P Bass vs. J Bass - Who Wins?
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- Опубліковано 28 тра 2024
- The old P Bass vs J Bass argument - who is the winner? What are the differences between a Precision Bass and a Jazz Bass and who cares?!? Here's my preference when I use one over the other, what I'm looking for and why I'm doing it.
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Thanks for watching my video on Precision Bass vs Jazz Bass!
00:00 Intro
00:41 Playing Slap
03:04 Playing with a Pick
06:50 Looking for a Big, Round, Generic Bass Tone?
8:10 Playing Funk
9:23 Looking for lots of Smack?
10:07 Playing Classic Rock, Pop/Rock & Singer/Songwriter
11:46 Playing Busy Basslines & Solos
13:17 Looking for Old Skool Tone?
14:16 Playing Heavy Music
14:55 Who is the Winner?!?
15:41 Outro
I prefer the sound of the P bass. It's the "sound of bass" that's always existed in my head. I started out playing the J bass, and I could never quite get the tone I wanted. Then I got a P, and it was like a revelation.
That said, because I started on the J bass, I prefer the J bass neck. So now I play a P bass with a J neck.
You are not alone in that exact situation.
Same but reverse for me. Lol
If you want P Sound and J sound with a Stingray thrown in with a J neck profile - Sandberg VM4. Absolutely amazing. My Fender Ultra is just horrible in comparison, and I'm a huge fender fan (that sound).
I too started on a Jazz bass but when I got a P bass it was what I was looking for. It was the bass sound in my head that a Jazz just couldn’t do.
track down one of those mij aerodyne basses with the pj pick ups!
That Fender P with the pressure wounds was the one. That thing sounded great.
My first workhorse instrument was an early 2000’s Mexican P and I never found a mix where it didn’t sound good. Decent bass and a good amp can take you a REALLY long ways
I have that Geddy Lee signature! Amazing bass. Great video btw!
Honestly, the best P vs J video ever seen. Awesome job Jayme. It's good to hear those basses comparisons by a "real" Pro player.
The neck profile is the game maker. My first fretless (35 yrs. ago) had a p-bass profiled neck. One day I got a sharp pain in my left thumb. I didn't have any pain on my Jazz ever. One day I picked up my fretless and wham like an electric shock the pain came back. I've since tried P-bases of all ages. The big necks get me. The 2x4 especially. Now I have a PJ with a Jazz neck. I've never had that pain again. Some can and some can't play P- basses.
I've played my J bass since it was given to me as a birthday present by my parents 27 years ago. In that time 3 or 4 P Basses have come and gone, but I always gravitate to the J. I just like it, and I've used it to play everything from Country, Pop, Rock, Blues, 60s etc and never once had any complaints. As for people expecting you to play a P Bass in certain circumstances, that may be true, but that's their preconceptions and something which is becoming more and more a self-perpetuating truth the longer the internet exists. Joe Osborn did fine on a J, and you will too if that's what you choose....
The differences narrow the better your amplification is. I will say that I see a lot more Precision Basses on UA-cam musical performances.
TBH I feel the P vs J argument has become a moot point because prices are so cheap and quality is so good …. Sires, Squiers, even Harley Benton mean it’s not hard to get two or even three basses which are perfectly giggable at the cost of a single Fender USA professional.
That's a good point, but I think the point of this video is more about how each of them sound in different musical situations.
TBH at most stage volume levels, if you’re using round wounds the two basses are pretty much interchangeable.
Harley Bentons are hit or miss quality wise and are really not a brand I'd trust or wish to ever give my hard earned cash to. I'd rather buy a used Japanese Fender than any of your provided options.
@@CC-fi3pp I’d rather buy a Tokai
@@simonbowkett124 I respect it.
I've owned both, but ended up sticking with the 1960 P Bass long term for my playing style, grooves!!. But you are right Bro, the J Bass is better for any Funk or Progressive Bass attack.
Fantastic review. Thank you!
Best approach ever for this topic. Thanks Jayme
wow, fantastic playing and advice!
OMG.....that Warwick Streamer at 14:05 sounds absoultely phenomenal.
This video was awesome 🔥💯
I'm impressed that you played with Dolly Parton. She is an absolute gem! One thing about a P-Bass is that it tends to be lighter than a Jazz Bass because the body has less mass. Also, the center of gravity on a J-Bass leans more toward the headstock. This is one reason why I tend to favor the P.
Is it not the other way around? Because, if the J-Bass has a thinner neck and a bigger body than the P-Bass, then the gravity center has to lean less toward the headstock.
@@AlbertoJorgeSoares You could be right but to me it seems like the center of gravity on a J-Bass is further forward. Maybe it's just a matter of perception.
The best P vs. J content so far. Congrats!🙏
This is the best P v J bass video out there! Btw, that Warwick thumb sounded amazing.
I primarily played in midwest emo bands and went for more melodic basslines. Almost always played a passive 4 string J bass with a pick. D'Addario 45-100 nickel strings. Love the piano tone you can get out of it
Thank you so much, now I know when to choose which bass
That's why I like my L-2500. Neck pickup in series is what I use when I feel the song would like a P bass. Bridge pickup in parallel can get you in J bass territory. Or you can use any combination of series/parallel and pickups to get its own great tone -- love it with my rock band. To round out my tonal options, I also have a Ray35 because neither a P nor a J can sound like a Stingray.
Achieving the exact P, J, or StingRay sound with an L-2500 has always been a challenge for me. While it can get close, the pickups' power can be overwhelming. Sometimes, the multitude of options becomes a distraction, and I catch myself chasing tone instead of the music. I prefer the simplicity of straightforward instruments, and the same goes for Lakland 55's.
@@keremkoseoglu78 Agreed, getting the exact P or J sounds from an L-2000 is impossible, but it can get close enough in a live setting. Which is good enough for me, because I don't like swapping basses mid-set
@@RickDeckardCain I'm glad that it works for you! Personally, I'm a bit wary of switching basses or adjusting my EQ/pickups mid-set. After all, I'm in the dark about what the audience is hearing through the FOH system. I opt for the most suitable bass and tone for each gig and consider it frozen after the sound check. I rely on my right hand technique and placement to fine-tune my sound.
I picked up a P/J bass for my first bass when I started playing a couple of years ago. Loved the versatility of having both pickup configs. :D
In my experience, blending PJ pickups results in a distinctly different sound compared to blending JJ pickups. It's often more ringy and with fewer mids. Moreover, P-J pickups are typically designed for blending, which can sometimes compromise the pure P or bridge J sound. Don't get me wrong, I own a PJ and adore it, but, in my view, it doesn't replace the need for having dedicated P and J basses for their unique characteristics.
Nope PJ all the way.
@@keremkoseoglu78exactly how I feel. I started on PJ basses and the tones does not compare. It’s a good alternative but not pure sounds from each.
Great video man!
Thanks dude!!!
Ontario Canada... Thanks... gonna try this in my recordings... enjoy...
Sick bass playing. I totally enjoyed this video.
I like that you say "This isn't the way I find it most useful" but then go on to show what all the variants sound like anyway and the specific contexts where they are more useful.
I love the P-Bass slap tone but it's definitely *easier* to learn slap on a Jazz Bass
Nice take on the perennial argument. It's all about good music.🤩
I love the content you provide. You are one hell of a player. I play mostly ActiveJ basses 70s location sounds best to me. I also have a very nice PJ with EMGs and a BTS EQ cirquit but I hardly ever take out out of the house.This video is the best one I have seen on this subject. For me as well the J bass wins almost every time.
Very good comparison. I am a huge fan of both P and J basses but weirdly enough when I couldn’t decide between the two and I could only bring one bass, I end up going with something with a musicman style bass
Nice video. And a different approach to P vs J. I had played a P bass for years, until I tried a J bass a few years ago. The thinner neck and versatility of the pickups gives me what I like and need.
Nice video Jayme! Upon first glance. I was surprised that you were doing a video on this but I knew it would be musical and not just playing the same runs over and over again over different settings like most other channels do.
I also really liked it that you actually picked a 'winner" instead of the usual wishy washy "they both win" that these videos often declare. It doesn't matter if we agree. It's all about you using the right tool for your jobs.
I have to admit. I'm envious of your P bass tones. I have a tough time getting a P to sound quite the way that I want it to. Sometimes you want more mids than a J with both pickups on. It was nice that your single pickup Jazz playing wasn't noisy like they sometimes can be.
Great playing as always. Keep up the good work. Thx!👍
thanks so much! I'm glad that you used the word "musical" in describing my video, to me that means it was a success :)
I prefer the P tone. I dont understand why they say "J Bass is more versatile" the P is so versatile too!
But, If you like the full-bodied tone of Pbass (smooth and imposing) and the presence of Jbass tone ( clear and brigther) and you dont want to change the Bass in the gig: buy a PJ and be happy!
Worst thing you could do is get a PJ. They are the worst of both worlds.
I have both, a jazz bass and a p-bass with flats. And also a 5 strings music man stingray just in case.
PJ for me but I also love the jazz bass neck
.
A quality preamp will get you there from here, regardless which you prefer.
What's more, it's saves you from lugging around extra basses when on tour.
Alternatively, a P/J configuration + preamp should have you completely covered if you need need a little more of both.
What a provocative title - Who Wins?. It's like asking Which is better, male or female; sleep or waking; main course or dessert; night or day? Clearly we want & need _both_ of all these pairs. God bless all the classic bass sounds that've defined our musical past since Leo unleashed this monster instrument!
Fantastic video bro. I was on the fence for pick playing with a J or P .... So I looked up NOFX Mike's tone....and here I landed ...... question answered . Thanks!
This was rundown of the those classic basses, maybe the best and the last one ever needed! If I could only have one bass, it would be my J, which is a modern 5-string with active/passive electronics and splittable humbucker in the back (Clover Apeiron H.5 with Delano TheHybrid electronics). But I think adding a P is totally worth it, especially if you put flats on it, this makes a huge difference. Or maybe sth. like a Mustang for an even more different sound/feel with its short scale. But both the classic P and J are really unique in their versatility and character, you'll never go wrong with either.
Most realistic and useful comparison video I found in years!
The editing on your videos is unreal my guy
J basses are super versatile and comfortable to play. I get the appeal. I've owned a J bass. But I have such deep love for the particular sound of the P bass that I can't stop playing them. I just wish they always had the J bass neck
GREAT VIDEOS!! Wondering what amp your using?
My preferred tone for picking on a Jazz is neck pickup full and bridge a little dimmed, tone all open. Adds the detailed high end while remaining P'ish virile.
I second this. After a few months of playing bass and fiddling with the knobs, I ended up liking this set-up the most. It adds some extra definition to the tone.
I'm in a hard rock cover band. My main three basses are Fender PJ Jazz Bass Specials, two are MIJ and one MIM. I also have two Fender Aerodynes which are also MIJ. All have Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounds pups, Rotosound round wound strings, a Fender Rumble 500 in the rehearsal studio and a GK MB500 for gigs. I play primarily with a pick and my pedalboard has a Sansamp BDDI, compressor, chorus, flanger, mini-wah, a tuner and a Darkglass micro tubes overdrive pedal for a little boost here and there. In sum, I love where my sound is at. And my PJ basses give me the best of the P and J worlds.
What a fantastic video have a wonderful day also stay safe
I’ve first started playing a P-Bass Fender. Just got another Fender P-Bass, plus, a Fender Jazz Fretless.
I like both, though I love the J Bass more (if I was to own just one Bass).
Best solution, a P/J Bass, problem solved 😎
Greetings from Uganda 🇺🇬👊🏿🖤
That's the worst solution, I knkw the PJ is the hipster kids favourite but a PJ takes all the bad parts of the J, which there are many, hiss, falls over when proped against a wall or amp, then adds new problems like botchong a huge hole near the bridge messing up resonance and contributing to neck dive and adding even more complexity and noise to an awful hissy circuit. It's a straight P or nothing. Everything else (passive) is trash.
@@CC-fi3pp that's an opinion, however, I've seen so many P/J Basses sounding great. Yamaha, Fodera etc.
@BlackRootsUNLIMITED Those aren't true PJs - they slightly change the formula to address some of the issues I pointed out. Some are botched up just well enough to fool us at 1st others are still trash. Regardless, the almighty P in its purest form rules supreme and always will.
I've preferred the J just in playability and tone. I've always liked the heavier overall tone. You can get good growl out of it with effects, but I've just like the J for how it feels.
absolutely nailed it!
when it comes to slapping on a P Bass my favorite example is Forget Me Nots, what an iconic bassline :)
I don't think I'll reach for a Fender for pick tone though, for a dirtier sound I'd go for a Rickenbacker and for a high fi kinda tone I'd go for a Spector.
I'll add that going for a 70s spacing on a Jazz Bass (like that Geddy Lee) makes the midrange even more scooped and I love that!
for funk you just have to decide if you wanna go Motown or Jaco.
for heavy music it really depends. If it's something ultra modern nothing beats a Dingwall, for the rest it could be anything as long as it's active.
Best P vs J vid out there!
Very nice to hear a J being played in all styles, not just slap.
Awesome vid. I use a PJ as my main axe. I mainly play metal and punk, and my Jericho Alpha 5 works great for both styles. That MTD at the end tho...damn.
🤣
As a guitarist who wanted a bass for recording demos, etc... I went with a PJ bass thinking I'd cover all my bases (no pun intended). Now I wish I had gone the route of a Jazz. I prefer the tone of a Jazz way better than the Precision - for my styles of music.
Well said.
The nice thing about it is that you play both in an attractive way..👍❤️🌹
Great video 👍
I love both, as long as they are Fender style basses without active electronics (active pickups (like EMG’s) are ok for me, though).
P bass was my first bass, so I have a special affinity towards them. But the answer is of course to get both a J and P bass!
Didn’t even know there was a difference. Glad I found out before I bought one. Like when I started learning guitar I didn’t know there was 2 kinds. I had a fender and it sucked but my Ibanez was awesome.
Love this video. There’s that song again at 5:30…who knows that is? Been trying to find it forever since it was in another video.
thanks! that's just some production music that was sold for TV/film so that means there's no artist, release, or way to hear it outside of this channel or on whatever movie it ends up in :/ sorry!
the truth is that if I had your fingers and played a broom, I would play hundreds of times better than I actually do on my 1978 vintage Fender Jazz 😭... you are an astonishing player, man!
MTD 635 wins in the end. I’m so in love with this bass! Both of those sound great! J bass does sound awesome on slap and the P sounds great for picks!
We get it, you’re a Jazz bass guy!
The “who loves you” quote during the “treasure” P example is pure gold.
I was shooting more for December 1963 but I'll take it :)
@@deadbeatstudios oh shit that’s right! You nailed it!
With my natural finger tone I hate the mid scoop on a J, I always find it lacks any punch in the low mids, turning down the bridge pickup a little brings back the mids but takes away the clarity, it was always a compromise. Add to that the weight of the Jazz and I grew to loath Jazz basses. PBASS FOREVER
I like the jazz bass I’m stuck on the bridge pickup sound and the neck seems more slim also a preference of mine
great info... but I have a question, what about the sound and variability of the PJ Bass which I have several and I have the hardist time selecting one for the other, so I choose the PJ. would you be interested in redoing this video but include the PJ with just as much info... I just cant understand why the PJ gets such low attention. your assistance will be greatly appriciated. thanks
I got a p bass and jazz love both of them but currently waiting for a dingwal D roc 5 for something different
The best bass Fender ever made was the Japanese Jazz Special. Of all my basses It's my favorite. Had I known shit from shinola when I got it I would have bought a couple.
I got a mid Nineties Made in Japan fretless and l love it.
I heavy modded a Fender PJ Jaguar bass... The P pickup has the D & G half of the pickup moved after routing to the neck side but with E & A half of P pickup in original position...custom 1/4" AlniCo V polepiece Epic Custom matched PJ pickups...brass nut & bridge...new CTS 8% linear pots, rewired with a Greasebucket tone control using hifi grade polypropylene caps at 5 % tolerance & 1% 4K7 resistor,
new pro-made scratchplate,
completely pro screened so very quiet, Tinytone mono input jack socket, 2 positive poles joined & 2 negative poles joined so 200% more contact which gives a solid fitting jack plug...a few other mods...i have a few Fender Bass's but the Jaguar PJ is the only bass i need for any genre of music..& ebony fretboard with black body & matching headstock so looks pretty nice..."i've created a beautiful sounding versatile monster" of a bass...i luv Fender bass's...the P pickup has a bit more bass so not so good for slapping but i play with only my fingers or a pick..i'm no slapper...that's just an unfounded rumour.....
I saw the video very well. It was a great help. Your recording quality is considerable. It's amazing that your recorded UA-cam sound is almost the same as the sound tested in the field.
Excuse me, I have a question.
5:26 What is the title of the music in this part?
thank you! unfortunately that's production music that I sold for TV/Film so you won't find it anywhere except in a movie or something :/
hello, regarding the Precision Bass with pickup in the bridge,..
Does the Precision pickup added to the bridge pickup leave something to be desired compared to the original jazz bass set itself?
Tell us if it also leaves much of the originality of a precision bass, because the old one didn't have that kind of configuration, right?
Loved this video! One question, though: isn't scooping mids bad for cutting through in a mix? If the Jazz bass has a natural mid-scoop with both pickups on, do you adjust amp EQ or anything else to boost the mids back up?
We notice, always ❤
Just get one of each.
As a huge Rush fan, J Bass was my go to, love Geddy Lee's tone. I'm very new at bass, I'm a drummer, been playing for 20yrs, one day I'll get a P Bass. But i love my J Bass
I want to agree...badly...just so I can buy a jazz bass....but I need ANOTHER P bass with rounds on it in a 5 strings to compliment my Pbass with flats.
I just came to put more gas on the fire and eat some popcorn, I absolutely love the tone of my Yamaha TRBX304 with its' 2 active humbuchers and its' active eq, both pickups active playing over the bridge pickup, you don't get much better in the price range
PJ wins! Flawless victory!
Master !
The Precision sounds clearer and more beefier than a Jazz Bass. I have played both a P bass and a J bass
use a hipshot A style bridge. or bad ass or schaller. bridge. makes the strings springy. ,responsive.
What’s the name of the track you played with white fender p bass?
Why would anyone try to EQ a P to sound like a J? Their different sounds are what makes them great.
“I don’t play with a pick very often” followed by 20 clips of him playing with a pick lol
J bass mid scoop is not the same as mid scooping with EQ. Unless you have an EQ that actively detect the root frequency of what currently the string vibrating at and mid scooping relative to that root frequency. That's why you cannot make one sounds like the other.
Is the MiM strung with flatwounds an older model? Looks to have a rosewood board
Ya I think it's about 15 years old
Bravo. Great test and good music.
I think that J bass is superior to P bass (it's good too, i've had 3 P bass in the last 25 years...).
Although the topic and debate’s been done to death, still a great job with the video and on differentiations. 👍🏻 Rick wins, though…
It’s all preference but I used to be a huge p bass fan and. Done all kinds of shows and music with it but I really love pj basses I wish they would do more jazz body pjs but now I really love j basses because you can get a p sound it’s more comfy to play and you can also get more tone sounds there’s no right or wrong answer it’s just preference but personally it’s good to have both just in case
Hi Master JL,im a big Fan. Can i buy one of those Red PhilJones Double Four pls 🙏🏻😁
Sting, Chuck Rainey, James Jameson, Donald Dunn, Pino palladino, john deacon and me of course😉 all played the p bass. It’s an open and close case. At least for me. 😁
Flea, John Paul Jones, Noel Redding, Gedy Lee, Paul Turner, Tim Commerford, Marcus Miller, .....and me of course ;-) all played the J Bass. It's and open and close case. At least for me too 🙂
@@user-qn5ro3en4z great. And funny. 👍🏻
what is the song at 05:36? I realy like it.
got the answer.
Trust me man, you’re a such a thunderous bass player so you’re be able to make play well also a broomstick 😊
Anyway I just seen this video cause in this battle between J vs P, I’m more oriented to buy a PJ as best of two worlds.
But I’m not sure of PJ slap tone.
And now I’m more confused 😂😂😂
What is the song @8:01
@5:04 Dude, what that song? I can't find it anywhere.
It's an unreleased song by Evening Elephants - they have some music out but nothing this one yet :/ Stay tuned!
The two will never sound the same but they both sound amazing in the right song. I’ll always prefer a p bass
OMG. Another P vs J bass video??? J/K 🤣 great video. Really boils down to what the individual likes. So subjective even when get into the technical differences between the setups. Subscribed.
Agreed!! J bass is great and i think is better to choose an instrument that gets you better on all content than to another that has some limitations!!!!
I ended up getting a passive PJ bass 😅
I love the J bass, P bass is good but J bass is my choice. I bought an Ibanez that is basically both in one, and that does me fine