Loving the P-Bass but favouring a Jazz Bass for live gigs?

#61
Just my $.02 worth.... the neck pickup alone on a Jazz Bass can - *depending on the Jazz Bass in question (pickups/preamp, etc.)* - get you close enough to a P-Bass tone with a little extra EQ'ing and adjustment of the tone control. I love my P-Bass live and in the studio, but a P can't do a 'Jazz Bass with both pickups dimed' tone... but the J can get you in the ballpark of the P-Bass. I could see preferring a Jazz Bass live just for the added versatility. I have a Classic Vibe 60's Jazz Bass and have found the neck pickup soloed to be growly and 'P-Bass like' in enough live situations to only make me bring that one bass. The audience won't know or care really, and your sound guy will appreciate just having to do minor tweaks to the FOH.
 
#62
I prefer a Jazz while noodling at home or recording, and a Precision in a live setting. Just has a little more authority. A p/j or P body with jazz neck is best of both worlds.
Actually, thinking back my favorite recording bass was a Fender Roscoe Beck.
THAT was the best of both worlds.

FB_IMG_1610661605258.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: u2brothr
#66
Yep, yes, well, not quite the same, but I am looking at a fender Jazz now to replace my fender p bass. 2nd time I have been down this road. Just not clean enough sound for me. On its 3rd set of pickups, so it is back to a jazz. Hoping to have one for my next gig this friday night, I'll have to drag out the Sterling Ray4! Just dont have the heart to play the P bass. I thought it would have sold by now.
 
#67
It’s the opposite for me. I feel like a P bass fits in the mix perfectly for almost everything I do. I feel like I can hear a P better in a mix too. But that’s just my situation.

I avoid switching instruments as much as possible. I only bring one bass to a show and usually stick with the same bass for a particular band once I figure out what works best.
 
  • Like
Reactions: johnnynitro
#68
Just because you asked:

P bass = meh. J bass = meh, plus a big thumbs down for the offset body. I’ll plug in my Ric-alike or my SG3 any day.

Switching basses = sure, all the time. A silent cable helps. So does an AB(Y) box. So does switching during a guitar intro.
 
#69
When you get bored with the Fenders:
1. It’s fun to start bringing increasingly more random basses to gigs and see if anyone else in the band notices. Start with odd colours and work towards headless/small body/Kahler tremolo/etc.
2. Just fun, ask other band members what they think of your gear, basses in general, or whether or not they even know what you are playing at all.
3. Make random loud sounds on your bass and when the singer whips around glare at the drummer.
4. Begin to wear a long black cape to gigs. See if anyone mentions it.
...or just enjoy being a sensible person unlike myself.
P.S. Really, just do what suits you best and makes everyone happy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Moving Pictures and GroovyBaby
#71
I prefer a passive P at a gig. Seems to take a lot of tone fiddling to get a passive J to fit the mix without getting lost. I have a J with active pickups which is great for gigging. I’ve never swapped basses at a gig even though I bring a backup. Horn players often swap but we build this into the songs. Nobody wants to wait for a bass player to swap basses! Probably take 30 seconds to swap but we often go from one song straight into another and bass is a instrument that’s always playing. I have a PJ. I can make it sound like a P but not like a J.
 
#73
IME, my Jazz (flats/9050Ls) is definitely more versatile than my P (flats/old Chromes) for live situations BUT sometimes I desire the rawness of just the P. I find my J (w/flats) has a more 'sophisticated' tone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: shojii
#74
Agree, but if I didn’t play any slap & pop or have the need for any bright pick-sounding tones, I would prefer the P-bass with flats all night just to lock better with the drummer. Last Saturday, 1/15/22, I played a P with flats (and with a Jazz neck) on about 30 songs and a Jazz with rounds on about 6 songs. That would be about 83% P and 17% J.

I could easily go for a Jazz with flats and a Jazz with rounds. Changing basses between songs is no big deal with a muting pedal tuner…
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: GroovyBaby
#76
BasEd said:
I prefer a passive P at a gig. Seems to take a lot of tone fiddling to get a passive J to fit the mix without getting lost. I have a J with active pickups which is great for gigging. I’ve never swapped basses at a gig even though I bring a backup. Horn players often swap but we build this into the songs. Nobody wants to wait for a bass player to swap basses! Probably take 30 seconds to swap but we often go from one song straight into another and bass is a instrument that’s always playing. I have a PJ. I can make it sound like a P but not like a J.
Click to expand...
I hear ya... and calling audibles to the set list makes it more difficult
 
#77
I have a Jazz Bass Special that I love, I sounds and plays great; but lately I found myself playing more with my PJ.

I know is a special kind of PJ, as it is a 1984 PJ-555 (P-J Bass not Jazz Bass Special) with those big pole pickups, greasebucket tone circuit and a Precision neck: but she just does the job amazingly well live.

With the P pickup soloed, it's a true Precision sound, but if you add a bit of the J pickup and get the sweet spot on the greasebucket it cuts through the mix like a hot knife on butter. With the J pickup soloed or just a bit of the P it is a honk machine.

IMG_5149.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: ximun
#78
Intersting. I feel the opposite. I like the onboard tonal adjustments of a Jazz for recording (where you have the time and tools to make your tone whatever you want it to be, no matter what bass you're using anyhow). But I prefer the simplicity of a P when playing live.

Perhaps the same reason why Stratocasters and Jazzmasters are my favorite recording guitars, but I primarily play Esquires and LP Juniors live.
 
#79
I always had a tough time getting the sound I wanted from a jazz bass live. All the jazz bass tones I love don’t sound super great in a band context for what I’ve been doing.

P-bass with flats it’s kinda tough to punch through a live mix. There just isn’t a lot of top end so it’s very easy to just sound boomy. I keep the majority of my P-basses strung up with Elixir rounds.

If I ever want to cut through a mix I use a stingray. These days it’s a stingray special HH.

I probably gig about 40-50 times a year now. I’ll always bring two basses to every gig but I don’t really switch stuff out unless something breaks or is acting finicky and then again, only between sets. I use my radial Bassbone to balance input volumes.

Food for thought: I play in a lot of different groups and I can’t think I’ve ever had to suffer from a guitarist switching through multiple guitars a set unless they had one specifically set up for slide and the set list is set up to support that. I don’t really ever see many professional bands do a lot of instrument swapping unless they have roadies and guitar techs off stage to facilitate that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back