Why would you choose a P over a J?

[IamBF]

Y'all are killing me. The more I read this thread I'm convinced I now need a P bass... and some have mentioned the Stingray which I know I also need. Didn't we just have a thread about GAS?

 

[vindibona1]

... it took me a little while to understand the nuances between the two instruments.What I am trying to get across is that, this particular type of question comes back over and over, I think, because when you are using a J and you have never used a P, it is not immediately obvious what makes the P different. In my case, I had to use both for quite sometime before sorting them out.

I get that entirely. I asked the question because the answer is so nuanced. But my own question, with some of the answer provided have caused me to search out sound samples and see if I could now recognize the nuances. I'm beginning to understand what they are and hear them.

Now as I go back to my J bass I'm thinking I like the sound FOR WHAT IT IS, but can I replicate the P bass sound? And to my surprise, not really. It's a nice sound, but not a P sound. HOWEVER....

...To my surprise I could get MUCH closer to the P sound with my Ibanez BTB675! When I bought it I didn't even think I was going to keep it thinking it was too big for me. It turns our that I love this bass. I can't believe how well I can get around on it and how my fingers just seem to know where the notes are. And the folks at the worship group where I use it most often think it's the best sounding bass I own. [Well... they haven't heard my Squier VM Jazz with Aguilar HC pickups, but they like it better than my stock MIM Jazz 5 (see avatar-which will have Aguilar HC's soon too). ] As I'm just getting acclimated to different bass sounds, I'm still trying to figure out what sounds I'm getting with my Yamaha TRBX605. A nice pleasant sound, but neither Jazz, nor P, nor BTB, nor Music Man.

Thanks to everyone who has posted useful info. It's been a helpful step in my bass education.

 

[thebreakman]

To me, the Precision Bass feels better, sounds better and looks better. Just something about a Precision.

 

[blastoff]

Jazz basses fall over if you don't use a guitar stand

 

[mickebas]

P and J but I’ve never come to terms with the PJ configuration. Of course I could always just not use the J pickup an use it like a P that does not have the esthetic, charming simplicity of a regular P... but why?
A J-bass has it’s strength in the slimmer neck, if you’re into that, and the fuller but not as barky sound of it’s two single coils.
I could not be without either but I like them the traditional way or I’d rather have a Yamaha or something else.
Lots of great basses out there that are not a P or a J but it’s all a matter of tradition and safety.

 

[easyj]

I'm not being an ass with saying this because I've also found it true for myself, but (in general) the more you play with a band the more you play a P bass. The more you play at home, the more you play a J.

BAM. You hit the nail, on the head. The experienced gigging guys know that a P will deliver the majority of the time, and they care about delivering. The fact is that most of them have a job where they are supporting the band with solid bass lines that cut through, not a job as a featured virtuoso bassist who shows off their skills. If you are the latter, you may be better served by a Jazz. The P is the bread and butter bass. I think less experienced players see the P’s lack of versatility as a substantial negative. Those that gig regularly understand that the better versatility of tone in a Jazz bass doesn’t buy them much in the typical gigging situations they encounter. The thick, cutting thump of the P gets them through more often than not.

Choose a P if you want an indisputably solid tone you can bet on, choose a J if you want to be different or are working in specific unique situations, like the previously mentioned fusion trio.

Many younger bass players are looking to change the world and maybe be the next Jaco or Wooten. GOD BLESS YOU. I am behind you all the way. Don’t use the tried and true instrument that everyone plays, be different, WAY different. Pick a Jazz, or a Bongo, whatever works for you. Understand that there is a need to deliver solid bass support to keep people entertained all over the place. A lot of the gigging pros are keeping the people dancing with the old standard.

Most of us could just buy a Precision and forget about it. We’d be FINE.

 

[Otis66]

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?

I couldn’t decide. I have a P Bass and J Bass. Picasso didn’t use one paint brush...bass players need more than one bass. That being said the P Bass is the one to have if you can only have one.

 

[Robscott]

I played Jazz bass for years, live and a some recording. Always wanted a P bass though. When I switched to a P bass years ago, I tried to get on with J basses as well, but I always ended up selling them. I prefer the tone, feel, neck (no more thin necks for me) and looks of a P bass. I still dig J basses, no doubt, but P bass is my thing. P and Ray is what I use nowadays, as both do it for me.

Yep me too, in fact the Ray does it all for me now, the P hangs on the wall looking pretty. In an onstage situation a Ray gives you everything you could possibly want IMHO, can't say the same for P or J. Course, you might not get on with a thin neck

 

[zon6c-f]

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?

No real objection to j basses but:

•No 60hz hum ( I’m single mode, Js hum)

•A simple go-to bass for nearly every need

 

[pbass2]

The effortless "sits in the mix" ability of a decent P is undeniable. It really is what all the fuss is about.

 

[Nephilymbass]

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?

They are both good designs. To me it’s all about what the project calls for. These types of threads remind me of this recent Facebook post lol

 

[easyj]

They are both good designs. To me it’s all about what the project calls for. These types of threads remind me of this recent Facebook post lol

There is nothing better than the classic P VS. J thread. Somebody should start a new one, weekly, so we can hash it out.

 

[Nephilymbass]

There is nothing better than the classic P VS. J thread. Somebody should start a new one, weekly, so we can hash it out.

Lol

 

[stringthrough]

2 things...

1) The P bass growl which sits like no other in the mix
2) Simple electronics... Some like me don't like to fiddle with knobs

That said, I also own a J and PJ bass

 

[Liam Wald]

As someone who prefers a Jazz that has only recently begun to understand a P...

If my amp is dialed in for a Jazz it’ll make my P sound thin and kind of boring. If it’s dialled in for a P it’ll make my J sound too scooped and kind of weak.

I’m sure there’s more to it. I never really liked the P that much until I plugged it into an Ampeg.

I think that this might be why many P-bass players who thy a Jazz bass aren't all that thrilled with them.
They probably have their amp dialed in for a P and when they plug in a J it is as you describe.
Personally I prefer a Jazz bass due to the complexities of sound that are possible using two a pick-up configuration.

 

[Father Gino]

About a year ago I got a J after not having one for decades. A couple of months ago I got a P which I had never had. They’re different for sure. They’re both great. I could spend the rest of my life trying different strings on both of them and create as much variance in tone. In the end, no matter what bass I have, I end up sounding like me.

 

[Mike Sorr]

I have been waging the P vs J war for a few decades now. I prefer the body style of the P, the neck profile of the J and the added tonal range of the J bridge pickup. I played a P Bass in my younger days, and was frustrated that my tone would often get lost on stage among loud drummers and usually two loud guitar players. I developed the bad habit of playing too hard because subconsciously I tried to overcompensate for not being able to hear myself, even though intellectually I knew that playing harder doesn't equal being louder. The answer should have been the Fender Precision Bass Special with the Jazz neck, J pickup and P Body style. But I haven't been able to find another under 9.5 pounds. I like the Tony Franklin model, but they discontinued the fretted version. I once had a black and maple passive P Special that I'm still kicking myself for letting go.

 

[Altitude]

P basses are sort of like hot rod pickup trucks. J basses are a little like muscle cars. They're both cool, they each have a different appeal.

 

[somebrains]

I think that this might be why many P-bass players who thy a Jazz bass aren't all that thrilled with them.
They probably have their amp dialed in for a P and when they plug in a J it is as you describe.
Personally I prefer a Jazz bass due to the complexities of sound that are possible using two a pick-up configuration.

This can also be a problem dialing in a GZR after using EMG P, Orig 60/62, Model P.

 

[Siggy]

If I could have only one Fender, it would be a P, then a J. The Precision fits my playing style better.