Looks over tone?

[twinjet]

I'm at a crossroads.

Bought a Fender American Standard P bass last month, and tonally, it's everything I need. Aesthetically, it's pretty.

Buuuut...

That's what I want, with a black pearloid pickguard. I've always preferred the look of a Jazz bass. Not to say that I dislike the Precision look, but...yeah.

The thing is, the N3 pickups are rather bland. I much prefer the tone of the Custom Shop pickups and would rather not drop another couple hundred on a new set to install myself.

On top of all that, if I returned the P I would be paying up to another $500 ($400, if no pickups) for essentially a stroke of the ego and a little bling.

I spent some bonding time with the P last night, playing along to recordings of a 17-piece big band I once worked with. To put it simply, I got a tone I loved every...single...time.

Do I get that with a Jazz? Yes and no. The whole reason I even bought a P was because I exclusively used the neck pickup -which barely gave me a P tone- when I owned a J, and the bridge pickup gave me a seemingly unavoidable Jaco tone that I had grown sick of.

Has anyone else done something as silly as sacrificing tone for looks?

I'm thinking I may put my other basses, an L-2000 and an SR305F away for the rest of 2015 so I can really bond with my Precision and reassert the love for that bass.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

I suggest you write down on a piece of paper exactly where you left those other basses. You may need it to find them by the time you are getting tired of the P. It is a beautiful and properly decorated instrument.
I don' know how you can say you are sacrificing tone. The P IS the tone for electric bass.
Now get yourself over to the Fender Precision bass club and get a number.

The proper solution is to keep the P and add the J. You will find you don't really need anything else.

 

[rufus.K]

I go for tone first, but I won't buy it if I don't vibe with how it looks to me

 

[twinjet]

I suggest you write down on a piece of paper exactly where you left those other basses. You may need it to find them by the time you are getting tired of the P. It is a beautiful and properly decorated instrument.
I don' know how you can say you are sacrificing tone. The P IS the tone for electric bass.
Now get yourself over to the Fender Precision bass club and get a number.

The proper solution is to keep the P and add the J. You will find you don't really need anything else.

When I meant sacrificing tone, I meant indulging my desire for the looks of the Jazz but getting a tone that is not up to par with the Precision. I totally agree with you - the P is the sound for bass.

 

[Gaolee]

Get rid of the tort on your P. Replace it with a shiny, blingy pickguard of your choosing. Add ashtrays and a tug bar. Get a shiny shirt. Ohhh, yeah! Nothing wrong with shallow. There is, however, something wrong with Jazz basses. They ain't right.

 

[twinjet]

I go for tone first, but I won't buy it if I don't vibe with how it looks to me

Right, and the Precision bass is not unattractive! But the sunburst look was never really my thing. So that's why I'm lost.

 

[twinjet]

Get rid of the tort on your P. Replace it with a shiny, blingy pickguard of your choosing. Add ashtrays and a tug bar. Get a shiny shirt. Ohhh, yeah! Nothing wrong with shallow. There is, however, something wrong with Jazz basses. They ain't right.

But... Inlays!

 

[Gaolee]

But... Inlays!

Go full zoot - put a Jazz neck with inlays on a Precision. Polish up those inlays!

I'm only here to help.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

When I meant sacrificing tone, I meant indulging my desire for the looks of the Jazz but getting a tone that is not up to par with the Precision. I totally agree with you - the P is the sound for bass.

I misunderstood. IMHO, the Jazz doesn't look any better than the P. I mean a control plate and an extra knob?
That J is a pretty animal, no doubt.
I have to have a P. I also have a J, well 2 Js at the moment, but I think I am going to trade the Squier VM J V for a Squier CV P tomorrow. It is the 60s version, Fiesta red. Tried it out today and it sounds amazing. I could keep both, but it is getting close to Christmas and I promised Mrs. Gravedigger a nice camera, so I think I'll trade it in. I don't play it much, and the new P would be my practice space bass so I don't have to carry anything to practice.

 

[The Chuck]

I know what you mean. I have your basic American Stnd Jazz in 3 color burst- surely a beauty and sounds fantastic.

I ordered this from the Fender Design web site and couldn't be happier.

The Jazz does some things better and the P does some things better, but the Lake Placid Blue, rosewood neck and white pearloid pick guard are just too sweet!

This is my fav for now.

 

[TDR1138]

A black pickguard on the P would make the sunburst look better, IMO.

I'm a fan of the J look and the P tone. I've sold every J I've owned. The only P I've sold was when I went through my dark years and I traded it for a guitar...

 

[Bassaga]

Would you want to refinish the Precision to a look you like better? You could get it painted or do it yourself if you felt crazy, do whatever else you wanted aesthetically. Then you'd have a bass that looks and sounds perfect, and be set for life.

 

[twinjet]

The only P I've sold was when I went through my dark years and I traded it for a guitar...

I forgive you. We shall speak of this no more.

And I was contemplating a black pickguard... But everything is already pretty black on the body. Who knows what I'm gonna do?

Would you want to refinish the Precision to a look you like better? You could get it painted or do it yourself if you felt crazy, do whatever else you wanted aesthetically. Then you'd have a bass that looks and sounds perfect, and be set for life.

I'm a terrible painter and refinishing isn't an option up here in Alaska, so I'd pay an arm and a leg to send it south.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Always go for tone first. You don't hear with your eyes. It just like finding a spouse. If its all about the looks, that gets old pretty fast. Regardless of what it is, beauty is fleeting.
After tone, feel and playability should be next priority.
Visual appeal is last on the list.

You do have a few options.
Keep it and possibly add another bass later.
Sell it and find a custom jazz body with P pickup in the sweet spot.

 

[Mosstone]

For me, tone comes first. If you really love the sound of the P, you're not going to be satisfied with the Jazz bass, no matter what pickups you put in it. I say keep the P and save up until you can afford the Jazz as well. Its not like theyre gonna stop making white Jazz basses any time soon.

 

[Guinness20]

I want to buy an american deluxe jazz, but I'd replace the preamp and put nordstrand big singles in it. But a black finish, black guard, maple board and black blocks is sooo pretty drool

 

[Marial]

Why not have both? Silly rabbits.

 

[Chef]

It's not one or the other.
You legit need both P tone and J tone as a working bassist.

 

[The Chuck]

It's not one or the other.
You legit need both P tone and J tone as a working bassist.

WERD!

 

[Chef]

Personally, I've taken that one step further and added "single coil P" as another must have.
Because reasons.