Got a P, want more grind or clank, get a J?

[boristhespider7]

Love my P, the low mid hump and that classic P bass tone.
However i'm on a quest for less high end roll off, more grind and clearer "piano" like tones.
Should i get a J? Will it give me that? Not planning on ever selling the P, but pondering adding a J to the collection

Also love Geddy's tone, a classic Ric tone (but will never afford a Ric) and some classic 80s tones that i'm fairly sure that were produced on a J eg. OMD, Skids etc

 

[MCS4]

Love my P, the low mid hump and that classic P bass tone.
However i'm on a quest for less high end roll off, more grind and clearer "piano" like tones.
Should i get a J? Will it give me that? Not planning on ever selling the P, but pondering adding a J to the collection

Also love Geddy's tone, a classic Ric tone (but will never afford a Ric) and some classic 80s tones that i'm fairly sure that were produced on a J eg. OMD, Skids etc

A j-style bass is typically going to give you a tone that is more flexible than a p (due to the inclusion of two pickups) and is potentially less mid-range-heavy (particularly if you run both pickups full on). Neither bass should have any high-end roll off unless you use the tone knob to roll off the high end. Neither bass should be "clearer" than the other unless you happen to interpret the mid-range focus as impacting clarity. It is possible that you might interpret a less mid-range-heavy tone as more like a piano.

"Grind" means something different to everyone, but I would not say there is any objective reason why a j would offer "more grind." If anything I would go with the p for that.

 

[Koshchei]

Love my P, the low mid hump and that classic P bass tone.
However i'm on a quest for less high end roll off, more grind and clearer "piano" like tones.
Should i get a J? Will it give me that? Not planning on ever selling the P, but pondering adding a J to the collection

Also love Geddy's tone, a classic Ric tone (but will never afford a Ric) and some classic 80s tones that i'm fairly sure that were produced on a J eg. OMD, Skids etc

Start saving for that Ric.

 

[buldog5151bass]

A P has more of what people usually refer to as "grind". A J will give you more top end. But before you spend the dough on a bass, consider trying some different strings. What is on the bass now?

 

[stingray69]

Sounds like a PJ instrument might be what you're looking for.

 

[Gaolee]

Angry piano = Thunderbird with stainless rounds.

 

[Sid the Kid]

I’d recommend a fresh set of stainless rounds in a lighter gauge than you are used to.

Less tension = more “grind and clank” in my experience.

I usually don’t equate P bass and piano tone. A Jazz will get you closer to piano tone, where the P bass will always sound meaner if provoked.

 

[JRA]

i'm on a quest for less high end roll off, more grind and clearer "piano" like tones.

any instrument + competent pickups + piano-like strings = "piano like tones"

 

[mbell75]

Rickenbacker-like tones (check the demos) on a budget, even kinda looks like one. Killer bass, especially for $399

Epiphone Embassy PRO Bass

 

[Gaolee]

Rickenbacker-like tones on a budget (check the demos) even kinda looks like one. Killer bass, especially for $399

Epiphone Embassy PRO Bass

Those are Thunderbird pickups, so that works too.

 

[micguy]

The P bass has a low mid hump (which is different on every string) due to the pickup location - that location gives you a comb filter, which means there are a lot of dips and bumps in the frequency response of each string, but the most prominent one is the low mid hump. Adding the second pickup, a J has a different comb filter (again, each string has a different filter) when both pickups are on. It has a dip (on each string) about the same frequency that the P has a hump, and a hump an octave higher. Then, more dips and humps ad infinitum.

A P has more low mids than a J. But, an octave higher, the J has more higher mids.

One zigs where the other zags. They're just different. And of course, one of them, if you dial back a pickup, hums. But I digress.

 

[mbell75]

Those are Thunderbird pickups, so that works too.

True, except most people don’t want to deal with the massive body and long neck on a T Bird. Not to mention the Embassy has a P nut width while most every T Bird has a Jazz nut width. Also, the Embassy features a blend knob which is preferable to the T Bird volume/volume/tone controls.

 

[mongo2]

For me grind and clank brings the Ibanez ATK to mind immediately.

 

[bolophonic]

As suggested above: try some new strings.

 

[mikeswals]

.

A P has more of what people usually refer to as "grind". A J will give you more top end. But before you spend the dough on a bass, consider trying some different strings. What is on the bass now?

Grind? not even close.
its get more 'Bonk'. turn up the tone knob and it's either bonk bonk bonk or gong gong gong depending on the strings.

 

[Holdsg]

Stingray for clank. It was made for that tone.

 

[Admiral Akbar]

If you like Geddy Lee’s tone on Moving Pictures - then yes, there’s plenty of grind and clank there, and yes it’s most likely an early ‘70’s Jazz Bass (1972).

I love Precisions, but I find the grind of a jazz bass (especially with a maple fretboard like Geddy’s) sooooo alluring and fascinating!

 

[cableguy]

Sounds like a PJ instrument might be what you're looking for.

Spector Euro would fit the bill. Ultimate grind.

 

[Chrisk-K]

The 40-100 SS Hi-Beams on any bass will give you grind and clank.

 

[mbell75]

Don't forget that the AMP is very important in that sound too. "Grind" and "clank" is Ampeg SVT all day.