OK, I'm finally getting a bass of my very own (no more struggling with righty models and looking like a cripple! Hooray!), and I've narrowed it down to two contenders -the Fender Jazz Bass and the Fender P Bass.
Of course, I went through that "transitional bass" phase where I considered a £150-£200 model to "make sure I like it", but I thought to myself, I wish I'd spent £400 off the bat with my first guitar, so I'm not going to make the same mistake this time. I'm gonna do it right or not at all.
So, I was wondering if anybody had any suggestions? Thankies.
The Jazz has a wider variety of sounds.
The Precision has only one, but it's a good one.
The Jazz has a narrower neck. A lot of people find it easier to play than the P.
If it were me, I'd go for the Jazz.
Play both and see which you prefer. Playability is more important than sound. Amplifier, speaker and effects affect sound more than bass type.
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Helgi Briem
hbriem AT gmail DOT com
Hey Tucker,
Want the best of both worlds? Look at the Deluxe P-Bass Special. I've been eyeing these myself. :)
It's a Precision body with a Jazz neck, and both P and J p'ups. I don't know the conversion for Dollars to Pounds (or is it Sterlings?), but this one sells at MF here in the states for $530.
"Don't try to describe a KISS concert if you've never seen it." Jimmy Buffett
Yeah, it's pounds over here, and the numbers would be pretty much the same (e.g. a £400 guitar would cost $400 dollars in the US, which is why a lot of British musicians stock up when they holiday in the states to take advantage of the currency conversion) - it's a little more than I was planning to spend.
I've played both, and I have to say, I prefer the jazz. We'll see what's their after Christmas, then I'm going to look into a bridge cover for it... GOD I love bridge covers.
Good descision. Go with the Jazz, beautiful instruments, and personally I like to have a flexible tone.
When I've got any money, I'm gonna look into a Jazz
"I had these dreams that I would learn to play guitar, maybe cross the country, become a rock star"
If it's still there after Christmas, I'm definitely picking one up. You'll see a picture of my decision when I get it home. ;)
I just really like it's features... the offset waist, the twin pickups... I also think it's far customizable than your standard Precision.
That's a good choice. I'd never settle for less than two pickups after having a bass with two. I kind of wish I'd gotten a J-bass rather than one with P/J pickups, but i'm not sure how much difference there is in the neck PU, soundwise. The only J-Bass I've played lately was fretless.
