how do these Fender magnificent 7 precision basses sound? Do they get the traditional deep smooth fat Classic p bass tones as well as ther ur mckagan guns n roses like tones when both the pj pickups are engage Da? I am looking for a bass that can do the classic warm fat p bass tone and the modern bright PJ pickup sounds used by so many hard rock bands in the 80s and 90s. Please give me your thoughts on this bass. Thanks Jeremy 571
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Fender magnificent 7 pj bass questions.
- Thread starter growler571
- Start date
Did you find one for a good price?
I'm interested in hearing what knowledgeable Fender fans have to say.
Other than the P neck on the DM P bass, is the tone similar?
Is there something you can get out of it that you can't get out of a G&L SB-2T or a Lakland Skyline 44-64?
I was totally unaware of this Fender before tonight, but once again have to hand it to Fender when it comes to naming basses. A bit disappointed that they couldn't come up with a magnificent finish, too, but...
Other than that...
Musicman Caprice vs. 2016 Fender PJ Magnificent 7
I'm interested in hearing what knowledgeable Fender fans have to say.
Other than the P neck on the DM P bass, is the tone similar?
Is there something you can get out of it that you can't get out of a G&L SB-2T or a Lakland Skyline 44-64?
I was totally unaware of this Fender before tonight, but once again have to hand it to Fender when it comes to naming basses. A bit disappointed that they couldn't come up with a magnificent finish, too, but...
Other than that...
Musicman Caprice vs. 2016 Fender PJ Magnificent 7
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I wouldn't say it's a necessarily a good price. I found a brand new one for 1700 even. The bass is brand new. I'm just wondering if the p pickup alone will sound like a good American standard should or is it sumwhat different like the P pickup in my 2001 hot rodded pj bass. I've never been fully satisfied when using the p pickup alone on the hot Rod P bass. It is slightly hotter and the low mids seem too sound a bit less pronounced on it thsn a normal sm stand P bass and the P alone does not seem to have quite the same treble response when u jack the tone control all the way up. What my hot rodded precision does sound awesome at is both picks dimes and tone rolled all the way up. I swear they designed the the hot rod p basses too sound just like duff mckagan S bright pj tone from guns n roses. I'm just wondering if these magnificent 7 pj basses cab get the stsndard typical p bass tone and that pj duff mckagan type bright tone. I need a PJ bass that can get the classic P only sound and a great bright PJ tone like duff mckagan and your typical hard rock hair band type PJ sounds from the 80s 90s.
What I'm trying to ask in simpler terms is will these magnificent pj basses give me a classic deep fat Peter cetera Chicago type tone with flatwounds to ACDC ballsy fat P tone to modern PJ tone. Think G&R, Poison, And just about every band in the 80s earky 90s when PJ basses were the u needed to have for those songs
THIS one:
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MIM, all the good parts, great pickups and active/passive electronics, rounded heel, the works. Less than a grand. The best P/J and the best bargain in Fender's lineup if you want 'a little of everything'. An overlooked gem that will do everything you're asking for and then some.
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MIM, all the good parts, great pickups and active/passive electronics, rounded heel, the works. Less than a grand. The best P/J and the best bargain in Fender's lineup if you want 'a little of everything'. An overlooked gem that will do everything you're asking for and then some.
Not for nothing, but I can't tell you how many times I've read right here on this board that you just can't get a classic P-bass tone from a PJ bass.
Not saying I believe it, though...I'd have to think with all the different Fender PJs, surely one can pull it off.
Not saying I believe it, though...I'd have to think with all the different Fender PJs, surely one can pull it off.
I don't know about Duff McKagan in any detail, but I would expect him to be using a big pedal board. If that's the case, trying to match his sound with just a bass is not going to get you close. I'd get the best sounding (to you) PJ. With the J switched off, you should get you the classic P bass feel. Then start auditioning preamp pedals for the other sounds you want.
I love this comparison thread:
P vs P in PJ set --- Can You Tell Which Is Which?
Seems to me this shows that a P in a PJ can convincingly sound like "just a P." I think it's more about the actual P pickup itself (even within a set,) the strings and EQ. If you like your hot rod, I'd start with different pickups before buying a whole other bass
EDIT and if you DO get a new bass, the same theory applies
P vs P in PJ set --- Can You Tell Which Is Which?
Seems to me this shows that a P in a PJ can convincingly sound like "just a P." I think it's more about the actual P pickup itself (even within a set,) the strings and EQ. If you like your hot rod, I'd start with different pickups before buying a whole other bass
EDIT and if you DO get a new bass, the same theory applies
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Here's a video that talks about all of the band's gear. Duff is in a first section.
Rig Rundown - Guns N' Roses' Slash, Duff McKagan & Richard Fortus - YouTube
Seems to me this shows that a P in a PJ can convincingly sound like "just a P." I think it's more about the actual P pickup itself (even within a set,) the strings and EQ. If you like your hot rod, I'd start with different pickups before buying a whole other bass. EDIT and if you DO get a new bass, the same theory applies
per the OP: the only way to spec a bass for its "sound" is to hear it in your hands. IME: any ax can be nails-on (or at least satisfyingly closer) to the 'sound in your head' if you change:
- pickups
- strings
- pickups and strings
- your technique
- pickups and/or strings and/or your technique.
whatever that sound is (in your head) = good luck finding it!
a brand new toy can be fun, too. that's why they call it tone chasing, right? 
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I currently have one of these, and I've had a few which I sold. I absolutely love the bass as it's exactly what I wanted, an American Standard Precision with a jazz pickup and jazz neck. It sounds amazing, I've received many compliments on it. It has a real fat, growly tone. That said, $1700 is a really high price. I got mine for $950 and $1050. If you hold out, they do pop up for sale and usually in the $1000-$1200 range.
In regards to your Hot Rod Precision, I've heard those pickups are VERY hot. Maybe even a pickup change would get you what you're looking for. Perhaps the EMG Geezers? If you're fine with a Precision neck, you might even be better off getting a Standard Precision and just adding a J pickup.
In regards to your Hot Rod Precision, I've heard those pickups are VERY hot. Maybe even a pickup change would get you what you're looking for. Perhaps the EMG Geezers? If you're fine with a Precision neck, you might even be better off getting a Standard Precision and just adding a J pickup.
i have an all original 83' precision and a squire parts, jazz neck build p/j with Bartolinis, which are a high output bright sounding pickup, for this particular bass anyway. Turn the bridge pup off, and it does not have that original good ole fashioned p bass growl.. So it really depends on a few factors here....If i want the tone , i play the P. There are some good pickup manufacturers that mimic the p bass, SD quarter pounds, Dimarzio Antiquity's etc.
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I hear this too, and I genuinely wonder what the logic would be behind this.
I have two PJs. An American Performer Precision and an Aerodyne for which I've swapped out the OG pups and replaced them with EMG GZRs.
First off, the Performer. This is my #1 bass. It plays superbly, the weight is very reasonable and with the neck pup on full and the J about half, it's got a great blend of warm and growl just beneath the surface. With both on full, you can get a bit of a MusicMan-ish vibe. Obviously not the same, but a great aggressive sound with a nice EQ that cuts through the mix, with my band (classic hard rock/heavy metal), anyway. I use Elixirs on the Performer.
For the Aerodyne, this bass is a pure pleasure to play because of its light weight. The neck is fast, BUT I found that the original pups were a bit thin sounding, which is why I swapped them for the GZRs and they have so much attack now! I use tapewound strings on this bass (not at the time of this pic, though), but even with those, the sound is lively and if you want a bit more warmth/oomph, simply dial back on the J a bit.
I'm a big fan of the P/J configuration because you do get versatility. The tone pot on these basses doesn't do a whole heck of a lot, but by changing the pup blend, you can get a nice variety of tones.
First off, the Performer. This is my #1 bass. It plays superbly, the weight is very reasonable and with the neck pup on full and the J about half, it's got a great blend of warm and growl just beneath the surface. With both on full, you can get a bit of a MusicMan-ish vibe. Obviously not the same, but a great aggressive sound with a nice EQ that cuts through the mix, with my band (classic hard rock/heavy metal), anyway. I use Elixirs on the Performer.
For the Aerodyne, this bass is a pure pleasure to play because of its light weight. The neck is fast, BUT I found that the original pups were a bit thin sounding, which is why I swapped them for the GZRs and they have so much attack now! I use tapewound strings on this bass (not at the time of this pic, though), but even with those, the sound is lively and if you want a bit more warmth/oomph, simply dial back on the J a bit.
I'm a big fan of the P/J configuration because you do get versatility. The tone pot on these basses doesn't do a whole heck of a lot, but by changing the pup blend, you can get a nice variety of tones.
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I've got a '75 Precision and a few PJs, notably an American Jaguar bass. If you just run the P pickup, my experience is a PJ setup is essentially the same thing as a single pickup bass. I'm pretty down on the PJ setup with one exception. My Jaguar has a switch that, when both the P and J pups are engaged, you can switch between series and parallel. In this case, parallel isn't a versatile sound, but it's unique and does cool things with fuzz. It's the only PJ setting I ever use at this point.
I had the Magnificent Seven P-Bass, and I thought it copped the classic P-Bass tone very well. I kind of miss it, but I sold it after I got my American Elite PJ.
what about installing a push/pull pot to use as an on/off switch for the bridge pickup, thus isolating the wiring for the p pickup on demand...?
Well folks thanks for all the info on the magnificent 7 PJ and comparisons with other basses however unfortunately about 2 hours after ordering the cass online from a store online the emailed me back saying tge bass had already been sold awhile back and they forgot too update their page and take the listing for the bass down. Talk about a let down. Well I may order a performer precision or ultra precision instead now. I'm kinda concerned the performer p won't get smooth and deep enough though with its grease bucket tone circuit. It's seems the performer is designed to be a more brighter modern sounding pj bass. But I could be wrong.
