Never had a J or a P - what am I missing?

[dincz]

I've been a long term stop/start dabbler on bass and have never spent a lot on the few I've owned which are:

Vox Cougar hollow body (Bought second hand in 1970 and still got it. Anorexic neck. Sustain - if only!)
Ibanez Roadster RS-900 '80ish (ridiculously heavy)
Samick something or other '90s (adequate in an unremarkable way)
Cort C4H 2010 (still got it and it's the most playable so far. Great neck)

As you see I've led a sheltered life. I love the Cort. It feels like it was made for me. Not crazy about the 2 band EQ but I compensate in the preamp.

I played a mate's P a few times but the neck felt like a fence post. But what am I missing out on? Just what is it that makes J's and P's so popular?

[Happy Jack]

I'll let others comment about the J, but the P is all about that fundamental sound. Nothing else quite delivers the bottom end in the same way and - for most people, and whether or not they realise it - the sound of a P is the sound they grew up hearing.

Hearing a P is like coming back to your family home; it's just [u][i][b]right[/b][/i][/u].

[Ben Jamin]

Familiar sounds, feel and aesthetics. A secure option you can rely on to deliver. Can't really go wrong.

[skankdelvar]

Funnily enough, there are any number of people on BC who will say that an Ibanez RS-900 can deliver the Precision sound better than many actual Precisions. So that's half your question answered!

[Jigster]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1345028470' post='1772455']
I'll let others comment about the J, but the P is all about that fundamental sound. Nothing else quite delivers the bottom end in the same way and - for most people, and whether or not they realise it - the sound of a P is the sound they grew up hearing.

Hearing a P is like coming back to your family home; it's just [u][i][b]right[/b][/i][/u].
[/quote]

always feels right, but too boomy

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1345028470' post='1772455']
I'll let others comment about the J, but the P is all about that fundamental sound. Nothing else quite delivers the bottom end in the same way and - for most people, and whether or not they realise it - the sound of a P is the sound they grew up hearing.

Hearing a P is like coming back to your family home; it's just [u][i][b]right[/b][/i][/u].
[/quote]

That`s it in a nutshell. Find a P with a neck that you get on with, never look back. You can have many other basses too, but a trusty P is a great go-to bass, that will always deliver. Mind that eq though, too much bass or low-mids and they can boom - though dropping the pickup height on the E is an easy fix for this.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Lozz196

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1345028470' post='1772455']
I'll let others comment about the J, but the P is all about that fundamental sound. Nothing else quite delivers the bottom end in the same way and - for most people, and whether or not they realise it - the sound of a P is[b] the sound they grew up hearing.[/b][/quote]

Not me, Jimmy Lea lived and breathed Gibson, or custom Gibsons copies. The only other guy I watched & listened to a lot is Lemmy, a Rick man - who said Fenders have necks like tree-trunks.
Though having said that I do wish I'd seen Duck Dunn - and I was stunned to watch Gordon Rowley of Strife a few times who had the most battered P I ever saw in my life.

[Fat Rich]

I reckon a Jazz neck would probably be closest to your Cort, most manufacturers go for a fairly slim profile these days.

Have a go on as many Jazzes and Precisions in as many music shops as you can and see if you've actually been missing something, you might find you haven't. Or you might find a bass that feels perfect for you, in fact try as many basses from all manufacturers, why limit yourself?

I've found that Fenders generally fit in well in most band situations, the Precision usually just works. A bit more care needs to be taken with the Jazz, if you wind everything to max you can end up with a scooped sound that gets lost in the mix.

Also, there's a few bands that want to see you playing a Fender because they're considered the right choice. Maybe an image thing or just a lack of imagination?

[stu_g]

I owned vox cougar too,mine wasnt the most playable and I own an ibanez rs900,like you say very heavy I've owned a lot of precisions USA,japan and Mexican and I think the ibanez can do the precision sound quite well,I have never got on with the jazz sound though I had a hot rod precision never used the jazz pickup on it don't know why I just like the precision thump!

[Bobby K]

What Happy Jack said is bang on the money, with regards to a P bass. The bass I always come back to

[Immo]

Simply:
1. [b]Fundamental Sound[/b] - nothing else delivers P sound or J sound better, than, well, P and J.
2. [b]Basic comfort[/b] - not to everyone, but, well... Big F set the standards, now doesn't it? For me, in example, MiJ P-Bass neck is THE bass neck; nothing's better.
3. [b]Years of history & tradition[/b] - what can I say...?
4. [b]The Brand's name[/b] - it opens many doors, for good or for ill. Unfortunately, in Poland, on many public gigs like those on TV, the sound guys would not let you on stage without Fender or Music Man... But, anyway, you feel really GOOD with the Big F logo.
5. [b]The X-Factor[/b]. I don't know what is it, but nothing's like the good ol' trustworthy Big F.

[risingson]

[quote name='Jigster' timestamp='1345029551' post='1772479']
always feels right, but too boomy
[/quote]

Depends how you EQ it, string it and what pickups you've got in it.

[dincz]

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1345049441' post='1772895']
Depends how you EQ it, string it and what pickups you've got in it.
[/quote]

To turn that around, how close can you get to a P sound with the right EQ, strings and pickups on a non-P bass?

[fretmeister]

I have only recently got a proper Fender - a MIJ P 62 re-issue. I've had a bunch of 'similar' basses but always with other features that seemed to get in the way.

I really like it. It sounds like some of my favourite records (Steve Harris is probably why I started bass), it's resonant, reasonably light and with a set of big arse Roto flats on it, it sounds amazing.

[Dood]

I love my P bass - I love my Jazz Bass Special. I'd never gig with them by choice, only if it was specifically required for the job. i.e a tribute act or if I got the call from Brian May..

P basses - Nothing wrong with them at all - but they are a bit like a screwdriver. They do one thing really well. For me, I like to take a swiss army knife out to shows

[Dood]

Actually, I take that back - P basses do offer a wide variety of tones and can cover any style of music.

[stu_g]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTR-VGjBPJQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTR-VGjBPJQ[/url]



this is my rs900 playing a deep purple tune which was originally played by glen hughes who used a precision at the time
i think you can achieve a nice sound with the rs900 mine reminds me of a 77 precision i once owned

[Paul S]

[quote name='dincz' timestamp='1345050543' post='1772911']
To turn that around, how close can you get to a P sound with the right EQ, strings and pickups on a non-P bass?
[/quote]

I have two basses that sound more like a P-Bass than most of the P-Basses I have ever heard, yet look nothing remotely like a P-Bass. Well, I suppose they are essentially the same bass - Hohner B2ADB and Hohner B-Bass, which is exactly the former but with a full body and head. They both do the woody P-Bass tone superbly. Coming from the little headless, it sounds really odd.

[risingson]

[quote name='dincz' timestamp='1345050543' post='1772911']
To turn that around, how close can you get to a P sound with the right EQ, strings and pickups on a non-P bass?
[/quote]

In my experience, you can't really. It's why you'll see guys who are recording a lot with Jazz style basses always have a P style bass as well because a lot of engineers and producers love that sound. The sound of the P-Bass is unique because of the position of the pickup on the body essentially. Rolling off the bridge pickup of a Jazz bass won't result in a Precision style sound because the neck pickup is too close to the neck, you can only get that P sound with the pickup located in the correct place.

[gjones]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1345028705' post='1772463']
Funnily enough, there are any number of people on BC who will say that an Ibanez RS-900 can deliver the Precision sound better than many actual Precisions. So that's half your question answered!
[/quote]

+1 One of the best bass sounds I ever heard. It does Precision better than a very good Precision.

[spongebob]

Back to the J vs. P!

I'd love to try another Jazz....but have always found in the past that they just can't cut through the way the P does, and the bottom end just isn't there.

Tried all EQ'ing, but just never found a good way in the mix.

Perhaps I should try a US Standard....maybe just not found 'the right' Jazz. Only used Mex and Ged's before.....

[Lozz196]

You can get near to a P sound with a Jazz. A mate of mine does it very nicely with a 77 Jazz - prob one of the swamp ash ones of that period. However if someone is on the same bill, using an actual P, well it does show.

[paul_5]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1345059047' post='1773063']
You can get near to a P sound with a Jazz. A mate of mine does it very nicely with a 77 Jazz - prob one of the swamp ash ones of that period. However if someone is on the same bill, using an actual P, well it does show.
[/quote]

True dat, just switch us the neck pickup and you're really very close. Not quite though... Tried a few P's but couldn't get on with the neck. I reckon Dunn had it right ( this and loads of other stuff too) - P body and Jazz neck. Unbeatable.

[Conan]

In response to the OP....

What are you missing? I'd say that's impossible to quantify! The genuine article? The Industry Standard? Perhaps both.

However, the one thing that does my head in about Fender is the variability. Play ten Fenders and you will get ten different experiences. Find a good one and they really can be the best thing you will play. Get a poor or even mediocre one and you will be left wondering what all the fuss is about. And what is a good one for me might not be a good one for you!!

Fender basses are, to me, like steak and chips. Cheap supermarket "frying" steak and oven chips - awful. Don't bother. Horrible and a waste of everyone's time.

Four-week aged ribeye from a rare-breed (Welsh Black, Longhorn or Belted Galloway), grass-fed steer; seared on a red-hot cast iron grill pan? Hand-cut chips from Arran Victory potatoes, twice-cooked in fresh oil (or even better - goose fat or beef dripping)??

No comparison. It is the same simple meal with the same two basic ingredients. One will fill a hole but leave you unsatisfied. The other will give you an out-of-body experience that will stay with you for ever.

OK - I like my food... But the analogy works for me

Edited August 15, 2012 by Conan

[BigRedX]

The idea of the Fender bass being comfortable and familiar only works if that's what you grew up listening to and playing.

When I was much younger and more impressionable the bassists in the bands I liked pretty much all played Gibsons and Rickenbackers (and later basses by Aria Pro II or Ibanez). My first bass which I used for 10 years was a Burns Sonic. That was followed by an Overwater Original. Neither of these owe much to the designs or concepts of Fender. Consequently I have yet to play a Fender bass that in any way inspires me.