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Let’s talk Jazz basses

#81
micguy said:
Motown was played (almost all of it) on a P bass with old flats. A J is a different sound - a good sound, sure, but not what you hear on Motown recordings. The closest a J can come to a P sound is with the neck pickup soloed, and.....that hums in a lot of places. The quintessential J sound is both pickups full up, which sounds quite different, and doesn't hum. Both basses can be thought of as having "vintage" sounds, they're just very different sounds.
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I don't know why I assumed it was a Jazz bass with flats haha I've learned a TON of motown too and was very happy with the tone on my p-bass with flats…
 
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#82
Bill Murray said:
I like the way you think!

ps. Can't imagine you'll be disappointed with a stingray, especially if you go for a special, super versatile basses both live and in the studio
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Well, I have a Troy Sanders Jaguar Bass arriving on Friday, so gotta try one more style of Fender before I move on to the StingRay Special. LOL
But I prefer writing on my bass and then filling the song out with guitar and synth, so I like that the StingRay has really unique mid and treble tones. Plus, the fit and finish of the Specials... :drool:

Speaking of fit and finish, I've been really impressed with all of the Player Series basses I've tried out. And if you're already set on swapping pups—really the only downside of the Player Series, imo—I think you'd be well-served by getting a Player.

Don't forget to post pics!
 
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#83
Surely_Bassy said:
Well, I have a Troy Sanders Jaguar Bass arriving on Friday, so gotta try one more style of Fender before I move on to the StingRay Special. LOL
But I prefer writing on my bass and then filling the song out with guitar and synth, so I like that the StingRay has really unique mid and treble tones. Plus, the fit and finish of the Specials... :drool:

Speaking of fit and finish, I've been really impressed with all of the Player Series basses I've tried out. And if you're already set on swapping pups—really the only downside of the Player Series, imo—I think you'd be well-served by getting a Player.

Don't forget to post pics!
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Jaguars are sweet, I personally just love Stingrays but the Jaguars are so much fun to play, very playable IMO.

I think that's the biggest weak point for entry and mid range instruments. Swap the pickups and boom you have an amazing bass.

oh man, the fit and finish on the specials are 10/10. I have a very similar approach to writing, I also went with the HH and it's crazy how many different sounds you have available.

Can't imagine anything will dethrone mine but who knows!
 
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#84
Bill Murray said:
great to know! Definitely worried about that as there is already loss of low end from stingray to P-bass.

As far as feel goes, I'd have to agree as well the Jazz bass has never felt right in my hands, but I also feel like I haven't given them a fair chance either.

I could definitely sneak a J onto some recordings though, no problem
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I find J's actually have a lower bottom end than a P, in terms of actual frequency range, but because the P has such a massive low mid bump, it's perceived by our ears as increased low end. Frankly, I've had the opposite experience re: switching between my P and J. The P may sound thicker, but the J definitely has more overall booty than the P. I play a TON of reggae music live and in studio, and nothing in my experience is a better litmus test for how much low you can pump out than some heavy dub. I'll never play another reggae gig with a P ever again. It's either my Jazz, or even better (like, actually), my 4003.

To be honest, your Stingray will likely have the most bottom of the lot, but it's almost unfair comparing active to passive basses, in my eyes.

And then, for some different knobs, lemme give Rick a shout...

IMG_6766.jpeg
 
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#85
sloppy_phil said:
I find J's actually have a lower bottom end than a P, in terms of actual frequency range, but because the P has such a massive low mid bump, it's perceived by our ears as increased low end. Frankly, I've had the opposite experience re: switching between my P and J. The P may sound thicker, but the J definitely has more overall booty than the P. I play a TON of reggae music live and in studio, and nothing in my experience is a better litmus test for how much low you can pump out than some heavy dub. I'll never play another reggae gig with a P ever again. It's either my Jazz, or even better (like, actually), my 4003.

To be honest, your Stingray will likely have the most bottom of the lot, but it's almost unfair comparing active to passive basses, in my eyes.

And then, for some different knobs, lemme give Rick a shout...

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Yea the passive vs active game isn't fair at all.

I love what you're saying about the Jazz bass in general though. I do a ton of freelance work but my bands focus is on reggae. Love it all but I can't seem to get enough dub (or studio 1) the stingray crushes it for sure but I'd love to give a jazz bass a test run on it after hearing your thoughts.
 
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#86
IMHO the Geddy Lee Jazz bass is the best Jazz Bass Fender has ever made. The MIJ Geddys are a little more "grindier" than the MIAs. The MIA Geddy is an extremely well made instrument and to me has a better neck than the MIJ it's a little thicker. The sound of the MIA Geddy is a little more refined but still really good. Both are a little hard to find but worth the effort.
 
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#87
Bill Murray said:
Yea the passive vs active game isn't fair at all.

I love what you're saying about the Jazz bass in general though. I do a ton of freelance work but my bands focus is on reggae. Love it all but I can't seem to get enough dub (or studio 1) the stingray crushes it for sure but I'd love to give a jazz bass a test run on it after hearing your thoughts.
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You're a man after my own heart. Love me some Studio One! I keep Rotos on my Jazz (if it's good enough for Family Man Barrett, it's good enough for me!), but especially with flats, you'd be *right* in Coxsone Dodd territory.
 
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#90
 
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#92
Bill Murray said:
I'm toying with adding a Jazz bass to the line-up but kind of torn on what direction to go.

It would essentially serve as a back-up bass on gigs but I would also like to use it for our motown set, so I'm specifically looking for a vintage sound.

I love the idea of the Flea Road Worn but the truss rod adjustment is a buzzkill, I don't think they're worth the $1429 price tag they come with currently, and there's an alarming amount of complaints with necks being warped.

I've also considered going with a MIM Geddy or Squier CV and doing a pick-up and string swap.


I'm not looking to go nuts, I don't need anything fancy. I just want that vintage look and sound in a cheap but work worthy package.

Im a Stingray and P-bass guy so im in foreign territory here haha any input is appreciated!
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I like my Squier Classic Vibe 60s bass with the standard roundwounds a lot, although I don't stack my pot.
 
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#95
I have a 2018 MIM Fender jazz that I love. Over time I have added Dimarzio Area J pickups, a high mass bridge, and an Audere pre. It's now a beast, my main recording bass. I have some hipshot ultra-lite tuners ordered. Wanting to get a little weight off of her. Even stock though, I was pretty pleased with it in sound and quality.
 
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#99
Lots of options out there for a J. I have a Fender 60s (reissue) J bass that plays and sounds fantastic. It's one worth looking into. And I also have a "sleeper" jazz-style bass by G & L... a JB2 Tribute. Goes for around $400 and plays and feels like a bass twice its price. Great feeling neck, the bridge is the best ever made (IMO), and the stock pickups are awesome! Worth looking into also.
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