Can I be happy with a Jazz?

[Nightman]

To me, a Jazz bass is a passive bass with jazz pups. I find, and have heard from others, that EQ settings on active basses are usually set to flat and pedals or bass amp EQs are used to shape the tone of the bass.
But most jazz basses are setup differently than active basses, and that’s just weird, but, yes, you can get beyond just getting by with a jazz bass.

 

[vindibona1]

...I have been considering another bass, primarily a Jazz, in order to get the somewhat different sound and feel that a Jazz provides. I know I want to retain some of the things I like about the P: passive, mix filling mid-range thump, etc. But am also interested in what a Jazz can bring: slimmer neck profile, zingy-er high mids and highs when desired, etc.

Can I retain most of the thumpy, mix-sitting strengths of my Precision in a Jazz bass? If so, is there a specific Jazz model I should be looking at, or do you think most Jazz basses will abide?

I glanced through the current 6 pages of replies but hadn't come across something that might seem pretty obvious when it comes to J basses and getting closer to the P sound, but having a full J sound too:
WIRING FOR BOTH PARALLEL as well as series with a switch or push-pull/push-push pot!

I have a Squier VM 70's modifited Jazz that I'd picked up in 2013. I liked it and in 2019 I replaced the pickups, but there are so many basses out there with really good pickups, but still standard wiring. COVID struck and out of boredom decided one day to do a Series/Parallel wiring job. OMG.... what a difference. What I don't understand is as simple and cheap this is to do why all jazz basses don't come wired this way standard. Any fool who has even held a soldering iron in his hand can do this.

Second option/suggestion: A John East drop in preamp. I have an Audere Preamp in my Jazz 5 and love the sound it produces. The only drawback of the Audere is that it does not have a passive mode. Had I to do it again I might choose the John East because you can switch between active and passive and have a 3 band EQ or a 4 band EQ if your J has a jack on the side of the bass instead of on the control panel itself. The East preamps run in the neighborhood of $250. And then again, had I done the parallel series on my Jazz 4 earlier I might have skipped the preamp altogether. I don't know.

 

[bassliner50]

I started out with Precisions, moved to a Jazz just to see (and hear). Shortly after switched back to my P's. Less noise, simplevolume and tone and it just kicks ass. Only my opinion there. There are countless bassists that swear by the jazz. They are not wrong,

 

[arepa_funk]

Been playing J basses for 25 years, exclusively with flats. Favored neck with a little bridge mixed in. Was just about perfect for me. Even more perfect-er was switching to a Reverend Mercalli bass. P at the neck and big humbucker at the bridge. Giving me exactly what I wanted my J bass sound to be. Kills with flats. I'm playing fives, Invalid Link Removed.

 

[vindibona1]

this kind of jazz bass makes me happy.
5 strings, Audere 4 band preamp, and Tort
View attachment 4899948

I've got a similar bass/setup going. Jazz5 with Audere 4band. I too love the sound. That white with what appears to be roasted maple neck is the first bass I've seen where I actually like the tort PG. You've selected a great looking one.

I finally made a jazz bass that I can love,I've owned and sold a half dozen over the years!
View attachment 4899981

Where in the world did you get that body and how much? I've over-improved my Squier VM70's with that neck, new pickups, heavy bridge and custom wiring and it would be simple to really upgrade the look as you did and have my bass look as good as it plays and sounds.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

As others have pointed out; a Jazz will not sound like a P, that's why you want one of each.

Yea on this, I also have a ray4 for the Musicman sound. Try the musicman sound also.

 

[Mr Talkbass]

“Can I be happy with a jazz”?
Not if you are a man.

 

[groove pump]

I'm currently using a GK MB500 and one or two Avatar 112 cabs depending on the needs. This rig does really well for the P.

I've been loving the MB 500 through a pair of 2x10's in a vertical stack for a couple years. Folks look at that little head and can't believe it pushes all that sound - I often gig without PA help. You may not need a different head for a good long time!!

I've played a parts Jazz for over twenty years and I've also more recently added an interesting custom P/J. Both basses are passive and the J is too dang heavy at 10.5 lbs., but I still play it because no alternatives I've sampled, bought, returned, re-sold, etc. have rivaled it in terms of their combo of fit (for my hands) and sound.

Since all J's are not the same, I'd say get one that you like and enjoy the adventure... but be picky. You may or may not be too comfortable with a more narrow neck that's often included with many of these basses. So if you can sit with one for more than a couple of minutes to sort out the fit that you get with it, that might be helpful.

The essential reason that I encourage you to get a Jazz is to find out what one or another might bring to the table for you. Maybe there's a new department of tone that you'll want to use or maybe your personal normal is rooted in what you get with the P. You'll know more after some endeavors and that could even include what you find when using one type of pickup vs. another. Traditional J-basses have single coil pickups, but I adore the humbucking DiMarzio Ultra J's in mine.

When I added my P/J to my gear, I was stunned with how its tone behaved with the band compared with my longtime Jazz. On a couple of occasions with the P/J I was actually too loud - that was a first for me. Now I use it when I want to, but it shares the load nicely with my Jazz. Both can thump in their own particular way, but I also want both instruments at the ready when I'm playing with the band.

 

[tbz]

IMO the niche that Fender Jazz Basses once owned, is now dominated by better options, and has been ever since active electronics became commonplace.

Others obviously disagree.

 

[wysiwyg248]

I can try in a music store, but the big question is, how will a Jazz sit in my band's mix in the gig environment?

The Jazz bass will sit fine, you just need to define the pickup mix you like and tune the mix accordingly.
If you happen to know Marcus Miller, Geddy Lee, Will Lee, Tommy Shanon and many others, they all play/ed a Jazz bass and sound perfectly fine.

 

[Barticus]

Nah, you can do better.

 

[butterfingers1]

I have both, like both. The precision is always more useful and audible when playing with others. The jazz is a bit more fun and interesting, feels a little more refined and smooth, but is always a bit more frustrating when playing with others, never sounds quite right with other instruments. (I know about the knobs and dials.). I wouldn’t play to an audience without a precision.

 

[DaveParker39]

I'm a precision guy and, while I enjoy playing a Jazz, I can't imagine giving it the same amount of playing time I give my precisions.

You're not gonna get the precision sound with a jazz. You're gonna get the jazz sound. Do you want that?

 

[Bassmike62]

I have a 2009 MIM Precision bass that I like a lot. It is pretty heavily modified; new electronics including pickups, new tuners, BA bridge. It is a great player bass and currently my only gigging bass. For the music we play (classic rock, a little new and old-school country, blues rock) with guitar and drums, it provides a sound that sits in the mix well.

I have been considering another bass, primarily a Jazz, in order to get the somewhat different sound and feel that a Jazz provides. I know I want to retain some of the things I like about the P: passive, mix filling mid-range thump, etc. But am also interested in what a Jazz can bring: slimmer neck profile, zingy-er high mids and highs when desired, etc.

Can I retain most of the thumpy, mix-sitting strengths of my Precision in a Jazz bass? If so, is there a specific Jazz model I should be looking at, or do you think most Jazz basses will abide?

I come from the other end of it: always loved Jazz basses, but really dig the P sound. So my compromise is to either get a P/J Jazz (such as most Aerodyne Jazzes), or a pure Jazz with the pickups modified to be used either in series (J) or parallel (more of a P-ish sound), which you can do yourself or have a luthier do it for less 100$. Might not be a solution for everybody, but works for me.

 

[MobileHolmes]

Only way to know is to try and see what you think. I've got an Active J style as my main bass, and a couple P styles. If I could only have one bass, it would be some sort of active J (pretty much the one I have) because it is more flexible. If you just use the neck pickup, it isn't exactly like a P, but it is a pretty full sound. I also think the P is more responsive to right hand technique than the J.

 

[MobileHolmes]

You’re asking if one of the most popular and arguably most recorded bass designs in history will sit in the mix? I don’t think you’ll have trouble there. It may be a little different than the P but there’s no question you’ll be able to get it to sound good. The big question is whether you’ll like it, and for that you have to play it. My suggestion would be to have both, at least for a time, to determine which one you want to keep and/or if you keep both of them.

I had been playing one of my Ps with my country band lately. Busted out the J at rehearsal last week, and the steel player leaned over and said he liked how the J sounded a lot better. So I switched back. It cuts a little better I think.

 

[truand85]

Js are nice, but only a P sounds like a P

 

[TTPbass1]

I’m happy with mine…

And with my other J, 2 Ps, 2 PJs and a Lakland 55-02…

 

[Canadian APII]

I have a 2009 MIM Precision bass that I like a lot. It is pretty heavily modified; new electronics including pickups, new tuners, BA bridge. It is a great player bass and currently my only gigging bass. For the music we play (classic rock, a little new and old-school country, blues rock) with guitar and drums, it provides a sound that sits in the mix well.

I have been considering another bass, primarily a Jazz, in order to get the somewhat different sound and feel that a Jazz provides. I know I want to retain some of the things I like about the P: passive, mix filling mid-range thump, etc. But am also interested in what a Jazz can bring: slimmer neck profile, zingy-er high mids and highs when desired, etc.

Can I retain most of the thumpy, mix-sitting strengths of my Precision in a Jazz bass? If so, is there a specific Jazz model I should be looking at, or do you think most Jazz basses will abide?

There is a place for every tone. I wouldn't try looking for the P sound in a Jazz since they are very different animals. I personally love the p sound for hard driving thumping staccato. I go to my Jazz for a more melodious "second guitar" feel. But I am not you so find a nice Jazz and experiment. My Jazz is my first bass. An Aria Pro II Special II.

 

[vindibona1]

When I added my P/J to my gear, I was stunned with how its tone behaved with the band compared with my longtime Jazz. On a couple of occasions with the P/J I was actually too loud - that was a first for me. Now I use it when I want to, but it shares the load nicely with my Jazz. Both can thump in their own particular way, but I also want both instruments at the ready when I'm playing with the band.

I think the PJ configuration is intriguing. I've got a bass up for sale and if it goes I have my eye on a Yamaha BB735a, the 5 string version that is also available in the 4 string 734a.