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Difference between precision bass and jazz bass

#21
Jazz Bass - Scalpel.

Precision Bass - Sledgehammer.

If you're starting out I wouldn't get to hung up on tone. Go with whichever feels better to play. And look at it this way - a lot of people have one of each. Whatever you buy now will be a long term investment, it's not like a P or a J will eventually go out of style. So no matter which one you get it will be a good, solid purchase.
 
#24
Buy based on your budget and feel/playability. You can always improve strings or electronics rather cheaply to achieve the tone you want.

There is a lot said about the jazz bass neck and precision neck. You will find, it is not all about the size of the nut, but the shape, depth, roundness of the neck. Some are more flat. Some more rounded, so you may like the smaller jazz nut but if the neck is more rounded or vice versa. It is all personal preference.

There is also something to be said about really liking a bass. The better you feel about it, the more apt you are to want to play it.

The best thing you can do with whatever you buy is have it set up professionally. Even the cheapest bass set up properly will play better than a more expensive bass set poorly.

Best of luck!
 
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#25
Go to a music store and try both. I have pretty big hands as well, so most people would think I would prefer a Precision bass neck because it is slightly larger, but a jazz bass neck feels better to me. Personally i prefer a PJ bass tone because I play harder rock, and that pickup configuration seems to give me the best tone for that. I recommend buying used instruments if you can find one you like.
 
#26
MIAMIALAN said:
$500 is max. Yes, I plan on buying an amp also.
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Hey Alan,

Welcome to the bass playing community! Will that $500 be for both the bass and the amp or is it just for the bass? How much more would you have for an amp?

$500 for both certainly limits your options, but it can be done and done well :) Would you be hesitant to purchase any used gear?
 
#28
jraskell said:
I'm a new bass player too, and I took that advice. Now maybe I'm just overly concerned about making a bad purchase, but I just wasn't comfortable buying 'the one I liked' without knowing more about what made it different from all the others. Nevermind there were actually several that I liked. I was feeling a bit like my grandmother decades ago buying a diesel Buick because she liked the color.
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Feel is 98% of it for me. Granted I suffer from John Paul Jones syndrome and love 3TBSB Jazz Bass's. I use to like Ricks. Played one for like 8 years. But I've always had a soft spot for Jazz Bass's.

But like I said you gotta try before you buy. When you find it you know it...QUICK!

As far as how they sound. Some sound great right off the wall. Some need a little help. But every Jazz can be upgraded or modified to sound great.
 
#30
Buy a decent P. Learn to play it well, and get a range of tones out of it. There will be some times when a J would sound a bit better. There will be some times (which you won't know about) when the P will hum a whole lot less than the J would have. Later, if you still have a hankering for a J, (or a PJ) you can ponder for a while which one to get. My J has linear humbucking pickups (I hate hum), and is shaped like a P. And has a P neck. Because a P fits me better (tall, huge hands). But, it sounds like a J, for when that works better.
 
#31
GK Growl said:
Before you get slammed for asking the rookie question I will give you my honest answer. Since you mentioned worship music, jazz, and some rock I would lean towards a Jazz bass just for the tonal versatility.
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Completely agree.
"Jazz" and "Precision" The difference is sound of the pick ups and the width of the neck. Slight difference in the body but not enough to really notice.
MobileHolmes said:
For a first bass, I'd go more by feel than anything else. The P and J are two classic tones that have been around forever. Tonally, the P is a little more thumpy, the J has more zing and a little less midrange. Feel wise, typically (though not always) a J has a narrower neck side to side (usually 1.5 wide at the nut, whereas a P is 1.675 or 1.75 depending on the model). J necks are typically (though not always) thicker front to back. I think Jazz bodies are a little bigger than P bodies, or at least they wear that way. I've got both (well, one of each style, neither is a fender). I learned on a P type, my #1 now is a J type. Still play each depending on my mood and what style of music.

as for which specific one, that depends on your budget. Squiers are totally credible instruments, particularly for a beginner. Most bang for the buck would probably be a used MIM (Made in Mexico) model. You could probably gig that for the rest of your life, or sell it for what you have in it if you don't like it. Of course, you can always go nicer, but I don't think you need to to start.

Also, there is life beyond the P and J. I think Ibanez and Yamaha give tremendous bang for your buck.
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Good advise above. I would add that you might consider paying someone to swap out the stock pick-ups (save them) for Aguilar hum-cancelling pick ups. You can order them on line. Excellent pick ups. You will have wonderfull tone AND maximum control over that tone. The thing is with the stock pick ups, you will find that when you play you will get hum unless you turn your pick ups all the way up - both knobs on the guitar. You get substantially different tone depending on where you set the guitar's volume knobs (one for each pick up) BUT setting them other than full volume tends to produce a hum because of resistance in the circuit. Hum cancelling pick ups eliminate that, and give you maximum adjustment of your tone. Well worth getting started without hum.
 
#32
BuDa said:
"Try"... ? Hey, I've never played a string instrument before. How do you think I'm gonna be able to make any reasonable decision if a guy hands me a couple of basses in a shop ?
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I think the point is to find out what doesn't feel good and start narrowing down the choices. For example, even if you've never played a bass before you can quickly get a sense of what neck shapes are the most comfortable and what basses are too heavy or have neck-dive. You can also listen to them through an amp and eliminate any that just don't sound good.
 
#34
dxb said:
I think the point is to find out what doesn't feel good and start narrowing down the choices. For example, even if you've never played a bass before you can quickly get a sense of what neck shapes are the most comfortable and what basses are too heavy or have neck-dive. You can also listen to them through an amp and eliminate any that just don't sound good.
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OK. Makes sense, thanks for the hint.
 
#36
Scott's video that C_Becker posted is an excellent summation of the differences. Personally, I prefer the jazz bass and one of the key reasons is the narrow neck/nut width. I have a Fender American Elite Jazz with the compound radius neck (C to D shape) and it feels great in my hand. However, you have large hands and so a thicker neck with more string spacing might actually work better for you.

The bass that feels and plays best in "your" hands may just be the single most important thing to consider when choosing a bass to grow with and for developing your skills. Tone can be inspiring but it won't do much to help play any better

The American Elite Jazz is a pricey Fender but fortunately there are plenty of other great basses available for much less. There is no law that says you have to buy a cheap bass if you're a beginner. Get what you want and can afford.

Regardless of what you choose and regardless of build quality, be sure to get a proper guitar setup from a luthier, sooner than later. At least have it checked over by someone qualified. A poor setup will hinder your development.

Have fun with it and post a NBD pic when the day comes.
 
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#39
MIAMIALAN said:
Greetings to all.

WARNING !! Rookie question coming !! Lol. I need help. I am looking around for my first Bass ever. Electric. I have heard of Jazz Bass guitars, Precision Bass guitars, etc, etc... I am new to Bass. Never played before. I will hopefully, eventually be playing Worship music at Church, Jazz, and some Rock. I'm 6'3 tall. Long arms, long fingers. I know I want to start with a 4 string. Other than that, what "kind" of Bass should I be looking for that would be ok for a beginner, and that I can "grow" with? Any and all help and advice would be greatly appreciated !!
Best regards

Alan
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The shortest answer is they are different models with slightly different looks, feels and sounds.
Neither is more or less appropriate for that kind of music (or for that matter, pretty much any kind of music - they are the #1 and 2 most played basses in virtually all styles of music (outside acoustic jazz, classical and bluegrass which are full on upright).
Play the two - pick the one which you like the sound and/or feel the most with. You really can't go wrong with either. Especially as a first bass.
Once you've been playing for a while you will find out what your needs are that the one you didn't pick aren't filling and you can determine if those needs require changing to the other model (or one of the many many other models out there), simply upgrading to a better version or modding what you have with better hardware or electronics or add-ons which increase functionality.
 
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#40
Hey there! Welcome to TB. You're among friends so never be worried about asking any bass related question here. We were all beginners once just like you.

So ok…

If you've never played before, be aware that not all OBs and JBs are created equal or sound exactly the same. Some will definitely feel and sound better than others.

So if the tone/feel of the first few PBs and JBs you check out don't appeal to you, don't scratch them off your list of possible basses to get. Many pros and semi-pros spend years searching for just the right bass that pushes all their buttons.

You're just starting out so it's far more important at this stage of your development as a future musician that you find something you like so you can get started learning and playing. You can worry about things like pickups and strings (and all the other stuff we blather on about here) further down the road when you're in a better position to make your own more educated decisions. Right now, just find something that sounds and feels good and start doing it. There's plenty of basses and amps in the world. And they'll always make more. So there's no rush to find your perfect match. Just get playing.

Luck!
 
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