P Bass? J Bass? I don't know! I'm a guitar guy. HELP?

[PoorMan]

There is a certain bass pickup tone I need to obtain, but I am a guitar guy. I know little nothing about basses. I am certain it is either a J bass or a P bass...but which, I do not know.

*** PAGING DAVE SCHWAB!!! ***

I cannot find the song on Youtube (Jawbox's "Static") to provide an example, but I will gladly mail a CD to anyone willing to assist.

[David Schwab]

Kim Coletta plays a Jazz bass.

[PoorMan]

Thanks for chiming in, Dave.

I know she is known primarily as a J bass player, but early in the band's history she also used a P-Bass. And this is one of their earlier tracks.

...then again, who knows what artists use in the studio.

They (the band) have always been very friendly and approachable. Not sure why I didn't think of this first...I should just send her an e-mail and ask!

[Jazz P Bass]

The guitar in my picture is a 1987 M I Japan Fender Jazz Bass Special.
It has the P & the Jazz pickups.
Blendable 3 way switch & a tone control that goes higher than any previos Fender bass.
Me, I love the guitar.

[PoorMan]

The guitar in my picture is a 1987 M I Japan Fender Jazz Bass Special.
It has the P & the Jazz pickups.
Blendable 3 way switch & a tone control that goes higher than any previos Fender bass.
Me, I love the guitar.

You read my mind.

I'm building a P-style bass, debating on adding a J Bass bridge pickup.

[Jazz P Bass]

The Jazz bridge pickup is thin. (as you would expect)
When blended with the P pickup, it really helps smooth out the tone.

[John Carlsen]

Do you still get hum when you have both pickups full up? I'm considering doing this for a friend of mine on his cheapo Yamaha P-bass, and routing out a cavity and putting in a Jazz Bass pup in the bridge. I just wasnt sure about the hum issue. I know when I have a single coil on a strat selected along with a humbucker in the bridge, I still get some hum. I assume it's because of an odd number of Polarity directions (i.e. N and S on the bucker and only N or only S on the single.) Some clarification would be awesome because I love the P-bass but would love to hear it with a Jazz pup in the bridge as well. Thanks!

John

[Jazz P Bass]

Yup.
It hums when the bridge pickup is selected.
Not much, but it is there.

[John Carlsen]

Gotcha. I thought that would be the case, but just wanted to be sure so I could know what to expect. So, you're really not going to hear it much unless you have an overdrive or some other gain booster thing on it? I love the idea of having that Jazz bass bridge pup on there. Have you ever tried having two P-bass pups on there?

[David Schwab]

Thanks for chiming in, Dave.

I know she is known primarily as a J bass player, but early in the band's history she also used a P-Bass. And this is one of their earlier tracks.

...then again, who knows what artists use in the studio.

They (the band) have always been very friendly and approachable. Not sure why I didn't think of this first...I should just send her an e-mail and ask!

We'll that shows you that you can get that tone with pretty much any bass. Just use some Rotosounds and a pick!

[David Schwab]

Do you still get hum when you have both pickups full up? I'm considering doing this for a friend of mine on his cheapo Yamaha P-bass, and routing out a cavity and putting in a Jazz Bass pup in the bridge. I just wasnt sure about the hum issue. I know when I have a single coil on a strat selected along with a humbucker in the bridge, I still get some hum. I assume it's because of an odd number of Polarity directions (i.e. N and S on the bucker and only N or only S on the single.) Some clarification would be awesome because I love the P-bass but would love to hear it with a Jazz pup in the bridge as well. Thanks!

John

It's because the humbucker has no hum in its signal. Two single coils hum cancel when they have reverse magnetic polarity and reverse electrical polarity. The noise is common to both, and out-of-phase, so it cancels. If only pickup is sensing noise, it can't cancel with a second pickup.

A cool option for two pickup P basses is two P pickups like Leland Sklar used.