Need some advice...

[funkycoldmedina]

Hey there everyone, Newb to the site here. I don’t have a lot of bassists in the area to talk to so I thought I would get on here and ask you guys.

So, I’m in the market for a new bass and I am having a hard time choosing between a J/J bass and a P/J bass. I would really prefer having one bass that can handle anything as opposed to two basses that can handle this or that.

First off, I play in the show, jazz and pep bands of a local college so I do a lot of styles from Jazz to Funk and soul to rock with a local band as well. So I need a versatile instrument that can handle all the different styles I need it to. My current bass of choice is my squire CV jazz, which I love, but I think it’s time to upgrade as I become a much more serious musician and have a hankering for more advanced equipment.
My big dilemma rises from this: I love the sound and feel of a jazz bass (especially the neck), but at times I yearn for the clean simple sound of a mean precision. But I really don’t like the Precision neck… I also play a lot of slap bass and really prefer to slap on the jazz bass.

I would also really like to have an onboard preamp with a passive/active switch. If the bass you suggest doesn’t have one, that’s okay. (Also, although this is more electronic, how hard/expensive would it be to put in an onboard preamp if a bass doesn’t already come with one.)

Oh and my price range is approximately $2500

I’ve been looking at a couple of options that I would also like advice on:
Sadowsky Metro Hybrid P/J 4: If I got a p/j this is at the top of my list. Anyone have one or any advice
Marcus Miller Signature 4: It has a preamp, plus the ash/maple combo and the pickup cover (which I play with on my jazz) BUT I haven’t heard many wonderful things about it. Anyone have one or able to offer some advice.

I guess I would just like to get some ideas on those two basses or any other ideas you guys may have. If you can think of another option for me, tell me. I’m open to anything. Give me advice on what to try, great basses in that range, this bass and/or this one, whatever you think. Thank you in advance for any and all help.
Sorry for the REALLY long post

 

[funkycoldmedina]

OH YEAH: I was also looking at the new Fender American Deluxe P. My only beef was with the P Neck, but I may be able to see past it. Sorry I forgot that

 

[Johnny Alien]

You have a good budget. My opinion is that a P/J combo does something to the tone and it just doesn't sound like a true P. Get yourself a really nice active Jazz OR what I would do is look used get an American Jazz and an American precision and just drop an aftermarket pre into the jazz.

 

[melodiaopus]

Depending on what you want to spend on a bass, there are a myriad of options. For me, I have played through a Warwick Thumb Bolt-On 4 string. I have had this bass for about 8-9 years now and it's the only bass I own. When I graduated from College in Jazz Studies, my bass tone constantly got compliments. I have also played in many indie type bands where my tone growls through the mix. I have also played in fusion/funk bands where I used a lot of slapping and Jacoesque type playing. All of which have proved to me that this bass can be played for any style. When playing in rock bands it's all the same.. my bass sounds amazing for any style. I totally recommend this bass. It's a little top heavy, but with a nice thick strap it will be comfortable. I have tried out every bass possible, but I have never found a bass that is as versatile as this bass. Unless you really want to spend a year worth wage and buy a Fodera or a F bass. Plus consider your amp and what you're playing through. I have never had to adjust my settings for any gig. The bass just seems to mold to whatever genre I'm playing in. I hope this helps.. I'm sure you'll get more biased options on what other players use as I just have. Good luck and if you have any other questions about Warwicks let me know.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

For $2500 you can get a FINE bass, particularly if you buy used. A good buddy of mine just sold his Lull PJ 5 string here on TB for what - $1800 --

Oh, and forget that "A PJ just can't sound like a P" nonsense - you turn off the J p'up, and is sounds *exactly* like a P-bass, period. And for my part, I prefer the sound of both p'ups on full with a PJ - a great rock / Funk sound.

 

[EagleMoon]

I've had the Sadowsky HPJ and I highly recommend it. Sounds awesome, balances well, and a very nice neck. I found that the Fender MM bass tended to be really heavy, even for a jazz bass, and I didn't care for the tone. Not bad if you're a slapper though, which I'm not.

 

[Johnny Alien]

Oh, and forget that "A PJ just can't sound like a P" nonsense - you turn off the J p'up, and is sounds *exactly* like a P-bass, period. And for my part, I prefer the sound of both p'ups on full with a PJ - a great rock / Funk sound.

I love Precisions. Alot. I have played a ton of different P/J Basses from lakland, Fender, etc and IMO what I said was evident in all of them. Putting extra electonics like caps and such will change the tone of a pickup. Try wiring the pickup straight to the jack and see how much the tone changes. Tele players have discovered that removing the entire neck pickup affects the tone of the bridge pickup. It may be "close enough" and maybe lots of people won't notice but from a Precision player I will tell you it's not nonsense.

 

[Chasarms]

I love Precisions. Alot. I have played a ton of different P/J Basses from lakland, Fender, etc and IMO what I said was evident in all of them. Putting extra electonics like caps and such will change the tone of a pickup. Try wiring the pickup straight to the jack and see how much the tone changes. Tele players have discovered that removing the entire neck pickup affects the tone of the bridge pickup. It may be "close enough" and maybe lots of people won't notice but from a Precision player I will tell you it's not nonsense.

Perhaps, but my experience with my Sadowsky PJ5 is that soloing the front pickup in passive is a whole lot closer than "close enough." Further, any differences are simply that, differences. It is my opinion that the additional tonal variety that you get with the bridge PU and a blend FAR outweighs any deviation from the original.

To the OP, I don't think you could go wrong with a Metro PJ. (In fact, I would recommend a Metro JJ with the HC pickups -- and of course the Sadowsky pre -- over the Marcus Miller.) But, with the PJ, get get old-school P, modern P, bridge burp J and with all PUs full on, you get a really tight modern tone. The active/passive nature of the Sadowsky along with the VTC functionality, is pretty nice in terms of tweaking out a lot of different tones.

 

[Johnny Alien]

In addition the Precision pickup is often slightly off the traditional location on a P/J.

All just my opinion.

 

[peledog]

You can find used Alleva-Coppolos here on TB.

Dan Atkinson does fine work Invalid Link Removed

If you have the budget and your heart is set on a P/J - ask yourself if you want a more vintage sound or a modern sound.

Personally I would stay away from a deluxe P. (which has the P/J configuration). But if you want to go with a P bass with a J neck, look into something custom or a reissue.

For a more modern sound with a preamp, I play Spector basses. You can get a really nice Euro LX for about $2k brand new. They have a great P/J combo, but the P pickup is reversed, which really helps the tone out when soloed.

The Spector Euro LX have custom artist models that feature thinner necks. The Doug Wimbish model is narrower at the nut (1.5") and the Ian Hill model is thinner (height).

Invalid Link Removed

Or you can go MIJ (made in Japan). This is a gorgeous 70s reissue with a P/J configuration:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Japan-Ja...e-/180605768275?pt=Guitar&hash=item2a0cf15253

and this one is in white

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Japan-75...J-/250748579341?pt=Guitar&hash=item3a61c7ae0d


(I'm not the seller of either of the eBay examples)