A P with a J in the neck Position

[Rezdog]

Greetings from the North,

I know this goes against convention but has anyone heard/seen a Precision with a J pickup in the neck position instead of the bridge? And of course the results.....

Rezdog

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

uh... kinda like that billy sheehan yamaha bass? Doesn't that just sound really big and kinda muddy?

 

[EricF]

By "neck" position, do you mean way up close to the neck or in the usual P-pup position?

 

[bassteban]

uh... kinda like that billy sheehan yamaha bass? Doesn't that just sound really big and kinda muddy?

Sheehans have a Gibson-type 'mudbucker' at the end of the neck; I'd actually call that the 'just-North-of-the-neck' position, as opposed to a typical J-style bass' neck PU. Also, on the Sheehan IIRC it's labelled a 'woofer' PU- or maybe I heard Billy call it that. So, yeah probably muddy.
But an actual J PU in the traditional P position, or a J's neck slot, I wonder...

 

[EricF]

But an actual J PU in the traditional P position, or a J's neck slot, I wonder...

It would sound like a J's neck pup. I suspect the shape of the body (P or J) won't have a difference on the tone any more than the variations between one piece of wood and another.

On occasion, Warmoth has J-routed P bodies on in their Showcase listings.

 

[mikeswals]

The 51-55 P reissues have the single coil pickup. That would essentially be the same thing.

 

[Darkstrike]

I think he means closer to the neck than a P, I saw one on here somewhere.

 

[Rezdog]

Greetings,

Something like a Fender 'Stu Hamm' without the bridge pickup. Instead of a J/P/J configuration it would be J/P.

Rezdog

 

[EricF]

Based on other examples of basses with the pup near the neck - Tele bass, Gibsons, etc. - things tend to get kind of muddy. It isn't necessarily a bad sound, but lacking some of the definition that is part of the "Fender" sound we're all familiar with. If you're into experimenting, have at it and let us know what you get out of it.

 

[bassteban]

It would sound like a J's neck pup. I suspect the shape of the body (P or J) won't have a difference on the tone any more than the variations between one piece of wood and another.

On occasion, Warmoth has J-routed P bodies on in their Showcase listings.

How rude of you to point out how unobservant I am.
Of course you're right. I've never really heard a lot of neck-position J PU soloed; my only J has traditional passive sigle-coils that hum if not balanced 50/50.

 

[EricF]

How rude of you to point out how unobservant I am.
Of course you're right. I've never really heard a lot of neck-position J PU soloed; my only J has traditional passive sigle-coils that hum if not balanced 50/50.

Caca actually gave an even better example than I did (IMO).

 

[scowboy]

If you know 80's music there was a band called Bourgeois Tagg. Larry Tagg was the bass player among other things. He played and still plays 70's P-Bass which has been fitted with a J bass pick up in both the neck and bridge position.

They did a one off benefit in June and he played that bass through an Acoustic 360 and matching 2x15 cab. He was amazing and his tone was too. I wanted to go home and put my bass through the band saw.

Here is a pic I dug up off the internet to get an idea of what it might look like.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

So to the OP : Why the question? Is this something you're interested in having? I'd think the bass would be rather...well, not all that good sounging, ya know? Get this: Years ago, and I do mean YEARS ago, I had a local shop build me a J-bass that was routed like a strat, so I had 3 J p'ups and a lever just like strat. It actually sounded pretty cool, particularly in the "out of phase" positions... But I also had phase correction switches so that I could combing the p'ups in phase - Neck+mid, mid+bridge and a last switch to allow Neck+bridge. It sounded pretty darn cool, as I sit and think on it... but I recall mostly liking the out of phase positions and the combined mid/bridge - - the mid/neck in phase was farty, if you follow...

I have to think I'm not the only guy who has given that a whirl...

 

[Rezdog]

Greetings,

Nope. Just wondering if anyone ever actually did it and what were the results. Maybe I should have directed the question to the 'Stu Hamm' owners to see what the J/P position sounded like. My initial thoughts were a mud fest.....but then again maybe not. So I asked.... And yes I did see the new Billy Sheehan ads.

Rezdog