I would recommend that everyone start out on, and end on, a P bass. Other bases like Jazz and Stingray are fun, but the P bass is THE standard for good reason.
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Fender Jazz or Precision ??
- Thread starter Kgveteran
- Start date
I mainly play my P-basses because of their sweetness when paired with flatwound strings.
However, for me playing a J-bass is less tiring and in many songs the higher dosage of mids a J can bring when playing the two pickups together at equal volumes is spot-on!
Hence, I’d buy both of them and, in fact, that’s exactly what happened .
Yo
But your superior may be different.
I'm an old guy playing at home (though I do play out a couple of times a month) and I mostly play basses with P bodies and J necks since for me the P body is superior (lighter weight, better shape to fit a guitar stand) and the J neck is superior (narrower nut for easier playability).
But your superior may be different.
To me, the Mustang is just meh. It feels more like a guitar, not a bass, which I suppose may be part of the intent behind the instrument. The lead guitar player in our band has a Mustang and loves it, but he's a guitar player. Anyway, not my cup of tea.
I think a Fender American Performer PJ is a great deal. One of the most versatile setups. You can get them at a good price used.
I know what you mean. I had a mustang guitar for a short period, and it felt the same as the bass. Not sure if it's from originally learning on a jazz with super-high action, but I play too hard. Been trying to work on that. I definitely dig in to my strings, and the Mustang has always felt like it's not built for the way I play, even playing both guitar and bass.
I can usually tell when it's a mustang bass on a song, though. It tends to have something of a hollow sound with shorter sustain.
Let's be real. Kgveteran will end up with one of each.
It's illegal to play a J with telecasters, and illegal to play a P with stratocasters. If there's a Les Paul on the bandstand, you've got to play something awful like a Rickenbacker or EB0.
Sorry, I don't make the rules.
But srsly, you can't go wrong with a P to start. It could easily be the only bass you ever need.
Sorry, I don't make the rules.
But srsly, you can't go wrong with a P to start. It could easily be the only bass you ever need.
Welcome to TB. I suggest you figure out which sound you like better (J is brighter, P is mellower), which model your favorite musicians use, and after trying a few specimens of each, make your choice. As a rule, Jazz necks are 1.5" at the nut and P basses vary in size from that to 1.75" (which feels like a log compared to the thinner ones). If you decide to buy online, make sure the return policy is a generous, hassle-free one. Hope this helps.
The judge was lenient and let me go with a stern warning after I explained that the guitarist who pulled out a GRETSCH was a sub and I already had my Tele plugged in when the Audio Compatibility Police arrived.
I prefer the P, for a variety of reasons.
1. Their wider necks feel better when playing down low.
2. The pickups can be adjusted for perfect volume balance, string to string.
3. They are better balanced. Js sit in a funny spot on my body, and push the neck too far to my left.
4. The pickup has a thicker tone.
5. They are hum-bucking.
6. They don’t have any features that I don’t use.
7. They use a shorter hard case. A P case can just barely slide in to my trunk with ease. A J case can make it in only after doing a certain dance to make it fit (both going in and coming out).
I think Js are stunningly beautiful (as long as the ashtrays are installed – same with Ps). And I do have several. But they are more awkward ergonomically, the inner strings are too quiet compared to the outer strings, they require some additional oomph to be dialed in at the amp, 60 cycle hum can be an issue, I don’t like any of the blended tones OR the soloed bridge pickup, and they are annoying to get in to my trunk.
For an instrument that’s supposed to have been an expansion and refinement over the P, it fails for my purposes. Everything about the P is better AND easier for me, from playing to dialing it in tonally to performing a setup.
Four of my six Js are modified to address some of these issues. One has Model P pickups, which fit a J rout, but have the tonal and hum-bucking characteristics of a P pickup, and have individually adjustable pole pieces for string to string volume adjustments. Another has only one pickup, custom ordered with staggered poles. My two G&L JBs are wired in full time series, with the controls changed to a passive volume/treble/bass setup. The only two that are stock are my AV reissues.
OTOH, exactly ZERO of my many P style basses are modified or custom built to improve anything about their basic design. The only thing I modify or customize on a P is its looks.
None of my gripes about the J are horrible, or deal killers. They’re just considerations to deal with. I can grab a P or a J on my way out the door, and it’ll work for the gig. But the P is easier for me, in the ways explained above.
1. Their wider necks feel better when playing down low.
2. The pickups can be adjusted for perfect volume balance, string to string.
3. They are better balanced. Js sit in a funny spot on my body, and push the neck too far to my left.
4. The pickup has a thicker tone.
5. They are hum-bucking.
6. They don’t have any features that I don’t use.
7. They use a shorter hard case. A P case can just barely slide in to my trunk with ease. A J case can make it in only after doing a certain dance to make it fit (both going in and coming out).
I think Js are stunningly beautiful (as long as the ashtrays are installed – same with Ps). And I do have several. But they are more awkward ergonomically, the inner strings are too quiet compared to the outer strings, they require some additional oomph to be dialed in at the amp, 60 cycle hum can be an issue, I don’t like any of the blended tones OR the soloed bridge pickup, and they are annoying to get in to my trunk.
For an instrument that’s supposed to have been an expansion and refinement over the P, it fails for my purposes. Everything about the P is better AND easier for me, from playing to dialing it in tonally to performing a setup.
Four of my six Js are modified to address some of these issues. One has Model P pickups, which fit a J rout, but have the tonal and hum-bucking characteristics of a P pickup, and have individually adjustable pole pieces for string to string volume adjustments. Another has only one pickup, custom ordered with staggered poles. My two G&L JBs are wired in full time series, with the controls changed to a passive volume/treble/bass setup. The only two that are stock are my AV reissues.
OTOH, exactly ZERO of my many P style basses are modified or custom built to improve anything about their basic design. The only thing I modify or customize on a P is its looks.
None of my gripes about the J are horrible, or deal killers. They’re just considerations to deal with. I can grab a P or a J on my way out the door, and it’ll work for the gig. But the P is easier for me, in the ways explained above.
Last edited:
- Jul 7, 2010
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Well if you are a "play at home old dude" then i would say a Jazz profile (better balance on legs) but with the PJ pickup setup...
