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Can a 5 string PJ ever be as good as 4 string P?

W

Whippet

Aug 30, 2014
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#1
Guys help me out here.

Can a 5 string PJ every be as good as a 4 string P?

For example.

Mas Hino NYC 5 string PJ vs Mas Hino 4 string P / Olinto P / Fender Vintage P

Pedulla MVP 5 string vs Fender P (expensive one)

Roscoe PJ vs Fender P (expensive one)


I picked some high end PJs just to make sure that the basses are all on the same or close price range. of about 3000-4000 bucks.

Can a 5 string get that classic P tone or will the mass in the neck and body not allow it?


Thanks for all information in advance.
 
#6
Someone wrote a reply but deleted it. This isn't a troll.

Why can I not compare a Mas Hino NYC 5 string PJ to his 4 string P? There are countless people saying that Mas Hino's P has the same vibe as the original vintage P? Ed Friedland says it too and he surely knows more than me.

I know from playing the MVP that it has its own vibe but the bass actually sounds like it was designed with a P in mind first. So I compare the 5 string version to the Fender.

As to the Roscoe, I believe this was an award winning instrument. It can't be too far off from the original right?


The question is simple. Does that 5 string mass affect the PJ tone? How? Good? Bad?

What versions of the PJ gets it correct without fragmenting the B string so that it sounds as natural as a 4 string version?


Several have said that it's just a tool. It needs to get the job done so long story short it needs to be taken individually. I am going to assume that personal taste comes in too.

Also so many people say, why mess with the original P. Why make an expensive version? A, P is a P. yet we have PJ in 4, 5, and 6 string. Many say that a PJ can never get it right. It's too half baked. But having a Nordstrand Headless and knowing Carey Nordstrands attention to detail, I am pretty sure that PJ nails it correctly. But I am sure it's Carey N's interpretation.

I'd like to get a PJ and long story short I want to get it right. There has to be something about a 4 string P that makes it so special that so many believe there is no point in tampering. This is just my observation and you can believe what you want. I am just curious to what people have to say, that's all.
 
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#8
AndreasR said:
A P is a tool, not a sacred idol that floated down from the heavens........
Click to expand...
Oh....you went and done it now.......
Pitchforks.jpg
 
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#15
a little extra mass on the neck shouldn't affect the tone in a way that is detectable to the human (non-TB posting) ear ;)

as has been mentioned, some say that a PJ won't sound like a P, even with just the neck pickup soloed. I say, if it's a passive P-style pickup, a 34" scale, and a bolt-on neck, it will probably sound enough like a P that you can take it home to meet your mother.

EDIT: tl;dnr - yes.
 
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#19
awilkie84 said:
These all appear to have different bridges. Do you happen to have a list of all the 5 string bridges you've used that will fit the neck dimensions of a Fender P4?? :D
Click to expand...

There are a ton of cheap bridges on ebay that have a 2 1/2" spacing ... 2 5/8" will also work ...

Schaller is a good choice if you want a brand name bridge ...
 
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