Musicman20 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I went to a small local gig last night. Small PA, Marshall/Mesa half stacks, loud drummers, etc. 2 bands had Precisions, one had a Jazz. Now I love the tone of both of these instruments, but I noticed the Jazz just didnt have that heft of the P. Obviously a lot of variables to take into mind, but I believe they all used the same amp/cab. Even I find at home, the Precision sits amazingly well in a mix through my headphones, yet the Jazz coasts alongside. This is in a rock context. Maybe its just the EQing, but a P just sounds awesome in a mix. The Jazz sometimes sounds a little more polite and sweeter, nice for soloing on the bridge pickup, but for no frills rock and roll, the P sits better. This is something Ive been noticing more and more....with other larger bands as well Ive been watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I agree in the context of noisy rock. I used my 73 Jazz in a band practice and its great on riffs based around the D and G strings but gets lost in the guitars and drums when I am thumping along on the lower two strings .... which is actually most of our stuff. Our drummer finds it hard to hear/feel the lower register notes whereas he loves my Precision. I think it does come down to the type of music you play as my band - and your musical tastes, Gareth - veer to the noisy, fast end of rock! Were I instead to play in a band with more 'air' and/or with less thrash-y guitars I have no doubt the Jazz would sound great in the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 As an addendum, I found you can get a lot more thump out of a Jazz (and a very broad tonal spectrum) with an Audere pre-amp installed. That solved the problem I had with our drummer with my 'old' 2009 MIA Jazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 Ah yes! The audere sounds like a great upgrade. It was exactly that last night....the E and A were lost completely....but when the guitars werent riffing the bass sounded fantastic. As soon as a band came on with a P...the thump came back. I tend to find I can use less volume with a Precision...which again might be setup or pickups...but there we go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 The Audere is the closest you'll get to sounding like a Precision whilst playing a Jazz IMO. Having said that, even with an Audere in an outstanding 2009 MIA, I've never got the sound I want from a Jazz, and I've tried a hell of a lot of them, several MIAs (including a late 60's), MIJ, two FCSs, a Sadowsky, a Tokai (70's), etc. In rehearsal or studio, they all hold their own to an extent. Live, it's always come back to a passive Precision for me. Perhaps I'm just easily pleased! C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Can't beat a good P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 [quote name='Delberthot' post='753064' date='Feb 21 2010, 06:15 PM']Can't beat a good P [/quote] If that "P" is for "POD", I agree with you Fellas, please. You're surly not considering spending £200 on an onboard, so your now devalued bass will sound like a different one but still have the same tonal restrictions?? If you want your Prawn Skips to taste like Pickled Onion Monster Munch, instead of buying some pickled onions and chucking them in your bag of Skips, thereby rendering them into a vinegary, fishy mush, why don't you just buy Pickled Onion Monster Munch?? Dismayed of Ealing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosh Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 [quote name='silddx' post='753202' date='Feb 21 2010, 08:15 PM']If you want your Prawn Skips to taste like Pickled Onion Monster Munch, instead of buying some pickled onions and chucking them in your bag of Skips, thereby rendering them into a vinegary, fishy mush, why don't you just buy Pickled Onion Monster Munch??[/quote] Quote of the century Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 [quote name='silddx' post='753202' date='Feb 21 2010, 08:15 PM']Fellas, please. You're surly not considering spending £200 on an onboard, so your now devalued bass will sound like a different one but still have the same tonal restrictions?? If you want your Prawn Skips to taste like Pickled Onion Monster Munch, instead of buying some pickled onions and chucking them in your bag of Skips, thereby rendering them into a vinegary, fishy mush, why don't you just buy Pickled Onion Monster Munch?? Dismayed of Ealing.[/quote] Calm down Nigel! With an Audere you get the choice of Prawn Skips, Pickled Onion Monster Munch, Curly-Wurly, Walnut Whip, Cinzano Bianco and countless other 70s classic flavours. Plus it is solder-free and so does not devalue one's beloved plank with strings as it can quickly be flipped out again should one acquire more 80s or later tastes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 [quote name='Clarky' post='753226' date='Feb 21 2010, 08:35 PM']Calm down Nigel! With an Audere you get the choice of Prawn Skips, Pickled Onion Monster Munch, Curly-Wurly, Walnut Whip, Cinzano Bianco and countless other 70s classic flavours. Plus it is solder-free and so does not devalue one's beloved plank with strings as it can quickly be flipped out again should one acquire more 80s or later tastes. [/quote] Ensure you have some Pepto Bismol handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 As an aside it can also be down to the individual players. This was summed up recently by Paul Stanley of Kiss (of all people!) who was recently recounting a tale of seeing some player from Kevin DuBrow's band hand his guitar to Randy Rhodes. Same gear, same settings but tonally a world apart! Of course it can also be that the jazz player fiddled with the amp settings unfavourably. Not disputing anything said here, just offering a couple of further thoughts. And FYI I'm mainly a P-player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbass1 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I love my P Basses - on their own they sound OK but they just work in a band situation. I've been looking for that 'special' Jazz bass for ages but not got there yet. My Thumb Bass NT gives me the growl that I associate with a great jazz bass and also punches through the mix. But I still would like to find that 'special' jaxx bass...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 I would like to add I wont be tinkering with an onboard pre! I bought the Aguilar Tone Hammer to be able to have this option but with every single bass, and no mods, and cheaper! Ok, it depends if you like the Aguilar sound, but its definitely for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MythSte Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I've owned 2 P's recently, and they both just sounded too harsh when i dug in with fingers. Although i think if i had an ampeg on full tilt it would warm up nicely... Jazz' just seem to respond to a ham fisted bugger like me better. Especially in the lows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosh Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 This is gonna grind my gears now because I'm saving to buy a bass at the moment -- My dream would be a white (red pick guard) Jaguar but I'm realistically looking at a Jazz or P! My ideal tone would be something like "This Charming Man" by the Smiths and I know Andy Rourke plays a P! -- I'm thinking P! Thing is I wanted something with a bit more range for when I'm not in the New wave/indie scene and do something more mellow music-wise -- I'm thinking Jazz. But I have no idea at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMX Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 ^ I got a Precision bass when I was going through a real punk phase. It's great for that and most other rock/metal. But now I've come back to some calmer stuff, and the P doesn't quite have the tone for it. Not to mention that the neck was too wide for my womanly hands. So I've now ordered a Fender Jazz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MythSte Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 [quote name='Rosh' post='753390' date='Feb 21 2010, 11:34 PM']This is gonna grind my gears now because I'm saving to buy a bass at the moment -- My dream would be a white (red pick guard) Jaguar but I'm realistically looking at a Jazz or P! My ideal tone would be something like "This Charming Man" by the Smiths and I know Andy Rourke plays a P! -- I'm thinking P! Thing is I wanted something with a bit more range for when I'm not in the New wave/indie scene and do something more mellow music-wise -- I'm thinking Jazz. But I have no idea at the moment [/quote] Thats definately a P tone im afraid! I can do quite a good P impression on my Jazz but it wont sound like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basshead56 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 I wouldn't mess with something as delicate and perfect as the unique vibe of Skips or Monster Munch As for me, i do find the Jazz missing in the 'kick' department. It is a perfect bass for the lighter stuff and even the odd bit of funk. But the P bass is rock and roll! I started with jazzes and had nothing but Jazzes for the first few years of playing. i love the body shape and the top end, bright snappy pups. But I bought a P as a back up for a new band project and ended up being completely converted! Now I use a P 90% of the time and have sold all but two of the 5 Jazzes I had (would have trimmed down to one, but one of them is my very first 'real' bass and a present from someone very close!). If it aint broke... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 My Jazz ( not Fender, tho ) with an East pre will definitely do the job. Really supports a loud drum and guitar although we are not stupid loud. Sometime in these instances, things like this aren't helped but the drum's tuning or the gtrs power chords In a given room, there is only so much freq available until volumes washes the whole thing out. Maybe the Jazz player didn't want to underpin the sound so much... I have also heard plenty of P basses only get through by a rasping top end. But it wouldn't be the fave it is, if it didn't do the job for many people over the years..ditto the jazz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 I play in a drums/guitar/bass punk /covers band, have tried various p copy's a MIM jazz and a stingray, as soon as I got a MIA P it took the sound of the band to a new level, it just fills the sound out better than all the others Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 This is never gonna end. There's only one way to settle this.......Fight! Precisions are perfect if you're a noisy b'stard but can do more too. Not that I try. Jazzes. Well it's got Jazz written on it. Like a Honda Jazz has....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 [quote name='Low End Bee' post='753913' date='Feb 22 2010, 03:16 PM']Jazzes. Well it's got Jazz written on it. Like a Honda Jazz has.......[/quote] Quote of the week right there, and it's only Monday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golchen Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Get a Jazz that is active and also with a precision pup. Sorted. (Note: that's what mine is!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 (edited) [quote name='Golchen' post='754003' date='Feb 22 2010, 04:29 PM']Get a Jazz that is active and also with a precision pup. Sorted. (Note: that's what mine is!)[/quote] Sounds like the labradoodle of the bass world, that. Does it eat pickled onions? Edited February 22, 2010 by silddx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Or a wizard gaffer like my Jazz has, thump, bump wallop, just like having a P but none of the trouser dribble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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