More newbiew questions.

What are the significant differences between the Precision and Jazz Basses? Is there a real difference? Does playing style matter? And is the Fender P-Bass Special a good cross between the two?

thanks,
David

in terms of sound:
i think a J has a much punchier sound whereas a P has a very big, round sound. you can make a J sound approximately like a P (and vice versa) with a lot of effort, but it's generally not worth it.

in terms of feel:
a j has a much thinner neck in terms of radius and width. the P has a thick, round neck to accompany its thick, round sound. in a lot of ways, the P bass is a very fundamental, ham-handed bass. it really only does bass. the J was a modernization on the P, increasing the frequency range of the instrument and its response to the player.

a P is usually much cheaper than a J, and a PJ (P pickup and a J pickup at the bridge) is a often a blend of all things -- parts, sound, and price.

hopefully others will concur.

Yes, I agree with your summation of the P vs. J thing. The Jazz is more articulate, the P is more chunky.

The P/J is a strange beast. I have never been totally happy with this setup. The first problem has been to find a good pickup for the bridge. I don't like having a single coil pickup stuck in there all by itself humming constantly. Many companies (including Fender) put out their P/J basses this way. Until I recently "discovered" the DiMarzio DP149 Ultra-Jazz pickup, I didn't know of a good single space humbucker that sounded good and would match the output of a P pickup. (I like the Carvin H50, but it is really meant to be used with a preamp, in passive mode it's not quite loud enough for a stock P pickup).

The other problem is pickup placement. My experience with several P/Js has led me to believe that you need to place the J pickup closer to the bridge than you would if it were a standard J/J set up. The standard J bridge position sounds too nasal when combined with a P, placing it approximately 1" from the bridge gives you better high frequency blend with the chunky P pickup. However, most builders default to the standard placement.

As far as the neck goes, I'd personally opt for a thinner Jazz neck on a PJ, just my preference.

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http://www.edfriedland.com

Ed and synaes,

Thanks for the comments. Gives me a bit more to think about.

David

For years, Fender priced the Jazz Bass higher than the Precision but for the last few years both Fender and Squier models have identical prices for either P or J. Price is not an issue for new ones any more.

It's a HUGE issue with vintage axes, where J basses can easily go for double what a comparable P bass would fetch.

yeah, i reread my post on that, and thought, "what the f@#$ was i thinking?"