P-Bass vs PJ-Bass; do you lose anything with the PJ?

[Growly Lytes]

Man no way of losing when having both.
Plus you can dial all the J out if you like but personally its great mixed with the P.
The main delemma is using the J on its own its horrible....

[Backstreets]

Originally Posted by squish

i guess i'm the only one going this way, but i think that p basses without the j give the vibe that "i'm playing a p bass dammit! i can make a decision!"

+1 This is pretty much how I feel, as I like the look of a traditional P layout, though I've never owned a P/J bass, so maybe the tonal addition would be to my liking and make me justify the look of the bass being a little 'off' to me compared to the traditional Precision look.

[StuartV]

If you want to know if a P/J loses anything compared to a P, go listen to the clips here:

P vs P-like: Can you tell the difference?

One of those is a G&L SB-2 (which is a P/J) with the P pickup soloed. I don't think it loses anything to the 2 Ps that are there. But, when I roll in the J pickup on the SB-2, it definitely makes a big difference to the sound.

[jamesclark]

a real cheep but grate looking bass thats a PJ is the SX Ursa 3 RN BK
heck who am I kidding SX has grate stuff not just PJ but P basses J basses and other things.
just thought I would pass that along. Oh and I hope this is going to the correct post. I have not quite figured this sight out. I'll get there though. personally I think a PJ bass would be better than a P or a J bass. you get both pickups and if your lucky you can get a third pickup. not quite sure how that works yet. but its there yall. and its for sure fantastic stuff. fantastic stuff for sure.

[LuckyPants]

Any excuse



Only thing I'll say is that I never really use the Jazz pickup, I tend to have the knob in a 75% P position. I do like the option and versatility though.

Plus, call me a sucker for aesthetics but I much prefer the look of a PJ over a P

[TXLawDawg]

Originally Posted by jamesclark

a real cheep but grate looking bass thats a PJ is the SX Ursa 3 RN BK
heck who am I kidding SX has grate stuff not just PJ but P basses J basses and other things.
just thought I would pass that along. Oh and I hope this is going to the correct post. I have not quite figured this sight out. I'll get there though. personally I think a PJ bass would be better than a P or a J bass. you get both pickups and if your lucky you can get a third pickup. not quite sure how that works yet. but its there yall. and its for sure fantastic stuff. fantastic stuff for sure.

Wait a minute...

You posted this yesterday in another thread:

Originally Posted by jamesclark

I am wondering about it to man. I am looking at SX Ursa 3 RN BK but not sure about the pickups. like where there located. there stacked. unlike a guitar where you can get a bridge and neck pickup. does anyone know about how the SX Ursa 3 RN BK works? sorry I cant figure out how to rite on the thred without replying to stuff.

So you recommend a bass in this thread that you, just yesterday, posted you were wondering about?!? Exactly what do you base your recommendation on since it's obviously not with personal experience?

[ugly_bassplayer]

Originally Posted by TXLawDawg

Wait a minute...

You posted this yesterday in another thread:



So you recommend a bass in this thread that you, just yesterday, posted you were wondering about?!? Exactly what do you base your recommendation on since it's obviously not with personal experience?

Zing.....

[blipndub]

Lots' of PJ love here, I get that whatever gets you there...but I think the simplicity of the pbass is really appealing. I enjoy playing my pbass because i don't muck around with anything except concentrating on playing. I get distracted with too many options. When I want options I play a jazz bass. That's why I have both!

[Malak the Mad]

Originally Posted by LuckyPants

Any excuse

<snip>

Plus, call me a sucker for aesthetics but I much prefer the look of a PJ over a P

Absolutely…any…excuse…



Any…excuse…whatsoever…



Now if only the weather would be nice enough for me to snap some pics of my recently acquired sunburst P-Bass Special.

On a mildly related side-note, I got to try out a Blacktop Jazz (P/P configuration) the other day. Dayum, that thing's got some serious roar to it! But that is GAS for another day.

[Templar]

My Wymore custom PJ with Fralins sounds great. The stacked knobs give it pretty good tonal tweakability.

[Catbuster]

You lose nothing. I take my cobbled-together Aerodyne 1-off anywhere. And I wouldn't leave it... Ever.

[zachoff]

Used to not like PJ setup (I have an early 90s Squier PJ) but then got my G&L SB-2. Now I dial in a touch of the J and it ads some pretty awesome bite above the standard P.

[lowphatbass]

P/J's are great, they're not P-basses though.

[Bassbubble11]

That's why I bought these. Actually I wanted that "P" thump in my jazz basses.
Both these basses not only have an extra J pup but both have J necks.

[Sartori]

Anyone have a JP? With the Jazz pickup in the traditional neck position, and the P pickup at the bridge?

[Templar]

This active PJ should be killer after I upgrade the elecs to all-Bartolini. I'm going with a single coil bridge pup, and a two band with A/P capability.

[atomicdog]

IMHO a PJ is not a P. And it's not a J. I own a 99 P Lyte (love it), nice thin, fast J neck and better mids than any of my Ps or Js. It's unique. I've played Duff McKagan P/Js and found that they also have great burpy mids. I think everyone should own ay least one PJ combo. BTW, I'm totally loving all these great images—thanks for sharing these y'all.

[gunlak]

you don't lose anything.. you gain more tonal options and a + to aesthetics!

The P complements the Jazz's offset body.

[SoVeryTired]

I love me some PJ. To my not-very-experienced ears the P sounds like... well... a P. The J adds some bite and, at least with a VVT setup, both on full gives a scoop that works well for slap. Unlike many I do occasionally use the J solo'd - it's a thinner, more nasally sound but I find it works quite well for fast and funky stuff.

I've got a Squier P Special (black and chrome), previously owned a Yamaha RBX360 (VBT) and am getting my new ACG this week with four-way rotary selector switch - each pickup solo'd, both in parallel and both in series. Can't wait!

[Road Bull]

[quote=Bassbubble11;13678869]That's why I bought these. Actually I wanted that "P" thump in my jazz basses.
Both these basses not only have an extra J pup but both have J necks.




Nice!! What year is your Fender Precision Bass Special? I picked one up this year used. I cleaned it up and was about to sell it, but started really digging the way it sounds. Since I bought it used, I have no idea what pickups are in it. They look like DiMarzios, but I can't be sure. I was thinking about picking up some Fender Custom shop P and Jazz pickups to swap out, but after I reset the pickups with new backing, they sound alright on their own.

I wouldn't mind finding one with a maple neck someday. I have even thought about buying a Fender deluxe body and installing passive electronics instead of active. But for now, I am really digging what I have.