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Precision or Jazz, that is the question

#22
perutxo said:
Hi, get a PJ! Best of both worlds. :bassist:
Click to expand...

+1 on that one!

Drop the bridge pickup for a near, if not spot-on P-bass sound. Bring up the bridge for a little bit more "grit" to your tone. Find the right strings to seal the deal and violá!

And if this idea intrigues you, there are plenty of P/J configured basses to choose from, especially if you prefer this-or-that neck/body.

  • Aerodyne/Vintage Hot Rod Jazz: Jazz body and neck with vintage 7.25" radius (compound radius for the Hot Rod).
  • Deluxe P-Bass Special: Precision body, Jazz neck.
  • Tony Franklin/Duff McKagan: Precision body and neck.
  • Reggie Hamilton: Jazz body and modern 9.5" radius neck.
  • Affinity/Vintage Modified Precision PJ: Precision body and neck.
  • Standard P-Bass Special: Precision body, Jazz neck. Sadly, they've been discontinued for a few years, but you can still find them if you look around.

And these are just Fender/Squier models. There are tons of other P/J basses lurking around here.
 
#23
drjohn6oy said:
Hiya everyone. I'm contemplating a new Bass, depending on next months wages that is. I've been toying with the idea of getting a Precision Bass, although every time I get to the point of purchase somebody says, why are you getting a precision when you can get a Jazz. Very annoying! I understand that the question is limited and it's mainly down to personal preference, but what are the main differences?
Click to expand...

Get one of each. Otherwise your brain will implode trying to decide which one to have.
 
#25
Oh my God... this thread is DANGEROUS! It's gonna start a TB RIOT!!! ;-)

All kidding aside... I've owned and played both over the years... I had a jazz first (thanks to John Paul Jones), but once I got a P-Bass in my hands, I never looked back.

I know everyone talks about the tonal versatility of the Jazz; but, it's always felt lacking to me... I tried to dial it in in a million different ways, and with various amps, but I never found a sound that spoke to me.

With the Precision bass, however, there was immediately a "meat' to the tone that I just didn't hear in the Jazz bass.

Of course, to each his own... you've just gotta try 'em both and choose the one that sings to you!

Of all the decisions one makes in one's life, this choice is pretty sweet! Have fun!
 
#28
The thing about a precision is that it will always sound 'right'. No matter how you play it or dial it, the tone will work, because it is the quintessential bass. They are so comfy to play, and never feel out of place.

On the other hand, jazzes are awesome, they look cool, and John Paul Jones played one, and he has the best tone ever.
 
#29
I have both and recommend both. The P is a little quieter for recording purposes.

I'd probably get the P first. Keep your eyes peeled for a good deal on a J afterward

I recently got a Fender MP Jaguar which is a PJ kind of thing and really, really like it for the price. I've had so many bases over the last 37 years and the Fenders just feel right to me. I didn't even own one for my first ten years because I felt they were ordinary. Once I got one, I developed a huge preference for Fenders.

The good news is, you can't go wrong with either. You'll be happiest with both!
 
#30
Gbass75 said:
I know everyone talks about the tonal versatility of the Jazz; but, it's always felt lacking to me... I tried to dial it in in a million different ways, and with various amps, but I never found a sound that spoke to me.
Click to expand...

Did you ever try this?

I turn my volumes both up to "10," and my tone to "10." None of them go to "11," or I would set them at that.

WIDE OPEN.

To get different sounds, I change where I pluck the strings. More towards the neck is rounder. More towards the bridge is growlier. Also, if I use the meat of the finger it's rounder, and if I use the nail, it's got more bite.

:ninja:
 
#31
A jazz can sound more like a P than a P can sound like a jazz. Two-pickup basses are significantly more versatile than P basses, tone-wise. My first bass was a P bass (a '65). It got stolen in 1980. I bought a two-pickup bass to replace it, and never went back. The only other P bass I've ever owned was a PJ. P basses are fine if that's the only sound you want or need.
 
#32
mellowinman said:
Did you ever try this?

I turn my volumes both up to "10," and my tone to "10." None of them go to "11," or I would set them at that.

WIDE OPEN.

To get different sounds, I change where I pluck the strings. More towards the neck is rounder. More towards the bridge is growlier. Also, if I use the meat of the finger it's rounder, and if I use the nail, it's got more bite.

:ninja:
Click to expand...
+1
Add in pick playing and you can do even more.
 
#34
The one excels in what the other doesn't...

BILD3513_zps515a676b.jpg
 
#36
Munjibunga said:
A jazz can sound more like a P than a P can sound like a jazz. Two-pickup basses are significantly more versatile than P basses, tone-wise. .... P basses are fine if that's the only sound you want or need.
Click to expand...

This.
I used to play PJ, now a J. The J can get close enough to a P sound, with the right picking technique, and the neck PU almost soloed.
 
#37
I'll just repeat what others have said: it depends on the sound you want. If you don't know that intuitively, take a self-survey: what famous bassists sound best to you? Then go from there. Admittedly, there are other factors in their sounds, but it's a place to start from. For me, there is no sound in the world like a Jazz bass at full throttle. No other bass in the world, including the P, can match it. The P has a great tone, but the Jazz has a grit and bite that is just nasty. In a good way. Finally, I will second what an earlier poster said: take a look at the Fender Modern Player Jaguar. It has two passive pickups, one P and one J and is very versatile in the tones it will produce. Dial down the J pickup for a tone that is very P-like, or crank it up to get that J-bass bite. They are made in China, but don't let that put you off. I've had one for about 10 months now and it every bit as good, quality wise, as my MIM J-basses (one Classic Series 60's J-bass and one Fretless). Good luck!
 
#38
Hi guys, this is my first post here so go easy on me!

Firstly sorry for cutting across the thread as I know I'm looking for a p bass but I hope you can help me out.

I'm looking to get a solid, cheapish bass for my recording studio - I'm looking to use it live too and it would be mostly rock stuff that I'd be working on.

So, I've a choice to make between the Fender Cabronita, the Fender Tele Bass modern player or a Squier Telecaster Bass or just a regular Fender P bass...I know it's all down to trying them out and all that but I'd really appreciate any thoughts you might have...
 
#39
mellowinman said:
Did you ever try this?

I turn my volumes both up to "10," and my tone to "10." None of them go to "11," or I would set them at that.

WIDE OPEN.

To get different sounds, I change where I pluck the strings. More towards the neck is rounder. More towards the bridge is growlier. Also, if I use the meat of the finger it's rounder, and if I use the nail, it's got more bite.

:ninja:
Click to expand...

IMO/IME, what REALLY makes a Jazz kick ass is running it's pups in series, everything wide open - gives it a ton of thump like a P bass, adds in some of the mids that a Jazz can lack, yet maintains a clarity in the mix that a P Bass sometimes loses...

I really like my P basses, and also really like my Jazz basses - but if I had to choose only one, it would be a Jazz with a series/parallel switch... FWIW, my bandmates seem to prefer that setup, too...


- georgestrings
 

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