How to get a Jazz to sound Iike a P or close

[bazzbass]

I don't think anyone's mentioned this yet, solo the neck pickup and roll off the tone knob

I play both and when I can't be fagged swapping basses for a P sound that's what I do.

[bassmayhem]

Why bother? Well, because we can...
If you have the opportunity to switch the pickups from parallel to series and use both it can mimic a P-bass quite well.

[Conan]

[quote name='Danuman' timestamp='1504996618' post='3368802']
Turn down the bridge pickup, roll off the highs and stop worrying about it. It's not exactly the same, but the only people who are likely to notice are going to be bass players.
[/quote]

This. I get some stick on here for suggesting that a J can sound like a P with the neck pickup soloed, but it is close enough for most applications and saves swapping basses... My covers band plays a couple of Stranglers songs and (in a band mix) I find that the J sounds [b][i]enough[/i][/b] like a P to get away with it.

Whenever I get a P bass I end up moving it on as it is not as versatile as a J. Horses for courses I suppose, but in a covers band you often need to get a number of different sounds - assuming you want your version to sound anything remotely like the original...

YMMV etc...

[Chris2112]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1504957053' post='3368552']
A J and a P have unique and different strengths. IMO they sound better not trying to sound like each other.
[/quote]

Indeed. A Jazz just doesn't sound like a P bass and never will, the difference is in the split vs single coil. Even with the neck pickup running on solo, with the tone rolled back and some compression, I still find the Jazz to sound more open abd dynamic.

The Precision sound, as one will note, is quite heavy with low mids but loses some of the high frequency voice of the Jazz single coil. In a live setting, stepping off centre of the amp can turn a P bass tone to mush. That's why they're easy to mix.

Whilst they'll never sound the same, a Jazz can do a good enough impression to fool anyone but another bassist. The Precision can't do the same impression of a Jazz.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='NickA' timestamp='1505041665' post='3369027']
I have an experimental J-bass that I keep meddling with. It recently acquired a series parallel switch; with the two pickups in series it does sound quite precision-ish. Sort of solid and thumpy. The pickups are no longer loading each-other so you get a "sum of" pickups instead of a kind of "average of" that a standard J-bass has which changes the frequency spread. Takes a bit of a re-wire - but interesting results.

It will never be exact because the P's pickup is in a place that the J doesn't have one (see below, which also shows why a PJ doesn't sound like a J either).


[/quote]this ^ I've a Squier VM Jazz as a backup for my P and fitted a parallel/series push pull switch and I think it's pretty close in the series position

[Rumple]

Wiring your pick-ups in series produces a nice big tone IMHO not a P sound granted but more so than the usual parallel setup.

[Conan]

I would say that Joe Dart gets fairly close (at times) on here (except when he is playing directly over the bridge pickup)....

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDL5k9LpZ9w[/media]

Edited September 19, 2017 by Conan

[Rumple]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1505811820' post='3374415']
I would say that Joe Dart gets fairly close (at times) on here (except when he is playing directly over the bridge pickup)....
[/quote]

That's a lovely bass tone.

[NJE]

Wow you guys must have a good ear, I watched/listened to Scotts Bass Lessons video where he compared a front pickup Jazz to a Precision and honestly found it a tough call. Both sounded very close, although I will admit that listening on a computer with headphones is not the same as feeling and hearing both live through and amp. I know a proper P pickup can be very full and thumpy, but for recording sake IMO there is very little in it.

On a slight tangent, my oldest friend is a professional musician (movie scores, jingles and general studio work) and sent me a bass part he had just done. It sounded like a P bass with flats, amazing sound. It was in fact his 8 string Ibanez guitar and one of the best 'bass' tones I have heard.

[bazzbass]

whether I play my Fender US Stnd P, my MIM P,or my MIM Jazz , I love the sound I get from each.

That's why you have to play them before buying em

[SH73]

[quote name='louisthebass' timestamp='1504939902' post='3368387']
Not sure you can get the exact sound of a P bass, but you can get close (imo).

Roll off the rear pickup volume all the way, front pickup on full and pluck over the front pickup. Take the tone off about 3/4 of the way. It will still "bark" like a Jazz, but only slightly.
[/quote]
Old post but this seems to work.

[lojo]

Thanks people , I'm getting used to the Jazz now in its own right . I guess it's all about feeling good with the sound your getting in your own ears through your own can and monitors , regardless of what's going on out front

I've a Jazz , a stingray and a few Ps , don't recommend this as it's hard to know what is preferred , best just have one

[Dood]

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1505311295' post='3370938']


{snip} Precision can't do the same impression of a Jazz.
[/quote]

Unless of course it’s a Fender Power Jazz Bass Special - it’s close enough due to it having a reverse P pickup in the neck position and a J onboard too. It’s the one P bass that I own that is more Jazz bass than a P, yet the P pickup still does the Precision thing. Ok, I say one.. I have two!

[thegummy]

For me, both pickups in series sounds more like a P than the neck pickup solo

[Quatschmacher]

There are (Precisions out there with Jazz necks on them as standard (both from Fender and other companies).

Check out Buster Williams playing a Jazz on Herbie Hancock's album "Fat Albert Rotunda" it's super fat and easily rivals a P. I want to know how to get that sound out of mine! I'm guessing he used flatwound or tapewounds.

[afterimage]

Try a big muff pi effect pedal my jazz sounds quite thumpy with it

[dmccombe7]

[quote name='louisthebass' timestamp='1504939902' post='3368387']
Not sure you can get the exact sound of a P bass, but you can get close (imo).

Roll off the rear pickup volume all the way, front pickup on full and pluck over the front pickup. Take the tone off about 3/4 of the way. It will still "bark" like a Jazz, but only slightly.
[/quote]

This will be as close as you can get. I have a jazz and a P/J. The jazz pick up just doesn't have the same depth as a precision pick up. I've tried as i love my jazz basses but eventually had to go for the best of both worlds with the P/J to get that low depth of a P bass but still retain the clarity of the J at the back. The new deluxe P/J has a slimmer neck somewhere between a Jazz and a Precision.

[machinehead]

I have one of these:

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Fender-Vintage-Hot-Rod-70s-Jazz-Bass-Candy-Apple-Red/18MU

and I've gigged it 100% of the time since I got it. A good PJ is a very versatile bass.

My American Standard Jaguar is also a PJ but with the option of switching on an active preamp.

Both great instruments and I feel priveleged to own them.

Frank.