Members papamaverick Posted September 24, 2005 Members Share Posted September 24, 2005 Looking to get a bass, mostly for recording purposes. I'm pretty sold on Fender but can't decide on J or P bass. I really enjoy the sound that U2 and Coldplay get with their bass; like that style as well. Guitar is my main instrument so I'd mostly use this bass in a non-showy type style. Basic questions: P or J? Which would be more versatile in a rock/blues/jazz type setting? Flatwound? I've liked the flatwound basses I've played but don't have enough experience to say much more. Squier vs. MIM vs. MIJ vs. MIA - what are the differences and how cheap can I reasonably afford to go? I probably won't play live very much and a lot of recording engineers swear by the SansAmp - and its cheap - so thats the route I'm gonna go for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members i_wanna_les_paul Posted September 24, 2005 Members Share Posted September 24, 2005 Perhaps the biggest consideration between P and J basses, especially when moving from guitbox to bass is the neck. A P neck is very wide and chunky, while a Jazz is narrower. As far as sound goes, both basses are time-proven workhorses. P's are known for their great "thump" - they can move a lot of air with a good amp. J's are more known for their "growl." They're both great for rock, blues, country, etc. It's more a matter of personal taste as to which flavor you prefer more. If you're going to go P or J, I guess just play them both and see what your cup of tea is. You could go with SX and get one of each, you know Dustin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrestiaRules Posted September 24, 2005 Members Share Posted September 24, 2005 Originally posted by i_wanna_les_paul Perhaps the biggest consideration between P and J basses, especially when moving from guitbox to bass is the neck. A P neck is very wide and chunky, while a Jazz is narrower. As far as sound goes, both basses are time-proven workhorses. P's are known for their great "thump" - they can move a lot of air with a good amp. J's are more known for their "growl." They're both great for rock, blues, country, etc. It's more a matter of personal taste as to which flavor you prefer more. If you're going to go P or J, I guess just play them both and see what your cup of tea is. You could go with SX and get one of each, you know Dustin Ps are such a straight forward beast that sits in the mix like a champ. That SX idea is a good suggestion. Many guys here buy them from Rondo and upgrade them as desired and they end up with nice solid workhorse basses for cheap as for Fender I LOVE MIJ Fenders....the necks are buttery goodness. I think they are the best value as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassguy Posted September 24, 2005 Members Share Posted September 24, 2005 directions to finding a bass: go to nearest music store....basses usually have 4 or 5 strings....simple nuff for a guitarist? yammaha is the way to go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LanEvo Posted September 24, 2005 Members Share Posted September 24, 2005 Originally posted by papamaverick I really enjoy the sound that U2 and Coldplay get with their bass; like that style as well. If that's the sound you're after, you're probably better off with a P bass. Get an SX copy from Rondo for $110. The get a nice pickup, like the Lindy Fralin. Or, you can always go with one of the cheaper classics, like the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder or DiMarzio. Emre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zachoff Posted September 24, 2005 Members Share Posted September 24, 2005 I play a Jazz now but started out on a P. I just think you can get more versatility out of a Jazz, so yeah... That's why I play one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zachoff Posted September 24, 2005 Members Share Posted September 24, 2005 Here... A P is a bucker, a J is a single coil... A P is a Gibson Les Paul. A J is a Fender Strat. Understand now?! Yes, it's a shallow description, but hopefully it paints a picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members papamaverick Posted September 24, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 24, 2005 Thanks for the thoughts so far guys. Do the SX basses really hold their own compared to Fenders? I would think anything priced that low would go beyond inexpensive into the "cheap" category but I could be wrong. Sounds like they're pretty popular. What about flatwound vs. roundwound strings? Dave P.S. Yeah I've played both and recorded both a fair degree but I'm always interested in others' thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mudbass Posted September 24, 2005 Members Share Posted September 24, 2005 P Bass Special. The best of both worlds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JC Bass Posted September 24, 2005 Members Share Posted September 24, 2005 My upgraded SX... I've played the real Geddy Lee jazz at GC, and find that I actually prefer the look and playability of my SX. To each their own, but I can tell you that I am very impressed with the SX instruments that have gone through my house and still reside here. Even out of the box they all sounded and played good. I would take an SX over a Squier ANY day...the quality is just much better. SX instruments come very close to meeting or exceeding MIM Fenders...and with a few upgrades, you will definitely have something better than a MIM for a lot less money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrestiaRules Posted September 24, 2005 Members Share Posted September 24, 2005 as far as flats vs rounds I prefer flats...in particular on a P what kind of budget are you working with...that will decide the SX vs Fender. If you have the $$ to order direct and go the MIJ route do it....if you decide you don't like bass sell it to me. If you don't have $650+ to spend go the SX route. Solid Alder bodies...maple necks...and the option of maple fretboards...something MIM Fender basses do not offer. buy an SX P slap a bad assII or Gotoh bridge on it and a decent pickup...Bill Lawrence, Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio and you are laughing with a great bass for recording for less than $300...mind you it won't say Fender on the headstock..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members papamaverick Posted September 24, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 24, 2005 Thanks a lot for the help guys, I really appreciate it. It's nice to be able to have this kinda input - I would've never known about SX. It looks like I'm gonna go with the SX P-bass copy with a rosewood fretboard. I'll probably put a Lawrence pup in there (have one of his on my strat and love it) with some flatwounds. Sure its not a Fender, but I care more about the sound than the name. What brand of flatwounds are preferred? I know that on my guitar I use a pretty rare brand of strings, Pyramid which I absolutely LOVE. They're expensive, but they're pure nickel and (at least on guitar) last forever. But for bass its very likely a different story. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sunburstbasser Posted September 25, 2005 Members Share Posted September 25, 2005 Pyramids get quite a few recommendations on this board. I think you'll like those strings. What I notice in difference between flats and rounds on bass is that flats tend to be more solid on the low end and easier on the left hand. Rounds have more growl to them, and are easier to play on the right hand. James Jamerson used flats. If you listen to any Motown, thats all Ps with flats. Same goes for Tower of Power. The P/flats is such a standard tone that it basically sounds good all the time. If it doesn't its because the player isn't doing his job somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Trento54 Posted September 25, 2005 Members Share Posted September 25, 2005 i have a ibernez sr400 it is awesome it has a thin neck and also you can get both p and j bass sounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrestiaRules Posted September 25, 2005 Members Share Posted September 25, 2005 I believe Macca played the Pyramid gold flats on his Hofner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LanEvo Posted September 25, 2005 Members Share Posted September 25, 2005 Originally posted by PrestiaRules If you don't have $650+ to spend go the SX route. Solid Alder bodies...maple necks...and the option of maple fretboards...Remember, there are also some ash bodied SX basses that come out from time to time. I just bought a 5-string SX Jazz with ash body and maple fingerboard (bound & blocked). You can't get that from Squier or MIM Fenders. Personally, I can't see the logic of spending 3 times the price for a MIM Fender. They still have crappy pickups and hardware...so, it's still a "fixer upper" if you know what I mean. One way or the other, you're going to spend another $200+ on Bill Lawrence pickups and a Badass II bridge. Emre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members T. Alan Smith Posted September 25, 2005 Members Share Posted September 25, 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ole Man Blues Posted September 26, 2005 Members Share Posted September 26, 2005 Fender Precision Bass. I previously owned a Jazz Bass and found it to be a great midrange sounding bass. The P Bass on the other hand has that great low end thud that gets you heard and noticed. With a set of flatwounds on it you'll be a force to be reckoned with. You can feel the rumble. OMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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