Bandmates prefer Jazz Basses...

[SanDiegoHarry]

"P-bass style"?

 

[interp]

Use whatever bass you think sounds right. Saying "the Jazz is the best bass" is like saying "a hammer is the best tool."

 

[funkbass187]

He just wants an overall smoother sounding bass tone. My Precision, especially through my V4B always has an evident brightness and grind to it. He would prefer more bass/low mids, and with the single coils jazz pickups providing extra clarity, it would stand out in the mix better than a humbucking split coil would under the same EQ settings.

That reasoning sounds ass backwards. If a split coil is too bright, the absolute last thing I would do to fix that is switch to single coils.

 

[BurningTheAltar]

I'd tell him that's a great idea and that he should get right on buying you a jazz bass...

 

[Doctor J]

Well that's fine until you get in a situation where someone else wants something else. It's happened to some of the best players in the business. Flea was asked by the leader of the Mars Volta to use a Precision on a couple sessions for their first album. Flea could have told him to piss up a rope and still had enough FU money to never care, but he did it because the client wanted it and Flea is a pro.

And this is the difference between being a session player and a band member.

That's what Lee Sklar calls 'The Producers Knob'!

You can go a long way in this business by manipulating the producer's knob.

Hey all! As you can tell from my profile picture on here, I play a G&L LB-100 P bass copy.

Actually, it's not a copy, it's a refinement.

OP, you are the bassist. You're in the band because bass is your field of expertise. Were I in your position, I would explain to the guitarist that, while you have a J bass and are familiar and, indeed, appreciate all that instrument has to offer, you are of the opinion that your G&L is most appropriate for you as a player and for the band's sound as a whole. If he can't or won't get on board with that, perhaps you need to explore other band-related opportunities.

 

[Fergie Fulton]

I have many basses, only two of them have a "proven" recording track record.
I would never take an un-recorded bass to any session, i always take both my "recorded precisions", one is always a back up.

Sure i will take another bass to try out, or if preffered use the house bass, but when you find a bass that records well keep it......not all basses record well regardless of brand, cost or age.

In the end the producer will make the bass sound how they hear it, not how you hear it, so the tracks feel is where the real work is....get the feel right and your job is done.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

I am a big fan of both Ps and Js.
In this case, it seems the issue is too much brightness.
A J with the bridge pup off will be a little darker than a P
(assuming same strings, EQ, etc).
While I believe that a string change or finger picking could do what he wants,
in order to make him happy you will need a J.

Look on the bright side, this is a fine excuse to get another bass.
A Jazz with flats may be the best answer.

 

[Funkmabassup]

Im just not a pbass guy at all, no one has ever asked me to bring a pbass for either studio or rehearsal, and I played lots of different gigs (semi pro)

The whole pbass hysteria around here seems like some kinda hipster fashion thing, also most studiorecordings after the bass is mixed properly the bass sound so generic that I couldnt even begin too guess what bass that recorded, pbass or jbass wouldnt matter.

With my jazz I can switch for miller slap, too grindy rock too a very generic basssound in a couple of seconds, jazz wins for me.

 

[chris_b]

Live and recording are 2 totally different environments. That's why you get many guys recording with one bass and gigging with another.

I'm currently recording and the band loves my P bass, but I'm taking my Lakland to the next session because I think the song needs a broader sonic range. I did get pee'd off by one of the guys asking me to change a bass line that's been good on stage for several years!! Others can come up with good ideas which is why I wouldn't dismiss any suggestions out of hand. I'm going to put both lines down on different tracks and see which works best.

I'd try the Jazz and see what you think.

 

[Norwegian Bass]

I play P,J and Stingrays; and the popularity has been in that order in my experience. I will play any bass though, if asked, both in a recording situation or live, if either client or band member wants it, and I can understand the musical or sonic reasoning behind it; sure! Why not?
The song/the music is king; that's my attitude. And there's no harm in trying something new...
A couple of responses here almost implies quitting a band, or that a band got broken up because of quarreling over gear. That would be unfortunate. And as always: get a Precision!

 

[SonnyBassPlayer]

Stick fake J pickup at the bridge position and a fake knob.

-> Profit

 

[Joe Nerve]

Anyone else ever encounter this?

Yes. Bigtime. In a funk band I was in for about a year. I was playing a Stingray, 2 of the guys were insistent on my playing an old Jazz the drummer owned. We A/Bd them at a rehearsal once and it was undeniable that the Stingray sounded 1000x better for what we were doing, but I realize in retrospect that that didn't mean anything to them anyhow. They even shrugged, nodded and agreed, but it didn't change their thinking.

This is what I'd strongly suggest...

If you like the band and really want to stay in it, just listen to them and play the Jazz. If you love your P like bass too much to do that, then do whatcha gotta do, but start looking for another band. The chances are really slim that you'll change their thinking, as their thinking isn't based on fact or reality. It's something they made up in their heads, and it's most likely not going to budge. Even if you prove them wrong. They're hearing with their eyes, not their ears.

 

[Susqmike]

I'd say "Sure, Can't wait! Also eager for you to lay down your guitar tracks with my les paul."

 

[chris_b]

These guys might be listening with their eyes.

They almost certainly are but there would still be a little part of me that would be thinking; "I know it's a P bass, and they record great, but do I really sound as good playing it as I think I do?"

I'd try both and use the one that sounds best on the track.

 

[ThePresident777]

Hey all! As you can tell from my profile picture on here, I play a G&L LB-100 P bass copy. I've played mostly P-style basses for the entirety of my bass playing and have always felt at home on them. I really do love my bass. However, we just got done rehearsal, and my guitar player/songwriter said something to me along the lines of: "Hey man, can't wait for you to lay down these tracks on my Jazz bass". So I guess my bass hasn't been providing the sound he's had in his head for the songs?? This also isn't the first instance of this happening, the guitar player of my last project stated multiple times: "You should totally get a jazz bass... they're the best bass."

What's a Precision loving guy to do with all these haters? I guess I should shop around and add a Jazz to the arsenal... (which I'm okay with)

Anyone else ever encounter this? I thought most people would prefer me to play a P since I would sit in the mix easier.

Return the favor. Get him a guitar:

 

[Groove Doctor]

The chances are really slim that you'll change their thinking, as their thinking isn't based on fact or reality. It's something they made up in their heads, and it's most likely not going to budge. Even if you prove them wrong.

Wise words Joe!!

Ultimately, it's about two people with different opinions. Someone has to compromise.

 

[Old Blastard]

I bring all of my basses into the group mix at some point and tweak the sound as we play to get close to what I think is a good mix. The guys are more concerned with the bass line than whether I'm playing the Ibby hollowbody, Jag deluxe or Drake custom.

Recording, however, I bring what the knob, I mean producer, recommends. So far he's left it up to me and it's been the Drake or the Jag, both which can produce sounds from Jazz to close to P.
Note: my band guys play mostly acoustic guitars except for some lead breaks. We have an organic sound that allows almost every bass I have to fit in with some knob adjustment

 

[rogerb]

With your P bass an amp (or not) you should be able to get something that works. Maybe your P isn't set up well or dead strings or whatever, causing some sonic issues. If the Jazz tone is liked by you then A/B the Jazz and Precision and tweak your P to get the sound needed. If you don't like the Jazz bass tone, well that is another story... no harm trying it on that bass though.

 

[funkbass187]

I remember early on with my last band the guitarist who was an acquaintance at the time (and now one of my closest friends) made comment about how sweet it would be if I got a sunburst jazz. I explained to him that for the money I could do a lot better, I was playing my Brice at those practices so I didn't take it personally. but about a month later I got a gorgeous carvin icon for the price of an American Jazz and once he heard that bass I didn't get another word from him about my gear

 

[mdogs]

Holy crap, does anyone around here actually function in a real world? When my band members tell me something they like or dislike about what I am doing, I listen. When they do something I don't like or think is wrong, I tell them. I don't get my undies in a bunch thinking they are all idiots and I am just going to do and play whatever I want. Last time I checked, a band was a team effort and the way the band sounds as a whole is what matters, not your independent opinion that, "that guitard has no idea what he is talking about and I am just going to do whatever I want."

Band selection of players instruments happens all the time and if you think you are above it, you are not living in the real world. But, go ahead and continue to think what you want, it's not going to hurt the open minded players at all...