For what it's worth, I have a MIA PJ. I't a great bass and have had it for 18 years now.
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PJ Basses
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For what it's worth, I have a MIA PJ. I't a great bass and have had it for 18 years now.
devnulljp
Supporting Member
FBass does a mean PJ.
There was one of these local to me and like an idiot I didn't buy it.
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There was one of these local to me and like an idiot I didn't buy it.
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The dual coil Nordstrom bridge pickup really balances the sound. It’s passive and the controls are Volume - Pan - Tone. 1.75” nut and right about 8.5 lbs.
Smooth_bass88
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Are we defining "PJ" as literally any bass in the world with a split coil pickup in the neck position and a j-style single coil pickup in the bridge position? Or a Fender Precision bass with an added J pickup? Or a Fender Jazz bass with an added P pickup? What if it's an Ibanez sound gear? Didn't Alembic make a bass with both of the aforementioned pickups? I've seen headless Steinberger copies with P and J pickups. Is this a PJ too?
Yes, As you’ve probably seen many brands have been listed. Others have also suggested a PH, a humbucker in lieu of the jazz so quite a bit here for consumption.
Build a mutt. That way you get the neck profile and body style you want. The biggest problem P/J basses have is the incompatibility of a single coil and a humbucker mixed. The output near the bridge is lower than near the neck due to the narrower string vibration. Putting a weaker pickup there intensifies the effect. If a P/J had the P pickup near the bridge and the J near the end of the board like an EB- 0 it might mitigate the problem. This can be avoided by replacing the single coil Jazz pickup with a humbucker. Either that stacked type of the side by side style will work. Lowering the P and raising the J will help even them out. I like the DiMarzio Model Js with the adjustable poles and the cream colored covers. They are side by side coils and sound like a P bass only more focused. They work well in a P/J application. Hope this helps.
Well, I went the DIY approach. The 4 string is an American Vintage Hot Rod body with an American Standard neck. The 5 is an American Standard body with an American Professional (1) neck.
They both have stacked Vol/Vol pots with a single tone control and 3 way J/B/P switching, to isolate the pickups.
The 4 has a Seymour SPB-1 "50s" voiced Precision pickup with a Fender Super 55 split coil Jazz.
The 5 has a Nordstrand NP5F Precision 5 Pickup and an NJ5FS split coil Jazz Bridge Pickup.
I run the P pickups on each 95 percent of the time and use the jazz pickups isolated occasionally. Even soloed, the Jazz PUs sound more like a set of Js blended then a solo single coil to my ears. I almost never run them combined with the Ps.
They both have stacked Vol/Vol pots with a single tone control and 3 way J/B/P switching, to isolate the pickups.
The 4 has a Seymour SPB-1 "50s" voiced Precision pickup with a Fender Super 55 split coil Jazz.
The 5 has a Nordstrand NP5F Precision 5 Pickup and an NJ5FS split coil Jazz Bridge Pickup.
I run the P pickups on each 95 percent of the time and use the jazz pickups isolated occasionally. Even soloed, the Jazz PUs sound more like a set of Js blended then a solo single coil to my ears. I almost never run them combined with the Ps.
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I may keep an eye out to see if I can find a vintage p & j pickup to drop into some body and build sone sort of Franken pj.
You know. Now that I think about it I may start off on that route. I may try to pickup a vintage j & p pickup and drop them in a Sadowsky MetroExpress for now and see where that goes…
The beauty of mutt building is that control every aspect of them, from the cost and the quality of the materials used to the timeline to any special mods you want. You become your own custom shop. You can fill the pickup cavities and cut new ones in different location to get just the blend you want (think '60's versus '70's J pickup spacing). Best to you.
So far the finest PJ I have played was a MusicMan
One of these badboys: MM Caprice.
During the whole COVID thing, I made my own version (cause I could not find one to purchase at a reasonable price and I was bored) with the standard VVT controls. If I had to do it again, I would go with VTT and do the pickups in series
One of these badboys: MM Caprice.
During the whole COVID thing, I made my own version (cause I could not find one to purchase at a reasonable price and I was bored) with the standard VVT controls. If I had to do it again, I would go with VTT and do the pickups in series
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I'll agree, F-Bass are amongst the finest instruments out there. Period. Dot.
You almost had me excited. I was like when did Fender start making a PJ5?! You routed the J pickup yourself? It doesn't look like you damaged the finish at all.
Over the years, I’ve owned a couple of Precision style basses with PJ setups. They were excellent for recording projects and for live playing. For my tone goals, a PJ setup is my favorite.
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Neil Sargent. One of Houston's best, did the rout and the side jack!
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If you already have a jazz, keep it and use it.
That thing is amazing looking. No snobbery here. I have owned PJ basses in the past and you can produce some good tones for all styles. This thing looks badass ....
I am not sure what is worse the 3600 for purchase, or how ugly it is. I will stay in the Fender Sphere for about the rest of my life.
