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.
PJ Basses
- Thread starter conttador
- Start date
Never had a PJ but I do have a double P.
- Jul 7, 2010
- 3,383
- 2,311
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist for: Duncan Pickups; Line6, Hipshot, GHS Strings, Somnium Guitars
Just an informative position here.
I built my PJ and loved it. Had many compliments about its tone.
I used a Alder body 3 way switch, volume and tone controls,CTS 250K pots and 47 orange cap, Jazz maple neck. (This info was just for reference)
I had an opportunity to try many different pickups and what sounded great to me was a SPB-1 in the neck and STK-2JB in the bridge.
What I liked so much about the pickups were the fact that if I wanted to use different techniques in playing, it always had a good tone.
Just my 1-1/2 cent.
I built my PJ and loved it. Had many compliments about its tone.
I used a Alder body 3 way switch, volume and tone controls,CTS 250K pots and 47 orange cap, Jazz maple neck. (This info was just for reference)
I had an opportunity to try many different pickups and what sounded great to me was a SPB-1 in the neck and STK-2JB in the bridge.
What I liked so much about the pickups were the fact that if I wanted to use different techniques in playing, it always had a good tone.
Just my 1-1/2 cent.
I was thinking more about ergonomics, but if a J-body isn’t a deal breaker…
…then if you’re willing to, you could jave one of your Jazzes modified into a P/J with a little routing. I did exactly that to a Mighty Mite body using a Reggie Hamilton Jazz pickguard as a template.
I have this for sale on here. Not your average p copy. Ibanez 1984 RB630. Looks cool and plays great. Great tone. Just needs a J pup added. Not a pj but great price.
Silly question, is a reverse P setup the same pickup just mounted differently?
When shopping for replacements, the pickups are the same?
When shopping for replacements, the pickups are the same?
Same pup. Just mounted different. I use that config in some of my builds.
This is interesting. I don’t think I have anything w H-buckers so I could consider a ph. I have a few jazz/jazz variants.
USACG neck
Warmoth body
Nordstrand (modern) or Lindy Fralin (vintage) pickup
Fin
Warmoth body
Nordstrand (modern) or Lindy Fralin (vintage) pickup
Fin
I may swap electronics, bridges etc but I don’t think I could make structural modifications to the body.
I agree wholeheartedly. Not only can you get exactly what you're looking for, but usually for considerably less than a custom. I put this one together for just south of $600. Custom hand wound pickups and a Noll pre amp. 32" scale. All the appointment I was looking for. Sounds and plays great. Weighs in at a smidge over 8 lbs.
I own a Fender American Performer PJ and I love it (I use the P pickup only 99% of time).
I used to own a German Warwick Streamer and a Euro Spector, both of which were the best sounding PJs I ever played. They offered an infinite amount of tonal variations. I stupidly sold them to buy synths :-(
I used to own a German Warwick Streamer and a Euro Spector, both of which were the best sounding PJs I ever played. They offered an infinite amount of tonal variations. I stupidly sold them to buy synths :-(
I was blessed for many years to have a prime and rather storied P-Bass as my very own for a while, The Unknown Blonde. Sadly she became rather unplayable and has since been retired into the Luxury of the Hard Rock collection for a nice payday to me. I made a wish list of a PJ bass that I never expected to find but as luck would have it providence shined again. Peavey somehow took my list and built the Dyna B/ass Unity Series LTD. Neck thru, 21 frets, ebony fingerboard and the J in the sweet spot. The bass was only made for a couple of years and the one I found had already had the stock pickups replaced with my favorite Seymour Duncan Hot Vintage P and Jazz Stack V and the Dyna circuit was boogered so it was at a reduced price that I couldn't pass up. Sweet. After a long shipping delay [thanks mr dejoy] the bass arrived needing a major overhaul. The 30 year old gold hardware was rough at best and there was a totally fubar d-tuner that even Hipshot was at a loss over. So that decided me to go with all Black hardware. I also wired the bass passive as the Dyna board was beyond salvaging and decided to use a 3 way switch and have a volume and tone for each pickup. I think the results were worth the effort.
Before photos
Before photos
I recently picked an old Ibanez EXB504 with a reverse P. I’m looking forward to recording with it.I have four PJ basses but two are Reverse PJ.......P and Reverse P are subtleties, and just A/B-ing by themselves I don't hear much..Where I notice the difference is either in the context of the band or on a recording: The Reverse P seems to have more of an even tone color distribution and has a slightly more aggressive quality that I prefer......This is my 1989 MIJ Fender Power Jazz Bass Special and its one of my current favorite instruments and it has the Reverse P
After I got this with the noisless J pup I've been on p/js non stop.
When I had a PJ (Yamaha) I probably played the P 80% time, J 10%, both 10%. For reference, when I l played a J it was about 60% neck, 30% both, 10% bridge. I had to admit to myself that I’m just a P bass guy.
A simple p bass (not PJ) is a great choice if you have J basses already. To many of us, the simplicity of a one pickup bass is “magical”, you play it differently…
another thing on a PJ you have to consider is whether you want a single coil J or some hum cancelling design (split, stack etc).
