Precision Bass vs. Jazz Bass - Bass Comparison (no talking) 

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The power of these instruments when they are unplugged is crazy...

The only possible conclusion I can draw from this video is: You need both :)

That Jazz Bass can’t be beat when it comes to slap. But I like the P Bass for everything else. It sits in the mix well without stepping on anyones toes.

The first p bass vs j bass video that was actually helpful! Thank you!

Really great video. Jazz bass certainly has its place in lots of music but I like the P bass better in all these examples.

The sound of a picked jazz in a fast paced heavy mix is seriously slept on.

For the (busy) mixes provided in the demo, I preferred the P-Bass on all tracks. In my opinion, the J-Bass would work better on more sparse mixes + melodic playing.

The midrange on the P Bass is what always brings me back to it, and the bright switch works more like a sweeping EQ. the tone is so FAT! straight into the console.

I like the upper mid based growl of Jazz basses

This has been more helpful than anything else I have seen. Simply hearing these two has made me understand the key differences. Thank you!

Having played and owned both, I generally prefer the Jazz due to the much larger variety of tones you can obtain with the two pickups. In addition to that, I also find the Jazz to be more comfortable to play with its narrower, more rounded profile.

This is great. Not overplayed.Good audio.Nice studioplayer!!

Thank you for another great demo. Beautifully played and arranged!! All super tones.

both basses sound really great even they are not plugged. I'm getting both

Modern Pop music with a plectrum: Precision all the way. All the other styles: Close, but I go with the Jazz.

Precision all the way---but I am biased having played a P Bass for over 30 years.

For the sake of those asking, i believe they recorded the bass prior on recording the video, hence, no cables. Same way how your favorite band performs on music videos.

The P bass sits slightly better in the mix overall. The Jazz bass stands out a little more for like solo work or the like, but you can't go wrong with either.

I'm a beginner and all i know and noticed is that Jazz Bass sounds really good at Slap and Funk and i want to learn both of those someday.

This is the video I needed. Most other comparison videos go only for the bass sound... but unless you're practicing alone, your bass is never alone!

For the melodic and slapping parts similar to what Marcus Miller does, my preference will go towards a JB. In everything else, a precision sits so well in the mix.. I need one NOW!

I love the fact that you have set up the amp according to the bass being played! J-bass is to my liking 🙂

The J has the ultimate mid range growl and the P has that huge bottom rumble .

They both sound the same fullstop, its pretty much all about looks and neck action, ey but look ,this guy got all dressed up to make this content ,at least hes wearing grown man pants (unlike some men) bravo there, and ty for making this video, great job 👍

THIS is what RU-vid was made for! Thanks man!

Notice how in the last rock mix with a pick, the p bass cuts through and the j bass kind of disappears into the background

great comparison and great playing man!

I’ve had a Jazz for 20 years now, never owned a P. I have an audere preamp in it. It can approximate the P really well. It’s not a competition, I don’t think you need both, pick what you like and own it! Don’t sleep on your playing though. Which bass doesn’t matter at all if you don’t practice.

This was very helpful. Really useful to have them back-to-back like this. This will be the video I show when trying to explain why I need both!

I can't help but love them both. Jazz is the undisputed slap king, Precision the pick master. For fingerstyle I lean towards the jazz, it's such a growl. But not too much.

Amazing video! Even if I am a j-bass player myself, I found that the p-bass was the winner on each track!

My two favourite bass tones on the planet. I do prefer the shape of the Precision as it sits more comfortably on the shoulder onstage.

So strong you can even record them unpluged (sounds good though)

Great comparison. Very informative 😊. Thank you. I think all serious bass players need minimum two different basses, like p and j.

First of all you are a great bass player so all these examples are very useful to hear the difference. I almost exclusively play mid 70s active J basses. Those will probably sound quite different in the mix compared to your 60s passive J. But still what I'm hearing is making me wonder if I shouldn't break out my P bass more often. It's in my living room and I enjoy playing it but I never take it to gigs. That might change.

JB sound tighter more precise whereas PB shines on sustained notes. I would choose the instrument based on the music to play. In the same way that I’d choose the pickup volumes, tones, strings, compression, amp config... I mostly play on a PB + humbucker active/passive bass with the humbucker configurable in parallel/serial/single coil: many possibilities and quite different sounds for different clarity or presence. My next purchase will (probably) be an AM Pro II JB.

For me the Precision wins every corner in this except maybe the rock demo, where I could argue that a Jazz bass would sound tight and in live environments maybe better if you want a harder sound. the slap tone with this setup is a tie, though in general the J is better. PJ is a good solution if you want to have both, though it isn't a Jazz Bass sound exactly but something else leaning towards that spectrum. THANKS for the extremely helpful video!

Pick: Precision Bass Slap: Jazz Bass Fingerstyle: Tie

To me the Jazz bass is more inspiring to play honestly, the tone just gets to me, and i love playing it with those pickups. I will choose a J bass almost every single time over a P bass if I had a choice.

Any chance you have details on the amp/cab/mic used for that half of the sound? You got a killer tone here out of both instruments! Fantastic playing. Really great, real world musical examples too! I've been becoming more of a P bass guy as I get older, and I think it beats the Jazz in most of these comparisons. I think there's definitely a slap tone that the Jazz gets that the P bass can't get- those more sparkling highs. The P bass was just bigger and more musical in the finger style funk/soul stuff, and I think it's got a fatter sound with a pick too of course. Both basses sound great, and the player had showed up to these sessions with JUST the Jazz bass, no one would have complained at all. Over all though- that P bass some how sits up and is noticeable, but still tucked in perfect in the mix! Leo really nailed it the first damn time, didn't he?!

I gotta ask....what strings were on the Precision..?

Super Job der Präsentation 👍 Cool gespielt, Platz für Ton gelassen um wirklich die unterschiedliche Charakteristik da Bässe erkennen zu können. ein wirklich gutes und hilfreiches Video gerade für Anfänger. Diesen Präsentator würde ich sofort engagieren, wenn ich ein Produkt vorführen wollte. Er hat seinen Job verstanden und sich selbst zurückgenommen. Der Aufgabe willen. Kein Egomannes zur Schau stellen seine spielerischen Fähigkeiten. Chapeau.

I think this is the best comparison I’ve seen between these two basses.

How does it sound if cable is Unplugged?

Ah man, sick video dude. I’d say round one: p bass, two: jazz, three: p bass, four: p bass Can’t beat that jazz bass at slap

I'm a p bass die-hard but I really did enjoy the extra quack of the jazz, particularly in the neo soul example (contrary to my expectations). I love being wrong! What really matters is your feel and the musicality of your choices. The choice of bass is kinda the extra 5%, the cherry on top. My personal approach is to play whatever takes the least amount of processing to fit into the music you like to play! Or just what feels good to you!! Just try not to overthink it, it kills the fun and takes the focus off what really matters, the music! Thanks for the great vid, I definitely learned from it! Thanks for playing with musicality in each style!

jazz bass all day. know it alls can claim p is better in the mix but even with the backing track i'd rather listen to your jazz bass examples any day of the week, especially finger and slap.

Love this video! I’m partial to the Jazz Bass, because my 70’s reissue can sound pretty close to a P with just the neck pickup on.

Finally someone who doesnt talk for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours Also, nice beats!

I own both. Due to space problems I just got two basses and a guitar in my flat right now. Both Basses are Jazz basses (Four and five string). My P is still at my parents place. so you can guess wich I prefer. ;-) BUT the P is still a a great bass, miss it to play. But Need the jazz basses more in my projects...

My idea studio setup is 2 of each. One flat & one round. And then a hollow body if I ever need that upright sound.

Beautiful wireless sound

My first bass was a plywood P Bass copy (Hondo II). My dream bass is a P Bass from Warmoth, so I can customize it.

They both sound amazing honestly

Lindo demais, pena que esta desplugado, cadê o cabo caraaaaa!!!! 🤯

This was epic I actually didn’t read any comments before writing this and watched till the end !!! Very interesting the both sit well and both great on their own right I can tell the p purest guys are going to say the p sits better before even reading this thread I have both and use them both for different things/ recordings. You can’t go wrong with either in my opinion they both sound great . Everyone always says the p bass sit better in the mix but to my ears they both held up great albeit they both we boosted in the mix and I was wearing headphones. Great vid great playing you got the gig 😂

P bass is KING for ME. Not only the tone but i can't dig the mini nut widths on a jazz. Jazz tones are always bright/nasally...just not my thing personally. Great playing and content (the bass mix volume could have been a bit higher IMO)..gets drowned out a bit.

There's also the matter of the neck & how the strings taper, or not. Personally I prefer a precision-type design where the strings are more parallel, rather than a Jazz where they get closer as they approach the nut (perhaps more modeled on an acoustic bass)? All subjective, of course.

I love the J bass tone but most of the time, P bass rules in the mix! Thanks for this awesome video.

I prefer the tone of the Precision Bass Neo Soul, Modern Pop, and Rock but that tone from the Jazz Bass on the Funk example is hard to top. Overall for me the Precision Bass is the winner in my book.

I listened with out watching first, and difference was not as great as might have been expected. The jazz had more growl and P MAYBE was easier to hear in some places. The pick seemed to really favor the jazz. The finger picking seemed to favor the P. They both sounded good. The playing was the best part. Thanks!

They both sound great!

Tight playing!

Sound fantastico per entrambi!!! Wow 😲

Thank you for the comparison video sir! Great bass guitars! I have a 70s squire jazz bass and sounds amazing. I can say the jazz bass is good for slap, but there is no difference, further, all basses are great in any genre!

I don't know but I think I like the sound of P bass more.

Love how “modern pop” is owl city with picked rock bass hahaha

The Jazz has more depth and a more pointed top end -- less present and a little less textured/complex in the mids (maybe because of the frequency cancellations between two pickups -- which is why I usually slightly favor one or the other when blending, unless I'm going for that more pronounced scoop, of course). The P sounds thicker -- more complex in the mids, with a little more natural grind -- but without as much of a point up top or, I think, quite as much depth down low. I think that, generally, a P-bass is easier to slot into a mix, but that depends on the mix (and on what you want to hear). Each can work in pretty much any mix (and the Jazz has some extra versatility via the pickup blend), but will occupy it in different ways. In the first (Neo Soul) example, I liked the P more -- fatter and more evenly present -- though that bit of growl and snap on the low notes with the J was nice, too. In the second (slapped Funk/R&B) example, I really liked both basses. Same general observations about their tonal profiles hold, but this mix was more favorable to the Jazz than the first one was. There's a stereotype that P-basses are no good for slapping (I do it all the time -- and check out Freddy Washington on Forget-Me-Nots), but this one sounded fantastic here (Did you open up the tone knob or is that extra brightness just your/using a different technique? Some different EQ, or the same as for the other tracks?). That simultaneous fatness and snap on the popped octaves with the Jazz, though, made me smile. P sits "in" the mix a bit more -- a bit more old-school (though not at all dull or muted) where the J pokes out a bit more (but also puts a bit more booty and "umph" underneath overthing) and sounds a bit more modern. Could take either one, here. P's probably a bit more "me" and a bit safer, but the J was fantastic, too -- again, loved those popped octaves -- they had a little something that the P didn't -- and that extra bit of oomph on the low notes... seems like you could play more dynamically, here, with the J... I might be changing my mind. I like the mids on the P (just about always), but could see the J being more fun on this, live -- but, again, both sound fantastic and would be a blast in a good live mix. Third example (Modern Pop with a pick): I favor the P for mid-thickness/filling up the mix and the bit of clang on the J attack sticks out (just a little) in a way that doesn't quite fit the music, IMO. (P has an attack, too, but it's not quite as pronounced as the J's, and grinds instead of clangs). I'm sure the J could work great -- maybe with a little drive, maybe favoring the neck pickup (if you're not already doing that), but the P is already there, naturally. In the fourth and last example (Rock/Heavy), even though it's also played with a pick, it's a different story -- the Jazz Bass's attack works great here, and nothing about it is offensive in this mix. The grindy P thing is more what I'm used to hearing, but I've heard the J thing, too, and think it works great, here -- the J is less present in the lower mids -- leaves a little more room for the guitar (not that it was lacking room or lost, before), if you want that. Even though the pick attack is more pronounced on the J, I feel like the low E-string got a little bit lost, here, relative to the P. Not sure why that is (the low end roll-off on my speakers? EQ? The grind of the P helping it to stay present?), but I think it's something that'd be easily remedied. I think that, with a bit of drive (from amp, pedal, or whatever), the J could occupy a similar place as the P does in this mix -- and I can hear starting out with the more open, clean J sound (which I think works well) and kicking in that drive in a heavier section being really cool (and offering potentially a little more variety and range than the P), but if I had to pick one, as recorded here, it'd probably be the P. P already sounds like you're in the aggro part of the song -- J sounds like it's about to hit. In summary -- at least as far as the examples here -- the P just works for everything, while the J *can* work for everything (and might offer advantages in some cases), but isn't as plug and play. I'm personally drawn to the midrange presence and complexity of a P-bass -- it's more my personal default -- but there's some stuff for which a snarling 70s J can't be beat. (I don't think Marcus Miller, for instance, would play the same way on a P-bass.) Nice comparison -- thanks!

You mention “same strings”; I’m sure I’m not the only one who’d like to know which model and gauge they are. Please could you add that info to the description too. Thank you.

I'm a Jazz guy and not really into P-bass but this was really interesting. Still love the growl I get from my Jazz but the P certainly made me think. I agree with T3L3 below - clearly you need both! :)

Only difference I hear is attenuated high-mids and highs in JB, which surprises me pretty much

To my ears I always seem to pick up a little lower end growl from the P-Bass. Question? Are the strings round wound, half-round or flats? Tone at 100%, 50% or 0%. I enjoyed the video. :-) Thanks

Thank you for the very helpful no talking video!

Videos like this remind me that I just made a terrible mistake buying a brand new 5-string jazz, rather than a P-bass. :(

great comparison! to me they both sound great, but i prefer slap on J and rock with a pick on P

Precision is superior in all ways but I like jazz basses too

I like the sound of the P better. Feels like more depth a little less synthesized.

The P Bass seems to me the more transparent fit for the modern rock and pop tracks, the J Bass and P Bass both worked equally for the old school (just seems a matter of personal taste). What I really want to know now is what you recommend for a DI and also if you run a compression pedal.

Great video loved songs and great playing! I have a 59 reissue p bass and Japan std j bass love both!!! I did modify both so they’re even better all you need but P bass is my go to

Do like I did, just get both. You won’t be disappointed 🤘🏽🐇✌🏽

You should def put some Bonedo Tabs/Sheets on the market!

Both sounded better! ;-D

Life is meaningless without it's shell; the bass

love this video. thank you

I assume the jazz bass has both pickups at 100% volume?

I guess both has it's pros and cons depending on what kind of sound you like.

Much prefer the P

I have J bass and a stingray, got rid of the P years ago. my opinion though. superb playing BTW

I honestly hate the sound of a P-bass in solo, but this just confirms once again that it's the better bass in a mix. You can hear it making space for the drums and guitar with the dip in the mids.

Thanks a lot, your video was very helpful! Going to buy jazz bass in the end :)

oh man, love that P-Bass!

I prefer the J for its versatility and for the way it feels. But in these examples, the P sounded better, apart from the slap example where I preferred the J. But for those other examples, I'd use the neck pickup on a J, maybe dial the tone back a little or completely, and it would sound very similar to a P. But I admit that the P is a cooler bass, it's straight to the point like no other. By the way, I feel the same way with Strat vs Tele: A Tele has 3 killer sounds, a Strat has 5 great sounds, two of which are not possible on the Tele, and it's more comfortable to play.

great comparison

Can you tell us what are the strings used ? Both flats ? Both rounds ? Or flat on P bass and round on JB ? Nice video ! :)

There's a snarl and scoopy clarity to the jazz bass that I love. There's also a midrange push in the precision that I love. Can I have both on one guitar please!?

There doesn't appear to be a cable from the amp to the bass?

Nice playing and nice-sounding basses.

Great channel!

i don't understand people saying one is better than the other, these are two different instruments for different types of music.