P or PJ?

[edencab]

I have 2 passive "P" basses... a Precision by Fender and a Precision/Jazz by Squier. For me... the nice thing about the Jazz pickup is that I can add it to the tone as much or as little I want. Some gigs when I take the Squier I turn down the Jazz pickup altogether on some songs ..but on other songs I turn it up 1/2 way or a little less just to add a bit of clarity....

that is a good looking bass drool

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Has anyone suggested one of each? Seems to me the perfect solution.

 

[cnltb]

I'd go P.
I also had the chance to try a new model from Elrick which is PJ.
That one's the first PJ I'd consider.
I really liked that bass!

 

[bassliner50]

P Bass all the way. In my experience with PJ'S the pickups never balanced out, the jazz pickup would overpower the neck pickup if both were pegged out, I would have to volume down on the P pickup to get its full capacity..

I find the introduction of the J pickup in a PJ, allows hum and noise in your signal. Also I would get my most satisfying tone with the J dialed off anyway. For this reason.... I'm out.

 

[Mata Leao]

PJs are cool! You can get a lot of different sounds with that two pickups!
(when you know how to use them)



Wise(b)ass

I don't know how to use them well. What advice do you have other than experimenting?

 

[MCS4]

An underrated aspect of this is the impact of the pickup arrangement on your plucking hand position, IMO. I put together a parts P bass last year after 15+ years of exclusively playing two pickup basses, and I found that I was playing the P less than I otherwise would because I have developed various plucking hand positions and techniques based upon the location of the two pickups in a jazz-style bass, with my most common involving resting my plucking hand thumb just inside the rear pickup (which does not exist on a P). I then installed a "dummy" j pickup solely for purposes of hand position, by simply screwing an empty jazz pickup cover onto the body in the correct position (I had to shave down the height of the pickup cover so it would give adequate clearance for the strings given that it is resting on top of the body rather than being sunk into a pickup route). I'm now much more comfortable playing the P given that I can use the rear pickup position with my standard plucking techniques in addition to more typical P positions based upon the P pickup.

 

[JRA]

most of my experience is with PJ's so it's easy for me to suggest that configuration. PJ's are obviously more versatile in the "tone palette" universe. but if you can't count beyond the number "2" (knobs), a P should work just fine.

 

[Wisebass]

other than experimenting?

More experimenting!

Using two pups is always try and error! Don 't forget to use the tone pot too!

Wise(b)ass

 

[Droopy_TX]

I find the introduction of the J pickup in a PJ, allows hum and noise in your signal. Also I would get my most satisfying tone with the J dialed off anyway. For this reason.... I'm out.

I think the hum/noise depends on the specific bass. Not the model, but rather how well that particular bass was shielded and grounded. My the J pup on my Squier Jaguar PJ is absolutely quiet, but I know some other basses (even Fender makes) do hum.

I too, though, find that I either play all P or all J pup. Mixing them seems to me to weaken the fundamental tone.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

A PJ wired in series is a force to be reckoned with...

 

[gregmon79]

I have P and a PJ. I play my PJ all the time and barely touch my P anymore. I still really like my P and will always have it. But the PJ gives me the P tone when I want it and a tone very similar to a J tone when I want. So it’s like having 2 basses in one. I know some will argue this but I always felt why not take a bass that can do 2 sounds over the one that can only do the one sound. Even if that sound is magnificent The PJ can make that sound as well as the other. I’m not here to argue sonic differences of a real “P” or “J” bass to a PJ. To me they are close enough if not identical. If I were to spend serious money on any Fender right now, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a newer Elite PJ. Those basses are simply amazing to me.

 

[soulstew]

TL/DR: Both are great, but PJ is more useful on the bandstand.

I have both, and love 'em both. But I'm more pragmatist than purist, and it's a pain and a delay to be changing basses while dancers are standing waiting for the next song. With the PJ you can go straight P all night if you like, but you can also make easy, quick adjustments on the bandstand and even mid-song when needed. In some venues, it's the bridge J pickup that rescues my tone from the mud.

With the PJ you can quickly and easily roll in some bridge to cut through and lend pitch definition in a muddy/boomy room, or tighten up/define the individual notes of staccato funk or 16th-note boogie patterns that turn to mud in some rooms (Just ask Rocco--he uses the J bridge for what he calls "seasoning") Go all the way to the bridge for a Jaco-like tone for soloing if you like, though I don't solo.

When you want a P, turn off the bridge pup. There's no reason you should get added hum if the bridge PU is off, and no way for the J to "taint" or "spoil" the purity of the P when it's off (I know, electronically it's not quite exactly the same, but my PJs sound every bit as P-like as my straight P, and I doubt anyone could pick out the PJ in a blind test.)

I haven't had any issues with fiddly-ness, but straight P is always my starting point. I dial the J in when needed and back out when not.

Don't know why you wouldn't be able to get a "good sound" out of a PJ, (assuming you consider a straight P a good sound) or be stuck with added noise, as you can aways turn off the bridge pup and make it sound like a straight P, and the majority of PJs have a noiseless J in the bridge anyway.

If you want an excuse to bring an extra bass to a gig, then by all means get one of each, but switching basses mid-set is the kind of fiddling I'd rather avoid if possible, and that's why I've always liked a pj (or, these days, a 3X pickup setup with ser/par switching which gives you PJ+ JJ + MM).

 

[Corevalay]

I'm a big PJ advocate. Every bass I own now has a PJ configuration. To me, it just gives a perfect tone. You get the meat of the P pickup, but then some growl with the J. I absolutely love it. Plus, you can completely roll off the J if you want, and there's your P-Bass. It's purely your taste of course.

 

[madbass6]

i’ve been playing active basses predominately for 40 years (RD Artist to Peavey TL-5 to Alembic Rogue), but I have an urge for a passive bass. Leaning toward a P bass, but wondering about the benefit a PJ would offer (and I don’t really want to buy and return). Just playing in church now, can’t find the time or energy for playing like I used to. What say you, Talkbass? Is and added J worth my $200?

Two totally different animals!
Knowing the type of music you're into will help!

 

[birminghambass]

PJ

 

[fhm555]

A good throaty humbucker in the neck position of a jazz bass comes very close to a P sound. Add a second humbucker in the bridge spot and then play with switching/wiring combinations for a while. I’m pretty sure you’ll find something to blow your dress up.

 

[nonohmic]

PJ with a switch instead of a blend or vol/vol.

I don't know why there aren't more of these. Seems obvious. Especially if you want to switch tones on the fly, like bring in the j for a solo or something.

 

[Skybone]

If it were my money, between a P or a P/J, I'd have to go for a P/J, just for that touch of "flavour".

 

[Being and Bass]

I had an LTD P-bass for a while. It did it's job but I always wished for the versatility of a PJ (and still do on my current dual-soapbar bass). Unless I am missing something I see the PJ as simply an instrument with greater possibilities.

And, remember, with the turn of a knob a PJ bass becomes a P bass pretty fast, so two birds with one bass and all that.

 

[Mdrummey]

I like the idea of a PJ. Especially when played by Kai Eckhardt. I’m not really big into slap bass but I just love how he does it

Also, that other pickup won’t get mad if you don’t use it!