not biting mate
That is a totally new and groundbreaking idea that nobody has ever discussed before. Truly, a pioneer among us.
If we could only discover the magic behind it. That’s at least worth two Peace Nobel Prices ![]()
You misspelled “Ig Nobel”.
I had to Google that:
The Ig Nobel Prize is a satirical award presented annually since 1991 to honor genuine scientific achievements that “first make people laugh, and then make them think”
What a wonderful, wonderful idea!
No accident that the J bass weighs more than the P.
Nothing to do with sustain, at least in the original intent….
Per Claude…
As for Leo Fender’s original intent with the Jazz Bass (introduced in 1960):
The primary driver was playability and market positioning, not tone or aesthetics as the starting point. Leo designed it to appeal to jazz and more technically-oriented players who found the P-Bass neck chunky and unwieldy. The Jazz Bass featured a narrower nut width (1.5” vs the P’s 1.75”) and a neck that flared toward the body, which Leo thought would be more comfortable for fast, sophisticated playing — hence the name.
Aesthetically, the offset waist body design (shared with the Jazzmaster) was also meant to be more ergonomic and balanced when played seated, addressing some of the neck-dive and balance issues players experienced.
Tonally, the dual single-coil pickup configuration was designed to offer more versatility and a brighter, more scooped sound compared to the P-Bass’s split-humbucker midrange thump. The ability to blend two pickups gave players tonal options that were genuinely new at the time.
So in short: the Jazz Bass was Leo’s attempt to move upmarket, capture more sophisticated players, and address ergonomic critiques of the P-Bass — with the tonal differences being somewhat a byproduct of the new pickup arrangement rather than the primary goal.
Well, if Claude doesn’t think that J basses sound or look different than P basses, he clearly has a different ear and eye than most bass players, including me.
It’s cause of “brain burn-in” ![]()
That wasn’t the point - you mentioned that J basses were designed for more sustain, which I was pointing out was not one of the orginal thoughts when designing.
Heavier instruments sustain more.
Maybe Claude should study what Leo was after with the P; might answer a few questions for him. You could always point him towards the most recent P VS J thread. ![]()
Errrmmmm…?
I have two Dingwalls, a Combustion and a D-Roc. The D-Roc is considerably lighter than the Combustion, but both have similar, quite incredible levels of sustain.
Two different basses from the same manufacturer don’t exactly equate to a massive data set, but anecdotally, the relative lightness of the D-Roc seems to make no difference.
I love sustain discussions
![]()
Maybe it’s the bridge? ![]()
I have no idea what’s causing it, but check out my latest cover, hitting the open E on th D-Roc is delicious! IMHO ![]()
I’m sure, somebody has a theory ![]()
Mine is “The Theory of Sheldon Dingwall”, he’s an alchemist!
That’s not what that or any of the other sentences in that post say.
Heavier instruments sustain more.
Are you trying to set a record for the most incorrect things said in one thread? I’m starting to think you’re just trolling us.
Sheldon
I only know this Sheldon:
Don’t know if he’s an alchemist, but I do know that he definitely is no geologist ![]()
I only know this Sheldon
Join us in the land of the multiscale, @Whying_Dutchman, and you too will know the awesome power and sustain of a Sheldon Dingwall bass!


