I am considering buying a washburn t14 PJ bass. Anyone have any advice on Pj bases .
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PJ bass yes or no?
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if you want a P bass sound with some J scoop and bite then go for it. not sure what advice you are looking for.
The PJ can be a great versatile instrument. Id probably pass on Washburn .
Not sure what your budget is but Yamaha and Ibanez make good PJ basses at every price level.
The Fender Duff Mc Kagan & Boxer basses as well as the Elite Precision are nice.
Spectors are nice too!!
The best PJ basses I like are the Yamaha BB3000, BB2000, Sadowsky Verdine White , and Musicman Caprice .
Not sure what your budget is but Yamaha and Ibanez make good PJ basses at every price level.
The Fender Duff Mc Kagan & Boxer basses as well as the Elite Precision are nice.
Spectors are nice too!!
The best PJ basses I like are the Yamaha BB3000, BB2000, Sadowsky Verdine White , and Musicman Caprice .
i can't help with specific info/opinions re: that particular washburn instrument, but: PJ axes are versatile...and fun! good choice!
PJ is sweet versatile pickup layout. I'd say go for it.
Basically, you have 3 different kinds of sound.
1. P-pickup alone: classic P-bass tone.
2. Both pickups at full: modern mid-scooped tone, great for rock/metal and slap.
3. J-pickup alone: burpy Jaco bridge tone. Not very usable in band context (IMO) but can work in solo setting (especially when using harmonics).
Bonus: instead of "both pickups at full" it's worth trying nearby options:
- P-pickup at 100%, J-pickup at 80-90%
- P-pickup at 80-90%, J-pickup at 100%.
Those options reduce the mid-scoop while maintaining overall tone and shifting the character towards one of the pickups.
6 of my basses are PJ's, if not always in Fender form, though most are.
Getting it very cheap €80 and it's in great condition so don't think I can go to far wrong. Small budget so limited on choice.
PJ basses have a distinct sound. They aren't "the best of both worlds" between a P and a J. They are their own thing.
If you solo the P pickup on a PJ, you get a P bass. As long as the P pickup is placed where it would be on a regular P. There's an academic [only] debate around here as to whether the presence of the J pickup prevents the P from sounding totally purely like a P bass. Possibly the magnetic interference of the J pickup is an issue with the vibration of the strings. Possibly the complexity of the wiring is an issue. Possibly the brain of the player is.
The answer is unknowable, but the data presents strongly to the conclusion that only expensive audio measurement instruments or Talkbass P bass snobs could tell the difference.
With both pickups wide open, PJs have a cool "ping" in the high end of the tone that I can't hear in any other pickup configuration.
They became popular in the 80s when bass players began adding J routs to their P basses to tighten up the low end a little. In my opinion, that happened around the time Yamaha was coming on heavy with the BB series, and I hear hear the BB PJ tone as the quintessential PJ tone. My opinion only.
If you solo the P pickup on a PJ, you get a P bass. As long as the P pickup is placed where it would be on a regular P. There's an academic [only] debate around here as to whether the presence of the J pickup prevents the P from sounding totally purely like a P bass. Possibly the magnetic interference of the J pickup is an issue with the vibration of the strings. Possibly the complexity of the wiring is an issue. Possibly the brain of the player is.
The answer is unknowable, but the data presents strongly to the conclusion that only expensive audio measurement instruments or Talkbass P bass snobs could tell the difference.
With both pickups wide open, PJs have a cool "ping" in the high end of the tone that I can't hear in any other pickup configuration.
They became popular in the 80s when bass players began adding J routs to their P basses to tighten up the low end a little. In my opinion, that happened around the time Yamaha was coming on heavy with the BB series, and I hear hear the BB PJ tone as the quintessential PJ tone. My opinion only.
Spector would be the only PJ bass that would really interest me. However, I did play a Yamaha PJ today (not for the first time either) that never ceases to impress. This comes from a guy who would much prefer a MM/P over a PJ.
I hope you find one you like. I am a bassist who does not seem to quite understand the appeal.
I like them. Some people don’t. You might.
JeezyMcNuggles
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- Feb 23, 2018
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They rock
It's a P bass. They rock. Difference is, you can scoop the mids at will by diming the bridge single. Like a jazz bass.
D
PJ
If there are separate volume pots for each pickup
P@10
J@5
blend control
75%P
25%J
usually anyway
If there are separate volume pots for each pickup
P@10
J@5
blend control
75%P
25%J
usually anyway
This is either a very cerebral response or being funny. If cerebral, I could see this as hinting that a PJ is always a good choice, so only the color is worth debating. If being funny, well it's still funny.
