Earliest Known P/J?

[Axstar]

@Tanner5382I think he's a good guitar player.

I can take all the hunting and beloin-cloth'd anti-environmental wingnuttery as it is highly entertaining, but I wouldn't go so far as to say he's a good guitar player. One trick pony, showboating and formulaic. The same sort of base-emotion non-cerebral entertainment that Kiss pumped out, but dressed up as a backwoods hardnut rather than a gaggle of goofy space warriors. Music is never going to be the focus for those guys, merely a vector for their overall schtick. Ted hasn't progressed as a musician since the Amboy Dukes and, to be fair, hasn't really had to. He believes he's the best guitarist.

Stu Cook of CCR modified his P bass with a second P pickup, and later on added the toaster from his Rickenbacker to the neck position on the P. Not a PJ, but maybe an early adopter of the notion that a P bass could be bettered with a second pickup at the bridge.

 

[Mr.Fingers]

Jack Casady in 1967, on a PJJ

 

[brianrost]

In case noone said it yet, the MIJ Jazz Bass Special...the Duff McKagan bass...was the first production PJ from Fender.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

I doubt if they were first, but Alembic was using a combination of P & J pickups on some of their 'Persuader' model basses in 1983.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

In case noone said it yet, the MIJ Jazz Bass Special...the Duff McKagan bass...was the first production PJ from Fender.

I mentioned it in post #9 as a candidate for earliest production PJ.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Jack Casady in 1967, on a PJJ

I should have guessed that Jack Casady was in the mix because he on the forefront of bass mods

 

[Dr. Cheese]

You were right about the bb2000 dr cheese

Yamaha 1979

View attachment 1105402

It looks like the BB2000 may have been the first, and IMO, still the best PJ of all time.

 

[repoman]

What would John Paul Jones do? prob... stick with his jazz-- dude rules
I have one p/j, an active pair from EMG on my Squire 1989 Heavy Metal 5 banger. It sounds good.
f!

If John Paul Jones had a signature precision/jazz bass would it be known as a JPJPJ or a PJJPJ ?

 

[Felken]

What year was that picture?

75 would be my guess.

 

[ultra60]

Mike Tilka from Max Webster. The band formed in '73, and this looks like an early shot to me. There's an extra J above the P pickup also.. like the guy from Steely Dan

 

[UNICORN BASS]

I saw an America concert for German TV from the early-mid 70's some time ago and the bass player had a Fender P/J. I can't seem to find it anymore.

 

[ultra60]

Ibanez was offering a P/J by 1976:

1976 Ibanez Guitar Catalog

Graham Maby playing the Ibanez circa '79:

 

[Matthijs]

The spector ns2 came out in 79. I always thought yamaha and ibanez followed them, but they were really close.

 

[Clark Dark]

I went out with a girl named PJ before I even played bass. That was the first that I knew. She was very petty, but equally evil. I'd tell the story but it's long and only really gets good at the end.

and she may have spawned an author

I first heard of P/J orientation as the California studio sound back in the '70's

 

[Axstar]

Ibanez made a PJ bass as part of their Silver Series line. I can't find an earlier example than 1977:

 

[MVE]

Leo Fender used a strung up neck bolted to a piece of scrap wood with a bridge to mount and test pickups on. When he invented the dual coil p pickup he tested it next to a single coil.
//thread-CLOSED

 

[danosix]

You were right about the bb2000 dr cheese

Yamaha 1979

View attachment 1105402

But given that the bass with a P and 2 Js has been eliminated - can the BB be counted as a PJ since itès actually a PR (Precision/Rail).
In my mind they are definitely part of that category - but they DON'T have a J pickup in them (well they do as of this year....).
So far (to my mind) the Ibanez is winning in the production sweeps.

 

[Tanner5382]

I can take all the hunting and beloin-cloth'd anti-environmental wingnuttery as it is highly entertaining, but I wouldn't go so far as to say he's a good guitar player. One trick pony, showboating and formulaic. The same sort of base-emotion non-cerebral entertainment that Kiss pumped out, but dressed up as a backwoods hardnut rather than a gaggle of goofy space warriors. Music is never going to be the focus for those guys, merely a vector for their overall schtick. Ted hasn't progressed as a musician since the Amboy Dukes and, to be fair, hasn't really had to. He believes he's the best guitarist.

Stu Cook of CCR modified his P bass with a second P pickup, and later on added the toaster from his Rickenbacker to the neck position on the P. Not a PJ, but maybe an early adopter of the notion that a P bass could be bettered with a second pickup at the bridge.

Gotta disagree on that, personally. I think some of his instrumental tracks have some downright great guitar playing, like Hibernation.

 

[Blackjac97]

Ibanez 1979

Those vintage Ibanez basses are so cool! I would love that fretless Musician on the far left. The sideways one.

 

[gregmon79]

Jack Casady in 1967, on a PJJ

This is pretty cool. I wonder what that P pup sounds like in that spot. Would make for some really interesting tones I bet.