J or P

[Mikerotunno]

I know this topic probably gets tossed around alot, but im going to be the idiot to ask it again.

I am having alot of trouble deciding between a mexican made jazz or percision. I have had an ibanez soundgear for about 3 years now and i have grown to hate it. I play alot of jazz as well as hard rock and sometimes slap. Just wanted to see peoples opinion on which bass is better for what i play.

 

[sambass0124]

If you want to play slap, j is a better choice.

 

[Adub311]

I just got a MIM jazz and its great.
Plus a jazz looks cooler IMO

 

[Pet Sounds]

I'm all about Ps, but if you slap you want a J.

 

[DigitalMan]

Both are great, but the Jazz gets the nod for the slap and, ... well for the jazz.

 

[Mikerotunno]

Im not crazy about the slap as much. I am jazz musician. I play alot of upright but i need a better electric bass for smaller gigs. Slap is just a fun thing to practice at home. Can the p be good for slapping just for some fun?

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Both.

 

[Adub311]

Both.

+1

 

[JavierFarias]

Both.

lol

 

[Shakin-Slim]

If you're more focused on playing jazz, I'd go with the P. The jazz only has its name because of the faster neck, nothing to do with the musical style. The P is more suited to playing jazz, IMO. Obviously that also depends on what kind of jazz you are playing.

 

[Shakin-Slim]

A P/J would be your best option, really. I mainly play a P bass, and sometimes I just want that bridge pickup.

 

[Josh Pelican]

JPJ.

 

[msaone]

Love the jazz neck. Toss up between the body styles for me. Been playing a p body with j neck for twenty years. Really feeling the need to own a j bass lately.

 

[droo46]

I did a sound comparison that you might appreciate:

https://soundcloud.com/andrew-pincock/j-vs-p

 

[Teacher]

A P/J would be your best option, really. I mainly play a P bass, and sometimes I just want that bridge pickup.

Seconded.

 

[Mr. Sound]

Get both, then sell the one you don't like...by that, I mean KEEP BOTH!!

 

[Duckwater]

I prefer slap on a P

 

[Bob Gross]

I have both J and P basses. I tend to play the Jazz basses mostly but I do love P basses for some things. I'm not a slapper so that's not an issue. I keep one P bass set up with old LaBella flat wounds for traditional blues and R&B and rounds on my Jazz basses. One with fresh strings and a couple with older strings. When the one with newer strings get less new, I put newer ones on one with older strings. That way I always have a choice.

 

[abemo]

The P would be deeper and thumpier, the J brighter and more articulate. Personally, I prefer the P, but the J feels a bit more versatile to me from a tonal standpoint. From my experience, the J allows you to adjust your tone specifically to what your doing by blending pickup volumes, etc, whereas the P just kind of sits perfectly in anything. YMMV.

Possibly a J with an S/1 switch. That way you have the classic J (parallel) sound, as well as series mode, which doesn't really sound like a P, but kind of like a compromise between a P and a J.

 

[toddoutloud]

I bring one of each with me to every gig. The P gets most of the work, but on songs where I solo or can take more creative liberty with my lines, I'll use the J.