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I found out I don't like Jazz basses

#44
rythman6969 said:
Not to sound naive but don't fender and other manufacturers set their basses up at least enough so they don't sound like " crape ". That would seem to be a smart move, no?
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a setup at a factory counts for fairly little with a guitar you find in the actual shop. it's been shipped and stored in many a climate, possibly had strings on it changed (possibly in different gauges), it's been played by a lot of people with different styles and techniques. all of these factors can contribute to movements in the wood.

most notably the neck will suffer.
 
#45
anthowl said:
a setup at a factory counts for fairly little with a guitar you find in the actual shop. it's been shipped and stored in many a climate, possibly had strings on it changed (possibly in different gauges), it's been played by a lot of people with different styles and techniques. all of these factors can contribute to movements in the wood.

most notably the neck will suffer.
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True... but I assume he meant the set up on a bass that comes right out of a factory sealed box and the set up stinks right from the get go.

I was at GC early one week day. The staff was unboxing a bunch of Fenders and putting them right up on the wall hangers. Never saw one checked or adjusted. I started playing a bunch of them as the first customer hands to touch them. Some were fine but at least half were poorly setup right from Fender. The only variable that could have effected them would be climate.

You Don't like the sound of a Jazz:
Whenever I read or hear this statement I think to myself, which jazz tone. With all the many custom jazz pickups on the market today. All with their own take on tone. There just seems to be dozens of examples of what a jazz can sound like now.
Combine this with active electronics,over wound, under wound, hum cancelling stacked coil, single coils...etc.
It's to the point that a player can own a jazz and love the tone and it actually sounds nothing like what the original classic jazz bass tone ever was. And vise vera. And that's OK too. Season to taste! ;)

Is a jazz best for metal? is a P better?
Just looking back to what the past players in history have used . How could a definitive conclusion really be reached. It's all just opinion.

John Paul Jones- one of the heaviest rock bands of all time, Jazz bass.
Ian Hill Judas Priest- often used Jazz bass.
Gedy Lee- Jazz bass.
Steve Harris- hold everything now...I thought a P was not as good as a jazz for metal...? Play what you like- Own one of each! ;)
 
#46
The condition of strings in a store have a lot to do with liking the way it sounds. At a store, I don't generally plug in until after I check out the condition of the strings.

Cronos, if after three pages of this you STILL don't like jazz basses, we'll just go ahead and get the firing squad ready. ;)
 
#47
chiplexic said:
True... but I assume he meant the set up on a bass that comes right out of a factory sealed box and the set up stinks right from the get go.

I was at GC early one week day. The staff was unboxing a bunch of Fenders and putting them right up on the wall hangers. Never saw one checked or adjusted. I started playing a bunch of them as the first customer hands to touch them. Some were fine but at least half were poorly setup right from Fender. The only variable that could have effected them would be climate.
Click to expand...

I got my Jazz at GC a couple of years ago and when I decide to make the purchase the sales guy took it from me and brought it straight to their luthier or whoever he was and did a complete setup including filing the nut to lower the strings a bit. He did the whole bit in front of me all at no charge and without my prompting.
 
#48
it could very well be the GC factor. It might not be, they are completely different animals. I've got on bass with J's and it gets played less than any of the others. Its a great feeling and playing bass, I'm just not into the tone. I've got a couple P/J's that I really like, but the ones I play the most are dual humbuckers.
So basically, play what you like, and if you don't like something, don't worry about it :]
 
#49
CRONOS said:
then one day I played a j bass at my local GC but it sounded like crape.
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Its actually spelled "crepe". That's not a bad thing! Before you say you don't like crepes, you should try them in France. I was always more of a pancake or waffle guy, but man, a good crepe, fresh from a street vendor in Paris is an awsome meal... I have a jazz bass, it sounds like crepe, and that's why I love it!

Randy
 
#51
Woodell said:
I got my Jazz at GC a couple of years ago and when I decide to make the purchase the sales guy took it from me and brought it straight to their luthier or whoever he was and did a complete setup including filing the nut to lower the strings a bit. He did the whole bit in front of me all at no charge and without my prompting.
Click to expand...

Some GC have guys on staff that know how to do such things. It always helps. Many just take the guitar out of the box and hang it on the wall. When I go to one location in town, they always play like crape, I mean crepe. The other location has someone there who takes the time to set them up and tune them during the slow times. Guitar Center is like a box of chocolates. Ya never know what your gonna get.
 
#54
johnnycat42 said:
The Best Buy in town has someone on staff that sets up their stuff. If Best Buy can do it, Guitar Center can. If some of you didnt know, Best Buy now has a musical instrument section in some stores.
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I think part of the problem is control. Hang a guitar on the wall and invariably people will play around with it and abuse it.

Another local shop does a complete setup on all of their guitars and bases but you have to ask to hold any of them as the staff member hovers over you completely. When I was looking at bases the guy would not let me put my strap on any to see how they felt. They want you to sit and play only. I walked out and made the purchase at Guitar Center with the free set up after I made the purchase.
 

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