Want a P/J; Which would you pick & why?

[jmlee]

Yamaha BB series. BBP34. They’ve really figured out the PJ thing in very high quality instruments.

 

[bassbrad]

My suggestion is broaden your search. I have been need/wanting to fill the same PJ niche for a while and had been patiently shopping when I found this gem from Peavey a DynaBassUnitySeries model. Neck through with jazz spacing, 21 frets normally decent passive pickups with a good though dated 3band EQ. This particular one has some mods that I like Seymour Duncan Pickups, passive and a D-Tuner all for a really good price. Well within your stated budget. It does need some restoration work that contributed to the price but luckily they are all parts I already had on hand.

 

[minimalist freedom]

Cort, Reverend and my budget favourite I use the most,
well built, good pups and neck a SX.

 

[JDLowEnd]

Not sure if your username means you’re in CT but I do live in Eastern Connecticut. I have an early model MIM Deluxe p/j that’s passive (only passive for a few years before going active). Mine has sd basslines, I also purchased a new bridge but haven’t installed it yet.
You can feel free to try it out, I can also be tempted by trades too.

 

[Gizmot]

I've got a MusicMan Caprice. It was introduced, became successful and then EBMM raised the price 30% which killed it in the market and then they discontinued it.

If you've got patience, you can find them used (I did).

 

[Pirate Captain]

Tony Franklin fretted sig...or barring that, swap the neck on a Franklin fretless and sell the old neck on eBay

 

[Phalex]

I went Fender simply because I know that finding after market parts that are sure to drop right in is a certainty.

It’s fun to play around with modifications.

 

[Biggbass]

I have one PJ...a Fender Aerodyne - Black. Bought it on a whim about 15 years ago at GC while demoing a bass amp. It was the bass I took down from the wall of basses to demo the amp and liked it so much I bought it too. It's been a good, solid, great sounding, great playing bass.
LOL it still has the original strings on it!

 

[CTBassGuy]

Thanks for all the terrific suggestions everyone! There are some really excellent instruments out there. Many of the suggestions are out of my price range (some really out, e.g. the Tony Franklin, although it is gorgeous), but certainly gives me something to think about.

Going to let all the recommendations swirl around for a week or so and see how it all shakes out. That, and see if I can offload some unused gear to help fund...

 

[GIBrat51]

Sorry; I pick neither of those. Why?
- Neither (AFAIK) are available - as usual - in a left handed version;
- Neither fills a spot in my herd. And, with 23 basses already, along with 7 guitars, a mandolin and a banjo (and no, I will not be getting rid of a '63 ODE banjo)?I have very little room around here for basses that don't. However...
I did pick this PJ; an '88 Kramer Forum III. Why?
- This one was available as a lefty;
- It's a Kramer - from a time when they were still their own company, and made very good instruments;
- I like old Kramers; and
- This bass does fill a spot in my herd ("Long scale Neck-Thru").
It's currently undergoing customization/restoration - yes, those stupid dice knobs have met Mr. Trashcan - but, with that set of Chromes and those Spector pickups (which Kramer owned at the time)? This bassplayed - and sounded - sweet...

 

[CTBassGuy]

Well, I decided and bit on the G&L. Thanks for the recommendations everyone, made for a really great research week until I decided.

NBD post here: Belated NBD; stupid Tropical Storm

 

[PizzaFiend]

Well, I decided and bit on the G&L. Thanks for the recommendations everyone, made for a really great research week until I decided.

NBD post here: Belated NBD; stupid Tropical Storm


View attachment 3944952

Solid choice! Happy NBD!

 

[Lesfunk]

Fender aerodyne is a solid candidate.
They’re generally lightweight and have a nice appearance, a little sleeker looking than your average Fender bass

I think you made a good choice with the G&L

 

[Outbush]

Well, I decided and bit on the G&L. Thanks for the recommendations everyone, made for a really great research week until I decided.

NBD post here: Belated NBD; stupid Tropical Storm


View attachment 3944952

Nice bass! Congrats.

 

[Crystalman85]

The yamaha bb basses would be right up your alley. these basses has a p/j configuration and they provide superb sound quality. best of all, they are suitable for any genre. including metal.

 

[Nobis17]

Nice looking bass! Enjoy

 

[Fondsdale]

To those suggesting a Spector, they sound nothing like a Fender PJ bass despite being the same pickup config. The pickups aren't even close to being in the same position as a Fender for a start; the P on a NS2 is significantly closer to the bridge compared to a Precision, it's almost in the same position as a Stingray bridge pup.

 

[PJ Muzikmansky]

See if you can get your hands on one of these...Yamaha BB2000

 

[flashgod]

All very nice suggestions.
But you have to realize, there is only one logic option for you:

Jericho Alpha.

Buy one used for around 500 bucks. As a special goodie you can join our TB club and will be member 4.
Congrats for your new future purchase and welcome to the club.

 

[BOOG]

Well, I decided and bit on the G&L. Thanks for the recommendations everyone, made for a really great research week until I decided.

NBD post here: Belated NBD; stupid Tropical Storm


View attachment 3944952

Nice looking bass.
I’m curious how the weight is and the feel of the fretboard edges. I had a Kiloton Tribute and while it didn’t bother me in the least, it was a weighty chunk. I was a little irked that I had to shim the neck out of the box as, the saddles were bottoming out when I did my setup. The edges of the fretboard were not a big deal either after some light sanding, rubbing and rolling. Actually, it felt REALLY superb after that little bit of effort. That MFD pup strung with GHS Boomers was thunderous.
Congrats and enjoy!