Tonal difference between P Bass and Jazz Bass

[dangoudie]

I'm looking at buying either a Squier P Bass Special or Squier Jazz Bass and I want to know what the difference in sound is between the two.

The P bass seems like it would be quite versatile as it has both P Bass and Jazz Bass pick-ups and a Jazz bass neck.

The jazz bass is slightly more money, know why? Is it to do with electronics or something more?

[corworld]

There shouldn't be a price difference. The P-bass is going to be better for rock with the split pickup. The J-bass will be better for funk and slapping. Either bass can do both so it is mostly a question of looks and feel. The body shape is different. The neck width is an issue but you say both have a Jazz neck. I would try them out and choose the one that speaks to you.

[theGeek]

not a bass player so I don't know. But I've made and bought a lot of guitars in my days and my only take on the matter of "which guitar is best for me" is let your hands and ears decide.

Keep in mind that things like high action, fret buzz and many other minor problems can all be fixed by a capable guitar tech. What you want to look for is how the neck feels in your hand, how the bass sounds through YOUR amp and how it feels on a strap. IMO, the last one is one of the most important.

For example, I love how the SG plays and sounds but on a strap it feels awkward and out of place. So I will never own one.

[phaedrus]

What's your budget? I might consider the Fender Highway Series, the California Series, or a used American made on ebay. It will play and sound better, and you are bound to get a higher end one down the line. The aforementioned models will hold their value better as well.
P

[Pasta4lnch]

fwiw I have a P-J (both the P and 1 J pup). it sort of does both. but w/ both pups at the same time it's a really cool sound - I think better than either individually . . .

don;t think you can go wrong either way. I have the P-J four string and I have a Jazz five(passive). oddly the Jazz gives me a hair more growl, but the P-J just has a character to it that I love . . .


I personally like the shape of the P's much better too. . .

[CuminGingerSpice]

A P bass is more meaty. Its a very fat bass. Think a lot of rock tunes!

The J bass sounds a lot more 'twangy' and more stringy. Think Jaco Pastorious or the bassline to 'Money' by floyd or 'Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now' by McFadden and Whitehead

the main reason is because the pups on the J are a lot further back

[davet]

I've got a 96 American Precision Deluxe bass. It has active EQ, split P type PUP and a Humbucker. I've replaced the PUPS with Barts and the EQ with an on-board Sadowsky. It pretty much does everything well. For the most part the PUPs are balanced between the two, EQ is flat. If I need more boom, I can balance toward the split PUP. More grind: go to the back.

The Sadowsky EQ does passive or +18 db of gain. I'm mainly into rock so this bass covers all the tunes I'm doing. This particular bass has the old style P neck, pretty thick. Later models have the J type skinny neck.

I've got about $1000.00 into this bass plus the fun/fear of doing all the mods myself. It sounds nice live and recording, fun to play. No one has ever complained about the sound/tone.
DaveT

[MooWahmBah]

Originally Posted by dangoudie

I'm looking at buying either a Squier P Bass Special or Squier Jazz Bass and I want to know what the difference in sound is between the two.

The P bass seems like it would be quite versatile as it has both P Bass and Jazz Bass pick-ups and a Jazz bass neck.

The jazz bass is slightly more money, know why? Is it to do with electronics or something more?

+1 on trying both ..The Jazz will be easier to play and with the right amp you can get either one to fill up the bottom ....although the Pbass will take you down low easier .
Since you mention Squier ...I figure you`re looking to the lower end pricewise ...SO !

I`d recommend buying used .. because the wood supplies are so ravaged that many cheaper instruments have questionable supply and drying processes .
I`d rather see what the wood will do after a year of tension ....than take my chances on a "virgin"...The duds seem to weed themselves out after a year or so .

[CREAMY WILLIAMS]

I play a Jazz bass because i have small, carnaval folk hands.
Precisions have more meat, but both basses are versatile (Marcus Miller slapped a precision and Noel Redding rocked on a Jazz) and useable in most situations.

I would not neccesarliy stick to Fenders, though - see what you can get for your money.

I would have a look for a 2nd hand bargain - A Blade, Tokai or Ibanez.

An old, beat-up Ibanez roadster will be better than a shiny, new squire.

[sedohr]

I have a J-bass with S-1 button that makes it more P-bass when pushed in. Nice it is but I usually keep the button in so I guess I should just have a Precision. A bigger sound. Less slick but more cool.

Kalli

[ultramarine]

+1 to everything said before.
(exept the guy with the $1000.00 modification :) )

P-bass is more bassy, fat, round.
J-bass more treble, thinner, slappy.
But you should really be trying it out and hear it and feel if it suit you and your hands as that is really important !

So if the p-bass you are after has both P and J pickups i would go for that.
I have a G&L sb-2 ( the cheaper tribute model) in the same configuration, and it is indeed quite versatile, don't know about the neck through.

[FireMoon]

Well someone had to so might as well be me... P bass lots of nose and upper mid strang... J Bass far plummier sound. Think the difference between J P Jones ( J bass) and Phil Lynott (P Bass)...

[the_Chris]

While bass isn't my main instrument, I managed to pick up a really nice CIJ Fender "Jazz" Bass that has both "J" and "P" style pickups. For the kind of work I do (which messes around with all sorts of genres), I like it a lot. The P bass pickup has that thump when I need it for heavier material and the J cuts through nicely on a lot of material while keeping its clarity (it's also "the" pickup for slapping).

CIJ Fenders can be found pretty cheap and in many cases, they're as good as the USA Fenders, so it's not a bad idea to check them out. While you may find that you gravitate towards one style Fender pickup than another, you never know when having the other on tap might come in handy. With some basses it's kinda nice to be able to go from a thinner, clearer more trebly tone to a fat, round, more bassy tone.