J with Rounds vs. P with Flats - An audio comparison

[cnltb]

Tonight I was laying down a bass track for a tune my guitarist came up with, and I decided to record it once with a J+rounds, then again with a P+flats. Have a listen.

J+rounds

P+flats

90% of the time I reach for a P with flats, but on something like this, I gotta say I think the J with rounds works better.

for me the P sooooo wins in this case. it's not even a contest.

 

[-=DanAtkinson=-]

Ace tune - reminded me of Jimmy Page's work on the Death Wish 2 soundtrack.

Onto the basses, then - a close one as they both sounded great with the song and although I'm a fan of P/Flats (and J/Rounds), the Jazz's clearer note definition and its bit of extra bite put it just ahead of the Precision for me in this instance.

Who votes that Dan does a Jazz with flats and a Precision with rounds next?!

I could do a J with flats tomorrow night and post the clip. Great idea. Can't do the P with rounds because my understanding is the Universe will implode with such a blasphemous combination.

 

[funkstag]

Jazz with rounds for sure on this clip. It sounds nice and bright and punchy. For me it stands out a lot more.

 

[fenderhutz]

The tone knob sounds almost off on both basses. Where do you set those?

 

[-=DanAtkinson=-]

The tone knob sounds almost off on both basses. Where do you set those?

Excellent ears. It was rolled down about 10%. I like to remove "sizzle" and clack. I also tame the highs with VST plugins a bit.

 

[JimmyM]

OK, tried to download again and it finally worked. Honestly, I think both would work just fine. I slightly favored the Jazz, but not by much at all.

 

[fretlessguy]

I liked both versions. However, I kinda liked the P with flats better. Great Job!

 

[Kael]

Bass tracks sounded nice. The guitar tracks felt a little harsh to my ear. Might need a freq notched out or perhaps just bring the guit down a touch IMHO.

 

[-=DanAtkinson=-]

Bass tracks sounded nice. The guitar tracks felt a little harsh to my ear. Might need a freq notched out or perhaps just bring the guit down a touch IMHO.

Yeah, it was just a scratch track using a Line 6 POD. For the keeper tracks we'd mic his amp.

 

[Cb4rabid]

I like the J one better. Sounds fuller to me and cleaner.

 

[CrankenStein]

both sounded good, im a j guy but i liked the p more, the highs sounded better imo

 

[BaditudeDude]

Catchy riffs, to begin with. As for the bass tracks, I preferred the P, probably because I prefer the sound of flats. Despite what others have said, to my ears I heard more definition and the tone sitting down low in the groove, making the bass stand out more from the guitar.

 

[Jeff K]

I could do a J with flats tomorrow night and post the clip. Great idea. Can't do the P with flats because my understanding is the Universe will implode with such a blasphemous combination.

If I may be so presumptuous, I think you meant you can't do the P with rounds. Understanding that, your claim that the Universe would implode made me laugh out loud! P's with flats rule!!!

 

[Mark4]

Both sound great, but I think the J suits the song better. The P seems a little muddy on some of those licks, but I like the tone. Tone-wise, it's a tossup. Articulation-wise, the J wins it hands down for me.

 

[-=DanAtkinson=-]

If I may be so presumptuous, I think you meant you can't do the P with rounds. Understanding that, your claim that the Universe would implode made me laugh out loud! P's with flats rule!!!

Good catch. Typo on the iPhone. Post corrected!

Yes, once I got a pack of rounds a couple of feet from my P bass. I felt the space time continuum begin to collapse. Close call.

 

[Engine207]

Damn, that is a very cool groove. Kind of Zeppish.

I like the J/rounds tone a bit better, but they both sound good and are tightly played. It actually reminds me of JPJ's new band, Them Crooked Vultures.

 

[Shakin-Slim]

I thought the J sounded better on those recordings. If it were me and I was playing your same bass line I would grab the J in a second. If I was using a P, I probably wouldn't play the same type of bass line as I find different basses bring out different ideas and feels in my playing.
The other thing I learnt is that, unless you're able to, sometimes it's not worth going about buying a P and a J. While there was a noticeable difference, probably not enough to care. That's just my opinion, and I understand you build your own basses and many people have the disposable income.

MOST importantly, NICE PLAYING!

 

[Logan812]

Very nice playing there!

I really like the J bass version because of the clearer treble (but that's just my personal preference), but I think the P bass version "fits in" better.

 

[Slax]

Both sound great, but I think the J suits the song better. The P seems a little muddy on some of those licks, but I like the tone. Tone-wise, it's a tossup. Articulation-wise, the J wins it hands down for me.

+1 Exactly what I was thinking. The J won it for me too. I love the playing regardless!

 

[sandmangeck]

Next time could you do a J with flats, and a p with rounds?