Precision Bass vs Jazz Bass - What are the differences and Why they matter

[@56lighthouse]

I truly value your insights. I'm a beginner at age 67. The attribute of each instrument type can be daunting. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

[@lukehinkle9614]

I just got my first J Bass ever and have had a P Bass for about 15 years. The hum of the J Bass freaked me out at first, and I thought there was a wiring issue. I didn't realize J Bass is notorious for this hum. Messing with my EQ and moving it away from an electrical source and/or switching to passive vice active eliminates the buzz. I can see why you mentioned this, and that P Bass is more ideal for recording.

[@keith.messier]

Well, this is just a great comparison, Jules. Thank you! I especially like that you intersperse the functional / design differences with tone comparisons. I’m a guitarist who’s just getting into bass, so understanding P- and J-basses seems like an ideal starting point.

[@JulesGuitar]

Glad it was helpful! Do you have a bass yet? How are you finding it?

[@keith.messier]

@@JulesGuitar Yes, I do! I got a Squire Classic Vibe Bass VI just a few weeks ago, and I love it. It’s a nice transition for a guitar player of 35+ years. First thing I played was “Helter Skelter.” 🙂

[@JulesGuitar]

Cool, would love one of those, if only to pretend to be John Lennon.

[@cliffords2315]

you can buy really nice ones for hardly anything these days, the Squire Clasic, or the MIM's cant go wrong either way

[@thomasfioriglio]

Really great comparison. And I like how you didn't just focus on the tone, but other aspects as well, which for me, are all good things to consider. I played a P bass for years and loved them. Only within the past year and a half have I begun to play a Jazz bass. And I am now a convert. For me, the biggest difference is the neck. The Jazz neck is just sweet and feels so comfortable. As for the body, I always thought the body was ugly, now I love it. It does look odd on a stand, but strapped on and played, it looks balanced. The hum was a big negative for me. I switched out the pickups to humcancelling ones and that solved the problem of the hum. I also love how you mention turning down the volume. Definitely a simplicity to the P - one volume, one tone. I have noticed that when recording with a Jazz, I do like the extra option of tones available.

[@wanton1234]

Sometimes i turn the tone and level of both pickups full, maybe a touch off full.

[@rebelred1458]

Get both! I've been trying decide which is my favorite for 25 years and have ultimately decided that I simply need one of each. The way I approach a bass part while writing a song will vary depending on which bass I'm playing. On the P I'll tend to leave big space between notes, giving a track a thumpier more more funky vibe. On the J I'll tend to get more adventurous and melodic in my playing.

[@TheSAPGarden]

I can't believe how much I loved the fender jazz bass... and I made the choice uninformed 15 years ago. Unbeatable tone and versatility. :)

[@TheGodParticle]

Best review I've found so far, was in two minds about which to buy, especially when I'm spending a grand, that's a lot of money to me. Thanks again for taking the time to make this video, respect. Cheers

[@CB-ul2np]

I love my bass. I have the best of both worlds. I got an vintage 80s Fender P/J Jazz bass. Body and neck of a Jazz but with Pbass Pup and Jazz bass Pup in the bridge. It has a Gibson wiring scheme of 3 toggle switch and 2 tones and 2 volumes. Absolute pleasure to play with!

[@dunkelwelpling]

Great comparison! I feel like a P-Bass with a Jazz Bass neck would be perfect for me.

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

🤣

[@ronwood7029]

I have one of each jazz bass has that growl on neck pick-up , the p bass just cuts through the middle of everything perfectly on every song Love them both

[@UltimaJC]

I used to play a Jazz Bass as a teenager when I played at church and I liked it a lot tbh. The neck felt amazing

[@victoriakim1360]

As a beginner, I chose P bass over J bass after listening to each of them played successively. J bass sounds like it's really something else. The attack is easily distinguishable. It's crisp, funky, tantalizing, and it sounds fun especially when you slap it. The only drawback for me was that the sound just stands out too much, especially to the point of being 'cute, bubbly and bouncy' like there were emphasis on the higher range. P bass sounded hollow and gravelish to me at first. But I realised that it is very versatile and fairly smoother than J bass. Especially this is good for blending into literally any types of music. And.... besides it sounds more 'masculine' and drier in a good way. I really wanted to change my P bass for J bass after the purchase, but I came to LOVE Precision bass so much! It's more lighter than J bass, looks good, sounds warm, and the fretboard is more wider which is pleasing to look at.

[@danielglowotz928]

Perfect comment on the two groundbreaking instruments in terms of bass guitars. Well done and please go on with such videos!

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

I play a P bass body with a fretless jazz bass neck. The thinner neck is more comfortable to play on, but I love the tone on the P bass.

[@nbl95]

I've come to enjoy both. The P bass to me feels and sounds more full, neutral, and warm and is incredibly versatile. I used to think J basses were nasally, but I've come to appreciate the distinct brightness of their high notes when doing a fill and the necks are easier to play. But by far the best "secret weapon" underappreciated bass- are the fender short scales, which are absolutely unbeatable for 60's sounding indie rock, psych rock, and garage rock if you play them with a pick. Think Cage the Elephants "trouble"

[@LucasJRice]

Air - Moon Safari Mustang Bass! 🤟🏻

[@eugenehavens]

Definitely!

[@Klaus80804]

Great comparison. I found the perfect solution for me with a Precision Bass with an A-neck. Fender made P-Basses with narrow Jazz-Bass-Type necks, called A-necks, in the 70s and these basses are perfect to play with my smaller hands. But they are pretty rare, and it took several decades before I got my hands on one. Before that time I was playing Jazzbasses simply because I could not play the wide P-Bass neck.

[@Klaus80804]

@@stabbly Thanks for your advice! Yes, I do this since many years. I have 6 P Basses with J neck and only 2 of them are real Fender A-neck Precisions. The other 4 are all Frankensteins if you will!

[@eurospec]

Jazz Bass Special could have helped you out. Narrow neck and both P and J pickups with a selector, best of both worlds

[@EmanCarbone]

IIRC, Nate Mendel's signature P has that neck, modelled after his own Precision made in the early 70s

[@Klaus80804]

@@EmanCarbone Are you sure Eman? I just looked at Thomann. The Nate Mendel P bass they offer has 41 mm neck width at the nut (not 38 like a Jazz-Bass). But maybe Fender has changed this as they did with the Duff McKagan model some years ago, too.

[@henrygvidonas9573]

...And that's why people like Duck Dunn put Jazz Bass necks on their Precision basses. Precision Bass sound with Jazz Bass neck feel. Reggie Hamilton took a different approach and put a P-Bass splitcoil in his Jazz Bass. Whatever works.

[@vikingmike8139]

Great video on the differences between these two 'iconic' basses. Cheers! 😊

[@0800338833]

Brilliant video again mate! Always look forward to your uploads. Cheers from Bristol 🍻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@JulesGuitar]

Thanks, good to have a fellow Bristolian on board! Cheers (from Thailand)

[@dannymagee8202]

For studio work, you could just stick a noise gate on the Jazz to kill the hum during quiet sections where you’re not playing, so I don’t really see it as a negative. Great video btw.

[@jmongmon1100]

Extra steps is all.

[@yorchibus]

I've got a Fender MIJ Jazz Bass with EMG Select Noise Cancelling pickups, it sounds gorgeous!

[@benedekm.kovacs7265]

Thank you, it's the best j vs p video, I ever saw. I learned so much here.

[@JulesGuitar]

Glad it was helpful! Cheers

[@Asmuk]

This was the video I would like to have watched before purchasing a bass. So well done, thanks.

[@johnreyes195]

I'm not much of a funky jazz player. I play alternative rock heavy metal. And church band this video made me go with what I need. The. P bass has

[@domagojoinky8262]

I would like to add a precision bass to my collection. Sire P5 5 string is the one I am looking for. I like the ease of use and the tone. I am more of a jazz bass person but for recording I would like to get a precision. Lack of bridge pickup was something that got me off from having a precision bass but jazz bass does not have such presence on neck pickup.

[@mackymaca]

Something about a Jazz Bass's neck pickup soloed that really speaks to me.

[@erickleefeld4883]

I’ve got an early-‘80s Kramer “Pioneer Special” bass, essentially a P-Bass copy but with a Jazz-style neck. It’s a nice combination, feels like a Jazz and sounds like a Precision.

[@senacht]

The pickup placements have a significant impact on the fundamental tone. Even with a Jazz, whether the bridge uses the 60s or 70s era pickup placement results in a noticeable difference in sound.

[@lukehunnable]

The P bass is just it. Like a strat. It always works.

[@jimmygee3219]

Strats are junk but I agree about the P Bass always working

[@eckie4679]

My observations as an owner of both. I got an American Precision new in 1974 and it was my workhorse for years. Still got it and it’s a stage grade instrument. Sadly I can’t gig it these days as it’s a shade over 11 lbs. My current go to is a Mike Lull M5 - only 8lbs. For a while I owned a 76 Jazz Bass and it was the same natural ash body as my Precision but it was 8.5lbs. So the comment about extra wood making a Jazz heavier doesn’t really stack up. When I first got the Precision it was very noisy and buzzy but a friend cured that by rewiring it. The 76 Jazz was pretty quiet from a buzzing respect. Later I bought a 2010 American Jazz V - passive and it wasn’t really noisy. It was a tad heavy though but still under 10 lbs. I upgraded it with a John East Vintage Preamp and it really was a killer sounding instrument. After I bought my Mike Lull the Fender Jazz V was redundant so I moved it on. 😎

[@stefanockay6698]

My first bass was Jazz, I got used to it, but then I tried P bass and I never wanted to play Jazz bass again. I don't understand why it's renowned to be more comfortable(maybe bcs older were very thick). I would say that this goes only for people with smaller hands. The thinner neck actually makes your palm "fly" and also you have to bend your fingers more - this I hate a lot.

[@lundsweden]

Whatever your view on which is better, one things for sure- P bass is used a lot more, so is more usable/versatile IMO.

[@paolozak3014]

Good overall summary, I would add that slight natural compression and punchy grunt you get on the p-bass with the 2 fat coils in series, reason why it sounds different from the neck pickup of a jazz bass

[@chrisjs6123]

Both are great basses. I’ve got a jazz, and 4 Ps. A 58 reissue with La Bella flats, a parts one with La Bella rounds, a ‘73 Ibanez with La Bella flats, and a weird Japanese sting style one with neck through and with rounds.

[@seangautama]

This is a great video, and you made both basses sound so good! If you can afford it, a Jazz, a Precision, and a Music Man StingRay are all great to have.

[@LucasJRice]

Foundational basses.

[@DrRock2009]

Or, buy a G&L and have them all in one bass 🤔

[@tyronelaces8690]

Exactly what I was looking to learn. Thank you

[@p5ych0_w1tch]

finally a legit and genuinely useful comparison! i'm used to playing on a cheap knock off of a P-bass (bought it for £25 when i was 18 lol) and was looking to upgrade in quality without straying too far off sound-wise and had considered the J-bass, but after seeing this, i feel like it may not be the best choice for me after all! the thinner neck seemed very appealing, but my tone is callibrated closely to a whole array of pedals, and adjusting every time with two pickups might become a nightmare. besides, extra weight isn't good when dancing AND playing AND singing at once! it does have a lovely sound though... but i think it's team P-bass for me, and my thick, stonery/doomy riffs :)

[@garychait3353]

Good Job! Have a Fender '69 Precision Custom Shop with Jazz Bass Neck w/inlays, Ocean Turquoise/mint condition/recently bought Player Plus with active/passive

[@hotwheel6663]

Bloody well done mate.

[@xMTLKx]

I love both so much, I only own a J but damn that P sounded so nice, more vintage powerful sound I love the smoothness of the bridge pickup of the J Each has its own identity, best solution is still to own both lol

[@kevinbassplayer]

I use P with a jazz neck for rock, J for jazz and general everything. P with flatwounds for recording

[@gregorysanchez7367]

In a band mix I've always, I'm a guitar player, liked the p bass. It just finds its place and does it in spades.

[@danielgraham4282]

Every bass player should have both! I have both, I also have a ‘best of both worlds’ bass, a MiM P- Bass Special ‘deluxe’ which has a P-J pickup configuration, P bass body but a Jazz bass neck 👌, now I play none of them though, because I discovered the joys of a Mustang bass……

[@bobbystereo936]

Yes! I like both. Also don't forget about the 51 p-bass.

[@lowendthrasher9297]

I had both and sold the jazz. Neck was crazy thin and I have small hands. Also found the p tone more full and easier to shape into many different tones with pedals and preamps than a jazz which seemed to always have a more obvious signature tone. The p has one too, but works in more contexts in my experience making it easier to mold in a studio or live situation. I’ve seen awesome players do amazing things with jazz basses, but they’re just not for me.

[@dissolvethevoid]

I ordered a p bass for studio situations. Simple, neck and low noise but... The j bass is something I want later... Should be a few weeks but I really am excited to know what the neck difference will be. I never really liked the fast neck on my Ibanez basses. I'm really liking that smooth tone on both listening to the reviews and demos.

[@MelGibsonsFist]

I gave a thumbs up just for your proper use of “all intents and purposes”. The big difference between a jazz bass and a p bass is that the jazz has this soulful classic sound and the p bass will make your enemies run and hide, your women dance, your skin clearer, teeth brighter, hair thicker and will bring you wealth and fame.

[@jacobmcvay123]

Like how you mentioned the buzz. NOBODY does that in the other videos. Solidified my choice on P Bass. I was leaning that way due to body shape anyways. I like that classic clean cut look not the wonky jazz bass body. Though I do have very tiny hands. Like the size of a 120lb woman type tiny.

[@rossbrigolimusic]

Very good comparison. Thank you. Would have been even more interesting if PJ bass is in the comparison too. I don’t know what necks they use.

[@mutlucagliyan4865]

Great video, thanks. But could you please inform us about the amp (or DI) situation? Is it direct or an Ampeg?

[@ShadamAran]

My first bass was a pbass, and i have always loved it, never envied jazz basses til I got one in my hand. the neck opened up so many possibilities and I was absolutely gobsmacked that something so simple could open up my playing so much. My current pbass is the thickest neck I have ever played, however, and I am seriously considering sanding down the profile, hoping it will get rid of the absurd neck dive, too. does anyone have any insight on how to go about it?

[@JasonGulbin]

You could try installing a J bass neck on your P bass.

[@mforester1988]

I second this. The jazz bass neck would fit without any additional modification

[@javiermarcosmontano6229]

the Precision bass SPECIAL is the solution. greatting!!!

[@256k_]

great video thank you

[@mr.tuckers2848]

I bought myself the higher end Fender American ultra jazz base thinking I would be able to play it the same way as my American Precision P-Base. I quickly found out that my fingers just couldn’t adjust to the differences in the physical dimensions specially in the neck and fret width. I have a small stubby fingers, but I found them fumbling all the time and it became a very frustrating experience. I ended up selling that beautiful midnight blue jazz bass and decided to stay strictly with the Precision. What I did notice was that I can get the jazz bass sound much better when I tried slap technique, but couldn’t replicate that same feeling on the Precision. Some say the jazz bass is more friendlier to use for smaller fingers and maybe I should have started out with one as a beginner. Who knows- maybe it would have been an easier transition into a precision.

[@markbass354]

VERY GOOD VIDEO I LIKE THE FENDER JAZZ I HAVE ONE

[@speshulflake2666]

Perfect vid. Thanks.

[@thiagosalgado4074]

this is the best comparion about P vs J on youtube

[@attackcatt]

Seen a few p body’s with jazz necks in my day. I think my brother has one out of the 70s

[@eurospec]

Jazz Bass Special! Neck from the P Bass, neck pick-up from P Bass, bridge pickup from a J Bass. J bass controls PLUS a selector knob to play either pickup, and with the neck pick-up only, that means you got yourself a P Bass with the narrow neck. I love mine, Japanese model, and feel no need to buy a Standard. Which....is probably why Fender likes them to be unknown

[@MigueloDelgado]

Congratulations, very good work!! I am guitar player, but this video helped me to find my next bass

[@anthony_shay]

Excellent comparison video. Subbed

[@jmongmon1100]

Injust got the pbass 60 vintage. I jave a fender jag i habe been using. The jag is perhaps quicker, but note output seems better on the pbass as the strings are a little further apart. Seems easier to get a good clear note from the G string.

[@burtmann3921]

Thats why every accomplished bassist should have both basses in their arsenals

[@kingdeedee]

Great video man, both really have their strengths and weaknesses. However there can only be one true winner and that is: The Music Man Stingray🔥

[@Livemusic1800]

I prefer precision bass over jazz. I recently bought the squier 40th anniversary precision bass (Lake placid blue with gold hardware) its an awesome bass. It's up there against my fender player series. I also have the fender pro. 2 in dark knight finish but I the struggle with tone its bit too bright for my feel but I use it only for big gigs. But its all precision for me.

[@scott9628]

Played that Squire at guitar center. Nice chose! I find I prefer P basses now for sound and the neck is fine for me even with shorter fingers. Never a big jazz bass fan. But I do like the sharper J bass sound because it really helps you learn by ear. I'm sure you played the classic vibe 60's too?

[@Livemusic1800]

@@scott9628 yupp i Agree on that. Yea I've tried a few. They are pretty good once a good set up is done and maybe a few mods if needed. ✔️

[@scott9628]

@@Livemusic1800 I find most of the "good" Squire's just need more polished frets, some set up work and maybe new tuners. That's it!

[@jonsnow5518]

Really great video

[@MRGTR-94]

What a great well informed video.

[@tarasbass]

Thank you, great comparison

[@trevaudio]

Get both ! Nice comparison !!

[@Eric-dd8bk]

I'm a guitarist who loves single coil pickups and one advice for dealing with 60 cycle hums is killing the volume of your guitar or bass with a volume pedal. Basically putting that volume pedal down whenever you are not playing. I occasionally play bass in live situations and I always have at least a volume pedal under my feet. So with that atta the way, I prefer the Jazz over P.

[@tabodee]

Great video! Great comparison. I have an American J bass with rounds, and a Sqier Classic Vibe 60s bass with flats.I do a bit of home studio recording, and I know exactly what you mean about the j bass creating noise… Sometimes I think it’s broken- lol, because I watch videos where they don’t seem to be making noise. But I really want to use it because it plays so well. It is just so much work to dial in… and I have a Neve and an Avalon pre. I more often than not just go straight into the Apollo interface and use an amp simulator. Any magic bullets out there? Thanks!

[@jamesbarrick3403]

If you have watched the video documentaries by "five watt world" Highly recommended for any guitar geek), you will learn the primary reason for the "invention" of the Jazz Bass was purely marketing. Fender marketing and sales guys wanted to increase sales in the jazz world, so they did exactly that. You can split all the hairs you want about the differences, but that was the reason the Jazz Bass was created. I would bet ANYBODY that in a blind audio test none of you could hear the difference. You can now start your arguments calling me stupid. Remember it was guitar geeks that bought so much horseshit over the decades about "tonewood" and "vintage wood" and folklore about windings on pickups and so much other stuff that has proven to be totally false. You hear what you want to hear. The truth is that a great player will make a very cheap guitar and amp sound amazing.

[@jaykelley103]

Saying that a p bass and j bass sound different isnt a matter of the wood used or some bs like that, they literally have different pick ups and are a different scale length. Both of those things definitely affect the sound. Saying that there is no difference between the two is the goofiest music related take ive seen in a while 😂

[@learnmusic488]

Playing a jazz bass in the ‘neck position’ pickup soloed, compared to a split coil P bass, is ‘similar sounding’… but it’s Not the same exact tone

[@Fretliner]

Great video, clear and informative. Thank you

[@bobbystereo936]

Differences! Jazz bass - clanky chunk. Precision bass - clean mids.

[@dmac7660]

Third option is Fender Jaguar. P bass sound with J bass neck.

[@dinviesel9916]

I learnes playing on a p-bass and wondered why it‘s so hard to slap on a j-bass… the less space between the strings was really new for me

[@mikedonovan3596]

Good video. Is the accessibility to the higher frets easier with a jazz or with a precision?

[@kosmonument2682]

Your basses look like American Pro IIs with those bridges and strap buttons. Did you add those yourself?

[@lukehunnable]

Being a guitarist, the j always sounded too close to the guitar. I love the sound of the p. Just gives that "bed" for other elements to rest on. J I hear more as a solo or slap instrument. Sometimes, however, when you're playing open strings on the p, the lows do go out of control a bit - something which hardly every happens with the j.

[@rfuriati]

Excelente vídeo Comparativo 🙌🏻

[@mschafft2521]

Perfect video!

[@jgabora]

I never realized how different they actually sound. P just sounds more bass-like to me. Has a really fat low sound that I like.

[@barondavis5692]

I have an ‘85 p bass elite II with 2 sets of pick up and active electronics. Great in many ways, but now I’m considering a j bass because of the ease of playing. Thoughts.

[@eugenechek7288]

Very cool, as always.

[@JulesGuitar]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@robertkerr9738]

I’ve tried to like Jazz Basses, but I just prefer the P bass in every way.

[@Breeze_b_hard]

If you are a working bassist doing studio work, having a P and a J-bass will get you the sound that producers want.

[@TheRealMarxz]

preferring the Jazz neck both my P pickup basses have Jazz necks - long termer Japanese domestic model Aerodyne - which is an actual jazz bass with the front pickup replaced with a P bass and recently added another MIJ the Hama Okamoto P base which has a Jazz neck on a P body/electrics best of both worlds

[@sgtflashback5442]

Thank you for not only slapping that J.

[@garyhorn7268]

My dad bought me a used 1957 Pbass in 1965, the music store sent it to Fender in Fullerton for a new neck and paint job. I'm retired and haven't played in a number of years and am jonesing to play. I'm considering a Jazz bass. Any suggestions?

[@AresJazzOfficial]

2 strumenti dal suono favoloso. Personalmente il precision lo terrei così come sta mentre il jazz lo userei freetless che produce un suono favoloso. Così facendo non hai proprio bisogno di altro hai il meglio del meglio.

[@thomasfioriglio]

Jules, I am curious about the tape wounds on the Jazz. Usually, most will put the flats or tapes on the P and rounds on the Jazz. That's what I currently have. Why the tape wounds on the Jazz? BTW, I have a preference for flats. I like the way they feel and no string noise when recording.

[@JulesGuitar]

My jazz is has quite a mellow tone naturally, so the tapes just fit nicely with it. I especially like them with the bridge pickup. The super crispy roundwound sounds just isn’t what this jazz wants to do. My P is more alive so suits rounds well, but I often use flats on it as well.

[@McDoinky]

@@JulesGuitar Doesn’t it get noisy with the tapes?

[@vengeens]

it also depends on the music you want to play :) You can look at the top bands from that music style and... and choose P-bass (ok, it's a joke)

[@bradferguson9840]

Hi Jules, love your content and have just subbed. A bit of an off-topic question... does playing with a pick damage tape wound strings? Thanks.

[@JulesGuitar]

no damage that I’ve ever experienced, they’re much tougher than you might think. I’ve taken them on and off basses loads of times with no issues. Cheers

[@parraeels1100]

Both sound awesome but the J bass tone sounds more punchy.

[@gazfunk]

I love my P bass but when I'm playing with the band or recording I always go for my Jazz. it pretty much does everything. As for the noise thing, just throw some noiseless pups in it and you're good to go. I never have any problems with mine.

[@MuhammadAli-vp7qt]

@gazfunk what is noiseless pups. and how can I get that..

[@oggabob]

@@MuhammadAli-vp7qtpickups

[@joeschlicht]

Had a J, sold it and now I have an incredible P (with flat wounds)... But I do want a jazz bass back in my arsenal some day (should have kept the J) The neck tones were great in this video. I play mostly guitar these days anyway... But it's good to have a bass or two around.

[@Cholo_Puffs]

Gotta say the jazz bass is extra hummy with the tapewounds on it. Since the strings don't ground properly to the bridge cause of the tapes you gotta be touching the bridge or control plate at all times to stop the hum even while playing. Unless you have your pickups and internal shielded well its a problem with those specific kinda of strings.

[@NealFosterHD]

Great, now I have to buy both.

[@wanton1234]

The difference of the Precision bass from Jazz bass is the neck, sometimes the weight. Sound isn't a factor. Either bass sounds the way you want the bass to sound with modern preamps and modern amplification and technique.

[@SevanStick]

You need both. Once you have both you don‘t need anything else.

[@eaglebauer944]

Maybe a Stingray.

[@Danalmagrodrumsnbass]

​@@eaglebauer944 Stingray basses are quite underrated nowadays

[@wmkennard]

I love the jazz because the chrome around the knobs . I use to shine the lights and shine in parton's faces . Got a good laugh n

[@elhabrit]

If you are going to be slapping a lot then J-bass, it gives you that growl. For everything else P-Bass.

[@waltjames407]

Always preferred the Jazz bass for that mean growl and friendlier neck size. P Basses always sounded muddy to me by comparison.

[@st.johnfromdesmoines8361]

I love both, of course. But hold a gun to my head, and yeah, I'm a J-Bass man. I think I might almost prefer the feel of the fatter P neck to the faster J neck (definitely prefer the look of it, at least), and I also definitely prefer the P body to the J body, both in terms of the look and the feel, though especially in the feel. I also have a "more than slight, but less than profound" preference for the P-Bass pickup over against the neck pickup in the J. But the two are close enough that in certain contexts it can even be hard to tell them apart, meaning the J is a more than close enough approximation in all but the most extreme or specialized of contexts. And besides, the "less chunky / more "waxy'" sound of the J neck actually quite often makes for a fun, interesting, and unique spin and "parallel universe" take on the vibe the P-Bass is known for, and can again land you close enough to P that it works, but far enough from P that there's a certain fun novelty to it (especially important when the P-Bass has, if anything, been TOO ubiquitous to the point of "oh God, a P-Bass again" - especially in the 70's.) However, the reason I ultimately land on "team J" is for the flexibility and spectrum of tones it offers. Though I've spoken most heavily on the J neck pickup, it is actually the setting I use the least on a J. I spend the majority of my time in either blend or bridge positions as in more than half of contexts I prefer those tones to "the P sound" (which for this purpose we'll lob the J Neck in with too). While I did enjoy this video (my J is a 2008 MIA Fender, so essentially the same as yours, only in a gray frost color), as I have enjoyed other videos you've posted, and while you certainly let us hear a bunch of J neck vs P (which in my opinion is the most interesting facet of this comparison), my one gentle gripe with the video is that you didn't really spend a lot of time talking about the tonal differences and similarities therein (what I characterized as "chunky vs waxy"). Had you done so, this would've gone for me from a "really good" video to an "outstanding" video...but alas. Lastly, there is a difference between these bases in terms of what strings I do or do not like to use on them. For me, any P-Bass or clone that I'm gonna own *HAS* to be strung with either flatwounds, or at the very most, with groundwounds. I do not like the sound of rounds or tapes on a P. I also typically don't like the sound of playing a P with a pick, unless the tone is turned waaaaaay down. A pick on rounds at full tone on a P results in a certain "clung" sound that I think I'd be willing to go so far as to say that I HATE. On a J, I like all four string types and in a vacuum would happily have any (as well as both pick and finger style - though even here, finger style usually wins for me - generally fingers close to the bridge on the bridge pickup, up on the neck for the neck pickup, and roughly in the middle on the blend.) But for the sake of increasing diversity relative to the P, I usually stick with rounds, though one of these days I would like to try tapes.

[@st.johnfromdesmoines8361]

Here's a track that I'm 99.9% sure is using either a J-Bass neck pickup, or if not, then the virtually identical-sounding "51 P-Bass" with the single-coil four-magnet pickup (which just has a microscopically richer, incidentally less articulate "slightly different flavor of 'wax'" relative to the J neck). It's close enough to the chunky, ubiquitous, split-coil P sound that it took more than one listen to conclude that I was not just hearing the standard P, which ultimately demonstrates what I was on about in my previous comment that the J neck is so fascinating to me for landing "in the general neighborhood of a P sound", while straying JUST far enough from it to make it more interesting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGLdZ2agebF6nJI