One for Clarky etc - Jazz Bass

[Musicman20]

I noticed again whilst packing my basses last night that a P bass neck is much more comfy for me. I put this down to years and years of using P bass style basses right from the first time I picked up a bass.

I even started to feel the nut on the Jazz was too small...as in it cramped my hands. I have smallish hands...so this is odd.

I want to still have a J bass, but now Im thinking maybe its not meant to be.

Hmmm

The problem is, I love the back pickup on a Jazz, and that growl you get with both on full.

Hmmmm, again.

[Fat Rich]

A popular conversion is to add a jazz pickup:

[url="http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/web/our-catalogue/Fender/Electric-Basses/item/6818"]http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/web/o...asses/item/6818[/url]

I've got a Japanese Precision with the extra pickup and it's very versatile.

[Bigwan]

Why not go the whole hog and have a precision modded to be a Jazz (Like Wille Weeks'/Clarky's Alleva)? Jazz bass sound with precision ergonomics. Problem solved. It's a step better than the PJ idea for me - PJ doesn't do the 'role-off-1-pickup-slightly' sound due to the mismatch in the pickup types.

I seem to remember seeing a Musicman 'Ray modded this way somewhere along the line - think it was yer man from the Stereophonics...

Or you could just put a P neck on a J...

[Musicman20]

It might be just me being picky. Im sure I can get used to it if I used a Jazz bass and nothing else for a few weeks.

At the moment im switching between 4s, 5s, and all different neck profiles.

[bigjohn]

I find the thinner neck profiles on jazzes can cramp my hands. The thicker not so. For me it's not the width at the nut that causes problems.

[ezbass]

I played a Jazz width neck for years and was never ever really comfortable on it, the P width is where it is at for me. If the Roscoe Beck I had had had (how many hads?) a P width option I'd still be playing it today. Couldn't even replace the neck as it was a custom length

[Clarky]

I find the B width neck (1.625 inches), half way betwwe P and J widths, to be the most comfortable. My 72P has a B width neck and is so easy to play that any idiot could do it (which is fortunate for me). The Alleva WW had a traditional 1.75 width neck and I didn't find it as comfortable as my 72P (although it wasa clearly better made!)

You can buy matched PJ pickup sets from Wizard, DiMarzio etc so why not try that on one of your Ps, Gareth? Will cost including installation between £100-200 but that's a lot cheaper than the cost of a Jazz bass.

[EdwardHimself]

well the way i see it if you like the P neck feel you can either get a p/j bass as mentioned before. Or a jazz bass and stick a P neck on it.

[Musicman20]

[quote name='Clarky' post='966849' date='Sep 24 2010, 04:03 PM']I find the B width neck (1.625 inches), half way betwwe P and J widths, to be the most comfortable. My 72P has a B width neck and is so easy to play that any idiot could do it (which is fortunate for me). The Alleva WW had a traditional 1.75 width neck and I didn't find it as comfortable as my 72P (although it wasa clearly better made!)

You can buy matched PJ pickup sets from Wizard, DiMarzio etc so why not try that on one of your Ps, Gareth? Will cost including installation between £100-200 but that's a lot cheaper than the cost of a Jazz bass.[/quote]

Down to one now! As I promised myself.

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='Bigwan' post='966457' date='Sep 24 2010, 10:17 AM']Why not go the whole hog and have a precision modded to be a Jazz (Like Wille Weeks'/Clarky's Alleva)? Jazz bass sound with precision ergonomics. Problem solved. It's a step better than the PJ idea for me - PJ doesn't do the 'role-off-1-pickup-slightly' sound due to the mismatch in the pickup types.[/quote]

I've owned a couple PJ Precision basses and I think my next modded bass may well be a JJ Precision bass... in fact the skeleton bass is on its way to me as we speak. Just need to find a Bartolini PJ set (I need the PJ to compliment the Bart PJ set I already have as the pair of P pups are going into a Warwick).

[mcnach]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='966470' date='Sep 24 2010, 10:25 AM']It might be just me being picky. Im sure I can get used to it if I used a Jazz bass and nothing else for a few weeks.

At the moment im switching between 4s, 5s, and all different neck profiles.[/quote]


I think you would get used to it if you tried. You may still prefer other necks, but you can get to feel at home enough to play without problem.

I'm not a big guy either, and I started out on Jazz type basses... but then I moved to bigger necks, and especially my fat-profile Warwicks. Then I found a sweet Ibanez SR400 and I thought the neck was very nice, slim, sounded great... but after playing for a while i'd feel my hands getting uncomfortable. I'd rather play the warwick or a Stingray thana thin-necked SR400 or a Jazz... I also thought it was odd, as I assumed smaller hands meant a thin neck would be more comfy.

What I then noticed was that I was pressing too hard on the strings and had a strong grip. I think the fatter necks helped me with posture when pressing too hard, and the thinner necks revealed what I was doing.

I simply tried to use less strength, and relax my hands more, be smoother...
Whilst I still employ a grip-of-death if I'm tense or practicing something I have trouble with... in general I play with a softer grip, and that has helped me play better on any neck. Thin, fat, 4 or 5 string... I still prefer bigger necks, but I played on Wednesday a gig with my Jazz and it felt fine.

So, I'd say that switching basses frequently helps being "versatile", feeling at home soon with any kind of bass. But checking how much strength you're using and consciously working towards relaxing and not being to strong-gripped might be an important factor as well.

I've never seen you play, so I'm not saying this will apply to you, or anyone else, automatically... but it's just something I noticed about what I was doing. Maybe I'm not the only one.