• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Fender Mustang PJ, or Ibanez Talman TMB30?

#6
two fingers said:
Paging @Dr. Cheese
He has probably played both. He turns out a video (or at least a post with pics) a week or so reviewing basses.
Click to expand...

I never played the Talman 30. I owned a Mustang PJ, and I think it is a wonderful short scale. The only reason I let it go is that the Ibanez TMB605 is a fantastic five string PJ that has pretty much shut down my PJ GAS.
 
#7
two fingers said:
Paging @Dr. Cheese
He has probably played both. He turns out a video (or at least a post with pics) a week or so reviewing basses.
Click to expand...

I never played the Talman 30. I owned a Mustang PJ, and I think it is a wonderful short scale. The only reason I let it go is that the Ibanez TMB605 is a fantastic five string PJ that has pretty much shut down my PJ GAS.
 
#10
I bought a Mustang PJ a little over a month ago and I'm absolutely in love with everything about it. Looks great, feels great, and sounds great. I'm a short scale convert for now, and I think this might last a while.

Just ordered a TMB30 today, though I won't be getting it for a couple of weeks. When I do, I will of course give the bedroom and then the gig review. And I'll be certain to come back to this thread to do a comparison.

Gonna be tough to match or beat the Fender.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Angry Mob With Pitchfork
#12
The Talman TMB30s (that I have played, at least) are more comparable to Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar basses in price, quality, and electronics.

The PJ Mustang is definitely a more structurally sound instrument BUT one thing I prefer on the Talman/Jag bass: you can BLEND the pickups. PJ Mustangs have a 3-way toggle switch and while the middle position sounds okay, it's just not the same. And the stock J pickups on the PJ Mustang are a little anemic.
 
#13
creaturegods said:
And the stock J pickups on the PJ Mustang are a little anemic.
Click to expand...

I'm always fascinated by opinions and experience on things like pickups and sound. And I'm not saying this in any kind of facetious manner.

I play in a wedding/club band that pretty much covers everything, from Sinatra to RATM, and before getting this I was playing mostly a MIM jazz, a Caprice, and for the last month before the Mustang, a MIA P. The Mustang has more guts, tone, depth, cut, bark, high end, and punch than any of them - for me - as hard as that might be to believe. Maybe it's because my band uses low stage volume and IEMs? The bass tones get to breath? Maybe I dig in less than I used to (or less than you) and get different tones? Maybe you're used to active basses? I will say that my Bongo makes this and any of the other passive basses sound like 68 lb weaklings :). Did you only get to check out a Mustang in a store, or have you gigged one?

I'll agree that the jazz pickup is a little thin sounding, but not any thinner than on any of my other passive basses. I never use bridge pickups soloed anyhow.

I'm really looking forward to comparing the TMB30 with this.
 
#16
Joe Nerve said:
I'm always fascinated by opinions and experience on things like pickups and sound. And I'm not saying this in any kind of facetious manner.
...
Did you only get to check out a Mustang in a store, or have you gigged one?

I'll agree that the jazz pickup is a little thin sounding, but not any thinner than on any of my other passive basses. I never use bridge pickups soloed anyhow.

I'm really looking forward to comparing the TMB30 with this.
Click to expand...

I've been gigging heavily with my PJ bass for a little over a year now. I went from a Fender MIM Standard Jazz Bass to a Road Worn Jazz Bass to a Squier VM Jag bass to the PJ Mustang so I've been playing passive J Bass pickups for quite some time.
The J and P bass pickups felt and sounded more balanced in the Jag bass, but that could be due to the blending vs the hard switching. It could just be unique to my PJ, but when I switch from P to J, there's a pretty noticeable drop in ... not volume necessarily, but presence. I haven't messed with adjusting pickup heights since its initial setup, but maybe that's something I need to do. Great playing bass though!
I've been thinking about modding it to remove the 3-way switch in favor of a more blendy experience.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Joe Nerve
#17
I'm something like unto a short scale land baron so I've got both. The TMB30 pickups are fairly bright so they don't do the vintage tone thing as well as they do modern tones, and I use vintage tones a lot. For that reason I put D'addario tapes on the Talman and now I feel much better about the way it sounds. A $60 Dimarzio Model P pup would be a big improvement I think.

I'm not a fan of the toggle switch on the Mustang PJ. I would prefer more of a 75% P, 25% J tone overall, so I pretty much just solo the P pup. The stock strings that come on the Mustang are very thin sounding and like several other individuals in various threads, my volume drops when I dial back the tone knob.

IMHO, as they come from the factory, the Mustang PJ is a better overall bass but at 30% of the Mustang street price the TMB-30 is a far better value for the dollar. The quality, to my eyes, ears, and fingers is close on both.

Neither sounds as good to my ears for classic rock than my Gibson SG but I realize that them's fightin' words in some sectors. It's just one man's opinion, that's all, and TB is full of opinions...
 
  • Like
Reactions: AlexanderB and fermata
#20
I agree with a post above, the fairer comparison is between the Talman TMB30 and the Squier VM jaguar shortscale.

One thing that should be mentioned too is the neck on the Talman is thicker in comparison to the Fender(Ibanez SR necks are usually some of the thinnest you'd find, but their Talman necks are pretty thick) if that makes any difference.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back