I started out on guitar and got serious about bass after my oldest brother Angelo died. Mom wanted me to have his Jazz bass. I got really into bass and even played more gigs on bass than guitar for a while. It’s a way to keep my brother close to me.

I started out gigging on Jazz style basses. Loved them. Then I noticed the more professional recording work I did, the more I started gravitating to P basses. Now I’m pretty much full time P bass. I think Jazz basses sound better by themselves, but P basses tend to sound better in the mix. Strange sort of conundrum! Also, P basses help me not overplay with those chunky necks, particularly the vintage style ones I record the most. No wrong answer here :)

My first bass was a Jazz bass, then bought all sorts of active/fretless fancy ones 5/6 strings until recently I got a p bass. Turns out that's what I was looking for all along

Statistically I don’t know the actual breakdown of popularity but in owning a owning my own music shop, I move P-Basses three to one. It’s almost as if the name “Jazz Bass” scares my clientele to the P-Bass. Nothing scientific, just many years of observations. Good stuff, thank you!

When my teen daughter wanted to take up the bass after a few years on the guitar, I got here a Squire PJ bass (P body, jazz bridge pickup combined with P-pass pickup) with a jazz bass style neck. Seemed like a good combo then and still does.

I have to take a minute to appreciate the genius of Leo Fender. His first electric bass guitar was the P-bass. How did he get so much right on his first try?

Great video pointing out the differences between the 2 most influential and iconic basses ever made. Note that the 70s jazz basses have the bridge pickup placed closer to the bridge for that brighter, more pingy sound. It’s subtle, but I definitely noticed a difference from my 2010 jazz bass to my current custom build jazz bass with the CBS/70s bridge pickup position.

There's one important aspect to mention as well. The PBs split coil is humbucking, which is one of the reasons why (pointed by others) it is preferred by technicians (studio/gig). JB single coils need a proper shielding or you will get a lot of hum.

For me, I was always convinced that I preferred jazz bass, and for years I’d play them at music stores and never want to take them home. I finally decided to try a precision bass, specifically a PJ precision bass, and I just couldn’t put it down. Haven’t looked back since.

Ive been plqying bass for 13 years and always preferred jazz basses until I bought a fender player series p bass 18 months ago. Since then its the only bass i use for practically everything, from gigging to recording it just works.

I have one of each. My jazz bass is a thing of joy with multiple tone options that fill my heart. My P bass is from 1993, was my first bass and holds a ton of memories. Love them both.

I have both basses, and personally I prefer the P-bass sound over the J-bass. And I totally agree that the P is a little bit tough than the J, in terms of playability. And TBF, my main bass is a P bass with a J neck, and to me this is the perfect combo.

I have and love them both. I slightly prefer the jazz bass over p-bass because it’s more versatile. You can get close to the p-bass tone with just the neck pickup on a jazz. Still, it really comes down to preference.

I started out on P Bass. I played it for most of my musical career, but drifted into Jazz Bass territory later on. Now I use either depending on the gig (or my mood at the time). You can never have too many basses.😁

P Bass all the way. I love how responsive the tone control is on its singular pickup, nothing beats the simplicity of it. Jazz Basses are the next best thing IMO, it's all love.

I have both, but so loved the Jazz Bridge pickup that I've come to the conclusion (that many have) that a P/J combination is right for me.

I have both and play both but I always end up back with the Jazz, my first love.

Absolutely hands down for me it must be the Jazz. Two factors influence my choice. 1. Thinner neck (I have really small hands) helps, plus the bridge pickup is a huge incentive for me as well. I just want the pink one... haha

Hey, I started on a PJ Squire! It's good enough as a starter's instrument and allows you to set the bass for each type of pickup or both. Bass is a hobby for me so I'm not that worried, but for a bassist looking for a bigger commitment its key to decide which type of bass is best for the music they want to play. Great video Scott!

I love both of them as they are unique sound wise to each other, but I think I'd have to say, the P Bass is the most popular, as it has been recorded on so many things through history, and tends to sit fatter in the mix.

Love and have them both, but P (with flats on it) is my main go to instrument. I love the super stable fat neck, and the simple, round, oldschool tone.

I love and have both Precision and Jazz basses, have been a J-type player for decades and discovered a new thrill with the P-bass these last years. I would say it all depends on the context of the music, but if there is more than one saturated guitar involved, I go for the Precision.

I love the versatility of a J Bass, but the tone of a P Bass just works in more of the contexts in which I work. I currently use a P/J.

I have both and wouldn't want to give up either of them. Thank you, Leo.

When I started bass I went for a Fender Jazz bass, but have always wondered if I should have went the P-Bass route. Thanks for a great video explaining the difference, I'm happy I went for a Jazz Bass, but tbh I still find the controls for blending the pickups on a Jazz Bass puzzling!

I have both but my go-to is mostly the Precision. One reason is I usually prefer the P-bass necks, and I just love that sound. Some may call it a one-trick-pony, and it is true that the J-bass may offer a wider range of sounds, but most of the time when I play the Jazz, I end up dialling it in to make it sound the closest to the Precision sound. 😂 In terms of the way a bass feels, I’ve always bonded more with P-basses than with the J-basses. Still, I totally get why so many would prefer the Jazz.

I'm a guitarist, so my bass skills are minimal, but I bought a Jazz Bass a couple of years ago just for home recording and I really love it, I've used it on everything from soul, blues, and rock to edm and even on orchestral scores, so it's versatility can't be emphasised enough..... but I am also itching to buy a P Bass right now.

2:40 - I disagree! I find the P-Body way more comfortable. Especially while playing it resting on your leg, the J-Offset-Body is endangered to cause neckdive...

@5:41 I think the P-bass is the most recorded bass if that's any indication of popularity.

My main bass is a Rick 4001 with Rotosound strings, but I wanted something thumpier for R&B and ska but didn't want the neck to feel too different moving back and forth. A Jazz with flat-wounds was perfect.

My first bass is a Squier 1975 vintageJazz Bass, and I love it. But sometimes i feel, i need a P Bass too.😍 Thanks for a video. Greetings from Hungary.👍

I started playing a few months ago and faced the same conundrum. I bought a Yamaha TRBX174 with both precision and jazz pick-ups which gives best of both worlds and let’s me murder a range of different styles and tunes.

For most of the stuff I play, a P-bass is all I need, but when I want to do a lot of fast slap & pop playing, I go for P&J basses to get a little of both worlds.

I got a jazz bass for the neck

That's a very intuitive way to explain what the tone control is to a beginner: it's your mouth, when it's open you sound open, when it's closed you sound closed.

I bought a Jazz bass about 35 years ago, which I still play. Never felt the need to even try something else. It just never disappoints me. Plug it in, and the soundcheck takes about 10 seconds.

Saving up for an American Precision II. Currently rocking a Yamaha TRBX304. I love the versatility of the active bass, but I'm ready for a more mature sound. Honestly, it's because I'm a brass player first and a bassist second. I'm used to working with instruments that have a consistent, reliable tone. That's why I'm making sure my first pro bass is a P-bass -- it's just my style.

I struggled with bass when I bought my fender. At the time I thought it was a good fit when I tried it but I didn't know anything. I made it work but it was rough. I then got a Ubass 18 years later. I nearly cried. "I can play this thing." After watching several videos, I dug out my old bass. I discovered the action was set so high I am amazed there were not birds resting on the strings. I write this for the noob so they don't buy the first thing they get their hands on. Bass is fun but a poorly set up bass is frustration.

I learnt on a P-Bass copy, as i started getting more technical I found myself naturally moving to Jazz. Having said that, a good player will make anything sound good.

After my 2nd G&L ASAT bass(MFD pickups) the only things that mattered was weight, color and neck profile. I went Custom Shop with my 3rd and 4th G&L basses. Stuck to the 9.5 profile as I cannot get used to other neck profiles. No matter what bass you have, you are at the mercy of the sound system so the ability to tweak/adapt is more important than what bass you use.

I have quite a few Jazz basses and 4 Precisions. The J neck profile from the late 60's through the mid 70's fits my hand the best, and that, coupled with the string spacing allows me the most effortless, efficient, and comfortable playability. Plus, the tone variations available, and a nicer aesthetic sold me decades ago. YMMV. Edit to add, playing out at many Open jams and seeing a fair number of bands playing classic rock, blues, R&B, etc., in the Bay area, Jazz basses outnumber Precisions by at least four to one.

They're both perfect for what they're programmed to do. They are not the same.

I've been playing a jazz bass for almost 10 years and love it. I started out on a big old five string and as soon as I got the Jazz four string, I knew I'd found my instrument.

Definitely…both! Four or five, why not, of each one😊

It all depends on what sounds you are going for. In my opinion the P- bass is a one trick pony where the Jazz bass has more tonal options. Just my opinion, please all P-bass lovers don’t attack me. Haha And FYI , I have both.

I have had both, but the P is what people want. The chunkiest is actually an advantage for me, as the P bass will take being played hard and give great dynamics, whereas I have to be gentler on the jazz. The area where the jazz shape shines, though, is fretless. The two pickup arrangement suits that.

I have a Dean bass with P&J pickups and find myself playing the P most often. That said, when I bought my Fender Jazz bass I absolutely fell in love with it. I am what you might call a 15 year beginner. You know the guy who sits in for a song or two and then gets busy with life and doesn’t touch his bass for a year or two. So I don’t have a ton of bass experience but I do love my Geddy Lee signature. Plays great and sounds awesome.

I realized a few years ago that it's actually a "deep" neck I don't like, and not a wide one. I used to think I didn't like the width of the P Bass neck at the nut. But then I played some P basses that were still wide but had a shallower neck front to back. Perfectly comfortable. In fact, maybe even more so than the jazz bass because of the extra space between the strings. I'm not sure what neck shape it is that I hate so much. Google tells me it's a "vintage C" or maybe a "U." That would make sense. I have a precision with a modern C-shaped neck, and I love it.

I understand it's not 'classical ' enough, but why is there no mention of the PJ combo? Maybe I missed it, but I haven't found any video by Scott analyzing this option - it's always J vs P. Please, Scott, would be nice to see you comparing it to Jazz, for example.

P bass vs Jazz Bass = PJ BASS 🚀🚀🚀

Great explanation of both the P bass and J bass…thanks!!! I have a P bass and if I played bass full-time I might consider changing to the J bass as I like the increased versatility it offers.

It’s personal preference really. I have owned 2 vintage fenders for many years. A ‘58 p bass and a ‘60 jazz bass. Both have their own good points. Every song and musical genre is different. I like being able to choose which of those fender basses fits the gig and specific music style needed. I also own some nice boutique basses. And they all have their own sound and personality. If you’re a ‘ purist’ you may not agree. But like I said .. it’s really personal preference. Whatever works best for you. IMHO ..the hands and technique are really the main difference.

The versatility of Jazz Bass is unbeatable. As cool and signature as the sound of the P-bass is, you can get 90% of that tone with the J-bass... and still have all the awesome range that bass gives you. Cheers

P bass body with a Jazz neck is very comfortable. I find p basses rest a bit more stable if I'm sitting / recording, almost like a Telecaster. Though I do like smaller instruments, so my current all round fav are Mustang basses.

I always wanted the body of a P bass with PJ configuration , but that had the thin neck of a jazz bass with the block inlays, good thing, I found exactly what i was looking for lol a Fender precision bass special deluxe series blablabla its not from the highest tiers but man its just what i was looking for, plays and sounds amazing! i love it

Several years ago I decided I needed a Fender bass in my stable. I thought I wanted a Jazz bass and played a bunch of them, and never found "the one". Then one day I was at a store that has a nice P bass marked down. I picked it up, plugged it in, and instantly realized that it was a P that I wanted and not a J at all. I still have it. 😊

Great comparison! For me, the jazz neck pup just ain’t it. I play an American pj bass with a jazz neck. Been a great bass for me. I use the pbass pickup alone 90% of the time but the bridge pup does add some punch if you ever find yourself in need. And of course the bridge pup soloed is fun for the jaco stuff. For me - p bass is the clear winner but it doesn’t hurt to have both in your arsenal. If you can only have one get a pj for the win!

If you can only own one bass, then a jazz bass or PJ is better than a precision. The versatility of tones, allows you to play more styles of music.

Have both, the Jazz bass neck fits me perfectly. If I could only have one it would be the Jazz Bass hands down.

Good job, Scott 👏 I have both of them as P bass, J bass and J bass fretless... Use them depends on what kind of style I should play 😊 Cheers!

Stingray all the way

P-Bass with a Jazz neck and flatwounds all the way to the bank. Respect Jaco and Miller etc. and the other virtuoso's but their music doesn't speak to me so not a player of that genre.

These videos should also include the P/J configuration as an option , too

I play a honer headless, a wood copy of the Steinberger, best of both worlds. Also use a pick, sounds better than any fender

I quit playing Bass… so my First bass was a cheap pj bass with 24 frets my second bass was a p Bass …sold this stuff and i am done

Both. I do tend to gravitate more towards a jazz in both live and studio scenarios. However, with my Jazz (62), I play with both pickups full but my tone rolled off to about 50% (sometimes more, sometimes less)and pair that with an Avalon U5 or a Shaw Audio Tube Injection. It’s a great idea to have both of these basses, especially if you’re looking at doing studio work.

I'm a guitar player/composer and in my own studio other than my guitars I have keyboards, percussion and more. As for basses, I just decided I needed BOTH, so I recently added a PJ (with Flat wounds) to my Jazz (with round wounds)

Awesome and super helpful vid! Love you and your channel! 😊 For me it’s kinda like the P-Bass is more like the original “Back to the Future” (a classic/the foundation), and the Jazz Bass is more like “BTTF part 2” (more room to be more creative since the foundation has already been laid). Hehe, I dunno:) Just like the movies, I love em BOTH and can’t imagine one without the other:) Wait a minute, what does that make “BTTF part 3” then? Hehe❤

I exclusively play a self-designed Franken-Fender fretless jazz bass, '66 fretless Fender Jazz neck, with a JB Player jazz body, active EMG pick-ups, Schaller tuning keys, Kahler bridge, and Ernie Ball flatwound strings. I've been playing bass for forty-four years. I played my maestros Jazz about forty years ago and fell for the neck, I have small hands and the neck just seemed to make playing easier. At the same time, I was introduced to Joco's playing. I liked the tight sound and speed playing from the bridge pick-up. I also fell for the sound, and later the feel of the fretless neck. Consequently, my buddy who happened to own his own guitar shop was on the lookout for a fretless Jazz neck, he found one called me, and it was the start of my thirty-seven-year exclusive relationship with my self-designed Jazz bass.

I started playing Bass again last year, after a 40 year break. Basically starting from scratch. I went to a retailer, with a budget in mind of £700 max. I was there for 2 hours trying different basses, the only one from around 10 I tried, was a Markbass GV4. A Jazz bass with a preamp. Love it and probably play at least 15 hours a week. I could not get on with a P bass. Didn't have much flexibility in my hands. Last week I bought a P bass. Loving that too. Sire P5. No issues after a year of building technique and flexibility. Love both, loving being a Bassist again and loving SBL.

My first bass was an active 5 string, but my second was a pj. While I enjoy the sound of a P with flatwounds more, I do think the jazz is more versatile as an instrument. Ultimately though any professional session bassist will own both. You can get versions of both for quite low prices and neither can truly sound like the other. If you have to choose one, pick the one you like the sound of more.

Leo Fender really nailed it EVERYTIME he came out with a new bass..p bass...jazz bass..the stingray....he knew what we musicians needed and made just that! I prefer to have both myself, the pbass is the Swiss army knife of basses it'll fit in no matter what..jazz basses are the same but do fit in some genres better than others

Thanks for the great videos you put out! I have been thinking about learning bass, and skimming your YT vids the last few days. I was just watching this comparison while looking at local listings and made a deal on a local P-bass package I am picking up tomorrow based on information in this video.

Curiously nowadays I prefer the wider neck of the P, I think it actually works better for me ergonomically (and I don’t have giant hands). When I started out I much preferred skinny J bass necks. I do remember not wanting to play a Jazz bass because I was a metaller back then!

What everyone REALLY wants is a Yamaha BBP34. Beefy split coil precision neck pickup. Jazz bridge pickup. Nice slenderish c profile, satin finished, 5 piece neck that sits between a P and a Jazz when it comes to nut width. Build quality kills similarly priced Fender, G&L, and Lakland basses. My search is over.

My first bass was bought by my parents when I was 17, today I'm 44. It was a previously used bass, which according to what I was told, belonged to a very recognized heavy metal bassist in my country (which I appreciated at the time since I'm a heavy metal bassist myself), but honestly, I think it was something they said to make the sale. This bass is custom-made, it doesn't have a commercial brand, and it's a mix between a P Bass and a J Bass, very strange. It has the body of a J Bass but with 2 pickups that look like humbuckers, but they are single coil, a very strange configuration. Also, the neck has only 21 frets. Recently, I asked a luthier to transform it into a fretless bass, and now it sounds very particular. It sounds kinda bad, of course, it's a very cheap bass, but it looks very good after transforming it into a fretless bass., but in terms of sound, I think it's in the middle of a P Bass and a J Bass. So, I like them both :)

As you said, each one makes you play differently, creating, imagining different lines. Not only the sound but primarily the feel: I would suggest to have both

I was very lucky to get a brand new Fender Player Jazz bass on clearance for $670. Love it even though I'm an amateur at playing bass. Nice too since recently learned I can have a Jazz bass sound like a Precision bass but a Precision bass cannot sound like a Jazz bass.

I have both, and I play them in different contexts, but they are both crazy, beautiful basses.

I have owned 2 P-Basses over the years. My son has the first one I bought. When I was hunting for second bass, I tried a Jazz, a PJ and a P. After and hour or so, I found that the P-Bass is what suited me the best. I liked the wider neck width and the simplicity of the controls. I play mostly classic rock and blues oriented songs. 🎸😎

I started playing bass in January and I have a jazz and p bass. You need both, they are to different animals.

"If you had to choose your top Fender bass guitar, which would you choose?" Jazz bass for slap style (I have a Fender Am Deluxe Jazz). PJ for Fingers: I own both a Fender American Performer and an '89 Fender Power Jazz Special, both PJs (I like the extra articulation added with the bridge J with a P pickup)...I like >1980s modern piano wire tone.....ironically, that makes me stuck in the past lol

I love the tone of the jazz bass. I have a M5V Mike Lull and I love it!

As usual: it depends on music preferences. Years ago, I didn‘t actually know and care about these definitions. I grabbed a bass off the wall and…I fell in love. The brand was Sandberg and I never heard about it before. But at this moment it was love at first sight. I loved the feeling and versatility of the instrument. Today, I know it is a two humbucker monster. I can choose between active and passive mode, and on top of that: humbucker or singlecoil. The variety in sound is absolutely massive. And I cannot say which mode I prefer. Each has it’s flavor and it just depends on the music and mood I‘m in as a musician. And that is gold! Last words: love this channel. Always a pleasure.

My first bass was an active Ibanez BTB bass with 2 humbuckers and 3-way EQ. It sounded great for pretty much everything, but slap! Regardless of all my attempts to get a great slappy sound out of it - it just didn't sound well. Then, I've tried a Squire CV 70s Jazz Bass and immediately fell in love with it! It was cheaper, has had no preamp (passive) and "just 3 knobs". But what it sounded like was so much impressive, and not only the slap sounds, but actually everything! And last but not least I really learned to like the simplicity of a passive Jazz Bass: there are just 3 "base" sounds (both pickups, only neck and only bridge) plus some modulation via the tone control. You don't need to take first 20 minutes before playing to get the "right" sound by pulling on the 5 knobs of an active bass, the sound just comes "out of the box" right away and I love it! :)

It's why i've always loved p/j basses. You get the best of both worlds and you can dial in the preferred tone song by song.

When I got into bass I realised that almost all the bass parts I really loved listening to (basically Pino Palladino!) were the sound of a P bass with flats ... It just works with the other instruments in a magical way!

I have a PJ Jag bass that I absolutely love to play. Most times though I have the J pickup dialed down and just play through the P pups. Not sure how it compares when it comes to the neck profile.

It being called a “jazz” bass scares off a lot of players thinking its built for one purposes which is so far from the truth. In my opinion a jazz bass is way more versatile but a p bass runs with the mastered simplicity of bass. Its all preference :)

Congratulations to the Scott channel, always full of news and beautiful things to hear and see, I wouldn't give up my Jazz Bass for anything in the world, I've used many basses for about 45 years and I'm more and more convinced of it, where you connect it it sounds well, he is the absolute prince for me, bye.

I do have a Fender special P-Bass with two pick-up, P on the neck and J on the bridge. 3 knobs, 2 volume and 1 tone. Versatility of sounds, I love it.

Nothing beats the slim neck and tone options of the j bass. Been playing them for over twenty years. I have a pbass too, but it takes a special occasion for me to bust that one out. The j really does give me everything I need, and I play everything from post punk and shoe gaze to prog, doom and black metal

I have both they are very different but together you can cover a lot of ground. I’ve been playing since 1959 so I remember when the Deluxe bass first showed up and soon after was called the Jazz Bass . Neither is better but it’s nice to have both sometimes it boils down to the sound that fits the song better for that particular moment in time .

I always liked the J-bass pickups better but greatly prefer the wider P-bass neck. Fender did their very best job ever on a bass when they created the Precision Elite II basses in the early 1980s, which added a second active P-type pickup to the instrument. It's still to this day the only standard model Fender bass ever made that I would buy if I found a nice example at a not crazy price.

I have a Marcus Miller Jazz bass and an American performer mustang bass. The mustang is short scale and sort of a mix of P and jazz🙂 I really like both of them and feel lucky I have them❤️🤗 Really looking forward to try out the bass on a near future jam somewhere😃 Thank you for a great channel👍

Hi Scott, Great vid as always ;) I think in last 10 years P basses are a little bit more popular. If you ask me to choose only one it would be the P bass. Next to that I love them both. I have a Mexican Jazz in 60's style, a Chinese P bass and my number one go to bass is a Japanese P bass that I turned in to PJ pickup configuration. That's another kind of monster that I really love. Maybe not for purists but for a working musician exellent choice...

Are you playing bass in February 1996. My first one (as I’ve commented before) was the beginner-grade Epiphone take on the P-bass. (My instrument retailer had one in cherry finish and one in ebony finish; I bought the one in cherry and later that same month so schoolmate in concert playing the one in ebony.) It was decent, but I didn’t take too long to figure out that I really wanted the J-bass for both the slimmer neck and the tonal selection of both pickups. In June 2000, I bought myself a Deluxe Active J-bass and sold the P-bass copy to my lead vocalist at the time. I played that J-bass from then through January 2019. I also remember jamming with the guy in Washington Square after I came to live in New York City who let me his J-bass for a few songs. I was stunned to discover he had attached a P-bass neck to it and also that I was able to navigate it after so many years being accustomed to my J-bass with its customary neck. Something which has always puzzled me is the difference between the traditional single coil pick up in the J-bass vs. the split coil pickup in the P-bass. I know the difference between a single coil and a humbucker, but what makes the split coil different?

got lots of jazz basses. got one precision and its a killer! planing on getting another p w/rosewood' since mine is maple. as far as i know p bass is the most recorded, jazz coming at close second.

I grew up loving J players and developed a lot of my playing "personality" on them. That said, a friend bought me a 5 string ampro II P this last Christmas; it's been my go-to ever since, often times being the only bass I bring to a gig or session. If I was still playing funk and rock regularly, I'd switch back to a J, but the P is just the right sound for the country and pop I find myself playing most of the time nowadays.

My first bass was a Squier Jazz. My first high-end bass was a Warwick Corvette standard with j-style single coils. All my other basses have been 2 humbuckers. I've never owned a P, but I soon will own a Kiesel Vogt, which is a 24 fret 6 string (their Vanquish body shape) with 2 P style pickups in the neck and bridge positions. I'm looking forward to delving into the P-style world