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Jazz Bass with Flats

#23
i built a parts slab 50s precision, 59p bass and a parts jazz bass - all with TI flats and nordstrand pick ups. the jazz is by far the superior sounding bass to my ears. i love the tone of the slab and kept it but disassembled the 59 precision and sold the parts to put a thicker neck on my jazz. love the jazz bass but as mainly an upright player, the thin jazz neck is a tough adjustment.
 
#24
MegaSwing said:
I'd like to preface my comments with the statement that I love a Precision, and own a couple, but I have discovered that in a live setting I REALLY prefer the sound of a Jazz Bass strung with flatwounds to a Precision similarly strung. It's a much more focused bass tone than its Precision counterpart. On the other hand, a Precision strung with rounds feels fatter and more satisfying to me than a similarly strung Jazz, which in that case seems a little thin to me. I'm talking about stock Fender MIA here. Once you start switching out components (other than strings, of course) all bets are off.
Click to expand...

Typical choice has been Half-Wounds for most of my life until I picked up a Precision (maple fingerboard) that was already strung w/Chromes. Now I'm questioning myself, going back and forth, do I put chromes on the Jazz? Maybe on the Fretless Jazz? The Half-Wounds had served me well for many years and that damn sweet growl...

Jazz (rosewood fingerboard) w/Half-Wounds <- Fender (ash + p/ups CS60s)
Fretless Jazz (ebonol fingerboard) w/Half-Wounds <- Squier VM (p/ups Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders)
Precision (maple fingerboard) w/Chromes (flats) <- Squier VM (soft maple body + upgraded p/ups)

I think my only solution is to add more basses (argh, my wife would simply KILL me LMAO) like
a Jazz with Chromes and a Precision with Rounds. Unfortunately, it ain't gonna happen, at least any time in the foreseeable future.
 
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#25
I haven't put flats on my Jazz yet, but I recently had a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats put on my Stingray, and the tone is so good.

To be concise, the tone of Cobalt Flats is: a marriage of almost flatwound thump, with almost roundwound sustain, with almost no finger noise. A slightly sticky feel which slowly goes away.

If you haven't tried them, treat yourself. :thumbsup:

Mike
 
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#26
I get to play with a few different artists and bands, and I’m always switching between all the P/J and flat/round combinations. They all have their own thing, all good! If I recorded solo material or was a bedroom player, I’d probably stay with flats on my J most of the time. It’s definitely a sweet sound.
 
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#30
I've been a Precision guy for many years and have tried everything on them. Currently using Cobalt Flats. I bought my first Jazz in '97 and have had a few since but have always put rounds on them, maybe it is time to try some flats. I have the perfect candidate, a Jazz with a Precision neck. Might be interesting......
 
#31
I'm in a "Classic Rock" cover band that also covers some 80s/90s and harder rock tunes. I wanted to bring my Fender 60s J (w/GHS Precision Flats) to rehearsal this Sunday but I'm not sure how it will sound for the "harder" songs we are doing. For instance, I was practicing "Slither" last night on my J and it just didn't sound right... especially since that song is drop D.. the E string is a little floppy and clanky (but at the same time a little "dead" sounding for that song); I am thinking of bringing my OCD pedal along and using it in conjunction with the J bass. I don't normally use a pick unless the song calls for it and this is definitely a song that would sound good using a plectrum. Maybe I should just schlep along a couple basses on Sunday... one for the more aggressive sounding tunes and the J for the not-so aggressive ones. Thoughts?
 
#33
MegaSwing said:
I'd like to preface my comments with the statement that I love a Precision, and own a couple, but I have discovered that in a live setting I REALLY prefer the sound of a Jazz Bass strung with flatwounds to a Precision similarly strung. It's a much more focused bass tone than its Precision counterpart. On the other hand, a Precision strung with rounds feels fatter and more satisfying to me than a similarly strung Jazz, which in that case seems a little thin to me. I'm talking about stock Fender MIA here. Once you start switching out components (other than strings, of course) all bets are off.
Click to expand...
I often use flats on my precision and I use a custom set of GHS Boomers on the E and A and Brite flats on the G and D on my Jazz. I was in a studio a few months back and the engineer asked me what I had on my Jazz? when I told him I use a custom set he showed me how great it worked comparing it to having a compressor which for me was unnecessary
 
#34
Kipp Harrington said:
I'm in a "Classic Rock" cover band that also covers some 80s/90s and harder rock tunes. I wanted to bring my Fender 60s J (w/GHS Precision Flats) to rehearsal this Sunday but I'm not sure how it will sound for the "harder" songs we are doing. For instance, I was practicing "Slither" last night on my J and it just didn't sound right... especially since that song is drop D.. the E string is a little floppy and clanky (but at the same time a little "dead" sounding for that song); I am thinking of bringing my OCD pedal along and using it in conjunction with the J bass. I don't normally use a pick unless the song calls for it and this is definitely a song that would sound good using a plectrum. Maybe I should just schlep along a couple basses on Sunday... one for the more aggressive sounding tunes and the J for the not-so aggressive ones. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Steve Harris and Geezer Butler use flats, if it's goo enough for them...
 
#37
I think jazz basses are asymmetrical lameness. The best thing you can do with them is give them to someone you don't like. However a P bass with the right flats is unbeatable. Unless it's a fret-less, then you must have rounds on it.
 

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