J Bass vs. P Bass

[Tunaman]

My P bass is fantastic tonight & I'd take a Sterling, Stingray, Bongo HH over a Jazz any day but I need the P as a HUGE difference to those 4 basses regardless. I can totally see the allure of J basses but I personally hate the controls.

 

[KeithPoker]

I cringe thinking about burpy J bridge tones.

 

[ThudThudThud]

At the risk of a hijack, I tried out my buddy's American Vintage 57 Precision (with Seymour Duncan SPB2 Hot P'up) at practice tonight. I've been playing my Jazz exclusively (aside from ABG stuff) for years now, and the styles of music I was playing were well suited to that bass. I love that bass. It plays so nicely, and sounds wonderful.

I never even considered that I would someday be again playing hard rock!

The Jazz is good, but there was something missing. So I 'tried' the P in a band setting...
Oh, my word!
It was like shaking hands with an old friend. Yes, the neck felt huge (Maple), but the sound! It dropped right into the sound of the band. Big, and grindy, and thumpy, and.....My worst fears were recognized.

I need (note: NEED) a Precision.

So to answer the question......BOTH.
A Jazz is a Jazz, and a Precision is a Precision. They do different things. You can drive a screw in with a hammer, but it's better for driving nails. You can't put a nail in with a screwdriver. Right tool for the job.

For my band, it has to be a Precision now.

"...erm.....Darling?......I need...NEED....a new bass...." GAS GAS GAS GAS GAS GAS GAS

 

[HMZ]

At the risk of a hijack, I tried out my buddy's American Vintage 57 Precision (with Seymour Duncan SPB2 Hot P'up) at practice tonight. I've been playing my Jazz exclusively (aside from ABG stuff) for years now, and the styles of music I was playing were well suited to that bass. I love that bass. It plays so nicely, and sounds wonderful.

I never even considered that I would someday be again playing hard rock!

The Jazz is good, but there was something missing. So I 'tried' the P in a band setting...
Oh, my word!
It was like shaking hands with an old friend. Yes, the neck felt huge (Maple), but the sound! It dropped right into the sound of the band. Big, and grindy, and thumpy, and.....My worst fears were recognized.

I need (note: NEED) a Precision.

So to answer the question......BOTH.
A Jazz is a Jazz, and a Precision is a Precision. They do different things. You can drive a screw in with a hammer, but it's better for driving nails. You can't put a nail in with a screwdriver. Right tool for the job.

For my band, it has to be a Precision now.

"...erm.....Darling?......I need...NEED....a new bass...." GAS GAS GAS GAS GAS GAS GAS

Good luck with that last part Been there many times....

 

[basmicke]

It's a never ending story. The P-bass has one sound but it's really usable in a band situation. The J-bass has at least three sounds, plus variables, that makes it a good bass for soloing and band situations, so it all comes down to what kind of bassplayer you want to be. Personally I like to have one of each and my only problem is deciding which one to play...
And all you guys dissing this thread because you've seen it's subject so many times before... this is a bass forum and this is one of the most asked question among bassplayerse so respect the fact that there are new members everyday and everyone's at a different place in their musical life.
If you don't like the thread, just leave it alone... as seen by the amount of comments it's a subject that still captures attention in one way or another.

 

[apl4]

J for me.
For years I shunned Fenders, but eventually I gave in, got a Jazz, and I Love It.

 

[bluesdogblues]

I'm a P-Bass guy, but I always have respect for J-Bass too..

Now my main bass is a Fender P-Bass Sting which has a single coil PU (different from J Pickup or P split pickup), and has a 1.625" nut width (between J's 1.5" and P's 1.75" nut width).. so I think I can say that I'm in the middle between P and J

I never have a J but I always thinking of having a good one someday. And learn to like it as much as the P. Learn to like to play it and learn to appreciate the J's 'asymmetric butt' body and etc more than I do now

I tried some J few times, but I don't know why I always comeback to choose P. but that's me.

I think a GOOD J is a good bass, as like a good P is a good one. I say this because I've also seen many 'not good' basses (J and P) too out there, that may make someone make a wrong choice..or wrong impressions about the bass.. not to mention the other factor like: setup, strings, etc either...

The thing that I (personally) don't understand is that people always saying that J is more versatile than P.
I never feel that way. I experience the other way, I don't think P-Basses are less versatile than J-Basses...I think both are versatile enough.
And this is not just personal opinion. In my career as a bassist in bands (which of course give me privilege to choose what bass I'd like to play, which is a P-Bass) and as a session recording bassist (anything from pop, rock, blues, electronic, hip-hop, R&B, Rap, etc.), each time I do my job in the studio, out of the option that I always keep open, the Producers always choose me with the P-Bass instead of a J-Bass or other basses that also available at times.
Still I don't think J-Bass is less versatile, maybe it's just the way my hand/play most suitable at the moment..I don't know.

We've already seen thread like this for 'hundred' times.. funny thing is I actually enjoy it

Now instead of start a new thread, I'd like to ask here:
"Exactly Which one sold the most? The Fender Jazz Bass or the Precision Bass?"..
Someone got the accurate data please?

thanks

 

[bluesdogblues]

...The P-bass has one sound but it's really usable in a band situation. The J-bass has at least three sounds, plus variables, that makes it a good bass for soloing and band situations, ...

I think both Precision & Jazz Basses have much more sound options.
I can play it with pick or fingers or thumb; near the neck, middle, near the bridge; different attacks, different pick, different tone knob positions, etc etc..

 

[basmicke]

I think both Precision & Jazz Basses have much more sound options.
I can play it with pick or fingers or thumb; near the neck, middle, near the bridge; different attacks, different pick, different tone knob positions, etc etc..

Yes, of course you're right if we're talking physical techniques as well. I was thinking from a pure tech spec standpoint..

 

[bluesdogblues]

Yes, of course you're right if we're talking physical techniques as well. I was thinking from a pure tech spec standpoint..

Tone Knob is a tech spec too right?

well OK, let's not make this long debat, I think I understand what yu mean and you understand what I mean too... cheers man

 

[basmicke]

Tone Knob is a tech spec too right?

well OK, let's not make this long debat, I think I understand what yu mean and you understand what I mean too... cheers man

Ok, I surrender... cheers ;-)

 

[HMZ]

P with a J neck, but if I had to choose I would pick a P. I typically dislike J bass tone, no matter how "versatile" it is. It just doesn't cut though mix well enough for me. The amount of artists that use a J bass with likable tone for me is very few. I love P bass tone, but the main complaint for me is how fat the P bass neck is. I had to learn how to play bass on my P bass and I now use incorrect technique because I had to bend my hand incorrectly to get my hand across the fretboard. I am now putting a J neck on my P bass and I couldn't be happier.

Does putting a Jazz neck on a P bass change the sound of the bass? I love the way my P bass sounds but I do like a Jazz neck...

 

[ToneFreak11]

Now instead of start a new thread, I'd like to ask here:
"Exactly Which one sold the most? The Fender Jazz Bass or the Precision Bass?"..
Someone got the accurate data please?

thanks

I'm not 100% sure, but I think it was the P for a few reasons:

- It has an advantage of almost ten years over the Jazz, and as there were no other bass guitars, it must have sold a lot in the 50s;

- It's probably the most common bass in the entire world, used for rock, punk, metal, jazz, reggae, blues, funk, etc;

- It's one of the simplest basses out there, perfect for starters;

- It's pretty much The Standard Bass Guitar.

 

[Dave44]

I find the J bass has a little more versatility than the P bass. That being said, It all comes down to the sound and tone one wants to project as a bass player. I find the P bass gets a little lost in the mix at times, while the J bass stands out a little better because of the brightness factor inherent from the PU's placement. Still, both are very good basses for rock and or roll with the P bass marked a little higher for it's ability to rock the blues a tick better. Just me 2 cents worth.

 

[cchorney]

I have one of each - I strung my P with flats and between the 2 of them I get all the sounds I want. The problem is, its hard to have 1 bass that does everything well. At least, in the world of passive basses. I refuse to cross the line into active basses so what lies there I do not know.

Here is my reasoning:
My J produces a great J bass sound and a fair-at-best P bass sound.

My P produces a great P bass sound, and has no shot at getting that J bass sound.

So, if I had to choose just one, based on my current repertoire and style, I would go with a J. But I am glad I don't have to choose!

 

[johnclink]

Love both sounds, tend towards the Jazz Bass a bit... much prefer Jazz Bass neck (smaller hands & yes, I'm mostly a guitar player)... Love the looks of both, slightly prefer the Jazz.

Talking BOTH in medium scale & short scale (not long- only long I have is a Danelectro DC- then a '78 Rickenbacker 4001, sanded down to natural with binding & edges taken off- a la McCartney in the 70's... also have a Honer Contemporary, which is my favorite bass of all)... ended up with Jaguar Basses & Jazz Basses- one with with P/J pickup combo and Jazz Bass straight up... have fretted & fretless (both fretless are 32"- one P/J & one Jazz)...

This same poll done in '07 was much closer 220 to 210 on favor of the Jazz Bass... this one is a clear victory for the Jazz...

 

[alack]

Have both! Love both! If I had to choose I'm keeping the P.

 

[alack]

If we can agree that a J solo'd neck pup sounds like a P then it's game over

Do you guys think a solo'd J neck pup can sound like a P despite some single-coil hum?

Different midrange character in the soloed J pickup. It just doesn't have the same heft that a P has. Different design. Not exactly the same location. I'd like to think there's a split coil J one could install to make it sound like a P, but I think that's wishful thinking.

 

[alack]

i like jazz bass's they just seem to work for me, i also like p/j bass's with a jazz neck, those are good. i try to like p bass's but the necks are alittle to much for me sometimes.

That can be the best of both designs.

 

[alack]

You know, it really depends on the day for me.

I hear that!