Advice for adding EMG pickups/preamp to "Jackenbacker" PJ bass.

[Zazie Moondust]

So I am looking to upgrade my Jackenbacker/CBXNT (PJ bass) pickups and electronics because stock it sounds very midrangey in a way that is tough to dial out. I also want to keep it still different (but complimentary) sounding from my Charvel San Dimas PJ w/ Model PJs. So this leads me to thinking EMGs (pickup and preamp) might be a good choice since it'll be active instead of passive pickups for a different flavor

I still need to figure out which pickup and preamp config to select though. The main pickups I am looking at are: PJ, PJX, PJAX or Frank Bello Set. I know I want bass, treble and parametric mid controls, but I am trying to figure out the benefits of an active balance vs. 2 volumes with active pickups, or whether an active/passive tone knob or a second parametric mid control would be more useful.

Really my end goal is something more hifi sounding than stock (easily achievable) while still being fairly versatile and not a "one sound" type of deal. And I also want to keep try and have a reasonably efficient battery life if I can.

So any advice with what to choose would be very helpful and appreciated.

 

[Funky Maple]

Hi! I had 2 volumes on my Spector with EMGs, and now I have an active balance still with EMGs. The 2 volumes work just as on a passive bass -> scooped when equal, get some mids back when one is slightly rolled back or forward.
It really depends how you want to use the PJ setup: if you treat it as a P bass which can add some J growl as needed, the 2 volumes might make more sense. I personally prefer the blend pot to be able to change volume without affecting the tone.

It also depends how many knobs you want

 

[ctmullins]

I would go with the PJX and a blend knob. But the control layout is personal preference; if you like double volume knobs that works too.

 

[Zazie Moondust]

Hi! I had 2 volumes on my Spector with EMGs, and now I have an active balance still with EMGs. The 2 volumes work just as on a passive bass -> scooped when equal, get some mids back when one is slightly rolled back or forward.
It really depends how you want to use the PJ setup: if you treat it as a P bass which can add some J growl as needed, the 2 volumes might make more sense. I personally prefer the blend pot to be able to change volume without affecting the tone.

It also depends how many knobs you want

Thanks this one of the questions I was hoping to have answered. I am generally not a fan of the center position mid-scoop unless the pickups are naturally very midrangey and try to bump one knob down, so it sounds like the active blend would be what I want for this bass.
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On a separate note for the published specs EMG shows the X series pickups as being much lower in power consumption than the regular ones? Is that actually the case? It looks like one of X pickup models are what I probably want for this one, but I do want it to sound at least somewhat like active pickups, even if it's less compressed than non-X series. (

And I guess also the other internal debate is whether the VPLF is worth the the amount of power it supposedly uses, or I I am better off keeping it simple or adding a second VMC.

 

[Funky Maple]

Unfortunately I have just added the VLPFs myself last week so I can't comment on the battery life yet. My setup is 2 EMG 40P5X's -> Master volume -> ABCX blend (the ABCX is recommended by EMG if you use X-series pickups) -> VLPF -> VLPF. I imagine the VLPF doesn't use that much energy since it's cut-only.