Fender P bass v's Jazz

[airsteins]

I play rock music in a band and am thinking of getting a new bass. I currently use a Ibanez which is fantastic, but am now looking at getting a fender.

What do you prefer and what one would be better for playing my style of music? Is the jazz bass suited for Jazz and blues music rather than rock??

 

[DeanT]

This topic has been done to death here. Do a search and you'll come up with hours worth of reading.

 

[Jimmyplaysabass]

This topic has been done to death here. Do a search and you'll come up with hours worth of reading.

like there's something better to talk about on here...

look the pbass is by far the better sounding, but the jazz is easier to play.

you can feel a pbass, but you can hear a jazz.

might i suggest both?

 

[basskababble]

like there's something better to talk about on here...

look the pbass is by far the better sounding, but the jazz is easier to play.

you can feel a pbass, but you can hear a jazz.

might i suggest both?

wouldn't the first sentence make the second one just the opposite?

you can hear a pbass but you can feel a jazz?

 

[Jimmyplaysabass]

haha it was supposed to be a joke, people on here interchange both and it was my little stab at humor.

anyway, I have a jazz and a p.

If your playing in a band thats smaller (power trio/maybe a piece), get the j and if your in a band thats bigger (4 piece and beyond) pick up the p

 

[mjolnir]

It's all personal preference, pal. You gotta just try both out and see which one has a tone that works for you. Either one can perform beautifully in a rock environment depending on who's hands it's in and what preferences the bassist has for tone.

 

[lpdeluxe]

I'm a convert to the P: it has punch, personality, and a fat neck, all of which I like.

If you're used to the thin Ibanez neck, you'll probably prefer a J, but you'll give up a lot of tone for it.

 

[Ric5]

I like having a jazz and a p-bass ... both 5 string versions of course ... on my p-basses I prefer a p-j setup ...

The precision and jazz are different animals both good but still different ...

Go to a music store and find one you like and buy it ...

or like someone else said by one of each and sort it out at home ...

 

[Ric5]

perhaps something like this ...

 

[invader3k]

I play rock music in a band and am thinking of getting a new bass. I currently use a Ibanez which is fantastic, but am now looking at getting a fender.

What do you prefer and what one would be better for playing my style of music? Is the jazz bass suited for Jazz and blues music rather than rock??

I own both, and there's no doubt in my mind, that for myself, the P-bass is better for rock music. The growl and punch just seem to fit right in when playing live or at practice. This is just my own personal opinion from my own experience. Go to a music store and jam out on both...it's not like you're asking about two obscure models here.

 

[mjolnir]

I own both, and there's no doubt in my mind, that for myself, the P-bass is better for rock music. The growl and punch just seem to fit right in when playing live or at practice. This is just my own personal opinion from my own experience. Go to a music store and jam out on both...it's not like you're asking about two obscure models here.

I always find it fascinating when an opinion like this pops up, not by any means because I think you're wrong, but because I've gotten my version of growl and punch out of every bass I've ever owned (all but one have j pups) and I've even made a fretless warwick work beautifully for a rock environment.

But then again, the terms "growl" and "punch" are so subjective we could literally be talking about two wildly different sounds and never know it.

Which is all the more reason for the OP to just go to a music shop and try for himself.

 

[Richard89]

Both P- and Jazz-basses are awesome basses that suits most music-styles. The only way for you to figure out which of them you like best is to try them and compare. There are also a lot of different versions of these basses avaliable, so go to a music store and check them out.

 

[invader3k]

I always find it fascinating when an opinion like this pops up, not by any means because I think you're wrong, but because I've gotten my version of growl and punch out of every bass I've ever owned (all but one have j pups) and I've even made a fretless warwick work beautifully for a rock environment.

But then again, the terms "growl" and "punch" are so subjective we could literally be talking about two wildly different sounds and never know it.

Which is all the more reason for the OP to just go to a music shop and try for himself.

Well, one thing I should have noted is that the J-bass I own is a fretless version with flatwound strings. So, that is going to affect my personal experience a lot. I know you can get plenty of growl from a regular fretted J-bass...I just prefer the P-bass sound for rock myself.

 

[bonenut74]

A Fender Aerodyne Jazz bass ? I received mine about a month ago and its very versitile. It is essentially a Jazz bass, which means that it has the thin Jazz neck which I prefer. However, it has a Jazz bridge pickup, and the Precision neck pick up, so you get the best of both. Seperate volume controls allow you to run either pickup individually, or blend them for some very cool tones. Yes, it is made in Japan, and yes, the body is basswood, which is a softer lighter wood, but let me tell you that bass thumps! And you can pick one up new in the mid 600's. I'm putting a new Gotoh 201 bridge on mine, (the stock bridge is pretty cheap) but will leave the rest stock.

 

[invader3k]

Yeah, I was going to say, an Aerodyne or Fender Deluxe bass might be a good option, too.

 

[fenderthrupeave]

I have a MIM jazz bass that I put a series parralell switch in, and I get a nice thick pbass-almost tone out of it but I can still get the full smooth jazz tone.

 

[lowendgenerator]

A P/J combo with a J neck is definitely the way to go.

 

[ninerfan]

Wasn't there an April Fools thread that started the same way?

 

[.Anfield]

Just get a Jazz/Precision with S-1, sorted!

 

[Honk'n_down-low]

A P/J combo with a J neck is definitely the way to go.

+1

There is no right answer here. If you have an Ibanez and like the thin neck then the P/J Combo on either Bass should suit you well - this is very subjective.

I love the sound of both basses and like the Prescision more for recording than playing live - but not exclusively for either. I agree you need to go play some and decide.