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

[Toptube]

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

try adding a push/pull for series/parallel on your P.

 

[MDBass]

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

Certainly wouldn’t hurt to have a J as well, but all the adjectives you’re using can be accomplished simply by getting some new strings.

A P doesn’t haven’t any natural high end roll off with fresh strings and the tone wide open, and can certainly “grind” and “clank” plenty with the right setup and attack.

 

[Kiril Basso]

Get some new strings, and play harder. The P has some levels of tone IME. Light touch has a tight bassy/midrange tone, hard touch adds the clank, aggressive play adds the grind you speak of. Primarily the tone is in your fingers!

 

[cnltb]

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

Have you tried new strings?
A set up can also do something( how far the pick up is away from the strings etc)

 

[chris_b]

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

You've described exactly what a Jazz can bring to your playing. Augmenting a passive P bass with an active Jazz just makes sense. I use an active Jazz bass for the extra dynamics and wider sound palette that one brings. Make sure you have a good preamp and you can dial in practically any sound you want.

 

[Nunovsky]

Stingray for clank. It was made for that tone.

+1

 

[Hypercaffium]

As many others suggested, try a set of new rounds. Plus, lower your action a little bit to add a little bit more clank when digging in, experiment with the tone knob and tweeter in your cab (if you have one). There's also pedals, but I suggest to get a decent usable "base tone" you like without them, to start.
Starting from the assumption that "versatility" is the ability of a particular instrument to fit different musical scenarios, I'm gonna say that that both Ps and Js are equally versatile. A P has the ability to fit easily into any scenario with minor tweakings, while a J offers a wider tonal palette. They both work, it depends on what you want.
I found myself in the same exact situation less than a month ago and since I always played a P I decided to get a PJ, so I can use my P with flats and my PJ with rounds.

 

[nilorius]

I would say pj-type.

 

[Wisebass]

Hi boristhespider7

Should i get a J?

pondering adding a J to the collection

may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[ultra60]

Has anybody suggested changing the pickguard?

 

[4001]

Find a Jazz Bass with the 70's pickup spacing...

 

[MtManiac]

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

Epiphone Embassy PRO Bass

I'm interested - curious, was there ever a Gibson model like this?

 

[Bruiser Stone]

Hi boristhespider7





View attachment 3418674

View attachment 3418678

may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

Now I’ve got the Seagulls song in my head again.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

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 will give you more mid-range and clarity. The "grind" you're looking for can be achieved with EQ settings, strings, and touch... digging in a bit. I have a Fender 60s J and LOVE IT! I also have a PJ, which sounds mostly like a P because I don't solo the J pickup, and it took me a while to get used to the J "sound"... I didn't really care for it at first, but know I think it sounds awesome! I use flatwounds, however. But if you slap on some rounds (I suggest GHS Boomers or Pressurewounds), I think you would be quite pleased with the tone. Pressurewounds are more like a combo of flats and rounds (kinda play like flats but have a "round" sound to them). Anyhow, I think you would be happy with a J. Go for it!

 

[40Hz]

You might want to look at a Fender Aero Jazz Bass. (I like the sound of the MIJs better than the MIAs) if you can’t dial it in in your EQ.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

You might want to look at a Fender Aero Jazz Bass. (I like the sound of the MIJs better than the MIAs) if you can’t dial it in in your EQ.

Aerodynes are awesome basses... I almost got an Aero instead of my 60s J. Fortunately, I am really "jazzed" about my 60s J.

 

[Fialka]

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

Try different strings, different amps, different techniques and different basses. Everything in the equation is equally important. Js tend to be mote clanky, but not necessarily.

 

[40Hz]

Aerodynes are awesome basses... I almost got an Aero instead of my 60s J. Fortunately, I am really "jazzed" about my 60s J.

I get you! I’ve got a 60s CV Jazz. I’m perfectly happy with that as well.

 

[dougjwray]

I'm surprised that we haven't had 100 posts all saying "Rotosound Swing Bass strings."
They personify "clank", especially when it comes to all of the British guys we usually think of (Chris Squire, John Entwistle, et al.).
I do agree that low action and a Hulk-like attack contribute, as well. A big part of Geddy Lee's sound is his heavy attack.

 

[HamOnTheCob]

In my experience, regardless of the bass, "piano-like" tones come from higher tension strings and "clank" comes from lower tension strings. I've never had a bass that could do both simultaneously. YMMV