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Absolutely, but a P is never NOT going to work. J bass, though more versatile in tone options, is less versatile across multiple instrumentation environments, in my experience.
You happy with your 60th Anniversary P? I've fooled around with mine, it currently has a 51 reissue neck on it but I will probably revert to the original neck. It sounded great when I pulled it off the wall at GC and bought it.
I totally agree. That's why I have two P's... One with flats, one with rounds.
It's been my number one since I've had it. Love the neck, love the sound (especially with flats) I love everything about it
I like to use both. The p for more heavier stuff and the jazz where more articulation is required. Having one of each and experimenting how each one sits in the mix is key. For some songs, they can be interchangeable, for others, not do much.
Bottom line is, use your own ears and decide what works best for you and your playing style.
Bottom line is, use your own ears and decide what works best for you and your playing style.
I agree with the above posts. Perhaps the best people to ask for which bass sounds better are the players in your band. They have the insight of what the music sounds like, where we do not. Nevertheless, a P bass is great for live sound in a multiple instrument and vocals style of music. It covers the frequency range that the other instruments can't, and gives the music a broader dynamic range. That can work well with a lot of styles of music. And if you need that extra higher end mids to cut through on the fly for a featured solo, a good fx boost pedal can make that happen.
P/J is Definitely the way to go if you're torn between the two, it's a no-brainer ... IMHO
Not much new to add, but by gum, I'm going to add it anyway. I play a Squier Affinity P, and it doesn't have sunburst or a tort guard. It's what I like to call "dirty white." It's got nickel-plated Dunlop roundwounds on it that are about 4-5 years old now, and it's my first and only bass, as I am a recent guitar-to-bass convert. I play it in a 3-piece alongside a guy with a EMG-equipped LP and Marshall 2 x 12.
Before getting it I kind of had my eye out for a Jazz bass because I used to play a friend's J sometimes and I liked how the two pickups and V-V-T control setup worked. At the time I thought P basses sounded weird, thick and clanky. But I got mine really cheap and it seemed stable and functional and good to learn on.
I'm still learning about bass, EQ, fitting into the mix and all that, but I have to say that some of that learning process is reading stuff here and trying to square it with what I actually hear/experience with the band. That clanky middiness is something I try to manage with EQ at home, where I end up cutting a little in the 160-340 Hz range and boosting a little at 1K and 2.6K, then cutting some 5K...seems to focus the lows and clean them up, add a little presence and snap and not allow the higher notes to seem brittle. I've begun to worry that I'm trying to neuter the P-bassness out of my P-bass.
Because with the band, having some dirty clanky mids seems to create a wide, full, rich bass tone that can be heard alongside a distorted LP/Marshall without stomping all over it and obscuring it. So I'm still looking for a middle ground and trying to calibrate my ear to that knowledge.
Another possible factor to consider is that the guitarist I play with plays pretty simply...he's a bar chord/triad/double stop guy. Not a player of texturally complex lush chords. So there's some room--maybe a need for, even--for a bass line to be melodic and kind of sonically "wide." I'm pretty lucky there...it's a pretty friendly environment to learn bass accompaniment in. I can try lots of stuff without causing immediate trainwrecks if it doesn't work right.
But from my admittedly limited experience, P-basses work well in a rock mix.
Before getting it I kind of had my eye out for a Jazz bass because I used to play a friend's J sometimes and I liked how the two pickups and V-V-T control setup worked. At the time I thought P basses sounded weird, thick and clanky. But I got mine really cheap and it seemed stable and functional and good to learn on.
I'm still learning about bass, EQ, fitting into the mix and all that, but I have to say that some of that learning process is reading stuff here and trying to square it with what I actually hear/experience with the band. That clanky middiness is something I try to manage with EQ at home, where I end up cutting a little in the 160-340 Hz range and boosting a little at 1K and 2.6K, then cutting some 5K...seems to focus the lows and clean them up, add a little presence and snap and not allow the higher notes to seem brittle. I've begun to worry that I'm trying to neuter the P-bassness out of my P-bass.
Because with the band, having some dirty clanky mids seems to create a wide, full, rich bass tone that can be heard alongside a distorted LP/Marshall without stomping all over it and obscuring it. So I'm still looking for a middle ground and trying to calibrate my ear to that knowledge.
Another possible factor to consider is that the guitarist I play with plays pretty simply...he's a bar chord/triad/double stop guy. Not a player of texturally complex lush chords. So there's some room--maybe a need for, even--for a bass line to be melodic and kind of sonically "wide." I'm pretty lucky there...it's a pretty friendly environment to learn bass accompaniment in. I can try lots of stuff without causing immediate trainwrecks if it doesn't work right.
But from my admittedly limited experience, P-basses work well in a rock mix.
I totally ended up there with the last 3-piece rock thing I did. The P kinda poked out in a narrow way, while my jazz made this nice, wide cushion on the bottom, with room in the middle for the geetar, and then some nice clank on top for clarity and texture. My fave power trio bass is easily my Geddy with Model J's, everything dimed, with a pick.
My classic 70s p is MIM. Still a cool bass. The Japanese ones are better. Glad you enjoy yours!
I've actually found mine nicer than some of the US models I've tried. I guess you get lucky sometimes.
Geddy does all right with his Jazz Basses. Nothing missing from his sound that I can discern.
MM
Hang on a minute there Slick! I *like* tofu ... and I like bacon. Perhaps not on the same plate - definitely not the P/J then...
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
Do you want bacon that tastes like tofu? I doubt it. Stick to Thunderbirds. Even dogs smell good when you play a Thunderbird.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
I made the bass loop. I started on a Fender P, had to have a Jazz, sold the P, found a perfect Fender Jazz. Just never liked the sound. I had a last minute fill in at a church. I played the abused lower line P/J Ibanez. My Fender jazz could not match the sound. So, a few basses later I ended up with another Fender P.
Though this horse is now beat to a bloody pulp, I'll chime in anyway. I own a P with TI Rounds, a J with TI flats and a PJ with DR Pure Blue rounds on them. I did a test using Ultimate Guitar's Tab Pro, removing all instruments except for guitar and drums, I played several rock songs from The Doors, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Creedence and several more. I found all three basses did just fine, but more important was the amp. I used my GK MB800 first and then my Mesa Walkabout. The Walkabout with the gain at noon added enough grain and overtones to better fill the mix. But, if I had to choose one of the basses, it was the P with TI Rounds. There's huge love for TI flats on TB, but I rarely see their Rounds mentioned and they're just fantastic. So, the moral of the story is, to better fill the mix, think about adding some hair to your tone.