Club Sadowsky!!!

[Fran Diaz]

I'm just curious and I don't want to start a war or anything but, What is the deal with the P/Js. I never owned a Sadowsky P/J which I'm sure its a premium instrument. I'm talking about the P/ups configuration.

So many people get P/Js it seems to me these days. I own one P/J and it was a Bacchus and really I did not see the point and maybe I just missed it.

I was believing people were getting these because they wanted to own one bass only so the bass needed to be versatile. But I see people with two or three of them now so I must be missing the boat.

My experience with a P/J was: You can either play with either p/ups solo in which case you get the bridge sound a la Jaco or you play them as a P-bass with only the neck p/up on.

Whenever I would blend the p/ups half/half I though the sound was very nasal and unpleasant.

I tried different combination and I was finding it tolerable with full P and a 1/4 J but really it was still a P sound.

I'm I missing something here? I know it make sense on paper but my experience was not what I was expecting.

Can anyone illuminate me.

The PJ combo is thicker in the low mids than a JJ. My first real bass was a Fender Jazz Bass Special that was, in fact, a PJ with P body and J neck. I think I've come full circle with my UV PJ4. I have no experience with other PJs and I can hardly remember how the tone was on that Special, but I love the PJ tone and it has a lot of useful tones around the center detent on the blend knob; I usually play with both pickups on and favor the neck pickup for the 'clean' songs (read: country stuff, songs where the guitars are not rockin' too hard); the cleaner the song the more P pickup I use. If I really want to cut through I slightly favor the bridge pickup and add some more bass boost.

 

[Fran Diaz]

I would love to hear a clip of a Sad P/J with both p/ups on.
I've tried a few other p/j basses in music store and they always sounded nasal to me.

Don't get me wrong. The reason for all of this is because I want my next Sadowsky to be a P-bass so I'm thinking maybe it would be smart to get a P/J but then I remember my bad experience.

you can hear some poor samplers here:
Link Removed

By the way, the PJ on these recordings is not my NYC UV PJ4. It was another PJ that I regreted selling until I found the one I own now .

My band is entering the studio very soon (it was supposed to be next week, but it seems like a problem in the studio is going to delay the recording a little bit ). I'll post clips of the recordings (I'll use the PJ4 for most of the album, one song for the single coiled J and one for the upright.).

 

[Fran Diaz]

Oh! and some gratuitous PJ porn from last Thursday's gig :

 

[t0t0m]

Just bought myself a used sadowsky NYC PJ5.
Eventhough I have not receive the bass yet, can I get a Number#?

here is the link to the thread:
http://talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=599925

 

[johnnydi]

you can hear some poor samplers here:
Link Removed

By the way, the PJ on these recordings is not my NYC UV PJ4. It was another PJ that I regreted selling until I found the one I own now .

My band is entering the studio very soon (it was supposed to be next week, but it seems like a problem in the studio is going to delay the recording a little bit ). I'll post clips of the recordings (I'll use the PJ4 for most of the album, one song for the single coiled J and one for the upright.).

Thanks Fran, That was awesome to be able to compare. If you listen to the P/J slap and compare to the JJ slap you will see what I mean by nasal.

 

[Chef]

Thanks!

Here you go: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Cheers!

 

[Fran Diaz]

Thanks Fran, That was awesome to be able to compare. If you listen to the P/J slap and compare to the JJ slap you will see what I mean by nasal.

yeah, I really prefer the slap tone of the J, but take into account that the lines are played with flat eq and no amp. I was pleasantly surprised the first time I played some slap lines on the PJ through an amp at gig volume.

 

[nostatic]

yeah, I really prefer the slap tone of the J, but take into account that the lines are played with flat eq and no amp. I was pleasantly surprised the first time I played some slap lines on the PJ through an amp at gig volume.

What I've found time and again is that the sound of the bass by itself means very little unless that's how you actually play live. I've recorded bass lines that when solo'd didn't really thrill me but in the mix they were great. And vice versa.

In comparing the PJ Sadowsky with my Zon with Barts, I find that the PJ is more alive and is much more sensitive to what my hands are doing. I get much more of a range by changing where I put my right hand, and also how I fret the notes.

It reminds me of my old Bogner guitar amp. Most guitar amps are a collection of knobs. You dial up a sound and play. The Bogner (and many other boutique tube amps) are instruments that you have to learn to play. Small technique changes on the instrument were reflected in tone changes in the amp. You couldn't just turn the knobs and get a tone, you had to work it. I find the PJ to be the same. I can get a basic tone out, but it is much more workable and sensitive to user input.

 

[pickles]

My experience with a P/J was: You can either play with either p/ups solo in which case you get the bridge sound a la Jaco or you play them as a P-bass with only the neck p/up on.

Whenever I would blend the p/ups half/half I though the sound was very nasal and unpleasant.

Yep, that is how PJs are, at least on two of the strings (where the pickups are closer together). I prefer either a P or a JJ depending on the gig.

 

[johnnydi]

Yep, that is how PJs are, at least on two of the strings (where the pickups are closer together). I prefer either a P or a JJ depending on the gig.

I never realize that but you are right. The strings that sound unpleasant (to me) are the D and the G, where the pickups are closer together.
Interesting!

Can someone who own a P/J and a JJ tell me if the distance between these two string are different and by how much.

 

[Vic]

I never realize that but you are right. The strings that sound unpleasant (to me) are the D and the G, where the pickups are closer together.
Interesting!

Can someone who own a P/J and a JJ tell me if the distance between these two string are different and by how much.

You mean the difference in distance between the pickups on those two strings vs the others?

Also, what sounds unpleasant? I know this is all personal pref and that's totally cool. Just curious.

 

[Joelc73]

Yep, that is how PJs are, at least on two of the strings (where the pickups are closer together). I prefer either a P or a JJ depending on the gig.

This is definitely a preference thing. I don't find the PJ blend to be unpleasant at all...

 

[Fran Diaz]

This is definitely a preference thing. I don't find the PJ blend to be unpleasant at all...

+1, probably 70% of my playing on the PJ.

 

[Steve]

I never realize that but you are right. The strings that sound unpleasant (to me) are the D and the G, where the pickups are closer together.

So, reverse the P and put that issue in your rear view mirror.

 

[pickles]

This is definitely a preference thing. I don't find the PJ blend to be unpleasant at all...

For sure! I just is what it is. The tone of the D&G on a PJ is closer to a Sadowsky Modern than to a JJ. The E and A sound fat and authoritative.

 

[pickles]

So, reverse the P and put that issue in your rear view mirror.

That will shift the sound he doesn't like to the E and A strings, which I'm assuming he uses more

 

[johnnydi]

You mean the difference in distance between the pickups on those two strings vs the others?

Also, what sounds unpleasant? I know this is all personal pref and that's totally cool. Just curious.

Yes, the distance between the pickups center to center on the D and the G string.

I'm sorry if I offend any of you by using the word unpleasant. That was not my intention and know that I respect every one of you including your opinions.
That's why I ask that question in the first place.

As far as unpleasant means. I notice on the p/j i played that the D and G lack of lows and lack of humf. It sound twangy and nasally. Which is unpleasant to me.

As you know, we can all to a certain extend tell if a p-bass or a J-bass was use to record a song.
I have never heard a song where I went "this is a P/J sound on that recording" which tells me that maybe the P/J shines in the mix.

My next bass will be a Sad P-bass. I don't want to order a P-bass and a month later go "I wish I got a P/J" or get a P/j and go "why did I paid to get this configuration when I use only the P pickup."

That's why I need you guys input.

Thanks

 

[Joelc73]

My next bass will be a Sad P-bass. I don't want to order a P-bass and a month later go "I wish I got a P/J" or get a P/j and go "why did I paid to get this configuration when I use only the P pickup."

That's why I need you guys input.

Thanks

I never liked PJ basses - ever... Until I got my first Sadowsky NYC PJ5. Get a Sadowsky PJ - you'll love it. They are really good basses.

 

[johnnydi]

So, reverse the P and put that issue in your rear view mirror.

That only move the E and A portion of the p/ups. It doesn't change the D and G part.

 

[Nenor]

What about a P/P configuration, ever done on a Sadowsky? This will eliminate the pickup-to-pickup distance issue for sure. I think I saw Alain Caron use an F with two P's. Not for the J guys but probably huge sound.