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Funk: P bass VS jazz bass

P

parklife101

Jun 5, 2008
34
0
#1
I'm looking for a good bass that works for everything but sounds really good when playing slap and pop. Right now I have the bass in the link. I'm a starter slap and pop player. I have played other J basses that have a bigger gap between the strings much more then mine. It is a little harder to play for me making a bigger jump, but I guess I can get adjusted to it. Any suggestions for good slap and pop brands or basses? And also P bass VS J bass. You can do both, but which better?

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#3
Hi Parklife, your bass has 24 frets, and P and J basses both have 20 frets. This means a P or J has more space between the pickups and the end of the neck for slapping and popping. Also, Ibanez basses are known for their slim, comfortable necks (which is a good thing) but some slap & pop players prefer a wider neck (P is wider than J).

Both P and J are good for funk. It is really a matter of preference. A lot of people prefer the J for slap and the P for fingerstyle funk, but that is a huge generalization.

That is a nice bass you've got there, you should certainly be able to get started on the slap and pop style with what you've got. As you get more experience, play lots of different kinds of basses. You will get a better sense of what is right for your style as you get more experience.

ps not all funk players play P or J styled basses... check out Victor Wooten or Les Claypool for example for some different styled basses.
 
#4
They are both good in different ways.

Personally I think I'd go with a P for funk. I'm not familiar with slapping on one, but it has that deep and thick tone that sits well in funk and just makes it dirty/nasty/great!
 
#6
Mushroo said:
Hi Parklife, your bass has 24 frets, and P and J basses both have 20 frets. This means a P or J has more space between the pickups and the end of the neck for slapping and popping. Also, Ibanez basses are known for their slim, comfortable necks (which is a good thing) but some slap & pop players prefer a wider neck (P is wider than J).

Both P and J are good for funk. It is really a matter of preference. A lot of people prefer the J for slap and the P for fingerstyle funk, but that is a huge generalization.

That is a nice bass you've got there, you should certainly be able to get started on the slap and pop style with what you've got. As you get more experience, play lots of different kinds of basses. You will get a better sense of what is right for your style as you get more experience.

ps not all funk players play P or J styled basses... check out Victor Wooten or Les Claypool for example for some different styled basses.
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Visirale said:
They are both good in different ways.

Personally I think I'd go with a P for funk. I'm not familiar with slapping on one, but it has that deep and thick tone that sits well in funk and just makes it dirty/nasty/great!
Click to expand...

Thanks, I have one more question. My bass has rosewood necks, I have seen people like stanley clarke, flea, victor wooten, victor wooten play on rosewood at the same time I go over to Les claypool and marcus miller that use maple necks. Which one is generally preferred among funk players. I have heard maple necks are softer, and not meant for as aggressive playing.
 
#7
parklife101 said:
Thanks, I have one more question. My bass has rosewood necks, I have seen people like stanley clarke, flea, victor wooten, victor wooten play on rosewood at the same time I go over to Les claypool and marcus miller that use maple necks. Which one is generally preferred among funk players. I have heard maple necks are softer, and not meant for as aggressive playing.
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I disagree, I think maple fingerboards can have a VERY aggressive and punchy sound! I do not think it makes a huge difference, though--both maple and rosewood can be pretty funky (if a funky player is holding the bass).
 
#9
Mushroo said:
I disagree, I think maple fingerboards can have a VERY aggressive and punchy sound! I do not think it makes a huge difference, though--both maple and rosewood can be pretty funky (if a funky player is holding the bass).
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What about slap and pop + five strings? I have been looking to upgrade to five strings for a while since you can play everything on a five string as you can on a four string, also helps with tapping. Suggestions? I have yet to see an "iconic" five string bass player. I mean John Entwistle, geddy lee, chirs squire, flea, victor wooten, marcus miller, stanley clarke, cliff burton, paul mcartney they all use four strings.
 
#10
I really really like P-basses, they are my favorite design but...

You mentionned slapping, while slappping on a P produces a unique tone it is not the usual slap tone you are used to hear. If you are into slapping a lot I would get the jazz, otherwise, I like the P better for everything else. Again this is my oppinion your tastes may vary.
 
#11
Mushroo said:
I disagree, I think maple fingerboards can have a VERY aggressive and punchy sound! I do not think it makes a huge difference, though--both maple and rosewood can be pretty funky (if a funky player is holding the bass).
Click to expand...

It is actually the opposite, and you can verify this by going in any music store and try them. Maple is way harder than rosewood as a wood.

As for the sound difference I won't go into that, just do some searching, for people that actually hear a difference though the consensus is that maple has a brighter sound than rosewood.
 
#12
JustOpenYourMind said:
I really really like P-basses, they are my favorite design but...

You mentionned slapping, while slappping on a P produces a unique tone it is not the usual slap tone you are used to hear. If you are into slapping a lot I would get the jazz, otherwise, I like the P better for everything else. Again this is my oppinion your tastes may vary.
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makes sence. Any advice on 5 strings VS 4 strings?
 
#14
John Wentzien said:
I like a J for versatility-\If you do a LOT of slap-Try a music-man stingray.
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Yep, Stingrays, ATKs and Bongos are really great for funk style music. The sound is good with more heavy bodies (my opinion, listening to Bernard Edwards' playing far too many times at work.) Anyway, a good funk bass player could take any bass and make it sound funky. --Kent
 
#15
GianGian said:
I think Jazzes are better for funk, they have more attack. Precisions have deeper bottom end but they don't have that much of mids, and they kind of lack an agressive attack.
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Just goes to show how personally subjective this topic is; I hear the opposite. I've owned both Precisions and Jazzes and I've found the Jazz has a smoother sound with more bass and treble while the Precisions have a distinctly full midrange punch and slightly less treble. Traditionally, many funk bassists used Precision basses but obviously you should choose whichever one you like more.
 
#17
appler said:
Just goes to show how personally subjective this topic is; I hear the opposite. I've owned both Precisions and Jazzes and I've found the Jazz has a smoother sound with more bass and treble while the Precisions have a distinctly full midrange punch and slightly less treble. Traditionally, many funk bassists used Precision basses but obviously you should choose whichever one you like more.
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Interesting. It sounds like jazzes can work for everything, but p basses work with funk. Marcus miller uses a jazz though dosen't he? hmm well I guess I will just try them out. Still no word on the 5 string basses.
 
#18
appler said:
Just goes to show how personally subjective this topic is; I hear the opposite. I've owned both Precisions and Jazzes and I've found the Jazz has a smoother sound with more bass and treble while the Precisions have a distinctly full midrange punch and slightly less treble. Traditionally, many funk bassists used Precision basses but obviously you should choose whichever one you like more.
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:smug: That is why I always say " I think that".
 
#20
I'm a "Jazz" fan, but I play more finger-style funk (ala Rocco Prestia). Jazz's have a natural mid Scoop sound with both pickups all the way up (for slap). I can get a pretty darn good P-bass sound by rolling off the bridge pickup just a tad. You can also get that funky "Jaco- bark" by rolling off the neck pickup.

If you slap all of the time... Stingrays were born for it!
 

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