P or P/J ... since our J basses can Never sound like a true P .! = pickup placement .!
my choice - Warmoth
my choice - Warmoth
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Fender American Standard Precision.
Fender American Deluxe Dimension.
Fender American Standard Jaguar.
Fender American Deluxe Dimension.
Fender American Standard Jaguar.
I always go with identical instruments. Even if they are different colors. My backup is always interchangable with whichever one I am using.
Why would you let a forum spend your money? All you are going to get is I have one so you need it too, or I wish I had so you go buy one. Do like before the internet, and drive to some music stores and play some. If you don't know how to spend your money other people do!
Well it might seem like a good idea to get something totally un-Fender Jazz like. But for me whenever I had two radically different basses I found myself only ever reaching for one of them and the other just sat in the case. Finally I got rid of my other basses and got a P. Now I have a J and P, one has a maple fretboard, one a rosewood, the P is lighter, the J has more tonal options. I can get the tone I want out of either. They are different enough that I can't decide which I want to use, but similar enough that I am not disappointed either way.
It all depends on what the second bass is for. If the goal is to have a backup for the MIA jazz, then probably another jazz, maybe a less expensive one like an MIM, Sire, or VM Squier. If the goal is to have something completely different, I remember a video one time where the guy's advice was to have a passive 4 and an active 5. I don't agree with that as an ironclad rule, but for variety an active 5 would be as good a place to think as any - maybe an Ibanez or a Stingray.
It's always cool to have a #2, 3, 4 or more. Anyway having a #2 is always good to use as a backup, or have tuned down or whatever else. If you have a jazz bass I would consider getting a p bass for your number 2 or vices versa. I only use Gibson and fender, but my main bass is my 2014 Gibson USA SG special 120 anniversary. My number 2 to that bass is currently at GC on layaway. That one is a 2015 Gibson SG standard. I also have a fender p bass,mane my number 2 is my squier jazz bass which I have a ton of mods done to.
Another Jazz. 
Or a G&L L2000.
Are you looking for another bass to get that sound, or want something that sounds completely different? If you want something different, but in the same vein, I'd say the L2000 would be a good choice, or a Stingray HH.
Or a G&L L2000.
Are you looking for another bass to get that sound, or want something that sounds completely different? If you want something different, but in the same vein, I'd say the L2000 would be a good choice, or a Stingray HH.
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Smooth_bass88
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Those other basses are drastically different, but the question is how different does this person want and/or need it? I really don't think you can go wrong with a P and J in your setup. They are different enough that it covers a lot of ground.
I was a Jazz bass player for like 12 years. I picked up a P-bass a few years ago having not really owned one for any significant length of time before that. For me, they're very different tonally. However they are "comfortable" in the sense that you're sticking with Fender styled instruments. There is something familiar about the feel basically and of course they're both passive and have similar controls.
So maybe that's what you mean by "Js and Ps aren't that different" (paraphrased). However to me, the sound is pretty different unless you're using some non-traditional pickups on a Jazz bass.
As with anything YMMV so I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just sharing my opinion.
I kinda did the same thing.
G&L SB-1 and G&L SB-2.
However the SB-2 also gives me some extra sounds if I want it. I'm in the process of adding the same exact tone knob configuration to it as the SB-1 has so it's a better backup. Well, it's not identical as it will be a stacked knob, but I digress.
I think a PJ might be a great middle ground. They get the extra tone options, but can approximate a J sound if they need to. I think a J and a PJ would back each other up nicely.
We always need one more bass to complement the basses we already have. That's the wonderful, frustrating and hugely expensive thing about this hobby .
If you are looking for a polar opposite to your Jazz bass, then I have to agree with the others suggesting a Stingray or similar active bass with a Musicman pickup in the sweet spot.
There's even basses that can kinda do both (albeit not perfectly). For example I recently built myself a hybrid Warmoth/Allparts MM/J with active/passive switch and series/parallel switch... it ranges from jazzy to downright beastly
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.If you are looking for a polar opposite to your Jazz bass, then I have to agree with the others suggesting a Stingray or similar active bass with a Musicman pickup in the sweet spot.
There's even basses that can kinda do both (albeit not perfectly). For example I recently built myself a hybrid Warmoth/Allparts MM/J with active/passive switch and series/parallel switch... it ranges from jazzy to downright beastly
.Attachments
If the point is to have a fail-safe backup bass, you can't get much more bulletproof than a Precision. Whatever it is, make it passive, and different enough from your Jazz to justify owning it. For me, my primary is a passive Fender CS Jazz with rosewood board and my backup is a '58 AVRI Precision with maple board and flats.
Good answer. Just like every guitarist should have a Strat (or a Tele) and a Les Paul.
I know I will end up with another Jazz someday to go with my Precisions.
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