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What is the difference between a jazz and precision bass?

Kleng77

By Kleng77,
in Bass Guitars

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wateroftyne Grand Master

wateroftyne

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Kleng77' post='179726' date='Apr 18 2008, 01:36 PM']Hi.
Just wondering if anyone could explain what the difference between jazz and precision basses are.[/quote]

Hello!

Loads of differences - some fact, some opinion.

[url="http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2008-08,GGLG:en&q=jazz+vs+precision"]Google is your friend[/url]...

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sgt-pluck Apprentice

sgt-pluck

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Posted (edited)

In essence....

Jazz = 2 pups, 'slanty' bodyshape, narrower neck, more tonal variety.

Precision = Single pup, 'squarer' bodyshape, wider neck, less tonal variety, but has the thump that built rock!

The majority of all basses are based on one or t'other configuration, and are usually described as being either 'j-type', 'p-type', or sometimes 'pj-type' which means it'll have one pick-up in the Precision position and a bridge pick-up a'la Jazz.

Pluck

*Edited for clarity!

Edited by sgt-pluck
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The Burpster Proficient

The Burpster

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Fatter = wider not deeper

Thinner= the opposite.

However is not quite that simplistic as there have thin neck Ps and twin PUP Ps and even active Ps.

As a genearlism though Pluckies post aint far wrong.


the P was teh 1st bass Leo desinged and mass produced (called Precision beacause it had frets, and prior to that [arguably] basses were fretless) 34" scale bass.

Once used to the idea of playing bass horizontally, quite a few artists wanted tonal variation and a faster neck so Leo designed teh J with 2 pups a different shape body and a more slender and narrower neck.

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johnnylager Rising Star

johnnylager

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Posted (edited)

And what about a J with a series switch to sound like a P? Is this "sitting on the fence" or true hermaphroditism?

EDIT: Or am I just fooling myself and should I just buy a P and swap the necks over? :)

Or grow an extra finger and stop moaning about fat necks?

Edited by johnnylager
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bigjohn Proficient

bigjohn

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Posted

[quote name='The Burpster' post='179767' date='Apr 18 2008, 02:16 PM']That insinuates you are a real man intouch with your feminine side?

I'm not sure..... need clarification..... :)[/quote]


I'm a real man with no hang ups about girth.

Apart from this. Ahem [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16601&hl=precision+nut"]precision nuts[/url]

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Hot Tub Enthusiast

Hot Tub

Posted
Posted (edited)

[quote name='Kleng77' post='179726' date='Apr 18 2008, 01:36 PM']Hi.
Just wondering if anyone could explain what the difference between jazz and precision basses are.[/quote]

Pretty straightforward really. If you play random notes, with no musical sense whatsoever, and just make a dreadful tuneless din, then that's jazz, so you'd use a Jazz bass. If on the other hand you play the right notes, in the right place, at the right time, that's playing with precision, so you'd use a Precision bass.

Sorted. :huh: ;)

[size=1](As it's Friday, Astronomer is now leaving the premises to get anethsetise... aenaethesised.... aneasthsetized.... scuttered. Be back to receive my flaiming later. :) )[/size]

Edited by Astronomer
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bremen Mentor

bremen

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[quote name='Astronomer' post='179796' date='Apr 18 2008, 02:45 PM']Pretty straightforward really. If you play random notes, with no musical sense whatsoever, and just make a dreadful tuneless din, then that's jazz, so you'd use a Jazz bass. If on the other hand you play the right notes, in the right place, at the right time, that's playing with precision, so you'd use a Precision bass.

Sorted. :huh: ;)

[size=1](As it's Friday, Astronomer is now leaving the premises to get anethsetise... aenaethesised.... aneasthsetized.... scuttered. Be back to receive my flaiming later. :) )[/size][/quote]

WAHEY! It's Friday!

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danlea Apprentice

danlea

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Posted (edited)

It doesn't seem like anyone's mentioned anything about the sound difference yet (either that or my skim-reading has gone downhill). A precision pickup excels at providing a deep, open bass sound with a rounded treble. It focuses on the fundamentals of a note (the actual note you're playing) and people who generally play with a plectrum will generally play a precision rather than a jazz. The jazz bass provides more emphasis overtones giving more body to the sound and making the bassline stand out more in the mix.

If I were to use letters to describe the sounds I would type the following:

Precision => 'pohmmm' or 'bohmmm' (treble on/rolled off).
Jazz => 'trrrrr' or 'drrrrr' (treble on/rolled off).

The jazz effect is similar to what you're generally trying to achieve with overdrive with valves.

Dan.

Edited by danlea
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bigjohn Proficient

bigjohn

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Posted

[quote name='Astronomer' post='179796' date='Apr 18 2008, 02:45 PM']Pretty straightforward really. If you play random notes, with no musical sense whatsoever, and just make a dreadful tuneless din, then that's jazz, so you'd use a Jazz bass. If on the other hand you play the right notes, in the right place, at the right time, that's playing with precision, so you'd use a Precision bass.

Sorted. :) :huh:[/quote]

That's about right then - I play random notes on my jazz neck, but tend do it in the right place at the right time (although my neighbours would surely disagree - especially at weekends).

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simon1964 Experienced

simon1964

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[quote name='danlea' post='179807' date='Apr 18 2008, 03:04 PM']If I were to use letters to describe the sounds I would type the following:

Precision => 'pohmmm' or 'bohmmm' (treble on/rolled off).
Jazz => 'tvvvvv' or 'dvvvvv' (treble on/rolled off).

Dan.[/quote]

LOL! I've just read that out loud, and its surprisingly accurate!

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danlea Apprentice

danlea

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There was a blind test of two different recording rigs (mixing desks actually I believe) at Olympic Studios while we were mixing, which was apparently attended by loads of really big names in audiophilia, and the person who was most successful at distinguishing the two was a handy-man at the studio! Anyway, the relevance lies here: He said after winning that he likened the sound of one them to a precision bass, and the other to a jazz bass. He prefers the sound of a jazz bass and so just chose the one he preferred every time! Fantastic!

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The Burpster Proficient

The Burpster

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Astronomer' post='179796' date='Apr 18 2008, 02:45 PM']Pretty straightforward really. If you play random notes, with no musical sense whatsoever, and just make a dreadful tuneless din, then that's jazz, so you'd use a Jazz bass. If on the other hand you play the right notes, in the right place, at the right time, that's playing with precision, so you'd use a Precision bass.[/quote]


Thats one of the funniest thngs I've read in ages!

:) :huh: ;) ;)

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