PJ's do not bring a jazz bass tone. get over it

[DigitalMan]

I keep telling people if you’re using gas you’re just cooking outdoors. It ain’t a barbecue unless charcoal is involved. Charcoal - the best thing that ever happened to food.

Charcoal only means you’re grilling. BBQ is wood smoke and starts before sunrise.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

In agreement here...although a PJ does come closer to a straight J than a straight J comes to a straight P.

It’s the opposite with my instruments actually ...

 

[bobyoung53]

Most people referred to the JJ tone as “scooped,” not burpy. Scoop refers to the relative lack of mids on a Jazz while the bass and treble are dominant. Any bass with a split pickup in the sweet spot with have lots of mids, especially slightly lower mids. That is why a Precision slap tone is totally unlike a Jazz.

the sound of two together is what i am talking about

Cheese nailed it.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

The most classic example is Jaco’s tone, but there are lots of others like Verdine White in the late 1970’s in the All ‘n All album. Ross Valory in Journey got that tone sometimes too.

Jeff Andrews, Bunny Brunel, Victor Bailey, Alphonso Johnson and Mark Egan are good examples as well I guess ..

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Jeff Andrews, Bunny Brunel, Victor Bailey, Alphonso Johnson and Mark Egan are good examples as well I guess ..

Certainly!

 

[bobyoung53]

I think it is high-time for a “a j or a p can’t get that pj sound” thread.

Or: "Why do they even make P's and J's anymore, P/J's have it all!"

 

[JimmyM]

It is possible that good pickups can replicate any tone, I think. My Alembic Orion 4 can sound like a Jazz or Precision and especially an Alembic! I had a Jazz new in 1968 which did me well and then was stolen - that said it needed a bit of wire to stop and earth the buzz from pickups. Also, don't you find, you can use your fingers and position of fingerstyle to get the sound you want? At the end of the day, if you play with other musicians in bands and aren't a soloist then all you need is a good tone - the subtleties of Precision/Jazz/Musicman etc just aren't as important as making music, in my opinion.

Well nothing is as important as just making music with whatever you have. Make it good and it doesn't matter so much what you use. But when you are fortunate enough to have choices, those subtleties of different basses do have a way of making your sound pop in different ways regardless if you solo or not.

 

[larrysb]

Charcoal only means you’re grilling. BBQ is wood smoke and starts before sunrise.

Amen.

Charcoal is garbage. Henry Ford can tell you all about that...

Good think I have a JP bass, a JP-90.

 

[Bassmaster general]

That PJ does sound like a Jazz.

It’s uncanny, it really does. (Sounds like a Jazz). Huh.......damn Roscoe.

 

[HalfManHalfBass]

My findings after way too much research and way too many Jazzes, Precisions and PJs:

On the front pickup it sounds exactly like a P bass.
On the back pickup it sounds exactly like the back pickup on a Jazz soloed.
Blended together the sound isn't as 'sweet' as having two Jazz pickups and it's slightly more brittle in the top end -especially when slapping and snapping on the higher strings.

Combining these two different pickup types was never going to give you a true Jazz bass sound but instead it offers a different but equally usable sound. For when you wish to add more definition / articulation to the sometimes over boomy / darker P bass sound alone it really cuts.

 

[groooooove]

i completely agree that a PJ thing is just not the same

of course that does not claim one is better or worse.

a PJ is cool if you want a real P sound, and a jaco bridge pickup sound, in the same bass.

I find myself never wanting those in the same bass. I either want a J or a P. (if i'm between those)

I own a USA fender P/J as it was my first bass. I never use the P and J together, because, it sounds nothing like the "J bass both pickups" sound that i really dig.

 

[Chuck M]

This is the absolute best P/J bass that I have ever played. I have owned several including a pair of the Fender Hot Rod P's that were very nice but this Peavey is much better sounding. When my friends play it they try to buy it. It is that good. Unfortunately Peavey only made this passive P/J Forum model for 2 years.

 

[fretno]

they make great instruments nonetheless
this one is amazing . Thank you Roscoe & Aero

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Well nothing is as important as just making music with whatever you have. Make it good and it doesn't matter so much what you use. But when you are fortunate enough to have choices, those subtleties of different basses do have a way of making your sound pop in different ways regardless if you solo or not.

That is so true. If a person is truly moved to make music, you simply use the tools you have and do the best you can do.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

This is the absolute best P/J bass that I have ever played. I have owned several including a pair of the Fender Hot Rod P's that were very nice but this Peavey is much better sounding. When my friends play it they try to buy it. It is that good. Unfortunately Peavey only made this passive P/J Forum model for 2 years.

View attachment 3836519

View attachment 3836520

I remember those.

 

[Chuck M]

There is one on Ebay right now but it is missing the truss rod cover, the string tree and the neck screw holes are stripped out. He is asking crazy money for a bass with those issues but it would be a great bass when put right.

Peavey Forum Electric Bass Guitar parts & Repair | eBay

 

[dabbler]

What if you coil tap the P to series mode?

Your description is a little confusing to me, but I will agree with the following: If you rewire the P so that the 2 halves are in parallel, it will help a PJ get closer to J tone. And yes, I have 3 PJs that I have done this to.