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I’m done with jazz basses

#61
A bit of a bump in the 150-200Hz range and it won't be thin anymore. Been playing J's since circa 1993, but I became a lot happier when I started to figure out how to eq in the sound I wanted. I now absolutely require either an amp with a good low mid control or an eq pedal. Still won't sound exactly like a P, but it will fatten up the J.

Just tried out a Darkglass Vintage Ultra and thought I would love the 4-band eq with switchable mids, but it turns out 250Hz just doesn't do it. 200Hz on an MXR eq pedal nails it though. I love the Empress and have a couple others in flight right now to try out.
 
#64
A few years ago I joined a band (guitar, vocals, drums, bass) playing hard rock. I just couldn't make my Jazz basses make the sounds I wanted to hear. I suspected a Precision was the answer. I hadn't owned a Precision in decades, so I borrowed one from a friend to try at a rehearsal. It was almost magical.

I immediately bought a Precision, and used that with the band (plus a Precision with JJ pickups wired series/parallel as my back up). For the music we were doing, and the sonic landscape of the act, the Precision just worked, and a Jazz did not.

Previous bands I'd played in the Jazz was ideal.

No point selling anything. Just apply the right instrument to the right song/s.
 
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#65
Went through the thread and suprised this wasn't brought up.....

Have you listened to your Jazz and PBass performances from the viewpoint of the audience? Meaning have you listened to good quality recordings of your jazz in action? Because a Jazz bass in the stage area sounds nothing like it does to the audience. A Jazz needs room to bloom. It will always sound thinner on stage. Perhaps ask a buddy to play your jazz at a gig and listen from the audience or ask your soundman to tape your next show ( just a tune or two ).
 
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#66
selowitch said:
The soundclip of Miss You is excellent.
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Yes it is"!
And that signature block inlay at the 12th fret of your sting bass makes all the difference in the world.

I must say I haven't been playing my Fender Jazz for some time now. I never was a huge Jazz fan anyway, but now it's all my G&L L2500s. Especially the fretless one. Maybe taste just goes in cycles.
 
#67
For me, I use a Jazz when it fits the gig or the instrumentation of the group I'm with. For example, when it's more acoustic, single guitar and no keys/organ I use a Jazz. However, if I have a low end heavy guitar or Hammond guy, it's a P bass for sure. Essentially, if there are other things stepping into the bass's frequency space I use a P. I use Jazz when I need to fill out the low end.
 
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#71
inanimate_carb said:
Thinking too much leads to overthinking. If you don’t like them, you don’t like them. If they don’t work for you, they don’t work for you. The Jazz Bass Police won’t come out to pick you up - I promise!
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Ha....I wouldn't make that kind of promise.. The rabid, frothing in the mouth Jazz bass fans don't get on TB till later in the evening. Until then, it's the P-Bass and a few of the PJ folks online.
In all seriousness, I agree, don't sweat it- play the bass that works best for you.
 
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#78
Kmrumedy said:
Went through the thread and suprised this wasn't brought up.....

Have you listened to your Jazz and PBass performances from the viewpoint of the audience? Meaning have you listened to good quality recordings of your jazz in action? Because a Jazz bass in the stage area sounds nothing like it does to the audience. A Jazz needs room to bloom. It will always sound thinner on stage. Perhaps ask a buddy to play your jazz at a gig and listen from the audience or ask your soundman to tape your next show ( just a tune or two ).
Click to expand...
That’s a good point and to answer your question, yes, on the recording I routinely make with my Zoom H4N, the J sounded great in the room. But I miss the thump factor when I’m on stage and it throws me off. The P just connects with the kick drum so perfectly.
 
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#79
Alexis Duntov said:
Well, the two that I have. For the life of me I can’t get them to deliver, either in rehearsal or live. They sound great at home, but they just don’t have that punch that my P basses do. More power to those of you who can get this instrument to sound good. In my hands and to my ears, it’s thin... I know it worked for JPJ, Larry Graham, Jaco, Geddy, but the Jazz Bass doesn’t for me.
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I agree with your assessment. I have a '74 P and a Geddy Jazz and the Precision always sounds deep and full in rehearsal and during gigs. I never quite found a comfort level with the Jazz sound, "thin" to me as well, the G and D strings are barely audible at times. I'm not ready to dump the Jazz, do like its thin neck, just not my preference.
 

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