[Capt. Jack Sparrow]

Any bassists out there who have Fender basses who want to contribute why they bought a Precision bass over a Jazz bass and vice-versa? I'm a P-bass girl, myself... and couldn't dare touch another brand other than Fender besides Danelectro or B.C. Rich (when I wanna look like Nikki Sixx).

 

[corey_rideDC]

while not a bassist per se... i've always dug the extra grittyness of a fender jazz bass pushed through a few 4x10 enclosures... preferably with a hartke head. (a la kim colletta/jawbox)

a close second is the glassyness of an ernie ball... (think joe lally/fugazi)

 

[DamienC]

Perhaps you should contact our local bass aficionado, Vinnie?

 

[Capt. Jack Sparrow]

while not a bassist per se... i've always dug the extra grittyness of a fender jazz bass pushed through a few 4x10 enclosures... preferably with a hartke head. (a la kim colletta/jawbox)

a close second is the glassyness of an ernie ball... (think joe lally/fugazi)

Glassyness... good term! I'm not a fan of the glassyness at all. I did used to play through one of Joe's old speakers and liked the sound of that. Can't remember what brand it was now.

 

[Ciaran]

You want a Rickenbacker.

 

[H8R]

You want a Rickenbacker.

Those are a touch glassy and trebly too.


Although "glassy" also has alot to do w/ amp, cab, string choice, tone, etc.

P-basses are warm and sturdy, like a good woman.

 

[H8R]

P-bass
SVT Classic
Ampeg 4X10 cab

And a kidney belt.

 

[golgiaparatus]

I'm not a bassist. However Im friends with one of the best bassists in the world and I know he would tell you to get a J. Bass. His is vintage though. Tiz Reed Mathis of the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey.

 

[Ciaran]

Those are a touch glassy and trebly too.


Although "glassy" also has alot to do w/ amp, cab, string choice, tone, etc.

P-basses are warm and sturdy, like a good woman.

I have always liked the brightness of the Rick sound. I don't have as much experience with their basses as I do with their guitars, though. A nice old Rick through an old Vox amp is nice. Throw a little fuzz on there with a little distortion and you get a nice sound. Kinda Sonic Youthy.

Yeah, amp, cab, and string choice will have a huge effect on the sound. The pick-ups, too. But then I was always more of a keytar and mandolin player.

 

[Greyhound]

As a bass player, and an owner of a J-Bass..I would have to vote for that. '62 re-issue Fender Jazz that I hopped up with a Leo Quann BadAss bridge and some really hot EMG pickups and vintage tuners. Now, this is ENTIRELY dependent upon YOUR style of play. If you like a classic soul, James Jamerson type of sound that's really warm with a heavy bottom to it, then the P-Bass is your weapon of choice. If your style is more suited to some thumb-poppin', or you play a lot of chords, or you want a sound with some real stage presence, then the punchy, mid-range feel of a Jazz bass is your ticket. Of course, the kind of pickups you use will greatly alter the character of any given bass---P-Bass or J-Bass, doesn't matter. It all about personal preference. In my case, I like the placement of the J-Bass over the P.....I can play over the bridge for a clear, ringing tone that works well with chord patterns, or I can play closer to the neck for a warm, John Paul Jones sound that really cuts through with its midtones.

 

[Capt. Jack Sparrow]

...If your style is more suited to some thumb-poppin', or you play a lot of chords, or you want a sound with some real stage presence, then the punchy, mid-range feel of a Jazz bass is your ticket. Of course, the kind of pickups you use will greatly alter the character of any given bass---P-Bass or J-Bass, doesn't matter. It all about personal preference. In my case, I like the placement of the J-Bass over the P.....I can play over the bridge for a clear, ringing tone that works well with chord patterns, or I can play closer to the neck for a warm, John Paul Jones sound that really cuts through with its midtones.

True, I play a lot of chords. I've always been partial to P-basses, but now I'm trying to figure out why I don't even pick up J-basses. It's like they don't exist when I see them in the stores.

 

[narlus]

mark davies (from Thinking Fellers Union Local 282) sometimes played a black version of this momma:

it was awesome in its ugliness.

 

[corey_rideDC]

True, I play a lot of chords. I've always been partial to P-basses, but now I'm trying to figure out why I don't even pick up J-basses. It's like they don't exist when I see them in the stores.

i figured i'd find a subconcious reason... but it looks like neither jennifer finch nor gail greenwood played a p-bass

 

[FreshPants]

I myself have a mostly unmodified '72 J Bass w/Sadowsky pickups. P-Basses seem to have a fatter rounder tone vs. the J Bass' more growly-punchy tone. I like the way the J Bass can cut through, again it's more closely related to pickup placement. But I like the flat tapered/thinner neck of my J Bass. I think P Basses usually had thicker rounder necks (hmm..., like the tone...). Maybe I like the tonal versatility of the J Bass? I prefer the offset body too.

That said, I've always wanted a P Bass to mess around with.

FP

 

[SK6]

Any bassists out there who have Fender basses who want to contribute why they bought a Precision bass over a Jazz bass and vice-versa? I'm a P-bass girl, myself... and couldn't dare touch another brand other than Fender besides Danelectro or B.C. Rich (when I wanna look like Nikki Sixx).

I like the grittiness the 'P' has over the Jazz. The Jazz has a warmer tone whereas the 'P' tends to grunt if attacked aggressively.

The amount of the “grunt” of the P is direct relation to the rig you run it through. Our bass player plays a Ric and it has a warm tone to it running thru an ampeg head and a Kustom cab.


I like the "P", myself.

 

[Radarr]

I'm partial towards the Jazz, but I'm not a good enough bass player to tell much more than an obvious difference between the two. Get Drunk After Easter, right?