P Bass sound on a Jazz Bass

Neck pickup.

 

Rewire the pickups from parallel to series. Just trust me.

 

If you like versatility, do it with a switch so you can still access the standard jazz tones.

 

Wire in a series/parallel switch is all i can think of on a jazz

 

This. And roll the tone back just a bit. It'll get you pretty close.

 

7 posts in and no P-bass purist has said "It's impossible! They couldn't be more different"? You guys are friggin slacking.

Neck Pickup, roll off tone a bit and it is indeed pretty close, and if you're looking for an old school tone...ahem...try flatwounds.

 

It's very simple....Turn both the neck and the bridge pups volume full up then back off the bridge pup volume to say 8 on a scale of 1 being off and 10 being full up volume. And then roll the tone back a little to tweak it. If you start with your bass plugged into an amp and both pups full up and hit an open E, then roll the bridge pup volume back, you'll hear the effect I'm talking about as you turn it down. It will be very prominent. That's pretty much how I have my Jazz bass set all the time. I do not like that out of phase sound with both pups up full volume. It really works... The only issue with the bass after that will be the possibility of 60 cycle hum if you have stock single coil pups because rolling the bridge pup volume back takes the bass out of humbucking mode. But I use DiMarzio's in my Jazz bass and the are already a humbucking pup so it's not an issue for me.
Also note that the hum won't occur all the time with the single coil pups. Just certain rooms.

 

neck pickup only is about as close as it can get. IMO, both pickups in series has phase cancellations (from two pickups picking up a single source) that p basses have NONE of.

 

IMHO the neck pickup gets you close but, its not as round sounding as a P pickup

 

+1

 

Fair enough. My jazz has a series/parallel switch and in series it sounds closer to my Pbass than does the J neck soloed - much closer. Just my experience with it.

 

What your saying makes total sense. There would be no other wiring option for a jazz bass that would approximate a P closer than a series configuration.

 

+1 Good advice here that you can follow before you decide whether or not you want to install a series/parallel option.

Full bore those Jazz pickups get very boxy and mid rangy. I roll both back but the bridge more than the neck. Maybe 80% on the neck 70% on the bridge. Depending on amp stetting an room you may need to tweak it a little bit more to get the right balance. Then roll down you tone. How much depends on your amp and settings but it's likely that it will be nearly all the way.

You're never gonna get all the way there because two spread single coil pickups just won't sound the same as a split coil mounted in the sweet spot anymore than a Strat sounds like a Tele. You can simulate the tonality but not that same punchy thump you get from a PBass. The pickup location has a lot to do with that. It's in the "sweetspot".

 

I'm a bit intrigued when people talk about backing off the meal pickup a bit.

This is not an active mixer, but a simple passive blend.
In the Jazz basses I have had, backing off one volume very rapidly turns it off if the other is on. In fact, that's how I quickly select pickups on a Jazz. I start with both volumes fully on, and I just turn down *a little bit* the one I don't want.
I see many people doing that.
So choosing a blend like 80% bridge sounds to me just like the neck alone, because if full it becomes the path of least resistance and it takes over.

But regarding the original question... yup, neck pickup alone (by whichever method ;-)) and backing off tone a bit is a decent approximation.
Both pickups on, in series, is another sound that is a bit P-like. I installed a switch to do that in a Jazz and it was a great sound to have. Punchy. But I still think meal alone is a better approximation.

 

This^
Think it also has a lot to do with the inherent resonance and width of the pup aperature.
Better with a hotter J neck pup like a Dimarzio IME

A P is much less sensitive to inconsistent RH technique; glad I had one last night as my medium lame playing would have really sucked. Should have known as rehearsal on Wednesday was brilliant

 

Neck pickup soloed, tone rolled back a little.

 

yup.

 

I'm a lifelong P player, but just picked up a Squier Jazz 5 'cause it was cheap and capable. However I miss the P sound (can't afford a Nordy VP or even a FAS Precision V) and the J circuitry is kinda buzzy.

I ended up looking at the Bart 57CBJD1 and Nordstrand NJ5FS pickup sets. Unlike stacked or parallel humbuckers, these are internally split side by side like a P.

Anyone have playing experience with this scheme? Does it emulate the P sound credibly?

Being split 3/2 so that coil dimensions are different, is there more buzz than the standard P?