P or J whats the diff?

1809 Views 14 Replies 9 Participants Last post by peter benn, Apr 15, 2007

Bevo

Discussion Starter · Mar 14, 2007

Hello all

I have just been loving my Godin 5 and have been looking at all the others out there 4-6 string so far.

One thing I do like is the slim neck of a 4 string and think I will pick one up probably sooner than later. This brings me to my question, whats the difference between the P and J. Most sales guys tell me its just the pickups but I think its more than that.

For a Metal, Blues do all bass which is better?
What are the best $700 to $1000 4 strings out there with active electronics?

Bev

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james on bass

· #2 · Mar 14, 2007

If you're going to compare 2 Fenders, 1 jazz and the other a P, there are differences. The jazz neck is a bit thinner, while the P neck is a bit fatter and rounder. Most say that the jazz bass will sound more bright and growly, while the P bass has more mid range thump.
Obviously the P has one pickup, so the jazz can be a bit more versatile. I have one of each and find the P bass very versatile since with only one pickup in the middle, a slight change in hand position makes a big deal of difference.

I really like the P and would recommend it for blues, rock, metal etc...

There really are lots of basses in your price range. Not a p or a j, but for a very versatile active 4 string, check out a G&L Tribute. Ibanez, Yamaha, Washburn, Cort etc etc... all have nice active basses in that price range.

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james on bass

· #5 · Mar 15, 2007

nine said:
I think the P-bass is the most versatile.

I disagree that it is the most versatile as far as having a myriad of tonal possibilities (like the G&Ls), but you can pretty guarantee that a P-bass will sit in the mix well, either live or recording.

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james on bass

· #8 · Mar 15, 2007

Just my $.02, but I played active basses pretty much exclusive for the last 20 years. This past year has been strictly passive jazz and P basses and I really like the passive tone through a tube pre-amp. That being said, my new 6 string is active and it is very punchy sounding, not to mention a much hotter output. It's really personal preference, but I've been finding the last year or so that simpler is better for me.

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