Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
P VS J NECK
- Thread starter andrew_over
- Start date
It's a coincidence that you ask this question right now.
I just bought a new Fender J bass a couple of weeks ago after having played P's for the last several years.
I really liked the J neck and people in my band commented how at ease I seemed with my playing. I have very small hands so a P neck always felt a bit large but I love the tone, so I just accepted the situation.
This week I switched the jazz neck to the P. What I encountered was that I had trouble playing certain songs because I could get to the next note faster, so my timing got thrown off.
What was very interesting was that with the J neck on the J body I didn't have that problem. The bass felt different. I got to thinking that maybe the way Leo designed the 2 basses had a lot to do with how the body and neck went together and how it sat and hung on your body. And all of that plus each bass' specific sound gave a different vibe to how they are played.
With the P I play more aggressive because of the sound and with the J I play less aggressive.
I switched the necks back to their original bodies and everything fell back into place.
It was an interesting experiment and for me I'm not sure why it came out like it did.
Anyone else have any stories about their experiences ?
I just bought a new Fender J bass a couple of weeks ago after having played P's for the last several years.
I really liked the J neck and people in my band commented how at ease I seemed with my playing. I have very small hands so a P neck always felt a bit large but I love the tone, so I just accepted the situation.
This week I switched the jazz neck to the P. What I encountered was that I had trouble playing certain songs because I could get to the next note faster, so my timing got thrown off.
What was very interesting was that with the J neck on the J body I didn't have that problem. The bass felt different. I got to thinking that maybe the way Leo designed the 2 basses had a lot to do with how the body and neck went together and how it sat and hung on your body. And all of that plus each bass' specific sound gave a different vibe to how they are played.
With the P I play more aggressive because of the sound and with the J I play less aggressive.
I switched the necks back to their original bodies and everything fell back into place.
It was an interesting experiment and for me I'm not sure why it came out like it did.
Anyone else have any stories about their experiences ?
+1.
I put P-necks on all my Jazz bodies.
I just, prefer bigger P-neck. ( fits my hand)
Also, I think extra neck mass.= a little more tone.
That's the idea behind the Mark Hoppus Signature bass by Fender... P neck on a J body. )-(
I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the different P-bass necks. They started out as 1.75" at the nut, but moved to 1.625" around 1973. The vintage reissues of course have the 1.75" nut. I'll take a Jazz neck over a 1.75" nut width any day, but I love the neck on my 2004 American Series Precision with the 1.625" nut. That's my favorite neck, but its profile, finish, fretboard radius, and rolled fingerboard edges are all part of the picture. It's not just about the width.
Different Percision necks.
A-1 1/2
B-1 5/8
C-1 7/8
My fav. is the C
I also like the B.
A is to narrow for me.
I find fretboard radius has a lot to do with this. That said, the 1.5" nut width on a '62 reissue Fender Jazz Bass with a 7.25" fretboard radius is too narrow for me - but the 1.5" nut width on a Mike Lull jazz, with a 12" radius, is fine. By the same token, a Fender '62 reissue P bass, with a 1.75" nut width and a 7.25" fretboard radius is not as comfortable to me as a Rickenbacker 4003, which has a 1 11/16" nut width (1/16" shy of the nut width on a P bass, almost a neglible difference) and a 10" fretboard radius. Same goes for the Lakland Bob Glaub, which has a 10" fretboard radius and is 1 3/4" at the nut.
+1.
I put P-necks on all my Jazz bodies.
I just, prefer bigger P-neck. ( fits my hand)
Also, I think extra neck mass.= a little more tone.
+1 to the neck mass = more tone statement. This seems to be true in my experience. I have always attributed the P-Bass character to be partly due to the heavier neck. I have owned several ultra thin neck basses and none has ever had great low end character.
Yes, i think thats the key. I LOVE my Geddy, but if I had a P with that profile, I'd love it, too.
Soooooooooo....any P's with that profile????
I prefer J necks overall, but can adjust to a P neck (1.625) fairly easily. I'm not much of a fan of 1.75, but I've never spent an extended period of time with one.
IMO after playing a lot of both. Jazz is more ergonomic and faster. Precision might reel in any fancy play you may want to do or it may be better for bigger handed guys.
If you get used to the jazz and go back to the P neck you may love the diff like I do. J all the way.
If you get used to the jazz and go back to the P neck you may love the diff like I do. J all the way.
