I have 2 P's and 4 J's. Maybe I could've saved by getting a P/J haha
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
P or PJ?
- Thread starter wideload
- Start date
As a guitarist, who loves pick-up options I always seem drawn to anything with an extra pick-up, or different from the "norm". This is why when I decided to add a bass to my arsenal I purchased a P Special. P body, J neck, and P/J pick-up combo. Having the extra pick-up was fun to play with, but I found that the straight P sound was what I wanted, so the J p/u was there for show.
Since you already have a selection of active basses, which allow you to dial in about any sound you want, I would just get a straight Precision for your passive bass. Use the extra $200 towards a higher end model.
Since you already have a selection of active basses, which allow you to dial in about any sound you want, I would just get a straight Precision for your passive bass. Use the extra $200 towards a higher end model.
I've only had two P/Js - one was reverse P and I really liked it but it had the J backed off of the bridge a little more. It may not sound like a classic P to many, but with some EQ and in the mix of the band, I could get a sound I was quite happy with. YMMV
Honestly friend your going to have to play and decide for yourself. Also may help if you tell us what basses specifically you are looking at? My PJ nails P tones but is the furthest thing from a p while still being considered in the p family. Really to pull the j pick up out is one extra nob. I love playing true p’s at the store and even kinda want an American standard mostly just for the neck and how the neck makes me play differently. I play a pj because it’s way more diverse. That j pickup is more of a flavor added to your meal of the p pick up. You can come close but there aren’t a ton of J bass tones you can get out of it. Test the basses out and don’t let us pull you one way or another. Trust me. Buying a bass than wondering about the other one is a head ache.
I always was a P-Bass purist until I bought the limited edition American Standard PJ "Magnificent Seven" model a few years ago. I still favor my '79 P with flats for gigs, but I sometimes take the PJ.
I agree with TBers who say a PJ is really a P-Bass with the possibility of adding some J, rather than vice versa. That extra J-Bass kick just works on some songs. I still love straight Ps, though, and own several.
I agree with TBers who say a PJ is really a P-Bass with the possibility of adding some J, rather than vice versa. That extra J-Bass kick just works on some songs. I still love straight Ps, though, and own several.
I love my PJ! But I almost always have the P at 100% and the J close to 0......
I like the PJ better than straight P. I like having options and there are certain effects I use that work better with the J pickup
I've thought about a PJ a few times, but most of the times that I've played a J, I've favoured the neck pickup and wished it were a P pickup, so I don't think I would personally gain much from the bridge J pickup on a PJ.
I've yet to find a P pickup by itself lacking anything in terms of versatility. It won't do other pickup sounds, but they also won't do a P sound, yet the P will fit any style of music except maybe Reggae/Dub - and even then you can make it fit with the right EQ.
So you're currently rocking an Alembic and looking for a P or P/J? You might find it strange to go "backwards" on that tone scale.
I have a P (built it myself out of Fender parts/Warmoth Neck/Lollar pickup) and I had a Fender Deluxe active P (with a J pickup and active/passive switch). I play primarily in a rock band and the P/J, for lack of a better term, had a tendency to eat up the frequency of the lead guitar player when the J pickup was rolled on. The similar tones would create a really undesirable "washy" sound, so I've gone back to the straight P to sit nicely in the mix.
I really WANTED to love the P/J. It just didn't do what I needed it to do and what ended up happening is the P slotted back so much more easily into the mix.
Is there a way you could borrow a P or a P/J to try out in your setting? I'd offer my P for a session if you lived anywhere close! Ultimately, you're going to have to try it our in-situ to really know what you're going to need. Otherwise you're dropping a pile of cash for something you'll need to offload later.
(I'm finally learning these lessons in my early 40's!)
I have a P (built it myself out of Fender parts/Warmoth Neck/Lollar pickup) and I had a Fender Deluxe active P (with a J pickup and active/passive switch). I play primarily in a rock band and the P/J, for lack of a better term, had a tendency to eat up the frequency of the lead guitar player when the J pickup was rolled on. The similar tones would create a really undesirable "washy" sound, so I've gone back to the straight P to sit nicely in the mix.
I really WANTED to love the P/J. It just didn't do what I needed it to do and what ended up happening is the P slotted back so much more easily into the mix.
Is there a way you could borrow a P or a P/J to try out in your setting? I'd offer my P for a session if you lived anywhere close! Ultimately, you're going to have to try it our in-situ to really know what you're going to need. Otherwise you're dropping a pile of cash for something you'll need to offload later.
(I'm finally learning these lessons in my early 40's!)
I recently added a jazz pickup to my pbass (in between the 60s and 70s position). 1 volume, 1 3 way switch, and it sounds amazing.
I've added a jazz pup to my 73 P back in 1978 and never looked back. I love ALL 3 possible combos. And yes, the original split pup produces the quintessential P sound that sound engineers want. Soloing the J pup gives me a unique Jazz tone which I find irresistible. Using both simultaneously produces a sound that blends perfectly in any mix. If I use a pick, it's the perfect 60s Jazz Bass sound too. Go for it.
