i was just wondering if a pj bass sounds more like a thumpy j or if its more of a p bass tone or something in its self if anyone has answers i would appreciate them
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Jazz Bass vs PJ Bass
- Thread starter danielfnj96
- Start date
IMHO a P/J will sound more P-ish than J-ish. If it's configured V/V/T, you're essentially looking at a P bass, with the option of blending in a bit of J bridge growl. However, I haven't come across a PJ that sounds like a stand-alone J bass. To that end, I love my Lull PJ5, but find myself turning the J pup completely down 80% of the time, and having it solo'd 0% of the time. But, as is with most things, you've got to play one and see if the "J-bass trade-off" is worth it to you.
I have a dedicated J-bass for those tones, but bought it after purchasing my PJ5. I was looking for the PJ to be that magic bullet/band-aid/best of both worlds.
I have a dedicated J-bass for those tones, but bought it after purchasing my PJ5. I was looking for the PJ to be that magic bullet/band-aid/best of both worlds.
The P bass sound is very distinctive, Jazz bass bridge pick up is very distinctive, What makes a PJ so cool for me is that you get both of those classic sounds out one bass. While both pickup on do not really sound like a Jazz with both pickups on, it is still a workable and usable tone.
The demand for this design finally saw the light of day with the introduction of the Fender Pbass Deluxe. Fender was a bit slow on the uptake as players have been modding their pbass by adding Jazz Bridge Pups for the last 30 years.
The demand for this design finally saw the light of day with the introduction of the Fender Pbass Deluxe. Fender was a bit slow on the uptake as players have been modding their pbass by adding Jazz Bridge Pups for the last 30 years.
PJ IMO:
Solo the P pickup, sounds like a P. Solo the J pickup, sounds like a J (bridge).
Both full on, it usually sounds a bit more like a P than a J.
Blend to various levels it is a unique animal. Of course pickup selection and electronics play a role.
Solo the P pickup, sounds like a P. Solo the J pickup, sounds like a J (bridge).
Both full on, it usually sounds a bit more like a P than a J.
Blend to various levels it is a unique animal. Of course pickup selection and electronics play a role.
A lot of it depends on the pickup placement, some have the P in the Fender sweet spot, with a J pickup closer to the bridge. You can get a perfect P tone when the P is soloed, and a really biting, aggressive tone when they're both together. Some have the P a closer to the neck, and the J pickup where it would be on a Jazz bass. The P soloed will have less midrange than a normal P pickup when soloed, but the pickup is usually wound differently to compensate for this. When you blend the two it sounds like a different take on a Jazz bass. I personally prefer a reverse P config for P/J basses, as I almost always experience a very unbalanced tone between the bass & treble strings when the P and J are both on.
so a p/j bass is able to sound like a p bass but it cant sound like a j bass? I got GAS for a fender P AND a J but getting two basses is very expensive.
Im just afraid if I do get a p/j I won't get the J sound I want and having to end up buying a J right after!
Had to revive this thread, didn't want to make a new one if its discussed again.
Im just afraid if I do get a p/j I won't get the J sound I want and having to end up buying a J right after!
Had to revive this thread, didn't want to make a new one if its discussed again.
Go ahead you'll get what your after.
I have/HAD (don't play it anymore) a Yamaha RBX170 it imo was great at replicating both a J and a P. I usually had to fiddle with amp setting to get it exactly right but, I always got the sound in my head I just had to look for it.
I think P/J's are the most viersitale basses made. You got tons of aftermarket pickup options. Heck you can expand it's versatility by adding a preamp.
The only thing P/J's can't do is replicate that perfect slap tone I don't see alot of slappers using P/J's and I think the reason is the postion and shape of the P pickup. It's easy to hit it instead of your intended target the strings unless your really good at it.
I have/HAD (don't play it anymore) a Yamaha RBX170 it imo was great at replicating both a J and a P. I usually had to fiddle with amp setting to get it exactly right but, I always got the sound in my head I just had to look for it.
I think P/J's are the most viersitale basses made. You got tons of aftermarket pickup options. Heck you can expand it's versatility by adding a preamp.
The only thing P/J's can't do is replicate that perfect slap tone I don't see alot of slappers using P/J's and I think the reason is the postion and shape of the P pickup. It's easy to hit it instead of your intended target the strings unless your really good at it.
I have Fender P, J, and PJ and I love all three. All of three of them sound and feel different - the PJ has the fastest action.
I'm going to experiment. I have a MIJ Jazz body and some Model Js kicking around here somewhere. Now from what I understand, the Model J is internally split like a P, however it has short skinny coils, instead of the short fat P coils, or instead of the one long skinny coil of the J. They can be switched from series to parallel. I think there might be the potential to make it sound like a dead even compromise between the three most desired Fender sounds, not so far away from any of them that anyone blindfolded could 100% deny they were hearing a P, a J with both pickups on, or a J bridge pup. Anyway I have the parts laying around here. All I have to do is get up off my dead ass and find them, then get a J control plate and some 500kΩ and 1MΩ pots, plain and push-pull, to play around with.
XtheDeadPawn said:
This makes no sense to me. Where do you slap your bass? A P is just as easy to slap as a J. Same amount of space to the butt of the neck.
In light of the comments in this thread I'm curious as to what I'll get from a P/P J body blank I bought for the purposes of being a Closet Queen in the foreseeable future based on the need for home upkeep which I should have put first in the first place. The relative scarcity of the configuration in the face of more easily found P/J just made me go "Hmmm?"
About the only thing I can say I've thought about as far as electronics is the idea of it being a passive V/V/T setup maybe/probably with a Series/Parallel switch. I'd think some setup should produce a pretty broad tonal palette. The idea of a couple of somewhat divergent pickup types seems like it could be interesting in service of that idea.
I don't want to hijack the thread but suggestions would be interesting.
iJazz - Even my P is a J at heart.
About the only thing I can say I've thought about as far as electronics is the idea of it being a passive V/V/T setup maybe/probably with a Series/Parallel switch. I'd think some setup should produce a pretty broad tonal palette. The idea of a couple of somewhat divergent pickup types seems like it could be interesting in service of that idea.
I don't want to hijack the thread but suggestions would be interesting.
iJazz - Even my P is a J at heart.
Did someone say P/Js can't get good slap tone? Debatable.
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+1 right on!
As much as I love Vic's playing and his music, and I really mean that, I have just never dug his tone.
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
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IMO the p/j's sound great live because that p pup gives you that fat low end and the j covers everything else but I don't like it in the studio at all. For recording a straight up jazz or p set up just sounds better in the mix. Or use 2 different basses on your recordings for whatever sounds the best for the songs.
That's just me though.
That's just me though.
