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Why would you choose a P over a J?

#61
I was a huge J guy until I started playing with loud guitars, then I realized (for the way I play) P's sat better in the mix. That being said, I have to own one Jazz Bass because I see bands play live who sound amazing with J-Basses, which makes me want to run out and buy one... by already owning one, I can bring it to practice and as soon as I play it remember why they don't suit me and then put it away and go back to playing whatever it was I was playing before. Haha. :)
 
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#62
sort of a complicated question actually...

it's almost like asking why do you choose (anything) over (another version of the same thing)

leather wingtip shoes in brown vs green sneakers. situational, no? jazz vs P really is similar. it's also not unfair to consider "so-and-so played a P bass. I love him. I play a P bass."

then there are the details of sound, but that is way less interesting and scientific and i think we all understand that already..
 
#63
vindibona1 said:
I know a lot of guys have a P bass as their weapon of choice. What is it about that model that would make you choose it over a J bass? I own both 4 and 5 string J basses and every time I pick up a P it just doesn't speak to me. Perhaps it's because I'm used to the neck on a J? I dunno. Sound is so nuanced anyway.

So what is it about P basses that grab you?
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I was like you once. My advice, get a wireless and do a sound check between the P and J in the mix. You’ll find the P just sits “fatter” in the mix like it belongs there. That’s what turned me on to P’s.
 
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#64
If I played piano, I'd probably have to choose between a Steinway and a Yamaha - based on size and expense, it's kinda impractical to have both. But I play bass. They're smaller and much cheaper. So I have a P bass and a J bass. When the vibe of the gig call for a P, I play a P. When it calls for a J, I play a J. When I want to play a downtuned bass, I have a couple. When I want to play a fretless... This really doesn't have to be one or the other.
 
#65
I prefer a J/B, but I'll usually grab my Jazz. I can mellow the tone and, to me, it sits exactly the way I want it to, while maintaining the punch and voice of the jazz.

With the P/J its so easy to blend to achieve your perfect tome.

It's actually quite subjective and divisive.
 
#66
A few years back I played in a Motown/Horn band with a Jazz bass for the first couple years. When I switched over to a P and brought it to rehearsal one night all 7 members commented on how much better and clearer it sounded. By itself I prefer the sound of my Jazz, but in a group context, the P sits so well in the mix. I have since become a big Precision Bass convert.
 
#67
A Precision bass is the best and most simple solution to most of the situations that a typical gigging bass player will face. By choosing a P bass, you are armed with a solid ubiquitous tone that will serve you well in front of an audience. You can’t really make a mistake and dial it in wrong. If you are unsure of what the situation will call for, a P will work, and work VERY well.
 
#68
Feel-X said:
View attachment 3407913
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I think this is something I'd want to explore. But I think I'm done with 4 stringers. I've gotten used to 5ers now and use the 5th string, even up to the 9th fret.

CallMeAl said:
I like the simplicity and how it cuts through in a live band setting...I'm the same with necks. I just put J necks on my P basses.
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bolophonic said:
I’ll be honest, my biggest turn-off about the Jazz bass is the aesthetics of the separate chrome control plate. I also prefer the width of the Precision neck. And every other aspect of the Precision, aesthetically.
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I think it is the P neck that is a bit off-putting for me. I like the J neck. It's not the width so much as the shape. I'm perfectly happy with my uber-narrow Squier VM Jazz 4 neck but am just as happy with the neck on my Ibanez BTB675 (38mm vs 47mm). I LIKE the aesthetics of the J bass over the P. I think if I were to add a bass to my collection it would probably be a 5 string PJ- with the right neck profile... similar to what Feel-X posted.

Will a PJ sound the same as a regular P if only the neck pickup is used?
 
#70
2F/2F said:
I don't have to think about much; I just turn everything up to full and they simply sound good.

I also like the feel of the [typically] wider necks.

I prefer the inherent tone of the pickup to a J.

String-to-string balance can be perfected, unlike with a J (my biggest annoyance about Js is the weak middle strings).

And they look great.

That said, I don't ever hem and haw over P vs. J when leaving for a gig. I use them pretty much interchangeably.
Click to expand...

Love and own both but mostly Ps which I prefer.

<<
String-to-string balance can be perfected, unlike with a J (my biggest annoyance about Js is the weak middle strings).
>>

The ability to adjust the individual string height to achieve string-to-string balance is one of the many reasons the P-Bass is my numero uno bass far and away. However, I have been able to mitigate the issue on my J-Basses by using Lindy Fralin and Dimarzio Area J pickups that have raised A & D pole pieces that align with the fingerboard radius.
 
#72
I played a Jazz for years.
And I still have one.
And I love it.
But i was a bit frustrated with the knob fiddling. Sometimes all knobs maxed sounded great, other times I had to back off the bridge pickup. And my tone knob was either all on or at 75%. Any other tone knob setting was unusable.
I loved those sounds, but didn't love the guessing game.
Granted, I was not unhappy with my Jazz when it was my main player. I just didn't know what I was missing.

I bought a P simply to help "round out my stable".
I found that no matter where I put the tone knob, it gave me a killer sound. Big and beefy.
I found I could play higher on the neck and still sound huge, which I couldn't always do on the Jazz.
I could play more melodically and not have the bottom drop out, which I couldn't do on the Jazz.
And the chunkier neck was instantly comfortable, no adjustment period necessary.
The Pbass just sounded right, it sounded like "home".
 
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#73
easyj said:
A Precision bass is the best and most simple solution to most of the situations that a typical gigging bass player will face. By choosing a P bass, you are armed with a solid ubiquitous tone that will serve you well in front of an audience. You can’t really make a mistake and dial it in wrong. If you are unsure of what the situation will call for, a P will work, and work VERY well.
Click to expand...

What about a fusion trio situation?
 
#75
vindibona1 said:
. I LIKE the aesthetics of the J bass over the P.
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Personally I like both! (Aesthetically) I dont notice the difference in the feel of the body shape , that never entered in for me. My current BL prefers a P and that's all I have currently. But would love to get a J again in the future!

vindibona1 said:
Will a PJ sound the same as a regular P if only the neck pickup is used?
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The debate rages on, but I think yes. My PJ sounds pretty much classic P. I hardly ever use the J anyway.

Interesting thread on the subject:
P vs P in PJ set --- Can You Tell Which Is Which?
 
#76
I would like to see a back-to-back quantitative comparison between a P and a J, with results shown as something like this.

From a 2009 talkbass post.

plot.jpg
 
#79
vindibona1 said:
I know a lot of guys have a P bass as their weapon of choice. What is it about that model that would make you choose it over a J bass? I own both 4 and 5 string J basses and every time I pick up a P it just doesn't speak to me. Perhaps it's because I'm used to the neck on a J? I dunno. Sound is so nuanced anyway.

So what is it about P basses that grab you?
Click to expand...
Three things; tone, tone and tone.

But I dislike the wider neck. So my P has a 1.5” wide neck. Plus the tone.
 

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