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Whenever I pick up a Jazz bass I have a hard time finding the sound I'm looking for. But then if I set it down and pick up a P bass I think "ah, there it is. That's what I was looking for."
And the Jazz bass necks feel a little cramped for me. I like the spacing of a 1.62" nut on a P bass, though I find the 1.75" a little too much, to be honest.
So for me? Yeah, a P bass is better.
And the Jazz bass necks feel a little cramped for me. I like the spacing of a 1.62" nut on a P bass, though I find the 1.75" a little too much, to be honest.
So for me? Yeah, a P bass is better.
I'd like to disagree with "mild".
There are just a different take on the same job. No more, no less. Is one better than the other? No. Can one favor one over the other? Of course, and there is nothing wrong with that.
A list of other topics we might as well discuss since we're already here:
Is Evian better than Dasani?
Is the Pacific better than the Atlantic?
Is Pepsi better than Coke?
Is milk better than Cream in a coffee?
Which is better: Sirius A, or Sirius B?
Which do you prefer: Your left foot or your right one?
Is Evian better than Dasani?
Is the Pacific better than the Atlantic?
Is Pepsi better than Coke?
Is milk better than Cream in a coffee?
Which is better: Sirius A, or Sirius B?
Which do you prefer: Your left foot or your right one?
Mr.Ace
Bass players rule!
- Sep 8, 2015
- 1,120
- 1,050
- 49
- Disclosures
- Endorsed by Fusion ( maker of killer gig bags)
(q) J or P? - (a) personal preference
(q) pick or fingers - (a) personal preference
(q) Slap or no? - (a) personal preference
(q) 4, 5 or 6? - (a) personal preference
(q) tort or nah? - (a) personal preference
(q) tubes or ss? - (a) personal preference
(q) bassist 1 vs bassist 2, who's better? - (a) personal preference
(q) metronome or nah - (a) personal preference (Unless you're JB, then definitely nah)
(q) is music getting worse or better? - (a) personal preference
(q) does wood affect tone? - Yes. No, wait, no. Maybe. Yes, but just a little. Would some bass scientist prove this already?
(q) compression or nah? - (a) personal preference
(q) Bob Dylan, awesome or terrible - terribly awesome. Or is it awesomely terrible? I don't know.
(q) pick or fingers - (a) personal preference
(q) Slap or no? - (a) personal preference
(q) 4, 5 or 6? - (a) personal preference
(q) tort or nah? - (a) personal preference
(q) tubes or ss? - (a) personal preference
(q) bassist 1 vs bassist 2, who's better? - (a) personal preference
(q) metronome or nah - (a) personal preference (Unless you're JB, then definitely nah)
(q) is music getting worse or better? - (a) personal preference
(q) does wood affect tone? - Yes. No, wait, no. Maybe. Yes, but just a little. Would some bass scientist prove this already?
(q) compression or nah? - (a) personal preference
(q) Bob Dylan, awesome or terrible - terribly awesome. Or is it awesomely terrible? I don't know.
I found myself asking the same question back in 1979 or 1980 and I came to this conclusion:
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,795
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
In the 70's I started out on both the J and P basses. In the early 80's I moved to Ibanez where I've been until now. I've been reminiscing and listening to a lot of older rock classics from the 70's and 80's. I found a large percentage of those recordings used P basses. I've found there's a sound out of a P that I just can't get from my beloved Ibanez SR series basses. So I'm on a quest for a P bass this year. Last year I bought a J bass clone and really enjoyed the tone, but it just didn't have the 'burp and thump' of a P bass.
But there's a caveat. I don't like the wide neck of the P bass. I think the J bass sounds "lighter" than the P bass. On the flip side of that it's also been on a gazillion recordings and is the Swiss Army Knife of the industry. But there's something about a P bass-- you can recognize the tone in almost any song that uses one. So the big question for me is how much will the tone of a P bass change if I swap out the P neck for a J neck. I'm pretty sure I read that they're interchangeable.
While many of the jaded eye rolling TB'ers who have already seen this question asked a thousand times, and have your snarky comments down pat, please bear in mind that there are always new bass players coming aboard and these are new questions to them. We need to treat them with respect and remember we were all there ourselves at one time. Even though I've been here a while I find I'm always revisiting my tone options for playing so these questions never get old for me. I appreciate every player's opinion on using them.
But there's a caveat. I don't like the wide neck of the P bass. I think the J bass sounds "lighter" than the P bass. On the flip side of that it's also been on a gazillion recordings and is the Swiss Army Knife of the industry. But there's something about a P bass-- you can recognize the tone in almost any song that uses one. So the big question for me is how much will the tone of a P bass change if I swap out the P neck for a J neck. I'm pretty sure I read that they're interchangeable.
While many of the jaded eye rolling TB'ers who have already seen this question asked a thousand times, and have your snarky comments down pat, please bear in mind that there are always new bass players coming aboard and these are new questions to them. We need to treat them with respect and remember we were all there ourselves at one time. Even though I've been here a while I find I'm always revisiting my tone options for playing so these questions never get old for me. I appreciate every player's opinion on using them.
