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Most versatile type of Jazz bass

#81
REAPER52 said:
I think the new Fender 08-09-10 Jazz passives will do anything your capable of doing. and i also believe in fretless it will give you even more flexability. I still dont see the active vrs passive being a big deal - if you have a good amp -you can dial in your sound ,so i go passive. For me a Fender Jazz Std Fretless will do alot more then i will ever be able to do.
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I think the OP meant versatile as in would cover the most ground musically. That would mean all styles including slap or pick style. A passive fretless ain't going to cover that ground.
 
#83
peterpalmieri said:
I had intentionally not specifically answered the original question hoping to further the discussion.

I will asnwer now:

If I can only own 1 jazz bass I'd most likely narrow down the specs to an Ash/Maple, 60s spacing with single coils, and an active preamp.
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I think thats a great combo. The only problem for me is that I
like the feel and look of a Rosewood board so much more than
a Maple board.
 
#86
B String said:
I think thats a great combo. The only problem for me is that I
like the feel and look of a Rosewood board so much more than
a Maple board.
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I remembered you mentioning that in a pm once....that's why I suggested (I think I did...) the ash body/rosewood combo....make the ash as heavy as you can stand it. That will give you the warmth of rosewood but the attack of ash. Great combo. I played an Atelier Z with that combo once (although that one was REALLY heavy...14lbs) and it slayed. Carey's 70's wound pickups in 60's position and his 2 band pre.....you'll be set.
 
#87
I've owned a number of alder / maple-rosewood 60's spacing Js in my day and thought that was the el-supremo J configuration until I ran into a screamin' deal on a used Geddy Lee body on eBay and built a FrankenJ around it consisting of a maple/rosewood P neck, a pre-CBS style bent plate bridge and a set of Lindy Fralin pickups ... killer bass.
 
#88
pbassnut said:
I've owned a number of alder / maple-rosewood 60's spacing Js in my day and thought that was the el-supremo J configuration until I ran into a screamin' deal on a used Geddy Lee body on eBay and built a FrankenJ around it consisting of a maple/rosewood P neck, a pre-CBS style bent plate bridge and a set of Lindy Fralin pickups ... killer bass.
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Isn't the Geddy body Alder? So what was the difference
between this Alder/Maple/Rosewood bass, and the other
basses?
 
#89
emjazz said:
I remembered you mentioning that in a pm once....that's why I suggested (I think I did...) the ash body/rosewood combo....make the ash as heavy as you can stand it. That will give you the warmth of rosewood but the attack of ash. Great combo. I played an Atelier Z with that combo once (although that one was REALLY heavy...14lbs) and it slayed. Carey's 70's wound pickups in 60's position and his 2 band pre.....you'll be set.
Click to expand...

That actually sounds like a good combination....BUT!!
I have been seriously spoiled by great sounding basses that all
weigh under 9lbs. At this point I don't think I want to go to a
10+lb bass for 60 to 90 minute sets. I must be falling apart.
(no comment Wilbyman)
 
#90
B String said:
Really? No other opinions from a group like this?
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I just saw this thread!

IMO, an ash/maple J with single coils in 60's position, with a nice 2 band pre (with passive bypass) with passive tone control covers the most ground of any J spec I've owned or played.

My logic is the following:

1) It is always easier to dial brightness and grind out with the passive tone control than to try to muscle it in with EQ on a darker voiced bass. Hence, I can get closer to an alder/RW tone with an ash/maple bass than the other way around.

2) Single coil pickups have (typically) a more midrange voicing which can be key in a mix, but still have plenty of sparkle up top if you need it.

3) The 60's spacing with ash/maple gets you 85% to what many call a 70's tone (plenty of brightness and grind for a good slap tone), but that 60's pickup position at the bridge allows you to get a fat, burpy tone when favoring the bridge pickup or really digging in close to the bridge.

If I was allowed to own only one bass, that would be the spec I'd choose (and is the spec of my Sadowsky NYC ash/maple bass). Of course, I also own two other J's, both quite 'vintage legitimate', one 60's alder/RW, and one 70's ash/maple. Between those three... I have everything possible covered in the 'J world'.

IMO.

Edit: For those who don't need quite the upper mid grind, and/or like the look of a darker fretboard, Morado/ash is also a very good combination, and sounds very similar to maple/ash.
 
#93
B String said:
That actually sounds like a good combination....BUT!!
I have been seriously spoiled by great sounding basses that all
weigh under 9lbs. At this point I don't think I want to go to a
10+lb bass for 60 to 90 minute sets. I must be falling apart.
(no comment Wilbyman)
Click to expand...

+1 Heavy body weight is greatly overstated as a tone driver. Having owned boat anchor J's along with light ones, if you can't get a smokin' tone out of a 9 pound J bass, you should change careers:D
 
#95
KJung said:
t.

3) The 60's spacing with ash/maple gets you 85% to what many call a 70's tone (plenty of brightness and grind for a good slap tone), but that 60's pickup position at the bridge allows you to get a fat, burpy tone when favoring the bridge pickup or really digging in close to the bridge.
Click to expand...

I agree with this %100 the majority of that 70's tone is not the pickup placement, but the wood itself to my ears.
 
#96
I didn't mean to insinuate that you must have a heavy bass for it to sound great. The Atelier that I mentioned sounded great (ash/rosewood), but noone would buy it because it was rediculously heavy. I will say that I hate this super light wood that people are using. I think it results in terrible sounding instruments. I still think that the ash/roswood combo is a great one, and yes, pau ferro (morado) will give you the darker look with a slightly brighter sound. A bass in the 9/9.5lb weight range with that combo would be a great bass for sure....and yes, single coils for sure.
 
#98
emjazz said:
I didn't mean to insinuate that you must have a heavy bass for it to sound great. The Atelier that I mentioned sounded great (ash/rosewood), but noone would buy it because it was rediculously heavy. I will say that I hate this super light wood that people are using. I think it results in terrible sounding instruments. I still think that the ash/roswood combo is a great one, and yes, pau ferro (morado) will give you the darker look with a slightly brighter sound. A bass in the 9/9.5lb weight range with that combo would be a great bass for sure....and yes, single coils for sure.
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+1 all the way. If you get it too lightweight, things start to sound a bit thin. However, as you say, that 8.5 to 9.5 pound range is the perfect combination of comfort on the gig, and plenty of balls down low for me.
 
#99
B String said:
That actually sounds like a good combination....BUT!!
I have been seriously spoiled by great sounding basses that all
weigh under 9lbs. At this point I don't think I want to go to a
10+lb bass for 60 to 90 minute sets. I must be falling apart.
(no comment Wilbyman)
Click to expand...

Hey mom, I heard they have a group sing along from 5-6 at the Hollenbeck Palms nursing home...they could probably use a bass player...just sayin :ninja:
 

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