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PJ Bass with vol/tone vol/tone

Discussion in 'Basses [BG]' started by mark Holiday, Mar 11, 2019.

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  1. Mar 11, 2019 #1
    mark Holiday

    mark Holiday

    Sep 15, 2018
    I've got a P bass that I pulled the frets out of and added a J pickup in the bridge position. Both pups are Fender American standard. I'm looking to wire it with separate volume and tone for each pickup. The standard way allows the pickups to interact. I really don't want that. I'm even open to putting two jacks on the thing if I have to. I'm planning on moving the out jack to the edge anyway, what's one more hole? I'm looking for advice and wiring diagrams.
     
  2. Mar 11, 2019 #2
    Mushroo

    Mushroo Guest

    Apr 2, 2007
    Hi Mark,

    I have two PJ basses. One is wired Vol/Blend/Tone and the other is stack-knob Vol/Tone, Vol/Tone. Both basses are passive. Honestly, if I could do it all over again, I think I'd prefer Vol/Vol/Tone (like my non-stack-knob Jazz Bass). I personally think Vol/Vol/Tone is the optimum control arrangement for a two-pickup, passive bass. (I don't seem much, if any, benefit to the second tone control.)

    I'm confused by your statement about the pickups "interacting." That is pretty much the reason why people play instruments with two (or more) pickups: The pickups interact, certain frequencies are phase-canceled, and you end up with a unique sound that you couldn't possibly achieve with a single pickup.

    Probably what you are looking for is an active preamp on board the bass. This will buffer each pickup separately, for a minimum of "interaction."

    Happy to answer any specific questions you might have, that are relevant to my experiences as a PJ bass owner.
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2019
  3. Mar 11, 2019 #3
    Rib 13

    Rib 13 Supporting Member

    Jun 20, 2006
    Home
    theres a lot of G&L SB2 owners that make that mod
     
  4. Mar 11, 2019 #4
    bobyoung53

    bobyoung53 Supporting Member

    Aug 29, 2004
    Pueblo Libre, Lima, Perú
    I have two Fender P/J basses, each wired VVT, one (Tony Franklin fretless) has a three way switch on it. The TF fretless came with just V/T which I disliked so I had another volume added and the jack put on the side. There is some interaction with two pickup basses but not really all that much. The switch on the TF bass isolates the two pickups (I believe) at least with each one soloed and there is not that big of a difference between that one and my other one (American Vintage Hot Rod Precision). I also have a few basses VVTT but feel it's just an extra knob and wish they only had one tone.