Jazz or Precision!? - Advice Required

[Bassmurf]

[quote name='johnnylager' post='357571' date='Dec 18 2008, 09:21 AM']Spector.[/quote]

+1...if only I won the lottery....

Edited December 18, 2008 by Bassmurf

[bass_ferret]

Some people find jazz necks too thins, some find P necks too fat. Some awkward people like something in between, like me and probably your Aria. Decide what neck you like the best before you worry about sound.

[OutToPlayJazz]

Sounds like you need to get out to the music stores & try some basses! My personal preference is active basses with soapbars or humbuckers. They just give you so many tonal options. Don't limit yourself to just precisions and jazzes. There's a lot more out there. I've had both of those designs & personally find them limiting at times.

Edited December 18, 2008 by OutToPlayJazz

[gilmour]

For £600 you could get yourself a Yamaha TRB brand new. Or pick one up second hand for half that. That will give you a huge array of sounds, and give you a big chunk of change too

[cris the man]

the jazz bass i'd recommend

its an all round bass that feels great to play
the neck things down abit i think torwards the 1st fret, so it feels really nice in your palm

its a phenominal bass to record with aswell

[bremen]

[quote name='cris the man' post='357802' date='Dec 18 2008, 12:28 PM']the jazz bass i'd recommend

its an all round bass that feels great to play
the neck things down abit i think torwards the 1st fret, so it feels really nice in your palm[/quote]

Yes, but what feels really nice in one man's palm might not be so good in another. (ooer missus). Bit like saying 'size nine shoes fit really well'. I prefer a Precision, and I have small-to-medium hands; my guitarist friend here has hands like shovels and hates the P, loves the J.

[quote]its a phenominal bass to record with aswell [/quote]

+1. As is the P. Nothing quite like a P with a pick :-)

Sorry, that's really unhelpful. Luckily P and J necks are easily swapped (and re-sold).

[bassatnight]

Thanks guys' all comments most appreciated and some very good pointers.

I have decided that I will go for both! Just ordered a P and will order the Jazz as soon as Christmas is out of the way and I can sneak it into the house 'unseen' ;-(

Cheers again!

Steve.

[quote name='bremen' post='357823' date='Dec 18 2008, 12:42 PM']Yes, but what feels really nice in one man's palm might not be so good in another. (ooer missus). Bit like saying 'size nine shoes fit really well'. I prefer a Precision, and I have small-to-medium hands; my guitarist friend here has hands like shovels and hates the P, loves the J.



+1. As is the P. Nothing quite like a P with a pick :-)

Sorry, that's really unhelpful. Luckily P and J necks are easily swapped (and re-sold).[/quote]

[bremen]

[quote name='bassatnight' post='357911' date='Dec 18 2008, 01:51 PM']I have decided that I will go for both![/quote]

Good decision well made!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='bassatnight' post='357911' date='Dec 18 2008, 01:51 PM']I have decided that I will go for both![/quote]

Excellent call.

[chris_b]

[quote name='bassatnight' post='356725' date='Dec 17 2008, 10:34 AM']....I am really in two minds between purchasing a Precision or a Jazz or possibly the P Hybrid (P special)....
....Anyone out there an expert in both that could give me a brief run down of the sound difference? I have a budget of £500 to play with....[/quote]
Three things:
If you just want to fatten up your sound, have you thought of upgrading the amp... to possibly a Markbass or GK? Or put a preamp in the chain, maybe a Sansamp or Sadowsky?

If you really have to upgrade your bass, make sure you listen to Lakland and G&L as well.

If you really have to have a Fender, get the one that feels right and upgrade the electrics and pickups. The usual upgrades (EMG, SD, Bartolini, Wizard, East etc) should you a better tone than most stock Fenders.


Edit: "I have decided that I will go for both!" Ah, my comments are too late. Good luck.

Edited December 18, 2008 by chris_b

[alexclaber]

Years ago on the Low Down Lowdown Ed Friedland summed it up as well as anyone:

"To my way of thinking, the difference between a P and J bass goes way beyond the physical. Yes, P bass - fatter neck (usually), split pickup, chunkier tone, less highs. J bass - slimmer neck, easier to play, dual pickups, more note definition, more high frequency.

But... I think P or J bass is a lifestyle choice as well. Committing to the P means taking on a set of preferences, and inherent parameters. You can't or at least shouldn't try to play a P bass like a Jazz. That would be missing the point. The P bass is a fat, chunky-butt animal that likes to take up space. It demands a high level of attention to what you play, because every note hurts - or helps. There ain't no takin' it back with a P bass. You better mean it, or be very good at making it work. You can play fast on a P, but it's not nimble like a Jackrabbit, more like a Grizzly doing 60mph to catch something to eat. Slap on a P? Sure, it's chunkfunk, think Boz Scaggs "Lowdown". The pop on a P is not as sharp as a J. It's like getting sliced with a serrated steak knife. Ouch! Use only when you gots to cut through some tough meat. Classic P guys... Jamerson, Rainey, Rocco, Bob Glaub.

The J is a sleeker machine. Being a Jazz guy means having a little more wiggle room. It takes up less space in the mix, so you can get more active without squashing people. With great power comes great responsibility. Just because you CAN move around, does that mean you should? And if so - how to, how much, and why? The J is a bit skinnier, so you have to learn how to use that texture to fill it up, and how to play it fat when it needs to be fat. Soloing? Sure. Slap? You bet. Passive it cuts like a well honed Buck knife. Active with a good pre amp, more like a barbers razor. Classic J guys... Jerry Jemmot, Larry Graham, Jaco, Marcus...

Some people make a choice early on and stick with it. Their entire style is built around that early decision, whether it was conscious or not. You may know some of these people. Players that would no sooner pick up the other axe than they would deliberately eat rotten food. There's honor in this I think, it certainly makes your life simpler when it's Friday night and you're trying to decide which bass to put in the bag.

I think it behooves (love that word) a professional bassist to have both and spend time cultivating the characteristics of each instrument. You need to make each one speak it's native language. There are some gigs that just naturally call for one or another. Not to say you couldn't switch around. You learn alot about the nature of the P and J when you try to make one do what the other does naturally.

Personally, I'm more fascinated with the P because I've always been a J guy by first nature. The J thing is in my DNA, but the P has gotten into my blood. I love chunkin out some fat ass P bass. It feels like I'm on vacation. The J still feels like home even though I've spent years getting used to the 5 string. I am definitely a confirmed 24 fret guy now. I always wished Fender would come out with a killer 24 fret J bass. I know.. the Urge bass.... Like I said.....

On most of my gigs these days, there is the expectation that I'm going to solo. If I wasn't so damned attached to what happens between frets 21 and 24, I'd bring a J, but.... Luckily I've found something with 24 that does it for me. But I still miss the opportunity to play my Fenders. I actually go out of my way to cultivate Fender gigs. No solos please!"

Tidy, like.

Alex

[skankdelvar]

Alex - thanks for posting that - an interesting take. But I think yer man Ed is flying way above the rest of us.

As a long-term user of both types, I'd characterise them as follows:

P = Dum

J = Doo