Whats the difference?

[face__man]

I got hooked on playing bass this past summer and am planning on buying my own soon. Could someone tell me the differnences between the Fender Standard Precision and the Fender Standard Jazz bass.

[noisedoll]

the jazz has a nicer neck imo (slimmer)
they have different pickups and tone/volume controls
they're different shapes

i'd spend more time reading up and playing before you part yr cash

[cephan]

P-basses tend to have a deeper thumping tone. J-basses have more mid-range. Fender now puts this thing called a S-1 switch on their new American Standard basses. Its supposed to change the pick-ups from series to parallel and vice versa. Basically, engaging the S-1 switch is supposed to make a P-bass sound more like a J-bass and vice versa. Notice I said supposed to. The only thing that will really sound like a P-bass is a P-bass and a J-bass is a J-bass. Play both and make a decision on what feels and sounds right to you. Personally, I'm a big J-bass fan.

[face__man]

Yah i'm definately gonna do lots of research. I've played the J-bass lots and liked it, but i've only played the p-bass a couple times so i think i'm gonna try a few out again.

[Rock A My Soul]

Alternately, you could look into getting a bass that is a combination of P-bass and J-bass necks, pickups, and bodies. There are plenty of variations, some offered by Fender themselves.

[cubby]

This will be the only time I ever say this but Ibanez is the way to go for good started bass. Ibanez basses such as the SR400 and the SR490 are good quality without breaking your wallet and usually sound much better than the Fender Standard Basses IMO. They also are sort of a cross between the Jazz and Precision as far as feel goes so it will help you guage what characteristics you like more. You can always move up to a higher priced bass if you decide it's the instrument for you. Playing bass well is not as easy as some would have you think.

[face__man]

I will check out Ibanez for sure. The bass i started on was an Ibanez. Not sure what model. And yes the difficulty of the bass is under rated. Having been a guitar player for 7 years I assumed I could pick it up with little difficulty. While I admit I did pick it up quite quickly I still have alot to learn.

[Anders D]

When I took bass lessons I played an Ibanez as well (a Soundgear SR400 I believe), and I found it much easier to play than my Fender Mex J Bass. The neck felt a lot better to me, but that of course is my opinion. Every person will have a different hand, and every bass will feel different. Experiment around, as much as you can.

[noisedoll]

i've a custom ibanez blazer bass and a self built jazz copy...
they really are so different to play and hear, i suggest you buy one with a combo of pickups and the neck you feel most comfortable playing