oh no.... not this ultimatum...

[bon viesta]

i have a jazz that i use now, 62 pickups and flats. i use the front pick up only, and it thumps... but just not in the same way as a p. point being, i’m not a j hater, i love j basses, but i also have one and maybe i could use this opportunity to get myself a p. other point being that j basses can indeed get close to a p sound even when it’s in parallel and i know so because i use that imitation p sound.

 

[bon viesta]

Or an Explorer shaped like the one on the wall behind you! You can put somebody's eye out with that thing!

haha that’s not me!! that’s norman from norms rare guitars. i’m 15, man. just a kid to most people here.

 

[bon viesta]

maybe you could tell from the way i (can’t) seem to put my words out there in a thorough or elaborate way or i contradict myself sometimes

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

I put some ghs Precision Flats on my jazz bass, nothing thin about that tone, maybe try that? Or maybe a Jazz with a series/parallel switch? With one of those, you could get somewhat of a P sound with stock Jazz Bass looks.

 

[Deleted member 365158]

How about a p thats a jazz... kinda?? To heck with purism,
Mod and manipulate all the way!!

 

[Rib 13]

i like the p sound. i want the p sound......even though most songs that use the jazz, with the exception of led zeppelin, sound almost a bit thin and quiet in the bass section

if you like the p sound and want it, than do it......i completely disagree with Js sounding thin and quiet but you do you

 

[Gaolee]

haha that’s not me!! that’s norman from norms rare guitars. i’m 15, man. just a kid to most people here.

Even better then. Being 15 and having a bass you could put somebody's eye out with is perfect!

 

[bon viesta]

if you like the p sound and want it, than do it......i completely disagree with Js sounding thin and quiet but you do you

i should have really said “in most mixes i’ve heard”, and even then it’s really unknown whether or not you can blame the bass or the engineer. i can vouch for the fact that they really aren’t “thin and quiet” in person but their bassy-ness only coming from primarily one pickup probably does it a disservice when it’s trying to imitate a p bass in a mix.

 

[micguy]

A jazz bass with Dimarzio model J's is close enough with the neck soloed to a P that it's not something you'd ever pick out in a mix. Flick a switch (or dial a knob if you're a VV aficionado), and you've got a J. And the thing won't hum in any setting.

 

[Altitude]

Not a PJ in my opinion. Those do a fine job as a P running that pickup alone, but with both pickups wide open they sound nothing like J basses. J basses have a certain growl and primacy; PJs tend to sound modern to my ears. I actually like the PJ tone, but it's not the same.

Personally I don't think any bass player needs to apologize for having a P bass and a J bass in the collection. If you absolutely must go with one bass only, I'm with the group who says build the J and run the front pickup solo when you want a chunkier tone. That sounds more like a P-bass than a PJ sounds like a J.

 

[J-Bassomatic]

and i’m fully aware that jazzes can sound almost exactly like a p, with some things left to be desired, and that’s my main qualm. be unique and be one of those jazz thumpers (even though most songs that use the jazz, with the exception of led zeppelin, sound almost a bit thin and quiet in the bass section) or just follow the crowd and get a cool p bass that can be my little baby.

I find my J-Bass has a very solid low end. I really don't get the 'thin sound' argument the J gets blamed for. It doesn't sound like a P that's for sure but it's far from anemic unless, you know, user error.

I like to use this band as an example.

 

[TrevorG]

I got a PJ with essentially a Jazz neck. The J pickup is a very good one leaving me with the best of both worlds.

 

[StatesideRambler]

(even though most songs that use the jazz, with the exception of led zeppelin, sound almost a bit thin and quiet in the bass section)

You must be unfamiliar with the many thousands of recordings in nearly all genres by Joe Osborn. Other Jazz bass recordings include early Larry Graham, Marcus Miller, early Greg Lake, early Bootsy Collins, et al. Nothing thin in their playing. There are two vital steps to getting a good sound from a Jazz Bass (or nearly any bass):
1. Turn all the knobs, play, listen; repeat.
2. Adapt your playing technique; what sounds great on one instrument may be marginal or poor on another.
If you can’t get a usable sound out of a good quality bass then you’ve probably skipped or given short shrift to one of those steps.

 

[Rib 13]

i should have really said “in most mixes i’ve heard”, and even then it’s really unknown whether or not you can blame the bass or the engineer. i can vouch for the fact that they really aren’t “thin and quiet” in person but their bassy-ness only coming from primarily one pickup probably does it a disservice when it’s trying to imitate a p bass in a mix.

Not all Js are created equal: Certain Js can do it, not all.....For one, many Js will buzz when soloing pickups......If a J doesnt buzz when soloing pickups and the tone can be shaped by players' knowledge (some active systems are forgiving here and are better than others), a reasonable beefy P facsimile can be had.......My Am Deluxe J does a P-bass OK when soloing that pickup but not well enough and it buzzes slightly...On the other hand, my Sire V7 -- with manipulation of the pre to compensate and no buzz - does a P bass very well when soloing that pickup

 

[ctmullins]

I’m always amused when people approach a decision assuming that there are only two choices.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

you’ve heard it a million times. P OR J!!!! my dad is gonna enlist his guitar making abilities to finish and wire up a bass of my own choice, gonna put some dupont type 60s fender finish over it and pretend i was a teenager in the 60s as i thump away on whatever comes out of it. but he only operates on ebay when there’s a promotion going on, and right now i’m in the midsts of an internal p vs j struggle. i like the p sound. i want the p sound. i want that legendary thump in the mix. but... i think j’s look so much cooler. since they were rarer in the 60s there’s almost something special about their 60s variants. they just seem like deluxe basses. what would you guys say? should i take a leap of faith regardless of the regret and go for a p, or stick with a jazz bass that may look awesome but not exactly match up perfectly with ‘that sound’?

Why would you think JB can’t thump? That is the biggest misconception in the history of Fender Basses.

On the other hand in regard to the coolness factor I have another question. Are you going to use this bass as a useful tool to play the music you like, or or to look at it?

 

[dave64o]

I solved my similar dilemma by buying not only a P and a J, but by also buying a Stingray, an L-2500, and a hollowbody. They scratch all of my bass itches. However, I'm an old guy who is no longer paying for a kid's college education or mortgage, so money wasn't much a problem.

The bottom line is that there's no wrong answer to your question. I voted for the P since it has the sound you want. That will often be the more important factor than looks when buying a bass. But, if you honestly think a J gives you the visual vibe you want for a particular use case and that you can get close enough to the sound you want with a J, then get the J. That's YOUR decision.

FWIW, I get "wanting it all". I wanted that from all of my basses so I was patient and waited until I found basses that satisfied me with their sound, their feel, and even their looks. But it took a lot of years and a lot of patience to finally "have it all". It's not easy, but you can get there.

But, if you can't be patient, then I voted that you get the P.

 

[Dana R Gregory]

Since you already have a J bass, then why not go for the P bass. This way you will have both and then can decide which one best suits your needs. I think that it also depends on what kind of music you want to play.

 

[Yellow Bang66]

you’ve heard it a million times. P OR J!!!! my dad is gonna enlist his guitar making abilities to finish and wire up a bass of my own choice, gonna put some dupont type 60s fender finish over it and pretend i was a teenager in the 60s as i thump away on whatever comes out of it. but he only operates on ebay when there’s a promotion going on, and right now i’m in the midsts of an internal p vs j struggle. i like the p sound. i want the p sound. i want that legendary thump in the mix. but... i think j’s look so much cooler. since they were rarer in the 60s there’s almost something special about their 60s variants. they just seem like deluxe basses. what would you guys say? should i take a leap of faith regardless of the regret and go for a p, or stick with a jazz bass that may look awesome but not exactly match up perfectly with ‘that sound’?

Ha! im the opposite I like the looks of the P over the deformed, distorted J Bass body! I like the smaller (sleeker) look of the P body contours better than the elongated warped J body! I have an late 80's JBS, a cool P/J hybrid, PBody with a slim J Neck, I might suggest getting a J with P/J setup. its not the best of both worlds scenario though. I do get a good Tone out of mine, but It took me a couple of long tedious nights/days of tweaking my EQ, both bass & amp, but I was able to get a really good tone out of it,but it did take awhile & a lot of tweaking!GL

 

[Bassclef46]

Where is the option for neither?