Fender Precision Bass or Jazz Bass

Roel

Roel

That SMART guy.
Just wondering. One of my friends is looking for a new bass, we tried a Mexican Jazz Bass and it sounded pretty ok. I tried an American Precision half a year ago, which sounded very nice. So this got me wondering, what are the main differences between these 2, esp. soundwise? (I'm not a bassplayer. I can fiddle around a bit, but that's it...) What would be your choice and why?
 
Well, of course the US Precision Bass is _the_ bass to which all others are compared. How could one go wrong with an American Precision?

The Jazz bass plays differently due to a somewhat skinnier neck and it has a broader range of sounds due to having two pickups, which are placed at different spots on the string track. It seems to me to be more of a shredder's bass than the Precision.

I've never owned a Jazz Bass, but have had a few Precisions. They suit my idea of what a bass should sound like, which may be more traditional than is current. I just ordered some .105" flatwounds for my near-mint 1970 Precision this morning, which may tell you a lot about what I want to hear out of a bass.:D

An interesting compromise is the American Series "Hotrodded" Precision Bass http://www.fender.com/electricbasses/pbass/hotrodamerseries/ashotrodpbass.html
...which has a Jazz Bass pickup placed where it would be on the bridge position on a Jazz Bass. This bass is a total killer. Though normally very pricey at nearly $1600 list, the US Guitar Center chain had them on a one-day-only super-sale for $499 at the beginning of September. I bagged one _exactly_ like the one in the picture (right down to the grain pattern) and I'm amazed.

The graphite-reinforced neck is remarkably rigid, giving great sustain and no weird resonances or dead spots, as well as both Precision and Jazz Bass sounds from the pickups.
 
sah-weet a$$ bass...i started on a early 70's p-bass (borrowed from a guitar player)..everything i've played since i compare to it....
 
G & L SB-2. Similar to the hot rod but built better, better woods, better all around bass. Pluss costs less that the hot rod (in most cases)
 
Wallycleaver said:
G & L SB-2. Similar to the hot rod but built better, better woods, better all around bass. Pluss costs less that the hot rod (in most cases)
Click to expand...

I haven't encountered the bass to which you refer, nor is it a Fender (as was the subject of the thread), but I'd be surprised if it was constructed of better woods than the ash-bodied HRs, or made any better. The one that I have is an excellent example and may not be entirely representative, but I can't find a thing to nitpick on it. Maybe other ones are funky, I dunno.

Of course, one normally has to pay an additional ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS on the MSRP for the ash body, so it had better be fantastic. The graphite-reinforced neck seems to be a very worthwhile addition as well. I was skeptical, but not after playing it for a while.
 
i prefer the jazz as it gives me more tones to choose from... its a trade for the lightness of a precision.
 
I've got a jazz bass (usa). Basically the Jazz bass is more diverse and the precision is like you've said 'the one you copare all others to'. I'm not a bassplayer so aren't going to get into it, but put it this way the precison is a little hotter and heavy.
 
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