I had a vintage P, and now have a musicman and a jazz. The P, for many, is the bass. And both in the mix and in recordings it does wonders you may think it wasn’t capable of.
But, I am not a P man, so will stick on the more difficult comparison between the other 2. Albeit each of them can cover the other (both are funk tone machines, both are slap machines, and both can be the way to go for pop and rock), they have some differences that, depending on taste and usage, can vary from little to extreme. I use 99% my musicman. Why? Because it’s a bass you can play from powerful bottom end rock or tight pop to funk to slap. It’s a bass within which you can play whatever you want, and damn well. Conversely, let me say that my jazz has no that kick for certain rock songs, or bottom end, compressed sound, but has a special flavour for certain funk where it is even better than a musicman, and for all those Fender-ish tones. If I had to choose one only, probably it would be the musicman. But the jazz, even if I barely use it, has a specific flavour that at times (even if rarely for me, honestly), is simply better. This with regards to the tone.
Usually, the jazz neck is much thinner and faster (mine has a crazy good U shape, 7,5” radius and a super comfortable neck), but that is not necessarily better, as the music man has a definetely more bombed neck but fast and comfortable the same way.
They are both great basses and the best choice, for me, is to have both. If I couldn’t, I would begin with a music man since it solves many more problems than a jazz can do, at least for me (I can imagine myself playing the funk I play with my music man perfectly, but can’t imagine playing the rock I play with my jazz…simply, it doesn’t work at all for that).
But, I am not a P man, so will stick on the more difficult comparison between the other 2. Albeit each of them can cover the other (both are funk tone machines, both are slap machines, and both can be the way to go for pop and rock), they have some differences that, depending on taste and usage, can vary from little to extreme. I use 99% my musicman. Why? Because it’s a bass you can play from powerful bottom end rock or tight pop to funk to slap. It’s a bass within which you can play whatever you want, and damn well. Conversely, let me say that my jazz has no that kick for certain rock songs, or bottom end, compressed sound, but has a special flavour for certain funk where it is even better than a musicman, and for all those Fender-ish tones. If I had to choose one only, probably it would be the musicman. But the jazz, even if I barely use it, has a specific flavour that at times (even if rarely for me, honestly), is simply better. This with regards to the tone.
Usually, the jazz neck is much thinner and faster (mine has a crazy good U shape, 7,5” radius and a super comfortable neck), but that is not necessarily better, as the music man has a definetely more bombed neck but fast and comfortable the same way.
They are both great basses and the best choice, for me, is to have both. If I couldn’t, I would begin with a music man since it solves many more problems than a jazz can do, at least for me (I can imagine myself playing the funk I play with my music man perfectly, but can’t imagine playing the rock I play with my jazz…simply, it doesn’t work at all for that).
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