Jazz basses, what's the point?

[mcnach]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1486542954' post='3232545']
IMO, and I've only got a Squire VM Jazz compared to a MIA P, the Jazz sounds great on it's own but in a rock band situation because it's a lot more scooped sound it doesn't cut through,the P has loads of grunt around 200Hz, which the Jazz just doesn't seem to have, unless I put the pick ups in series mode
[/quote]

You don't need to use both pickups full.
And even if you do, you can play a lot with the pickup heights (both absolute, and relative to each other) to get a 'sweet spot' that is not entirely devoid of 'meat'. But that series mod is a really cool one, I'll give you that. I should do that to mine. I had it on my first Jazz bass and it was a really good sound.

I've owned more Jazz basses than is reasonable, and the extent of that midscoop when both pickups are on is extremely variable. I used to think it was mostly the pickups, and the pickups indeed are a huge factor. But long ago I realised that you can alter dramatically the sound by bringing the pickups up or down, and also playing with the relative heights too. I may sacrifice slightly the neck pickup so it has a bit less volume but because it's fatter it really doesn't show, yet the mix is a lot clearer and sits better. But pickup balance is not the full story. Even with the same relative heights, bringing both pickups up or down changes a LOT the final sound. It seems kind of obvious when you spend a little time thinking about it... but it took me years to go at it in a systematic way, and I was very surprised with the results. It's well worth spending a morning experimenting. But don't do it in a hurry. Take measurements and notes, record clips, and then listen back. If you have a band recording without the bass (or a backing track, if you don't), even better... You may just discover your bass can sound a lot better than it already does.

[radiophonic]

I've not waded through the whole thread, but the pickup height issue is certainly something I'll be playing with in the near future. I play f/less so the front pickup is usually backed off to maximise the mwah, but I find it sounds a bit puny. I've never been a fan of the 'both pickups on full' scooped sound (I can imagine it working in trio with a horn/reed player though) and I really want that cutting rear pickup sound with some low end support. Playing style must more into it too - I'm a finger style player and I tend to inadvertantly anchor on the front pickup, which is probably costing me some definition.

[mcnach]

[quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1486558254' post='3232730']
I've not waded through the whole thread, but the pickup height issue is certainly something I'll be playing with in the near future. I play f/less so the front pickup is usually backed off to maximise the mwah, but I find it sounds a bit puny. I've never been a fan of the 'both pickups on full' scooped sound (I can imagine it working in trio with a horn/reed player though) and I really want that cutting rear pickup sound with some low end support. Playing style must more into it too - I'm a finger style player and I tend to inadvertantly anchor on the front pickup, which is probably costing me some definition.
[/quote]

do have a play with that, it's incredible just how different the same bass can sound by tweaking both the absolute and relative pickup heights.

[Bassman108]

I think a Jazz bass sounds good when I’m playing alone but in a band setting I find the P bass just sounds so much better. Jazz bass always sound thin in comparison to a p bass. No matter what bass I buy and fall in love with once the honeymoon is over I always go back to my P bass. 

[Lozz196]

31 minutes ago, Bassman108 said:

I think a Jazz bass sounds good when I’m playing alone but in a band setting I find the P bass just sounds so much better. Jazz bass always sound thin in comparison to a p bass. No matter what bass I buy and fall in love with once the honeymoon is over I always go back to my P bass. 

This is something I’ve done repeatedly over the years. 

[Bass Direct]

There's room for both in the world

[chris_b]

54 minutes ago, Bassman108 said:

. . . .  Jazz bass always sound thin in comparison to a p bass. . . .

 

Buy a better Jazz bass.

 

I've been a P bass guy since I first saw John McVie with John Mayall in the 60's. It's always been my preference, but I also love the sound of my Jazz bass. It is different, but my Sadowsky can take on any P bass for tone.

[Lozz196]

Definitely, I think I’m just so used to Precisions in the mix that anything else both sounds wrong to me and it’s me not being able to get the best out of them that’s the problem. I mean, listen to Deon Estus on Whams Club Tropicana, awesome sound.

[HeadlessBassist]

Continuing from what the OP was saying [eight pages ago], I'm the opposite. I've owned countless Jazz basses and quite a few Precisions, from Squier Classic Vibes, MIM Standards, American Standards, American Professional to American Vintage. The only one that I took to was the American Professional with the Alnico 5 in one side of the split coil, and Alnico 2 in the other. It was the perfect blend of clear highs and thick lows. I also loved the 63 neck shape. Suited me down to the ground. Sadly, I sold it  a couple of years ago, as leaving one pro band left it parked in my music room for over a year not being played. And if it's not being played, it's not earning money and has to go. (Hard and fast personal rule.)

 

My general problem with the Precision is that it gets buried in the mix. The Jazz bass somewhat less so, as it has the rich and toneful bottom end, flat-ish mids and the clear and sparkly top end, so can still punch it's way through a little more.

 

So professionally, I mainly play Jazzes. (American Original 60s and FSR hand-stained American Standard.) They just do the job really well. 

 

Oh, and as others have said, it doesn't matter a jot what other band members think to your sound. You're the bass player, and it's you that has to be happy with your sound. When quizzed about your bass sound, most non bass players tend to say, "Yeah, it sounds like a bass." I rest my case, your honour. 

Edited Friday at 14:47 by HeadlessBassist

[Rosie C]

 

I only have a jazz bass. Generally I play upright, but on bad back days and public transport days I take my jazz. Sunburst tort, fretless, flat wound XL Chromes... it's about as close to the upright sound as I could reasonably get. 

 

That said, I don't play rock. Jazz and folk mainly.  Edit: and I have to be really up against it to use the bass guitar for folk!

Edited Friday at 14:51 by Rosie C

[Stub Mandrel]

I choose what bass I play 🙂

 

Jazz bass compared to p-bass? Just crank the gain a bit and enjoy the versatility. 

 

 

[dclaassen]

I’ve used both and now use neither. For me, it was always about playability. A really good jazz neck is perfect for me, and an active jazz can give a pretty wide tonal range. There is, however, a big difference, as many have pointed out here, between living room tone and gigging tone, and, for me, that’s almost always going to mean using an active bass. Right now, that’s a Peavey Dynabass 5…which has a wonderful jazz-like neck bur also monstrous super ferrite soap bars.

[Bassman108]

On 16/05/2025 at 09:35, chris_b said:

 

Buy a better Jazz bass.

 

I've been a P bass guy since I first saw John McVie with John Mayall in the 60's. It's always been my preference, but I also love the sound of my Jazz bass. It is different, but my Sadowsky can take on any P bass for tone.

I have owned many jazz basses over the years including Sadowsky jazz basses and I’ll say it again, jazz basses sound thin compared to a P bass. 

[fretmeister]

2 minutes ago, Bassman108 said:

I have owned many jazz basses over the years including Sadowsky jazz basses and I’ll say it again, jazz basses sound thin compared to a P bass. 

 

Only if you don't know how to EQ for different basses.

[Bassman108]

Wrong, I’d rather play a Squire P bass than your Sadowsky and just plug in and not have to turn a million knobs to get it to sound like a p bass. 🤣😂🤣

[HeadlessBassist]

You know something? Watching Pino playing in the John Mayer Trio, I always wondered why he always stood right in front of that massively tall Ampeg cab. The obvious answer is that it’s the only place he could actually hear his Precision strung with flats.

 

He would have had less of an issue with a Jazz on rounds.

[Bassman108]

Or in ear monitors. Lino’s P sounds so good!

[Lozz196]

2 hours ago, fretmeister said:

 

Only if you don't know how to EQ for different basses.

I`m so used to Precisions that I just can`t seem to get it right with a Jazz in a band setting, so I reckon this could well be a factor for others too. Especially as I`ve heard excellent Precision sounds from bands only to see it`s a Jazz being used so I know it can be done, just not, it seems by me. 

[fretmeister]

17 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I`m so used to Precisions that I just can`t seem to get it right with a Jazz in a band setting, so I reckon this could well be a factor for others too. Especially as I`ve heard excellent Precision sounds from bands only to see it`s a Jazz being used so I know it can be done, just not, it seems by me. 

 

I was the other way round - started with J types and had no idea what to do with a P bass.

 

Finally got there - I really love both, for different things.

[bnt]

I have had very limited experience of a Jazz bass, and was not fond of the weight and ergonomics. I don’t need more neck-divey

basses in my life. I know that Sadowsky, Mike Lull and others have done a lot of work to improve on the Jazz template, and there are mods you can do, but I’m honestly not keen enough on the sound or the look to bother. I really don’t like the treble pickup tone by itself. 
 

Listening to Geddy Lee over the years, I was struck by the amount of work he (& his techs) have had to put in to get the sound he wants out of his Jazz. I know the situation was complicated by him being one of the first major players to go amp-less, direct to PA with cab sims etc. Even so, if I rank his tones over the years, the Jazz is low on the table behind his Steinberger, the red “horny” Wal, and his Rickenbacker. Maybe if he had stuck with the Jazz through the Ampeg as on “Animate” I might feel more kindly, but the amp was doing a lot of the work there. 

[SimonK]

Wow - eight year necro-bump!!

 

I've only played a Jazz bass in earnest once, about twenty five years ago when I did a weekend of gigs in France after someone pulled out playing bass so I volunteered last minute and used what kit they could find. It was a black Fender US Jazz going into a bassman of some variety. I was really impressed and have kind of always wanted to get once since but never had the chance. They strike me as versatile not ever so flashy workhorses.

[HeadlessBassist]

1 hour ago, SimonK said:

Wow - eight year necro-bump!!

 

In the case of this thread, the dead truly live again!

[andruca]

6 hours ago, fretmeister said:

 

I was the other way round - started with J types and had no idea what to do with a P bass.

 

Finally got there - I really love both, for different things.

 

Exactly my story, just add some 15 years of Stingray in between the Jazz era 🤣

 

I couldn't live now without at least one exemplar of each bass in "Leo's trinity", but I wasn't always this wise. I don't have a problem with dialing any of them to sound equally like me (meaning equally like crap) 👍

 

Analogous to that, us not liking any given (properly functioning and set up) bass guitar is many times really not understanding how they WANT to be played. I've been forever clueless as to how P basses WANTED to be played, stubbornly so, so for me they sucked (meaning I sucked).

 

BTW, holy 8 year threadsurrection!

Edited 2 hours ago by andruca

[Stub Mandrel]

As someone who plays both, I'll play devil's advocate and ask is failure to get results out of both types of tried, tested and proven instruments, a failure of the bass or the player?

[dub_junkie]

For me it was always Jazz basses or StingRays.

I like jazz basses for the bridge pickup and also the two pickup 'hollow' tone. I prefer 70s spacing to 60s as well. I like passive Jazz basses and active Super Js equally. Nowadays jazz basses have largely stopped me playing MM anywhere as much as I used to. 

P basses have never really done it for me. I've had a few nice ones but the last one I had I spent a few rehearsals wishing it had a J in the bridge. 

P/Js.....I like those too.