Second bass: opinions (specificity or versatility)

[ernestnewboy]

[TLDR: looking to get a 2nd bass, what would complement my current bass without too much overlap?]

First off let me say, versatility in tone is not a big goal to me, I don't really need to be able to produce every possible bass tone out there.
I do have a preference for a small handful of different bass tones though, and those happen to be associated both with flatwound and roundwound strings.

I recently put TI flatwounds on my PJ bass (my only bass) and I adore them, they do exactly what I wanted them to do. There's something in their dynamic response, in the attack and sustain, that I couldn't replicate on rounds with just EQ and a mute.

I do however have to admit that this has sacrified some of the bass' allround utility. At times I miss the ability to get a growly top end when playing with a pick for instance. So I was thinking to save up for a second bass, so I can have one with rounds and one with flats. Also, while the P pickup sounds amazing with flats, the J pickup kind of lost some of its appeal.

I don't want to have more than two basses so I feel there's some pressure on this decision to choose wisely. In general I know that I want one thumpy/darker sounding bass, and one bass with more growl and bite. Either way I gravitate towards Precision sounds, but having two Precisions as my only two basses might be a bit redundant.
I see two scenarios, but looking for any input and recommendations!

1. Get a second P bass, move the flats over to that bass, and string the PJ with rounds
pro: I love the P sound, both with flats and with rounds
con: maybe a bit too samey

2. Keep the PJ as is and get a second bass that covers a brighter sound spectrum - a stingray-type bass, a jazz bass (active/passive?)
pro: more ground covered, if later on I want to venture into different genres I'm already covered
con: I might still be lusting after that Precision with rounds sound

Any thoughts?

 

[ljazz]

I like your first option. Look for a used 2008 - 2016 Am Std P. Account for a pup swap if you go with a 2008 - 2012 Am std though.... the pup is horribly tame in those, and not a great fit with the TIJF's, IMO.

 

[Marihino]

Both options are equally compelling to me, with the caveat that in case of choosing 2nd I'd probably replace the PJ with a simpler P at some point. From your post, it feels like you prefer a P over J or anything else as your "rounds" tone. And I think that's the main thing to consider here - what's your favourite tone? And choose that over how much ground it will cover. There isn't really anything you cannot do with either a P with flats and another with rounds, or a P with flats and, say, a J with rounds.

 

[el murdoque]

I'd have suggested the same thing. Either get a P, slap the flats on there and use your PJ for rounds, which seems a good solution,

or go all-in on the snarl and get a Stingray for the rounds.

 

[ernestnewboy]

Thanks for the input so far! The advantage of needing to save up for it is that I can't make an impulse buy. Plenty of time to mull it over!

 

[Thom Fioriglio]

I've considered the same thing after putting flats on my Fender Am Pro II P Bass. I fell in love with that classic tone, but did miss rounds. I tried a Fender Am Pro II Jazz and then sold it after 2 weeks. As others have suggested, if you love the feel and tone of the P bass, look into a used P, or even maybe a Vintera P to put flats on and keep rounds on the PJ. I owned a Vintera II Road Worn P for several months. Absolutely loved the tone. Just be aware that the Fender Vintera Series uses 60s specs, so wider neck, rounder fretboard radius. They sound fantastic with flats, but in the end, I just didn't jive with the specs.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

What’s your budget?

 

[Chris Chong]

PJ round wound

 

[godofthunder59]

One Precision with rounds and the other with flats will cover a lot of sonic territory plus a sense of familiarity and continuity. Having said that it's always fun to have something different. A Stingray, Jazz Bass, Rickenbacker or Thunderbird are all nice counterpoints to a PJ Precision. Another suggestion is if you are looking for something full and deep sounding a Hofner might be the ticket. I recently broke out my Hofner for a hippie gig I'm doing and it's been a delightful revelation, I don't think I've used it since 1976.

 

[ernestnewboy]

What’s your budget?

Given enough time anything within reason! I personally can't justify spending over 1250$ on a bass though

 

[MIMike]

What is the neck on your current bass like? If it is a slim J neck (1.5” width), then I think you might be happy with a Jazz Bass for your rounds sound. If the current bass has a P neck (1.625” width), it might be a more familiar transition to get another P Bass and put the flats on that.

 

[MaxSpinrun]

Many good suggestions, but I would get something totally different like a Sting Ray.

 

[JamesGrant]

P with flats, J with rounds.

 

[toastw]

Generally speaking, and all other things being equal, I'd say 1. Get a P Bass, put flats on it. Use both pickups on your PJ with rounds on 'em and you're hella versatile.

 

[Nedmundo]

P with flats, J with rounds.

That would be my approach, and I would recommend considering a couple of options for the J. If the J has typical single coil pickups, get a series parallel switch, because the series option will fatten it up more like a P bass if you need those thick low mids.

Also consider non-traditional pickups that might provide a thicker-than-usual J-bass tone, or hum-canceling pickups that allow you to favor the neck pickup with zero noise. I love J basses, but I rarely keep the stock single coil pickups, because I prefer a little more fatness and/or noiseless operation.

 

[GregT]

I recently did a similar thing. I can only play short scale bass now. I found my perfect bass in the Schecter Banshee which is pretty much a 30 inch P bass. Before the flats came in the mail, I was really enjoying the rounds that came on it when it was new. So, I recently bought another Banshee used and put on the original strings from my first one. One with flats and one with rounds; the best of both worlds. I like it so much that I've ordered TI Roundwound Jazz Series strings for it. The one with flats will get used most, but having the choice is really nice.

 

[bassdude51]

Get a J.

 

[Brandon Shea]

If you're not in a rush, keep an eye on the used market. You might find a real bargain, and it's always best to try things in person if you can. Do you have any good shops nearby?

Both options you laid out make a lot of sense, so I think it'll just depend on what instruments show up and what you bond with.

 

[JakobT]

I would get a second PJ, and string it with rounds. This would give you all the versatility you’re ever likely to need, as well as having a backup that would do a decent job.

 

[Pings Bass]

When I was working with 2 basses, it was fretted and fretless. It's pretty obvious difference in what you can do with each; it's significantly less obvious with string and pickup differences.

Any decent bass with any decent strings can be played bright or thumpy. If that's the only difference you're looking for, I'd stick with the P/J and find strings that land in the middle and work on technique that can bring out both ends of that spectrum.