Some people say a lot weird stuff on the internet.
In reality the PJ is just another design. Nothing more or less.
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Some people say a lot weird stuff on the internet.
In reality the PJ is just another design. Nothing more or less.
It is ‘inherently flawed’ because it makes it impossible for me to love any of my other basses half as much. Le sigh.
If I remember, most of that debate may have been centered around passive PJs.
I just returned from a two week tour today after slaying some dance floors all over NorCal with my Metro PJ5. I'd probably have a hard time convincing any of those fans there was any type of "inherent flaw" with the design of my bass. In fact I doubt they would care.
Such a good reggae bass. So thick and defined.
Such a good reggae bass. So thick and defined.
I've owned a couple PJ5s, a Metro and NYC. I would usually favor the P 99% of the time (Love that sound!) maybe on a couple of tunes I would use just the J, but I did not like the sound that was produced with both pickups on... not an "inherent flaw", but just my opinion...YMMV.
It just sounded out of phase to me, maybe because the J has it's focal point in a straight line across the strings and the P has it's focal points in two different spots? Maybe Lee Sklar was on to something when he used Two P pickups?
It just sounded out of phase to me, maybe because the J has it's focal point in a straight line across the strings and the P has it's focal points in two different spots? Maybe Lee Sklar was on to something when he used Two P pickups?
I followed Roger's setup guide with my PJ5, to the millimeter with a machinist's ruler and to me that makes all the difference.
I'm an old dude who dove into the modding craze in the late 70's and 80's. I was a P-bass guy who converted a number of basses to PJ, some active and some passive. IMO the only "inherent flaw" is in expectations: a PJ with both pickups dimed will never sound like a Jazz bass with both pickups dimed, especially on the D and G strings. All that means is that PJ is different from JJ -- better/worse is a judgment call.
To be fair there were other PJ complications such as pickup output levels, and the fact that a single-coil bridge J will never wind up in a humbucking configuration -- but these are complications, not flaws. Companies such as DiMarzio, Duncan, EMG, bartolini caught up with the modding craze and released balanced PJ sets, usually with humbucking J pickups.
To be fair there were other PJ complications such as pickup output levels, and the fact that a single-coil bridge J will never wind up in a humbucking configuration -- but these are complications, not flaws. Companies such as DiMarzio, Duncan, EMG, bartolini caught up with the modding craze and released balanced PJ sets, usually with humbucking J pickups.
His guide doesn’t give measurements for relief which I always found strange.
Probably because it's so subjective, and can depend on how hard you attack the strings.
I never measure relief. I set my necks as flat as possible by eye (can't begin to tell you how many thousands of necks I have sighted over the years). I also use the outside strings as straight edges...holding them down at the first an 12th fret and sighting and tapping them over the 6th fret to sense relief. I find that works for most players who have a light to normal touch. For guys who have a hard right hand attack, I add relief for the as needed.
Roger
Roger
Saw 6th fret finger tap method with Carl P. and have used it successfully on my Sadowsky's; glad to hear it endorsed by the Roger. This time of year and springtime in the NYC area require most attention, but then it is good for 2-3 months.
The most change occurs a couple of weeks after the heat kicks on full time, and during the most hot and humid months in the summer.
Will say that once I get my string type/bridge measurements set, 99% of the time a simple truss rod tweak will get me what I need.
Agreed. Even with the JJ setup, Roger's setup guide makes a difference.
It's crazy that literally with about $12 in tools, an hour on YouTube, and a little patience - anyone can do a great setup. I wasted $60 so many times for something I could have EASILY done myself.
I've been telling that to my customers for 40 years!!!
I had a then brand new Steinberger XL-2, back in the mid 80's... didn't know anything about setups, so left it at a shop, here in Columbus, with instructions to replace the strings and perform a setup...
... when I picked it up, they had done both, and for extra measure put a nice shiny dent in the aluminum nut.
I don't remember asking for that...
I learned a valuable lesson, that day...
... I can dent my own guitars, for free.
... when I picked it up, they had done both, and for extra measure put a nice shiny dent in the aluminum nut.
I don't remember asking for that...
I learned a valuable lesson, that day...
... I can dent my own guitars, for free.
