I’ve become a big fan of my Fender Player Jazz. And, well, Fender in general. I’m still leery of a Fender P because each time I’ve played one the neck is just… too much. But I adore my J’s neck, especially with the maple fretboard and the finish they used on it. But fretboard and finish are not important to my question.
Does Fender make a P with a J neck? If not Fender, does anyone else, with the same stats as the J neck?
Yes they do. There are both MIM and MIA models that are like that but they are normally PJ setups. I have the Fender Precision Deluxe Active Bass from 2020.
Some older American Special Ps have the 1.5" Jazz necks. Some are called hot rods but they can get expensive. I don’t remember what years. I also believe the new MIM PJs from 2022 are also like mine but they lack the contoured heal. Not a big deal if the traditional Fender build never bothered you.
Hey @JustTim just be aware that within the Fender line there’s a large variety of what constitutes a P Bass neck. The 50s feels huge compared to my MIM. I have small hands (size 8 in bike gloves) but my Mexican P Bass neck feels great. I honestly didn’t notice a massive difference when I tried a Mexican Jazz neck. YMMV obvs.
My experience is similar to Barney’s. I have an MIA P and MIA J and don’t take much notice of the neck difference when I switch between two. The difference between modern P and modern J Fender neck is only .125" or 1/8". Listen to what @John_E says, the necks are pretty much interchangeable. If it really bothers you, upgrade to a roasted maple!
Ditto Peavey: Fury, Milestone III and IV P have thin necks. Now, these are different profiles than a jazz neck as such, but thin, super fast and can be set stoppid low, if that’s your thing.
Squier Classic Vibe 70s P is a straight P with a Jazz Neck
If you don’t mind a PJ, you’ve got the Charvel San Dimas IV, which has a neck much like an Ibanez. And DiMarzio pickups, truss wheel, roasted maple neck. Pretty loaded for a Fender
@JustTim Some do not feel the difference between the 2 necks but like you I can tell very easily which one is which. It’s not only the width at the nut but depth of the neck. Its probably why I have always like the thinner Warwick and Ibanez necks. My favorite neck is a C that tapers to a D shape or D shape all the way through both with a flatter radius The one thing you’ll notice smaller on a P is the body… The P Active Deluxe is noticeable smaller when they are side by side.
So as I mentioned above don’t only consider the thickness of the neck as a means of comfort but also the radius. Are you ok with with a 7.5 or do you prefer a 9 or even a 12?
@JustTim, I just started playing the bass a little more than a month ago when I bought my first bass. It just happens to be a Fender P bass with a Fender Jazz neck. The guy who owned it previously swapped the P bass neck for a Jazz neck. But as people here have already stated, not all P bass necks are the same. You should try each instrument and know that necks can be swapped out if you really like a certain body.
This is what on my bench today
Jazz body with P neck, this is a fun one because the pickup is '62 style control, vol/tone, vol/tone and Made in Korea left over part from Japan Squier E series P neck.
The way I see it is Jazz pickup can do almost everything P can but not the other way around, it just can be as simple as a P bass, the one thing we all like about P bass.