The fretless Jazz bass has more tonal options than a fretless Precision bass so why do I see more pro players playing a fretless P bass ? Apart from Jaco of course !
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Fretless Precision more popular than fretless Jazz ?
- Thread starter the low one
- Start date
I don't agree that a jazz has more tonal options.
I owned a fretless jazz and now I am in love with a fretless precision.
Different strokes for different folks.
Which pro players do you mean that use a fretless precision?
I always thought it was the opposite.
good call, even Pino palladino's sig bass was a fretted P,
I've had a freeted P but with a maple neck.,., was shite, fretles s'gota be rosewood or sim...
I've had a freeted P but with a maple neck.,., was shite, fretles s'gota be rosewood or sim...
There are without a doubt more who play fretless Jazz basses than Precisions - but you may not have seen them, of course 
I play a fretless Jazz... lovely thin neck, glides very fast. I've fitted a J-Retro so it's very bottom endy. A pure bass machine.
Personally, I wonder how you came to that conclusion, the only Pros I know of that are known for their use of fretless P basses are Tony Franklin and Bill Laswell both of whom I'd never heard from before I started reading Talkbass. On the other hand, the fretless J is now considered THE fretless bass thanks to Jaco and I lots of jazz pros bust out a fretless J when they whant that mwah sound.
That said, I kind of prefer fretless P basses because they're still considered a bit of an odd duck.
That said, I kind of prefer fretless P basses because they're still considered a bit of an odd duck.
I guess I'm talking more about rock players, Sting, Mike Mills, Derek Forbes, Pino (sometimes) John Paul Jones.
Pino played fretless stingrays and vigiers before he got the sig P, and now he also uses jaguars.
Tony Franklin's P bass has a jazz pickup on the bridge position so it is a PJ.
And J basses have the "mwah" thing going on on a higher level than P basses, but to each their own.
Tony Franklin's P bass has a jazz pickup on the bridge position so it is a PJ.
And J basses have the "mwah" thing going on on a higher level than P basses, but to each their own.
I did see Pino play a fretless P bass in the early days, though he is more famous for the fretless Stingray as you say.
Can you name a few pro rock players who use a fretless Jazz ?
Can you name a few pro rock players who use a fretless Jazz ?
Steven Baily and Victor Baily (and no they arent related but i dont know how their last names are spelt).
Maybe out of the league, but I like Steve DiGiorgio's work with a fretless jazz in metal.
I just got Jaco's selftitled album last week (my first Jaco experience ever) and I don't hear a heavier mwah than it is on a fretless precision.
I must say, Jaco uses it very subtle to my delight.
The sound is what a J bass does, growling even though it's fretless. IMO
I suddenly have more respect for jazz basses now.
But I'm a P lover and I stick with my fretless P.
Yes, but its hard to track rock pro players who play fretless bass and specificly jazz basses.
You could get a fretless P-Bass in the '70s, and then for a long time all you could get factory fretless from Fender was the Jazz... now you can have either.
The Jazz is a great fretless bass, but I love my fretless P-bass.
The Jazz is a great fretless bass, but I love my fretless P-bass.
I will agree on the face of the argument that a Jazz has more tonal options, but I think the P has an extremely good inherit fretless tone in its own right. Again, different strokes. I have a fretless jazz because I have a slight preference for the Jazz over the P, but given an opportunity, I would like to have a fretted and fretless version of each. I really don't see how it could be a one or the other type of thing, but thats becasue I am a Fender junky (who is about to be forced to get rid of his only current Fender and not very thrilled at the proposition)
