounding (less grindy and mid-rangey), slightly easier to play for me all night, and I feel like I can just tame the tone on a Jazz when I’m really digging in better than a P bass. So for me, one is not better than the other - they’re both tools that have their uses.
Live though, I love my Jazz basses (not that I won’t play a P live too sometimes). But Js are just a little smoother sounding (less grindy and mid-rangey), slightly easier to play for me all night, and I feel like I can just tame the tone on a Jazz when I’m really digging in better than a P bass. So for me, one is not better than the other - they’re both tools that have their uses.
