PJ vs P vs J….please advise!

[vindibona1]

I’m on the hunt for a 5 string bass. I already own a 4 string Nash P bass, and I like it a lot. I have been wanting a 5 string and decided to take the plunge.

Going into a 5 string there are a LOT of things to consider just in that. Scale length, string spacing, fingerboard radius comes into play in addition to pickups and a particular sound. Fender isn't the only company out there making P/J style basses. And might there be other brands or styles that you might want to take a look at? Going from a 4 string to a 5 string takes some dedication for some (I think the majority of) folks. And it's amazing what you can grow into, being to like in 30 days if you were to compare two or more basses.

But let's get back to the P vs J thing. Both types can cover 80+% of what the other does in terms of sound. When you get into PJ's as you probably know, the placement of the pickups is as important as the type of pickups themselves. But then you get into pickup brands and their inherent sounds. If you go with a jazz bass will you need or want noiseless pickups?

P or J in a 5 string? Straight P basses with 5 strings is pretty rare. You're more likely to find a larger selection in PJ and a ton in J and even more that aren't P/J or PB&J

Another thing... Weight and balance. A 5 string with more strings can be more neck heavy than a 4 string.

One more thing... Your amp has EQ knobs as well as your bass. A GOOD active preamp can cover a lot of ground.

You haven't mentioned your budget.

Not all that long ago was I in your shoes looking for my first 5er. The only real advice I can give you is to make sure you play as many as you can and do not buy anything your can't play (hopefully with your own amp) that you can't return.
Having said that, rather than Fender I would point you to YAMAHA, if nothing else but due to out-of-the-box quality at great bang-for-your-buck price points. There is the TRBX series and the BB series. the BB series comes at 3 different price points. Sire is another brand worth looking at. I know they make a 5 string P for about $1000.

Good luck in your search.

 

[B String]

I'm a working player in L.A. I have (among other basses) 2 P's, 2 J's, a Cat bass (love the Cat). Both J's are 5 string. P's are 4 string. I pretty much never need a P5. I usually need or use a J5

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

I have a P + J + PJ, all have 5 strings. They all get the job done. To my subjective ears; the bridge pickup adds some articulation to the B string though.

If I had to have only one 5 strings bass, I'd get one with a bridge pickup for versatility. JJ or PJ, tough call but I suppose I'd go for a PJ because I subjectively like the P sound better + use the P pickup on most of gigs.

 

[P. Aaron]

The kind of music you like to play and the kinds of tones you want and like should guide you on your choice. Try running the racks at a few stores...if possible.

Good luck.

 

[Reid-O]

This thread is really making me consider getting a p bass again. Laklands and Sadowskys (and the like) are phenomenal instruments, but they can be pretty steep, price-wise, if you're buying USA-made. To me, there's nothing like a good 'ol passive Fender American Precision. Two control knobs, no hum, slam the action as low as physics will allow, throw on some flat-wounds, and it's on!

 

[andare]

This thread is really making me consider getting a p bass again. Laklands and Sadowskys (and the like) are phenomenal instruments, but they can be pretty steep, price-wise, if you're buying USA-made. To me, there's nothing like a good 'ol passive Fender American Precision. Two control knobs, no hum, slam the action as low as physics will allow, throw on some flat-wounds, and it's on!

Agree except the low action. I need a high action and fat flatwounds to dig in.

 

[Strung_Low]

Pj’s are great, you got p when you want full and fat, you got the bridge j pu when you want other sounds. I have a pj 4 string and I find blending the 2 pups or both full on doesn’t sound that much different from the solo’d p

 

[petermwright]

Does a j style neck pickup sound good on its own…

Yes.

…or wi having a p style pickup sound better in this case?

Entirely subjective really. The P pick-up will have more growl, which you might like. The J neck pick-up is quite fat and round sounding, which I like. It might not be what you’re looking for for funk, perhaps.

 

[4StringDave]

I like the J neck pickup for a big supporting sound. I play country, blues, rock and sixties. Sounds good with both flats and rounds.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Personally I don't like the tone I get from bridge pickups (to nasal/thin for my taste) or when blending pickups (too mid scooped and too much comb filtering going on).

Which means the decision for ME would be P-bass vs J-bass neck pickup. Between those two I always feel like there's something missing with a J-bass, like there's a "hole" in the mids and a lack of punch when playing with a full band. When practising alone I actually prefer the warmer, "woodier" tone of a J-bass neck pickup but P-basses always work better for me when playing with a full band (or in a mix, when recording).

Of course, if you want bridge pickup tones or the scooped blend tones you will have to get either a J or a PJ.

Btw, a PJ with the P-pickup soloed will be a P-bass in every way except purely theoretical. I'm a total P-bass nut and my favourite bass is the Yamaha BBP34 with the P-pickup soloed. I strongly doubt if ANYONE can tell the difference between a P-bass and a PJ with the P-pickup soloed in a blind test (provided that it's the exact same bass with the J-pickup connected vs disconnected of course).

 

[Rib 13]

I don’t slap, so that “both pickups” sound a traditional j bass offers is not much use to me.

Can you clarify this? Both pickups on is for articulation and the now ironic "modern" tonalities, whether its for fingers, pick, or slap. Ever-so-slight rollback of the bridge pickup eliminates scoop and leaves phat on J and PJ basses

 

[Wfrance3]

I have a 5 string bass that i put a pair of Delano HE/S pickups in These pickups have 4 wires so you can go series/single coil/parallel independently.
it’s set up VVT. Super versatile. And passive.

 

[Chuck M]

I briefly owned a Sire 5 string P/J 5 and didn’t care for the tone. That Sire preamp sounded lifeless to me.

I highly recommend you consider a G&L L 2500. It will get very close to the tone of a P/J and have a lot more tonal options to boot. I personally prefer the L2500 in passive mode. The tighter string spacing is also very comfortable for me.

The only P/J I own is an older Peavey Forum 4 string equipped with passive electronics. This model was only made for 2 years and was replaced by the Forum Plus that has active EMG style electronics and sounds lousy in comparison.

If someone made a P/J 5 as good as the Forum I would want one. The Forum has a dual coil (noiseless) J pu that is perfectly balanced with the P pu.

 

[80jazz]

Depending on the budget, a MM/P may be what you are after.

 

[Dr Zee]

I tried a really lot of 5ers before I bought this one. Having an active Bartolini setup was a big selling point for me.

 

[Egg250]

There are other options besides the FSOs....

 

[TonyP-]

I started on PJs and I have come around to them again.

The Charvel reverse PJ are awesome and budget friendly.

 

[G On Bass]

I've been playing active PJ5s for years and they work for me. I have one with flats and one with rounds and they have covered everything I have ever needed while sounding great and offering excellent tonal versatility. I am not trying to mimic any so-called 'authentic P tone', whoever decided what that is, so all I know is that the P pickup gives me the tone I like and the J can be blended in for bite. I never favor or solo the bridge pickup.

As far as necks, being a 5, I'm not sure how much the "p" or "J" neck really comes into play, since those are traditionally Fender-4-string-specific, specs. There are many other manufacturers that, IME, make excellent PJ5s with super comfy necks in a variety of specs.

 

[getBAK]

The J in PJ IMHO doesn't work well on its own. It's more about adding some dimension to the sound and making the harmonics 'pop'
Allow me to end the 'what should I get' discussion


BB Series - Pro Series - Yamaha USA

 

[DuluthDank]

Personally I'm a fan of variety, and I see you already have a great P bass. I'd get a J, as IMO two singles tend to blend a bit better than a P and J, even if you never use both pickups dimed.

Also, there are way more bad PJ pickup sets than good ones. On most the J is anemic and doesn't impact the tone as well as it should. The only Fender PJ that comes stock with well matched pickups is the Tony Franklin, for example.