PJ VS JJ

[tycobb73]

Ok, so I'm really interested in a bass, but it has JJ picups. I only have experience with a PJ bass that I like because I like my tone a little more lower than most, although I've never tried a JJ bass myself. This bass is online and there isn't one like it in the area as it is a hand made one. It is used. Can you get overlapping tones from a JJ and PJ or if I like my PJ sound (for the most part, just need sometihng a bit tighter) will the JJ bass let me down no matter how I set the controls? Would you take a chance and if you didn't like it turn around and sell it for what you paid or conitue your quest for the PU combination that you THINK works best for you? And why do most people prefer JJ to PJ? Am I just different than most?

 

[mark beem]

What kind of bass is it? Can you not go to a local music store and try out a bass that has a J/J pup config? Go for a Fender Jazz. It's what everything J/J that's come after was based on.

If nothing else it'll give you a general idea of the tones available.

 

[lefty007]

P/Js and J/Js are quite different. P/Js won't necessarily give you more lows - actually a J pickup in the neck position has as much booty as a P pickup.

The big difference is with both pickups blended 50%. J/J has a nicer and more balance sounds, especially when slapping. P/J have more bite and better definition playing fingerstyle, and the slap sound is more agressive, or lets say, more mids-rich, because the location of the poles.

I think a better example is, listen to Victor Wooten, for a P/J sound, and then Marcus Miller for a J sound.

My two main basses are a J/J and a P/J, and I have a really hard time deciding which one I like better. At 50% blend, the P/J pokes out in the mix, where the J/J sits in with a more rounded tone.

One thing that is really important, at least to me, is that the bridge J pickup be not closer that typical '60s Jazz Bass position. If the J pickup is too close to the bridge you will loose some bottom when blending at 50%.

The best are typical Fender P pickup and J pickup postions. For example, a Schecter Model T has a thinner sound because the P pickup is closer to the bridge than typical Fender position.

 

[upliftmofo]

There are a lot of people that prefer the precision sound over the jazz sound - for one, precision pickups can be wired in a humbucking mode to eliminate the 60 cycle hum that seems to plague a lot of Jazz pickups, and they do sound a little meater in the low mids as a rule. Personally, I think the J has a little more tonal character with it's more transparant highs and characteristic mid growl. If you want something "tighter" sounding, but still want to keep your low end, you might try looking at an Ernie Ball Stingray or a copy (The Ibanez ATK is a great one, but a little heavy.)

Good luck,
Dave

 

[tycobb73]

I listend to those 2 ( I have napster) and liked wooten's sound a lot better. I don't think I'll get it as the sound difference in the recording is what I expected. Its an early 80s pedulla with act/pass switch. I like the mvp because it is a pj, doesn't have a pickgaurd, and isn't heavy but I"ve never tried one. I fgure I'll buy used and sell it if I don't like it. I have a Tobias Killer B but its zebra wood and heavy ( I have cerebral pulsy and back problems) so its on the way out. It sounds good and I could probably struggle to get my sound out of it but the sound in my head is my Fender P bass but tighter. I'll post a pic of my fender tonight as I"ve never seen one like it but I'm no fender expert.