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First bass, what am I looking for? Jazz or Percision
- Thread starter kanoharuayu
- Start date
I love the Black P body Geddy neck! If I could make a short scale version of that...So my criteria is how the bass fits my playing style! I’ve been playing for, over, 40yrs & have realized that, because I have a ‘particular right-hand fingering style’ - I need, either, one pu or (in the case of a J-style) I need 70’s spacing. For me - it’s more about the fit & feel than sound. You, really, can sculpt your tone with amplification. I played a RIC 4001, for 35yrs, then realized it was not really a fit for my fingering style (I bought it new, in 1977, because I modeled GL).
I currently have 4 Precisions - but have, recently, had Jazzes, etc.
I suggest finding a bass which you feel comfortable playing… string, pu & amp choices, etc., will really be the factor in tone. I like some ‘attack’ - so I use LF 10% ow’s & SD QP’s
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To be honest? I can't tell what bass those songs were recorded with. And, given all the things that go on in a recording studio control room these days? I really doubt anybody who wasn't there can, either - without doing a lot of behind-the-scene research.... Anyway;
Jazz Bass or Precision Bass? Rock/Metal covers a pretty large time span; Rock? From the 1950s to today. Metal? I'm not a big fan, but... mid 1980s(?) to today. So... just depends on what you like to play. For the kind of Rock I like to play, it's a P-Bass - hands down. A Jazz Bass will certainly do the job - quite well, too; but, a JB's ergonomics and my body don't get on real well. Which is why I don't own one. For you? Pick the one that feels the best, and have fun. As for Metal? A P-Bass probably edges out a Jazz Bass - but not by much. IMO, something with humbuckers probably trumps them both, though. I know that when I get an urge to play a little Metal? I usually reach for my Gibson T-Bird; although my Carvin LB-20 (with Carvin's HB-50 'buckers); an aluminum necked '78 Kramer 450B can get it done, too. So can my Kramer Forum III P-J, for that matter...
As for a 5-stringer? Well, I don't need one, for the... rather old... stuff I like to play. But, they may be more useful for you; and it's easy enough to get a 5-string Precision or a Jazz Bass. If you feel the need for that B string, go for it...
You're looking for neither.
You're looking for this.
As for a 5-string...again, no.
Start off with something you can bond with, something comfortable...the Reverend Thunderguns are in a class all their own, lightweight but heavy tone.
Nothing worse than starting to learn to play bass and giving up in frustration because the neck is too wide, the bass is too heavy, or the extra string gets in the way.
Start off with four strings. You can always buy a bass with five strings later on once you've learned the essentials.
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No love for the Sterling Rays? The few I've tried have felt better than their Squier/Fender counterparts. More bang for the buck.
But as mentioned you really need to just go to the store and try some out and see which one grabs you. Do you have any musician friends or relatives that can go with you and maybe answer any basic questions you might have?
But as mentioned you really need to just go to the store and try some out and see which one grabs you. Do you have any musician friends or relatives that can go with you and maybe answer any basic questions you might have?
Yes on a 5 string. Should it be a Fender JB or PB, I’ll defer to the metal heads. But in general I think I would also look at basses from different manufacturers in your search, and don’t go by what you see your heros playing. Good hunting.
i'm a fender guy, there's a great deal on these ibanezes at musician's friend right now. i've played a couple that hit *way* above their weight. i'd recommend this to anyone looking for a first bass.
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/ibanez-tmb100-electric-bass-guitar/j18871000006000
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/ibanez-tmb100-electric-bass-guitar/j18871000006000
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100%. If you're confused, go with a PJ. This mean's it has a pbass pickup in the neck position, and a jazz bass pickup in the bridge position. So in theory you're getting a little bit of both.
I have a small herd of basses I built myself. My 5 stringers run between 7.2 and 7.75 pounds. My fretless 4 is the heaviest, at 7.87 pounds. Yes, all else equal, a 5er is heavier (a wider neck, one more string, a wider bridge, wider pickups, and one more tuner), but not THAT much heavier. They can still be reasonable in weight.
My first bass was a 4-string Soundgear. It served me well until I wanted a 5-string and I got myself a Jackson JS3.
You nailed it right here. The most important thing is not the bass, it's the action of playing.
For the sound clips you posted, the main difference between the bass in the first two songs and the last song is that the first two songs were probably played with a pick while the last one wasn't. The EQ might also be a little different.
In your case - if this is your first bass, and you don't have any equipment or other electric stringed instruments - you will need to budget not just for the actual bass guitar but also an amplifier, a strap, possibly a setup and new strings, and other paraphernalia involved with the bass (like a stand, a bag or case for the instrument, instrument cables, a tuner, etc).
If you have access to a music store, go there and try them out. See what you like. The number of strings in your case won't matter much, but a five-string might give you more options depending on what you want to play. If you don't have access to a music store, consider checking your local pawn shops - pawn shops sometimes have instruments, and you can find good deals on decent basses.
I hope you get a bass and start playing. If you do, let us know how it goes. (Also, I'm liking some of the music choices. I'm a fan of anime OSTs and videogame music, and I've always loved how J-Rock and other similar genres can combine the heavy stuff with a lot of orchestration.)
Welcome to Talkbass.
I'm a die hard precision person. That being said, I highly recommend the Jazz. The P bass lacks flexibility and in many cases, they handle like a tree stump. The jazz isuch more playable and will help you develop skills more easily.
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
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- I suck, but nobody really notices
Mine was a gio200. Bought it in 98. Lasted me til 5 years ago, when I killed it trying to refret it.
My second bass was also a 5 string. Ibanez though. Sr605 walnut
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Personally for 1st bass. I would go 4 string. P or jazz?? P is a single sound, can be muddy sound. Jazz; cleaner sound but just does not have the pounding sound to compete with a drummer unless you crank the amp. What would help the jazz is a external preamp box. You can add some lows and a punch to the sound. That is what I am about to do. (After owning and selling 2 p basses) so what to do? Jazz bass and consider a external preamp. Easier to add mud opposed to cleaning up mud. (I’ll get some negative remarks for that!!)
Ric5
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- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Squier Jazz or Precision is a perfectly good first bass, that could also be the only bass you'd ever need.
I'm with the "buy the one that feels right" group. Doesn't matter if it looks or even if it sounds great. If it feels bad, you'll never want to play it.
