I can't really tell the difference in a lot of settings. Unless you're doing a lot of recording just keep the J and save up for a P eventually. Mess with knobs
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I have a J, wanting P tone
- Thread starter CallMeAl
- Start date
I have the 5-string version of those in my Valenti J. VERY vintage-sounding for a humcancelling design. Extremely growly. So much so that you have to be into that kind of thing to like them, but if you are, oh boy.
To my ears, rolling the blend all the way to the front pickup provides a P tone that would fool anyone not an expert. The native tone of the pickup is quite a bit more aggressive than most P pickups I've heard, but it works fine.
Actually, I'm in the process of putting Chromes on that bass for a change. I decided to record a few style loops with the roundwounds and the flatwounds so people could hear the difference in the tone. I've only got the roundwound samples done so far, but if they help answer your question about what Nordstrand NJ5 pickups sound like I'm happy to pre-post. Sadly, I don't have a front pickup-only sample, but maybe this helps you anyway:
- Get used MIM Precision Bass.
- Get Fender double gig bag.
- Get additional instrument stand of your choice.
- Enjoy!
For the record, I have both. Always liked the look of the Jazz better. Like the feel of the Jazz neck better. Play the P 75% of the time. Go figure.
Those that recommend getting a P and done are 100% correct. I have owned Jazzes in all kinds of wild variations, P/J's in all kinds of wild variations, and P's in a couple different variations. The simple P-Bass has a sound onto itself and cannot be fully captured by the others. If that is what you are after, it is thankfully affordable and easy to attain. Pick your budget, brand, color, neck wood and get one. Add flats for the real authentic experience.
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Neck pickup/tone: have stumbled upon this, just because it sounds good to me, not necessarily bc I'm trying to "sound like a p".
Series: tempted bc it's an affordable option, but my pickup and Jack wires are stupid; there's one master wire with little hot and ground tails, just long enough to wire for jazz. Seems like I have to cut them open to rewire, and might turn into a hack job :/
So I could buy a kit, might be a gamble. Switch seems good, but then again I still have hum in parallel mode, which bugs me too.
Pickups: actually leaning this way, not to make it like a P, but I'm looking at it as a Jazz upgrade. Buck the hum and may be improve the tone while I'm at it.
P bass: not surprised at this being the top answer! Ill probably keep my sights on one in the future.
Keep the ideas coming!
Neck pickup/tone: have stumbled upon this, just because it sounds good to me, not necessarily bc I'm trying to "sound like a p".
Series: tempted bc it's an affordable option, but my pickup and Jack wires are stupid; there's one master wire with little hot and ground tails, just long enough to wire for jazz. Seems like I have to cut them open to rewire, and might turn into a hack job :/
So I could buy a kit, might be a gamble. Switch seems good, but then again I still have hum in parallel mode, which bugs me too.
Pickups: actually leaning this way, not to make it like a P, but I'm looking at it as a Jazz upgrade. Buck the hum and may be improve the tone while I'm at it.
P bass: not surprised at this being the top answer! Ill probably keep my sights on one in the future.
Keep the ideas coming!
I don't know. Most of us are so quick to say how different a P & J sound, but most of us are fooled by blind test comparisons, if we're truly being honest with our selves. And... the majority of those that do get it right is probably (50 - 50 odds of being right) a guess at best. I think all too often we listen with our eyes or opinion. I would imagine there are very few with such sensitive hearing they might be able to tell every time in a blind comparison, but I have my doubts. Put those in a mix and it makes it that much more difficult.
Not sure if many are familiar with Gene Kurtz. He played bass on the 1st Edgar Winter album, Entrance. My friends an I used to passionately discuss whether P or J bass. One day I had the good fortune to ask him personally. Well, his answer surprised me a little. He said "Neither, it was one of Tommy's (Shannon), some sort of Gibson if I recall. He just kept it in the studio 'cause it sounded so cool recorded" Go figure.
Not sure if many are familiar with Gene Kurtz. He played bass on the 1st Edgar Winter album, Entrance. My friends an I used to passionately discuss whether P or J bass. One day I had the good fortune to ask him personally. Well, his answer surprised me a little. He said "Neither, it was one of Tommy's (Shannon), some sort of Gibson if I recall. He just kept it in the studio 'cause it sounded so cool recorded" Go figure.
Awesome video. Can't tell much difference on an ipad/laptop, but if you play this through studio monitors you will hear bass 2 has more low end and power to it.
Why does this matter? It doesn't too much,unless you are making a record and balancing this with a kick drum. The second bass is going to provide more power in the low end - which is the toughest thing to mix on a record. This is why I like the Pbass. It's just easier to get that kick/bass relationship right and move on without adding in EQ boosts. You can still do it with a J, it will just boil down to if you like how it mixes.
For live gigs it will just matter how picky you are. The Pbass is always going to punch a little harder, but again - it boils down to your thing.
One thing I would add - if you don't use the Jbass tone where both pickups are wide open - consider a P/J.
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Great video as well because it shows how crazy this can be. This video is pretty easy to discern the Jazz. I could tell rather quickly.
This illustrates few things - the more expressive bass player is going to bring out more of the differences in tone in the instrument. The first video was pretty straightforward playing, and either bass would work for that player. If I was producing,I would choose P in that situation so I could get the low end glued properly and get the sound I wanted for the band.
Scott played a lot more expressively and as a result it was easier to hear the nuances of the two instruments. For making a clear mix decision, it would probably boil down to the vibe with the rest of the band. One thing is for sure - it would make a bigger difference in the overall sound of the mix based on which bass I chose in this case.
So while it is cliche to say that it boils down to the player,I think that is exactly what we are seeing here.
If you are more of a supporting player who holds it down and is playing rock, then I believe it is less consequential of a decision then if you are a guy like Scott who plays more jazz/R&B and is a more dynamic player.
I have model Js in my jazz bass, they are big and beefy sounding but I wouldn’t necessarily say that they give you a p tone, I have them wired in series. It just sounds like a juiced up jazz bass. I would say that it will get you into the realm you want your sound but it will still sound like a jazz bass. If you want the p bass sound you’ll have to get a pbass, also for me the pbass has an entirely different feel than a jazz, the neck is different the body is different. For me those things factor into how I play an instrument, making me think of different things to play for different music situations. You can have a lot of sounds by getting a G&L L2000, I actually have a tribute I’m selling.
For free, I roll the tone off the soled neck J pickup. Add a touch more low mids and bass to the EQ.
For the price of a $15 push/pull pot you can try putting the pickups in series. It gets fatter and thicker with more output. It won't cop a P sound, but it's close.
For a lot more $$, get a P pickup and install in the neck of your J. Put a push/pull pot on the P to get it to operate in series or parallel mode. A split coil P in parallel can kind of fake a J tone.
For the price of a $15 push/pull pot you can try putting the pickups in series. It gets fatter and thicker with more output. It won't cop a P sound, but it's close.
For a lot more $$, get a P pickup and install in the neck of your J. Put a push/pull pot on the P to get it to operate in series or parallel mode. A split coil P in parallel can kind of fake a J tone.
@Erik herman Did you use the 500k pots? Those are recommended with the model j I believe?
Yeah I did, its definitely the way to go to get the most out of those pickups.
I didn't think I would/could turn a J into a P. But I did think it would be a fun discussion... and it is!
I agree with the point that tone comes from the fingers. My style over the years has put me in the P camp, no matter what bass I have at the time.
I'm also a simple guy and don't want to buy/do stuff I don't need. Maybe that's why a P appeals to me.
I play live shows only currently, no plans to record soon; so the points about negligible difference unless recording are valid .
Looks like I'll be saving my nickels and dimes and wait for that P to come along....
I agree with the point that tone comes from the fingers. My style over the years has put me in the P camp, no matter what bass I have at the time.
I'm also a simple guy and don't want to buy/do stuff I don't need. Maybe that's why a P appeals to me.
I play live shows only currently, no plans to record soon; so the points about negligible difference unless recording are valid .
Looks like I'll be saving my nickels and dimes and wait for that P to come along....
