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Looking for my ideal P/J

cymatics

cymatics

Apr 4, 2010
77
5
#1
If it's out there, I haven't found it yet.

What I'm looking for is:

  • Jazz or Precision body (I'm comfortable with either)
  • Jazz or Precision neck (I'm comfortable with either)
  • P/J pickup configuration
  • Pickup character leaning toward 'vintage', ie. nothing with a super hot output or hyped frequency response
  • No active pickups or tone controls
  • Available in a black finish
  • Price under $2k

Here's what I've ruled out so far
  • Custom shops (prices are well beyond $2k)
  • Fender Tony Franklin (only available in black as a fretless)
  • Lull PJ4 & Lakland 44-64 (more than $2k)
  • Sadowsky Vintage 4 (more than $2k, active electronics)

Any options I'm missing here? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
 
#4
For $2000 you can get 3 used G&L SB-2's - rosewood, maple and fretless! I love 'em. Roll back the P volume and it's old school. The 'J' is not standard J size and shape, which may be a disqualifier for you. Great necks, tuners, bridges, construction...
 
#8
How about a Sandberg? There's a PJ with a P neck, like this:

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You can get it as a 4 if you want - I hear Sandberg's super flexible on orders, you just have to wait 3 or 4 months. There's a black 4-string PJ on this page, for instance:

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or you could get any number of PM variations. Just have a look at the Sandberg site (strap on your drooling cup first):

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As for the vintage sound, I hear (I have no personal experience, mind you) that the stock Delano pick-ups are kinda hot, but that you can get Häussel pick-ups for that über-Vintage sound, if you so desire.

Unfortunately this kid's talent does not equal his father's bank account, but it's the only head to head comparison on Sandbergs I've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqOvCgl64KY

It should come it at about your price-range too. I've been GASsing for a Sandberg for about a year, and I might just get one this summer, when I head up to Germany.

Good luck, anyway.
 
#10
You could look for a used (passive) Fender Precision Special PJ from a few years back and swap pickups. Also the (passive) Fender Jazz Bass Special PJ from the 80s would be similar. Both have P bodies and J necks, had black available, both are MIJ.

I have a Warmoth PJ with alder P body and J neck w/ rosewood fretboard. It has Seymour Duncan SPB-1 and STK-J2 pickups, with a Fender TBX tone control. I has a great variety of tones, and cost less than $2000 for sure.
 
#12
cymatics said:
I know it sounds snobby, but I have a philosophical objection to a factory distressed finish. It looks reasonably convincing, but I only want my instrument to look like that because I've played the sh*t out of it.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. Not a big fan of relic, road worn or whatever they want to call it finishes.
 
#14
Well for $2,000 you really have room to play around. I wanted a PJ forever and finally just bought a cheapo SX and modded it myself.
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I loaded it with Seymour Duncan QP's... I think the 3 series... The sound is good but you can feel / sound the cheapness of the SX wood/bass.

I've never tried the PJ Spector, but the Spector Euro LX 4 is really nice. They are loaded with EMG's I think that would give the 'EMG'ish" sound, probably not that vintage.

Fender Aerodyne's are nice and around $650
 
#16
Kbone_ATL said:
Well for $2,000 you really have room to play around. I wanted a PJ forever and finally just bought a cheapo SX and modded it myself.
Link Removed

I loaded it with Seymour Duncan QP's... I think the 3 series... The sound is good but you can feel / sound the cheapness of the SX wood/bass.

I've never tried the PJ Spector, but the Spector Euro LX 4 is really nice. They are loaded with EMG's I think that would give the 'EMG'ish" sound, probably not that vintage.

Fender Aerodyne's are nice and around $650
Click to expand...
For $2000, or even $1000, maybe even less, you could easily mod an SX into an awesome P/J. You could put a new neck on it (if you actually don't like the neck, which you may or may not), you could upgrade all the hardware and pickups and it still wouldn't be very expensive.
 
#17
Jory D said:
I'm extremely pleased by my Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass, which seems to fit your criteria nicely. Jazz body, Jazz neck, black, PJ, passive, pretty inexpensive (I see them on Craigslist all the time for <$500), Japanese, super-lightweight, and sounds awesome.
Click to expand...

I played a show with a friend's Aeordyne and loved how comfortable it was. Super light, and super fast neck. It kinda had that Ibanez.... "I might break at any moment" feel to it... maybe as it was too light?

Did the Aerodyne come from a more vintage make, or was it a new addition?
 
#18
Kbone_ATL said:
I played a show with a friend's Aeordyne and loved how comfortable it was. Super light, and super fast neck. It kinda had that Ibanez.... "I might break at any moment" feel to it... maybe as it was too light?

Did the Aerodyne come from a more vintage make, or was it a new addition?
Click to expand...

According to Wikipedia it was introduced in late 2004.

Mine has always felt sturdy enough to me, but I will say that the basswood body is pretty prone to dings and such.
 
#20
There's a reason they call the old Guild Pilot basses (NOT the DeArmond ones) a "poor man's Sadowsky".

That's my vote.
Don't let the headstock and the EMG's deter you. They are KILLER basses.
 

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