Can a J Bass "cut through?"

Yes they can.

 

Mids and high mids are your friend.

 

Bro

 

i play rock/metal with a fender jazz, and have for a few years. they cut through fine. i even use my fingers.

seems to me, it's more a matter of amp and eq settings as to wether or not you cut through. i used to be very unhappy with my inability to be heard through the guitars, but all i did was add a preamp and change my eq, problem solved.

 

ask Timmy C from RATM then come back and ask us again...

 

Back off the bridge pickup just slightly, and you get a lot of low-mids. Cuts through a rock mix just fine. Or, back off the neck pickup just a bit and you get lots of upper-mids. I don't find that that tone works so great in rock/metal, but I'm sure many will disagree.

I went through several jazz basses before realizing that the character of the mids (read: how the bass cuts through a mix or not) is all in the balance between the two pickups. Now those always great feeling basses actually sound like I want them to as well.

 

+1

Also talk to JPJ & Geddy - they may have some thoughts on the matter too.

Seriously though - nothing wrong with a J in rock. Nothing at all, IMO.

 

it can if you crank the mids on your amp even.

 

Is this a serious question?

 

+1

 

Sure they can. Forget the bass: You're not holding your mouth right.

 

Can I jump in here and ask: what pup settings are you using for hard rock/metal? I'm new to bass guitar. I've run the bridge only in recordings so far, but as I have reguar SC's in my JB there's some noise. Should I look into mixing the neck in? Or go noiseless?

 

I use a Geddy Jazz with steel strings and believe me it cuts through. It doesn't hurt that I run it through GK gear.

 

YES. Ian Hill used one for years with Judas Priest, and Greg Lake and Chris Squire used them as well.

 

I use a J and a J with a P pup and both work just fine and I play everything from Christian Praise to Iron Maiden.

 

i've always gone both pickups full, tone wide open, and i've never regretted it.

 

They cut through very well, much better than most basses typically used in heavy rock and metal.
The thing is, cutting through isn't what you typically expect in metal. It's more about rumbling the stage. JBs aren't that good at it.

 

I think my MIM Jazz cuts through BETTER than most, if not all, of my other basses.

 

You're kidding, right ? (if not, someone is giving you bad information)

One of the things J Basses are best at is "cutting through".