Precision vs Jazz (If I Could Only Have One)

Which bass is your favorite and why? 🎸

What I take away from this is an admiration for Leo Fender who designed the P bass in 1951, and then for an encore made the Jazz bass in 1960. And now here we are over a half century later discussing which of his inventions is better.

Let me tell you a story about bass guitars: a rodeo cowboy had 2 ponies. The first pony was named Jimmy. He could jump a fence, run through a wheel of fire, pose for pictures, and laughed at all the cowboy's jokes. The second pony was named Petey. Petey only knew one trick: he could cook the most perfect chili colorado with corn bread, and everyone who came to see him got to take a bite. The cowboy loved Jimmy more, but the crowd loved Petey more. It was only one trick, but that trick was so good that it didn't matter.

This is probably the best P vs. J video I have ever seen! You've truly managed to capture vibe and historical relevance of each instrument. Although I'm not a slapper I prefer the Jazz myself. I like the clear deep tone, and I can role back the bridge pickup and tone control to get a more P-bass like sound.

The jazz bass may be more "versatile," but I find myself choosing a P bass every time I need to record. It just always works. Besides, there's still a lot you can by changing your hand position, picking technique, and EQ settings. A P bass played with a pick through a Sansamp pedal with the presence knob cranked is going to sound very different than a P bass played with your fingers up near the neck with flats and the tone rolled off. Every bass is versatile if you want it to be.

I've watched a gajillion of these p/j comparison videos and this is easily the best one I've seen. You managed to circumvent whatever filters youtube slaps on that usually otherwise prevent this kind of comparison video from actually meaning anything to the listener. I can actually hear the distinct differences in tone well enough to not have to actually go play either of these basses for myself to know how they sound (mostly). And you put all the sound samples into the precise musical context necessary for getting the point across. Thanks!

I ended up getting a PJ Squier. I have been gigging with it for about a year and have had nothing but compliments on how it sounds every time.

I appreciate that you took a few second to talk about the difference in neck shape/profile. I feel that this is super important when deciding between the two, especially for any new players out there.

No matter how many P vs J bass I've watched, I'll always watch more! I've learned that as much as I love the scooped sound of a jazz when I'm playing on my own, what sounds good in my living room doesn't always sound the best when played with other musicians. That's definitely where the magic of the P bass shines!

The Precision, because of its tight low end and pronounced midrange just sits so nicely in a mix. However, I get really close on the Jazz , almost indistinguishable, with turning the bridge pickup down about a third, rolling off the tone to a degree depending on how dark you want it to sound, and finally, the most important ingredient which is plucking in BETWEEN the neck and bridge and not OVER the neck pickup like so many do.

P for me - something very cool about the fact that it was "right first time". but you can't lose either way. Don't forget the impact of the strings/amp/player on tone whether P or J

This is the best P bass vs J bass comparison video I’ve seen on YouTube. It’s detailed and concise, with excellent playing examples, and it really demonstrates clearly the strengths of each bass within specific musical contexts!! Thank you!

To any beginners that might be reading this, I highly recommend a PJ bass if you can’t decide between just a P or a J. You really get the best of both worlds (growl of the P pickup and the duckiness of the bridge J pickup) and you’ll be able to make a good tone for most standard playing situations. There are also more cheap P/J bass models than P or J ones, which is always great, especially if you’re just starting out. Something else for any bassist watching this, if you’ve just found BassBuzz through this video then definitely watch more of their videos, this is seriously like, the best, most informative, most helpful, and most entertaining bass channel on YouTube, and you’ll learn something no matter your skill level. Have fun! ❤❤❤

Just rewatched this and it is genuinely the best video on the subject I've seen. Actual clear and practical examples. Nice work, mate.

If I had a nickel for every time bassists ignored PJ basses, i'd be richer than Elon Musk.

I love the producer switch. Best invention since making the volumes on your amp go up to 11 instead of 10😆🐸🍺🔪🔥

The video editing in this video is more refined than the 2 basses combined. Congrats to the editor. Check what he does at 4:23 with the last note from Jaco’s riff. That’s art.

I absolutely appreciate the editing required for this video

I chose a Jazz bass when I started playing bass seriously a year and a half ago. I am so glad I did. I love the tone and slim neck. I recently bought a fretless Jazz and I am blown away with the tone! So much fun 😊

This video is a lifesaver. I can’t choose between a P or J bass and this video really helped me in my decision. I love both sounds but damn, something about that Jazz bass just hits my soul.