What does an authentic Jazz bass really sound like? Small rant warning.

[Vincent Van Low]

Evidently P basses cause back pain, so we have that to think about too

I heard this!!!

 

[jd56hawk]

Why does it seem that Jazz Basses are not any good any more unless they are modified to sound like something else?
Seriously?
In what world?

 

[Smooth_bass88]

I own and frequently gig on a 1962 Fender Jazz. Original pickups long gone, now sporting Lindy Fralins. Definitely not a "modding platform" (silly phrase). It sounds incredible on its own. I usually run it with Daddario rounds. It's a little on the bright side with the tone wide open, but this can be a good thing in some situations. People love it when I use it.

 

[Jason Sypher]

I have a ‘73. All original. Plug and play. Sounds like most of my favorite records. People like to tinker. My Jazz feels and responds totally different than a P. I’d like a Precision for fun but I bet I’d choose the Jazz most of the time. It just kicks ass.

 

[75Ric]

[QUOTE="Rip Van Dan, post: 27783314, member: 137734

Me and my '65 Jazz in late 1971 or early 1972 with my Standel amp behind me:
View attachment 5183909

[/QUOTE]

This brings back memories. I had a Standel back then, too.

I have a '62 reissue jbass. All stock. This goes into one channel of my amp, the pbass goes in the other. Love both tones.

 

[39-Bassist]

Hmmm...I have a MIJ GL and it sounds great. Also a slightly modded Jazz with STK-2J's for no hum and a tad bit more output when needed.
BUT I always thought tehnique was a big influence on how my Jazz basses sounded live and in recordings. But thats me.

 

[MegaSwing]

It’s all in the strings and the EQ, IMO. My main problem with all Jazz-type basses is they don’t lean securely.

 

[BassBrass]

"Yes men?" In Fenderworld, I liken the Jazz bass's two single coil sound to the Stratocaster in any 2 pu combination, the classic scooped stratsound that has a midrange voice. It's just beautiful and in a bass can be eq'd to be Very punchy as well. I liken the P to a Tele although the Tele is more versatile, and it has (to me) a cardboard sound that blends very well with sax, and in high volume doesn't get in the way of the bass drum because it is missing (some of) the thick low mids of a Jazz. Just about ANY decent bass can be eq'd to sound acceptable. Solo'd I personally would always want a Jazz sound, but P can be gorgeous too, especially blended at high volume.

When it first appeared the P bass was the perfect bass to lure double bass players in. Both these Fender basses are design miracles like a Ferrari. Genius. The P bass is masculine yet sleek, like Italian sculpture, simple, the flat strings felt and sounded like (same envelope) double bass (with the mute it came with).

I don't understand OP's question or point of view, or how he came to his conclusions. so I'm just rambling about Jazz bass vs P. I have an unbelievable graphite PJ, and use the P sound abt 30% because it's PJ sound does what a Jazz bass does with low end non flabby punchiness.

 

[bobalu]

I do not know how to answer this question.
Is a jazz bass really just a really good platform to modify?
If so why?
Why does it seem the Jazz bass can not stand in its own anymore?
Change the pickups so you get more of a deep growl. To me just purchase a P Bass.
Just use your neck pickup and it will be the same as a P Bass. Not even close in the real world.
You know what I am going to say; just buy a P bass.
Now it’s active preamps and 3.1415926 band EQ’s.
Can’t say get a P Bass for that.

So again what does a traditional Jazz bass sound like?
What is wrong with a passive Bass.
Why does it seem that Jazz Basses are not any good any more unless they are modified to sound like something else?
I have my power basses. I do not need a Jazz to sound like my Warwick.

I do not need a modified Jazz to sound like my trucks diesel engine, Bark like my Heeler or sound like the Flute in the TCB Band.

I apologize! End of Rant. Can some one help me with this?

Thanks in advance
Clayton. Now the Unofficial Mayor of Bearville.

Umm.............. maybe you should switch to guitar.

 

[Danny C]

Only mod I did with my jazz bass was the makers name. Poof...now it's a Moollon jazz bass. Still the same bass, different maker. They sound fine just the way they are.

 

[Bob_Ross]

I like the jazz bass, but I just wanted something different.
I gonna just drop this here…

Thread Drift: What are those pickups? They look like old Schecter Monstertones.

 

[StereoPlayer]

Thread Drift: What are those pickups? They look like old Schecter Monstertones.

They are based off Schecter taped PU’s I bought in 1982. They are taped PU’s custom made new ones by Tom Brantley.
Shipping and Contact — TOM BRANTLEY REWINDS

 

[Cleezmo]

low end non flabby punchiness.

This is the best phrase I've heard all day!

 

[MonetBass]

You could have saved yourself a lot of typing by simply saying "I don't like the sound of a stock passive Jazz bass".

As others have said, many people really do.

 

[Savage_Dreams]

Why does it seem that Jazz Basses are not any good any more unless they are modified to sound like something else?

Im assuming this is means to you it doesnt sound good, or to others?

plenty of people play stock J's.
plenty of people mod other basses besides J's.

I dont know what this rant is.

 

[Cleezmo]

I don't see the death of the jazz bass the way the OP seems to. At a monthly jam session last month, the 7 basses the various players had were:

'70s Fender Jazz, USA G&L Jazz (me), recent Fender Jazz AM Pro, Spector Euro, Short Scale Stingray, Fender MIA PJ, Sterling by MM Stingray.

So, yeah, 3 out of 7 were jazz basses, the only mods I could see were the aftermarket closed pickup covers on my G&L.

 

[MtManiac]

I’m not totally sure I understand the rant, but I think what you’re saying is you’re upset because you feel pressure to not play a straight stock passive Jazz bass?

I never understand this type of rant. I play whatever the he77 I want, and so too should everyone else in my opinion. My advice is stop hanging out with juveniles of any age who have such a strong sense of inadequacy they need to push their preferences on other people, and when you meet them, just hit your internal “mute microphone” button, and then you won’t hear them.

Art can’t be produced when everyone does the same damned thing all the time.

But many, many people play straight stock passive Jazz basses, they’re probably the *most* common type of bass guitar. So that’s what’s really confusing.

 

[bucephylus]

After all these years yes people are going to modify them to what they want. That is totally cool with me, you just can’t call it a Jazz bass anymore.

So, changing the pickups or adding a preamp will cause the Jazz Bass Police unit to show up at the gig?

OK, if you are primarily a collector, it is true that irreversible modifications to highly valued vintage instruments do reduce the instrument’s value. From that perspective, your statement has an element of substance.

But, from a musician’s perspective, if you show up at the audition or gig with Fender on the headstock, your fellow players think the instrument is a Fender; and if the headstock says Jazz Bass, then it’s a Jazz Bass. Unless you have swapped a Jazz Bass neck onto a Precision. Different discussion. In any case, if you play well, know the material, and sound good, your fellow musicians won’t care, and certainly the audience won’t care. Just the way it is.

Further tribal debate here on TB is basically uninformed banter. It does help to be clear whether speaking as a collector or player.

 

[Plectrum72]

Jazz basses with offset lower bouts are not any good. Jazz basses with symmetrical lower bouts are alright regardless of pickup/preamp choices. At least that's my opinion on the subject.

 

[chris_b]

I have no idea what an authentic jazz bass sounds like, or what "authentic" even means. I know my Sadowsky Jazz sounds like a million dollars, as does my Mike Lull PJ.

I only focus on the sound of the basses I own. Buy a good bass and it will pay you back a thousand times.