Fender Jazz or Precision bass: Which do you prefer and why?

[brian579]

Figured I would start a topic I know has been covered many times. But during this quarantine its a great time killer.

Which do you prefer, the Fender Jazz or Precision bass?

I know a lot of people have other basses they prefer over these 2 types, but I just want to see what people think of these 2 types of basses in this post.

Jazz basses are awesome but I’m a Pbass guy all the way. I guess because I learned on a P, and my favorite neck is a 60s wide nut and shallow depth feel.

 

[RayWithFlats]

Jazz for me, mainly for the nostalgia, my first ever bass was a Squier J. That being said, some of my favourite ever music was recorded with a P, from Motown and Stax to the Pixies, so I totally get it if you chose the P.

 

[Stevorebob]

Which do you prefer, the Fender Jazz or Precision bass?

Yes.

 

[ComeHomeShane]

Just depends on the tone you want for the ensemble. There are jazzers who play Ps (Michael League of Snarky Puppy) and rockers who play Js (Geddy Lee of Rush)... Depends on the sound you want for that specific group.

For my personal taste, most of the time I go with my G&L J.
If I'm playing blues or some kind of classic rock, P all the way.
Ska or anything aggressive, Stingray Special.
Modern/proggy, G&L L2500.

 

[Frndmoretti]

P bass. I like the J but I play with a pick 95% of the time, and the P sounds way better for that.

 

[basted]

Started with a p bass. Tried a jazz for ten years so gave it a fair go but after buying an American standard p the jazz didnt do it anymore. I would take it to practice, use it for one song and then get out the p bass.
Its just what you are used to.

 

[hennessybass]

I played a Fender Telecaster bass for about a decade.
Then I played a Fender Jazz bass for about a decade.
Recently got a P bass - not a fender, but I'm really digging it.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

I am simplifying as I grow older and a Precision fits right in with my new mantra.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Precision, for the most part. The Jazz can be a little too polite for my taste.

Let’s take Geddy Lee out of the equation for a moment. I agree with your statement, and I’d add this: a Jazz always seemed to be missing something to me.

 

[mindwell]

The only bass I've ever kept is my 1974 Jazz, pictured below. I owned one other Jazz for a short time, a late-70s Cream with maple board. I've owned half a dozen Precision Basses: pre-CBS, 70s, 80s-era Fullerton Reissue, Modern Player and Squier--all gone. I've tried and tried with Precisions, and I'm done. Jazz Bass for me.

 

[bluesblaster]

I play 'em both with gusto

 

[Adjectives]

After playing so long on a tree trunk of a P nexk, I can't play the slim J necks. I have a J5 spector that saves the nut width with the extra string. Spacing is huge for m though. Wiiiiiiiiide please.

 

[Adjectives]

I had a Lakland P-bass for years. As I got older the Jazz neck profile made my hands seize up due to years of pipe fitting and other manual labor. If I had ordered it with a P-bass neck profile I would probably have kept it . As it turned out I'm at heart a Jazz Bass guy. A Jazz Bass with a 1 3/4" nut would be the best of both worlds.

I agree completely. I'd even take a J4 with a 1 5/8.....

 

[I-play-bass]

I'll pick a Precision. I've got two, and while not my favorite, they're a lot closer to the sound in my head I want to replicate than a Jazz bass can do.

 

[someguyfromNC]

This might be kind of funny but I prefer playing/owning a jazz but listening to others play precisions. Can't deny that pbass thump. There is no wrong answer. My preference for Jazzes might be because I'm an 80s kid raised on 90s-2000s music.

 

[Bogun]

J bass for the thin neck, fits my hands better.
Both are tone monsters with distinct uses.

 

[SJan3]

View attachment 3790865

Both.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

I had a Lakland P-bass for years. As I got older the Jazz neck profile made my hands seize up due to years of pipe fitting and other manual labor. If I had ordered it with a P-bass neck profile I would probably have kept it . As it turned out I'm at heart a Jazz Bass guy. A Jazz Bass with a 1 3/4" nut would be the best of both worlds.

I have the same issue with hands from manual labor.....so,I swapped necks on a pair of J and P basses, it was easy and turned out great...i gave the P w/ J neck to a major label girl player and kept the J w/ P neck.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

J bass just sounds right to me. The P bass sound is cool too, but it seems too mid forward when I play it. Then again, some songs just sound right with the P bass. The J ergonomics agree with me as well. An active J can give you soooo many sounds, where the active P still seems to have just the one sound (not that there's anything wrong with that lol)

Maybe its my Eden Metro thru a 8x10 but i have no problem getting close enough to a P bass sound with my J bass w/ P neck.

P bass are great and sit in the mix easily with no fuss....however exploring different sounds the J bass everytime.

 

[GIBrat51]

I would have to say...
P-Bass. Specifically, my '78 "A" necked P-Bass. Of the other left-handed P's I've ever played - of any make - none of them ever made me want them more than this one. And, to be honest? None of the few left-handed Jazz Basses - of any make - I ever played, made me want them - at all. The strange thing is, I can't point to any one specific reason why. They all just left me feeling "Meh.. nah, I don't really want this thing". None of them were bad instruments; in fact, some of them were very, very nice. But, none of them made me want to buy them... And, I don't think it was the tone, either;
If I want, I can get a very nice Jazz Bass tone from this Kramer Duke. Which I do, quite often. Jazz Basses - in and of themselves - just don't speak to me, I guess...