P/J pickup set recommendations

[Bortron]

I just bought a 2000 Squier Standard P-Bass 5-String Special (quite a mouthful), because I had an identical one many years ago that I traded in and had regrets about it. Managing to find one in purple sparkle has taken 17 years!

Despite being a P-Bass in shape and neck, it actually has two Jazz soapbar pickups (both measuring 92mm x 20mm). The neck one is alright, but the bridge one is pretty poor, so I feel like getting both replaced. And as I don't have anything with P pickups in my arsenal, I'm thinking of converting it to P/J, with a fairly traditional Fender sound for both pickups - I play alt-rock and indie stuff mostly.

So far I've identified the Nordstrand NPJ5 set as a good fit sound-wise, but they'd cost nearly as much as the bass did itself. EMG do a set which also comes with new pots and wiring, but they're active, so I'd also need to get a battery slot installed somehow (on top of the obvious new pickguard, and probably routing).

Does anyone have any other recommendations? It's also hard to find pole piece spacing details online, so if anyone has that info for their recommendations (that aren't soapbars) that would be very helpful!

Here's a picture of what I'm now calling The Vimto Beast:

 

[Derek Kay]

Have you tried altering the Jazz 'scoop' of your bass?

Typically, lower the neck PU under the lower strings, and raising the bridge PU under the lower strings (or lowering it under the higher strings).

The two PUs, some distance apart, will cancel and/or reinforce the combined output at different areas across the spectrum.
The difference in the tilts of the PUs shapes the scoop,
The difference in the heights of the PUs moves the scoop higher or lower.
Similar to a parametric EQ.

It can be a lot id experimentation but you will eventually find one agreeable sound.
I prefer P/J as it gives me the reliable grunt of a Pbass with the option to add the warm growl of a Jbass. Needs a humbucking J PU.
No scoop though, which confuses some.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Nice Squier Standard!

Big picture; I have a two-fold answer..."Don't be afraid to mod it!" and "Don't rush into modding it!". To elaborate...

"Don't be afraid to mod it!": If it feels and looks good, who cares how inexpensive it was? You could probably find basses that cost a whole, extra digit that don't feel as good as a cost-effective bass, so any modding costs are balanced out by how little you spent on the instrument. In other words, as long as you don't go total-cuckoo-pants on it, the savings are already baked in.

"Don't rush into modding it!": Be sure to think your decision through very, very well. Just because you can do a thing, it doesn't mean you should do a thing. In the case of this Squier Standard, I would ask myself, "Do I really need it to be a P/J or am I just in love with the P/J concept?" If you can get the results you need with a pair of thick-sounding, humbucking Jazz pickups, save some bucks and go with that. I'm not saying don't do it, since that would contradict my first notion, but make sure there are no other options that will get you there without big, possibly costly changes.

That being said, if you really, really want a P/J, then don't let me stop you! Just think it through before moving on something!

Now, on to a more radical suggestion; Soapbars!

While exploring different types, styles and capabilities of various pickups, I learned something interesting...you can get almost any configuration with BC-sized pickups. Single-coil, dual-coil, Precision-style split-coils, with or without pole-pieces, blades...just about anything, except MusicMan-style humbuckers. (Someone needs to get on that...right flippin' now!) That's why I took a pretty-but-inexpensive Jazz body, got it some extra routing and my first set of LeCompte Triple Threat staggered split-coils. Once I get them wired up to a nifty little control suite, I'll find out just how "Precision-like" they are.

 

[Bortron]

Nice Squier Standard!

Big picture; I have a two-fold answer..."Don't be afraid to mod it!" and "Don't rush into modding it!". To elaborate...

"Don't be afraid to mod it!": If it feels and looks good, who cares how inexpensive it was? You could probably find basses that cost a whole, extra digit that don't feel as good as a cost-effective bass, so any modding costs are balanced out by how little you spent on the instrument. In other words, as long as you don't go total-cuckoo-pants on it, the savings are already baked in.

"Don't rush into modding it!": Be sure to think your decision through very, very well. Just because you can do a thing, it doesn't mean you should do a thing. In the case of this Squier Standard, I would ask myself, "Do I really need it to be a P/J or am I just in love with the P/J concept?" If you can get the results you need with a pair of thick-sounding, humbucking Jazz pickups, save some bucks and go with that. I'm not saying don't do it, since that would contradict my first notion, but make sure there are no other options that will get you there without big, possibly costly changes.

That being said, if you really, really want a P/J, then don't let me stop you! Just think it through before moving on something!

Now, on to a more radical suggestion; Soapbars!

While exploring different types, styles and capabilities of various pickups, I learned something interesting...you can get almost any configuration with BC-sized pickups. Single-coil, dual-coil, Precision-style split-coils, with or without pole-pieces, blades...just about anything, except MusicMan-style humbuckers. (Someone needs to get on that...right flippin' now!) That's why I took a pretty-but-inexpensive Jazz body, got it some extra routing and my first set of LeCompte Triple Threat staggered split-coils. Once I get them wired up to a nifty little control suite, I'll find out just how "Precision-like" they are.

Thanks for the advice! I was thinking P/J just for the P tone, but a good J pickup at the neck would work too if it can get some P-like tones.

One problem I'm having is the string width, and finding pickups that will accommodate it properly - at the neck pickup, the strings are 2.875" (73mm) wide, and that rises to 3" (76mm) at the bridge pickup. Pretty much all the 5-string J pickups I'm looking at aren't recommended/set up for strings that far apart. Which might be why the sound on the top and bottom strings isn't amazing on either pickup, but particularly the bridge - the G is really quiet.

So if you or anyone else know of any pickups wide enough for that, that would also be a help!

 

[Malak the Mad]

Thanks for the advice! I was thinking P/J just for the P tone, but a good J pickup at the neck would work too if it can get some P-like tones.

One problem I'm having is the string width, and finding pickups that will accommodate it properly - at the neck pickup, the strings are 2.875" (73mm) wide, and that rises to 3" (76mm) at the bridge pickup. Pretty much all the 5-string J pickups I'm looking at aren't recommended/set up for strings that far apart. Which might be why the sound on the top and bottom strings isn't amazing on either pickup, but particularly the bridge - the G is really quiet.

So if you or anyone else know of any pickups wide enough for that, that would also be a help!

How wide are the pickups themselves?

I'm looking at the styles and dimensions of different Bartolini Jazz pickups and I can't help but wonder if their bar-shaped magnets (I have no idea what their proper, technical name is, let alone the science) would give you the even coverage you're looking for, rather than the smaller, pole-piece-style pickup. And this may be just my opinion, but their "Classic Bass" pickups sound thicker and possibly closer to what you're talking about. I've used the regular "Classic" pups and the "Classic Bright" ones and, personally, I prefer the former.

• 5-String Standard J-Bass® Shapes - Bartolini Pickups & Electronics

 

[BobKos]

The Nordstrand blade pickups might solve your pole alignment issue for a drop-in solution. They are also available in PJ config. Worth a look. In all honesty, I don't know tha tthere is THAT much difference between a good P-bass pickup and a good split Jazz pickup in the same location. I agree with Malak the Mad's post that if you are going to route put a set of BC size soapbars in. The Nordstrand Big Splits are my favorite pickup ever.

 

[Mastiff_5]

Epic Custom Shop outside Detroit. They make awesome pickups. I can attest.

 

[Bortron]

How wide are the pickups themselves?

I'm looking at the styles and dimensions of different Bartolini Jazz pickups and I can't help but wonder if their bar-shaped magnets (I have no idea what their proper, technical name is, let alone the science) would give you the even coverage you're looking for, rather than the smaller, pole-piece-style pickup. And this may be just my opinion, but their "Classic Bass" pickups sound thicker and possibly closer to what you're talking about. I've used the regular "Classic" pups and the "Classic Bright" ones and, personally, I prefer the former.

• 5-String Standard J-Bass® Shapes - Bartolini Pickups & Electronics

The pickups themselves are both 3-5/8" (92mm) long, which I believe is the original Fender J neck length. Looking at EMG J pickups of the same length, the sensing width is only 2-3/4", and for Bartolini of the same length it's 2.95" - so just short of the 3" spacing at my current bridge pickup.

Sometimes it's hard to find details on the actual sensing width of pickups online, so it might be a case of just contacting manufacturers to find out, and probably buying longer pickups and having to do the necessary body mods (or rather, getting someone who can be trusted with tools to do it for me).

 

[Killing Floor]

Fralin +5

 

[Malak the Mad]

The pickups themselves are both 3-5/8" (92mm) long, which I believe is the original Fender J neck length. Looking at EMG J pickups of the same length, the sensing width is only 2-3/4", and for Bartolini of the same length it's 2.95" - so just short of the 3" spacing at my current bridge pickup.

Sometimes it's hard to find details on the actual sensing width of pickups online, so it might be a case of just contacting manufacturers to find out, and probably buying longer pickups and having to do the necessary body mods (or rather, getting someone who can be trusted with tools to do it for me).

You might have to do a bit of routing. Not much, just a haircut, much like I had to do to a four-banger Squier Standard Jazz. It, too, had identical, neck-sized pickups.

After that, it could take any normal Jazz pup set.

 

[byacey]

I just bought a 2000 Squier Standard P-Bass 5-String Special (quite a mouthful), because I had an identical one many years ago that I traded in and had regrets about it. Managing to find one in purple sparkle has taken 17 years!

Despite being a P-Bass in shape and neck, it actually has two Jazz soapbar pickups (both measuring 92mm x 20mm). The neck one is alright, but the bridge one is pretty poor, so I feel like getting both replaced. And as I don't have anything with P pickups in my arsenal, I'm thinking of converting it to P/J, with a fairly traditional Fender sound for both pickups - I play alt-rock and indie stuff mostly.

So far I've identified the Nordstrand NPJ5 set as a good fit sound-wise, but they'd cost nearly as much as the bass did itself. EMG do a set which also comes with new pots and wiring, but they're active, so I'd also need to get a battery slot installed somehow (on top of the obvious new pickguard, and probably routing).

Does anyone have any other recommendations? It's also hard to find pole piece spacing details online, so if anyone has that info for their recommendations (that aren't soapbars) that would be very helpful!

Here's a picture of what I'm now calling The Vimto Beast:

View attachment 7007103

I can't recommend Wilde pickups enough. I would encourage you to look into these.

 

[Bortron]

You might have to do a bit of routing. Not much, just a haircut, much like I had to do to a four-banger Squier Standard Jazz. It, too, had identical, neck-sized pickups.

After that, it could take any normal Jazz pup set.

I think routing is an inevitability! I've decided to go the PJ route, just because I would like a P tone available to me, and if I'm doing routing anyway I might as well go for it.

I've got in touch with Nordstrand and given them the string spacings, and they're currently scratching their heads as to which pickups might work best for my string spacings (which were a bit off when I first measured - 18.5mm at the bridge pickup, 18mm at the neck pickup).

 

[Bortron]

I've now decided on Nordstrand P/J pickups for this job, and their contact is recommending I go with a hum-cancelling J pickup rather than a single coil one, most likely because it's about $50 more.

In a P/J config, will there likely be much hum from the J pickup? I've never noticed any on my J bass, but obviously that has two J pickups so it's a different config. I know on non-bass guitars I've never been bothered by noise from single coil pickups, but how bad might it be here?

 

[Malak the Mad]

I've now decided on Nordstrand P/J pickups for this job, and their contact is recommending I go with a hum-cancelling J pickup rather than a single coil one, most likely because it's about $50 more.

In a P/J config, will there likely be much hum from the J pickup? I've never noticed any on my J bass, but obviously that has two J pickups so it's a different config. I know on non-bass guitars I've never been bothered by noise from single coil pickups, but how bad might it be here?

Back in May, I saw a real-life example of why you should get a hum-cancelling bridge pickup. A friend who plays bass in an Eastern Tennessee classic hard rock/'80s metal band showed me a Mod Shop P/J Precision she'd acquired a year-and-a-half ago. She mentioned was getting some odd hum from it, so I put it through some "process of elimination" paces. Sure enough, the single-coil pickup was where the hum was coming from. What the actual source was, 60-cycle hum or stray RF from something in the house, was a mystery to me. Whatever it was, it was a practical illustration of how having some kind of hum-cancelling bridge pickup is a very good idea.

 

[Bortron]

I decided to go with the hum-cancelling J pickup in the end. I had a gig a couple of weeks ago, and when I used my Squier Jazz '54 on one song, I noticed hum for the first time ever, and that's with the two J pickups having some hum-cancelling effect from the switched polarity. So that persuaded me to spend the extra on the hum-cancelling J at the bridge.

I've ordered them now, along with new stacked pots. So then it'll be a matter of my very helpful bandmate doing some routing and wiring it up, then I can order a new pickguard and it'll be job done! Thanks for all your help!