P or J - Have we all chosen correctly?

[tnscot60]

This is NOT a discussion over which is better. That is COMPLETELY subjective, and no one is right or wrong. This is my theory, and request for your thoughts on the subject. With that said....

It seems to me that a P bass and a J bass were each designed to fill two different needs. The P bass is designed to carry a lot of low end, and the J bass was designed to cut throught the music.

It further seems to me that a lot of J bass players are on an eternal quest for the elusive sound, and are oftern complaining about effects, etc that cut out their low end.


My theory, which I would like to open up for discussion is this:
There are a lot of people who are using a J bass, who would be better served with a P bass.

With a compressor and EQ, it is much easier for me to dial in a good high end on my P Bass than it is to dial in and KEEP a boomy low end on a J bass. (This I can say with a small amount of J bass experience, but not a lot) I am actually toying with the idea of adding a J pup to my bass, for further control. But this thread is to address people who play one or the other exclusively.

It also seems to me that people who play J basses, but arent trying to make them big and boomy, are thrilled with the results they get, which furthers my theory.

Again, I'm not saying that a P bass is better. I am theorizing that if a boomy low end is very important to you, a J bass may not be the right choice.

Thoughts? Cmmments?

Please no flaming. I'm not insulting anyone in here, and if people cant restrain themselves, I'll just ignore the thread entirely, and they'll only be injuring the thread.

 

[bassteban]

Must have both. Just me.

 

[steamthief]

I chose P/J. Win-win!

 

[thehangingmist]

PJ is the answer! am going to get one soon

 

[Stealth]

I chose to play bass. That's about it for me.

 

[dannster]

It's all about the neck.

 

[sarcastro83]

Getting rid of my old P was the dumbest thing I've ever done. For all of the basses I've owned, including a Highway One Jazz, the P was the only bass that felt and sounded "right" to me. Hindsight is 20/20, I guess...

 

[()smoke()]

precisions have more low mids than jazz to my ear, but don't really have a deeper low end...boomy seems more a result of amplification and/or eq...i like both

ymmv

 

[HogieWan]

I have a variax, so I have many options

 

[superfunk47]

If it's just about the low end, the J wins, IMO. What the P has going for it is a woofy, supportive low midrange that's impossible to dial in with anything but a P pickup. J pickups have more lows and highs going for them, but IME, P's are all about the midrange, and that's what makes them so dinstinctive, and wht they can't be replaced. If a job calls for a P sound, ain't nothing gonna do that job like a P. IMO, of course.

 

[9mmMike]

I talked to a lot of folks and did a bunch of online research before I bought my first bass. The general consensus was that I should get a Jazz bass with a rosewood neck. I did and it was real nice. I wanted more so I built a parts bass with MIM Jazz parts, nordy's and audere. It was real nice.
Eventually I bought a '57 AV RI P-bass and the worship team with whom I play said, "that's the one". And the neck was just perfect, for me.
The funny thing is that it is almost opposite of what my "research" told me to buy.
Recently I acquired another AV RI P but this time it is a '62. I took it to a concert (Zep, Bowie, Santana, James Gang, etc.) last weekend and had the chance to lend it to another bass player so I got to actually sit out in the crowd and hear it. It really is the sound I had always wanted.
I am still glad that I bought the Jazz first as I found it a little easier to play and it helped me learn faster, I think.
So I guess the short answer is "yes, I eventually got the correct bass...for me". LOL

 

[JustOpenYourMind]

To me it's all about the specific band you are in, Sometimes you just grab your P-bass pluck a note and go yuck! Sometimes it's the J-bass.

For me and my current band, the holy-grail tone is P-bass with flats through an SVT. In this context my J-bass sounds wayyy too wimpy, no matter what the Eq settings are. The opposite also happened to me, sometimes a P-bass sounds boxy or too obnoxious in a mix.

Imo, since bass is an instrument that takes so much sonic space, it's very important to have a sound that suits the music you are playing.

 

[dmrogers]

My dad went out and got a PJ! Now it is his favorite instrument. Me, I have both a Precision and two Jazz basses.

Depending on what I am playing, the mood I'm in, the atmospheric pressure, and the phase of the moon, I'll pick up one or the other.

Just joking with the above comment, but seriously, sometimes I'll pick up the P and it just doesn't do it for me, then again, I'll do the same for the J and have to switch over. I feel fortunate to have both and both play great. I like both for different reasons and understand that they are different instruments. But most of the time, either one will do just fine for the type of music I play and my talent level.

I'm satisfied.

Now amps and cabs, that is a different matter and I am feeling GAS pains.

 

[stingray56funk]

precisions have more low mids than jazz to my ear, but don't really have a deeper low end...boomy seems more a result of amplification and/or eq...i like both

ymmv

I agree. Some of the J's I've played (including my current ESP Series 400) have had spectacular low end. Even more than a P. With the right amplification and a good understanding of how your amp works, stage or studio sound, composition of the J bass including choice of pickups, and use of compression then you won't screw up a J's low end. I honestly dig a P's tone in my typical mix of music better than a J...but I love my J so much!

 

[In Absentia]

One of my favorite sounds ever is a stock Jazz bass into a big tube amp. No lack of bottom and sounds incredibly 3D. Too much bottom destroys a mix, so I don't understand the quest for more than a Jazz Bass provides (though, I prefer P-basses).

 

[rimtism123]

...or you can roll your bridge pickup off to have a more low end tone like a p-bass. the J's are made to be more versatile in this aspect.

 

[CharlieCraver]

I'd say you have to have both. not HAVE to but it defiantly helps. I'm sure that if you have spent any time on this forum you've heard people say that they got a p bass to start with then moved on to a jazz bass and wondered why their jazz bass did not sound like their p bass. You just have to use what you feel would sound right in the situation you are in.

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

It seems to me that a P bass and a J bass were each designed to fill two different needs. The P bass is designed to carry a lot of low end, and the J bass was designed to cut throught the music.
.

Well this is just WRONG - we know the history of these basses very well and it is documented in many places!

So the P bass was designed to replace the sound of Double Bass and was designed to be attractive to guitarists who were doubling bass.

It was the first mass-produced instrument and as such it was simplified to enable factory manufacture.

Later on - after this was successful, Fender designed an "up-market" version that they could charge more for and which had a few more "whistles and bells" - it was designed to be an upgrade and a bit more "Jazzy" than the basic model!

 

[Bassamatic]

I find that the J sound is better for small venues and the P for larger venues. This is for playing Classic Rock. I would not use a P for jazz.

Leo Fender did a LOT of research before bringing each one out - they were each designed for a particular sound and purpose.

 

[Way Off Bass]

This is like choosing a flavor of ice cream. Sure, some people have preferences, and some people certainly will never choose a certain variety, but in the end you are still eating ice cream, so its a win-win.