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P vs J: 2016
- Thread starter sigmafloyd
- Start date
So lets say you can only have one bass. You have no money, or live in a studio apartment and don't have room or something.
One bass, P or J?
I think I would take the Jazz bass. While I tend to lean toward the Precision bass in term of tone preference, and I don't use all of the possible tones my Jazz bass offers, I like the idea of having thos options available. Plus it is pretty comfortable to play.
I would choose the P, but truthfully either one will work for anything so I could easily live with either.
Versatility is overrated to me. About the only thing I adjust during a gig is the tone control - no matter whether I'm playing a J or a P. I don't need a different tone on every song, I just need one good tone. Even on my L2000, which is about as versatile as you can get, I set it and forget it.
I played Js for years, but now I play Ps. They just fit in every situation. Basically if I'm playing in my rock band I'll turn the tone up and go. If I'm playing in my soul band I turn the tone down and go. A P always sounds good.
Funny, I actually use the pickup switch on my basses, but never use the tone knobs. I even had the tone knob taken out of one of my basses to replace it with a switch.
Different strokes...I could never go without a tone. Except on my Thunderbirds, I always have the tone on 10 on them.
Yeah, Tbirds just need the tone on 10 anyway. Even when I play mine in my soul band (which I have done, see my avatar) I leave all the knobs on ten. But a P or J I need the tone.
Yeah. My T-bird is actually my most electronically modified bass, as I also have a push/pull series/parallel switch on one of the volume pots. Most of the time it's in series.
My Rickenbackers I basically don't use the tone knob on, as if I need a more bassy, mellow tone, I just switch to the neck pickup, leaving the tone all the way up so that I keep clarity. I also alter my technique a bit, plucking a lot more gently.
My Peavey I just use the volume knob of. Been thinking about adding a second pickup to it and swapping out the tone knob for a switch or another volume knob.
P will always win this because there are more of them and more who have them....
For me it is always gonna be the J....neck...it could be on practically anything....but those 4mm make all the difference...
For me it is always gonna be the J....neck...it could be on practically anything....but those 4mm make all the difference...
I play and own both. Right now I'm lusting for the Jazz. But can't stop playing the P. It just sounds right for what I'm doing.
Js all day, man. Prefer the tone, playability, versatility, looks... Not that I don't want a P, but J's are almost perfect for me. I find that Ps might sit well in the mix but I prefer the note definition you get with Js, it lends itself better to my playing and the band I'm in.
*I should say, it's a blackened death band. If I were in a funk and soul group I might not have such troubles and get a P!
*I should say, it's a blackened death band. If I were in a funk and soul group I might not have such troubles and get a P!
Well, yeah, particularly Shannon. He used a burst split coil P quite a bit early on in Double Trouble. But Jones - he is clearly known for his Jazz. He had two P Basses, one was fretless that he used on In My Time of Dying, and the other was s single coil P he used quite a bit both live and studio from about 1970 to late 72. But....that's not exactly the tone the poster was referring to when he brought up P Basses.
There's no option for Precision V & Dimension Deluxe 5 which is where I'm at these days.
Never bonded with any JB's.
Never bonded with any JB's.
