I think I've got most of the Fender tonal spectrum covered. I currently have a Precision, a Jazz, an Elite Precision (P/J), a Reggie Hamilton Jazz (P/J) and a Roscoe Beck. I had a couple of P/Reverse-P's (which is actually my favorite configuration) that I sold and am looking to replace.
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Who has a P, J AND a P/J?
- Thread starter FishDub
- Start date
JeezyMcNuggles
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- Feb 23, 2018
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I have my singles on switches. It doesn't change anything. But, I like being able to flick it on the fly. "Slap Button" (tm JeezyMcnuggles 2019)The P vs P/J thread is a frequent visitor to TB and it's never conclusive. But I love it because, even though the argument is never resolved, we always get such great bass porn!
As for P, J and P/J, I confess I only only have a J and a P/J (pics of two of them below), but mine are fretless so they don't really sound at all like a typical jazz or precision bass so there isn't a basis for comparison to the original situation even if I did have a pure P bass.
But as for the specific sub topic of P vs P/J, my experience is that, all else being equal, it's going to be very difficult, if not impossible to really detect the difference between a P with the split-coil soloed vs a pure P. In a blind test I doubt anyone would really be able to do it. With the bridge PU turned down, you have a 250Kohm resistor in line with the pickup so, while it's not fully out of the circuit, it's effectively out of the circuit.
That said, I like the way the tony franklin does it, with the big ol honking blade switch like on a guitar. That takes the jazz pickup completely out of the circuit (as far as I know), so in the P position it's a "pure" precision bass.
The other thing I will say is my tony franklin is the first bass I've ever owned where I regularly use the neck pickup. I've always had 2 pickup basses, but that's because I could never get those basses with just the bridge pickup. I always had to buy the 2 pickup version and just always leave the switch on the bridge PU.
I know that's weird, but I actually use the switch on the tony franklin. Even my jaco I never use the neck PU - just the bridge PU.
That's how I knew the tony franklin was a keeper and just your run of the mill bass. And if I get a fretted precision bass at some point, it'll be a P/J....
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Same. I've got so many configurations of J and P. While they all have nuanced tonal differences, they all pretty much just sound like me playing a bass.
JeezyMcNuggles
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- Feb 23, 2018
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D
J, P, or PJ... if the pickups are crap, it wont matter.
I put active EMGs in my old Ibanez Ex. That bass has been my favorite since then( 20 some odd years now). The P is dialed at full, the J is at half for the tone i like. I never even thought about it as a comparison to a Jazz or Precision, its just what it is.
My newest favorite now is a Pmm
I put together. The MM is a Seymour Duncan and the P is a fender classic.... now that combo is a sweet beast of its own!
I put active EMGs in my old Ibanez Ex. That bass has been my favorite since then( 20 some odd years now). The P is dialed at full, the J is at half for the tone i like. I never even thought about it as a comparison to a Jazz or Precision, its just what it is.
My newest favorite now is a Pmm
I put together. The MM is a Seymour Duncan and the P is a fender classic.... now that combo is a sweet beast of its own!
I've got a J, a P, 2 PJs, an MMJ and and MMP! Can't tell ya which I play more because i still have no rehearsals or gigs...
P: Vintera Mustang
PJ: Squier Presicion Special
PJ: Warmoth custom made by a talkbasser.
J: Squier VM Jazz
MMJ: Brubaker Brute MJX5
MMP: Harley Benton MP5-EB
P: Vintera Mustang
PJ: Squier Presicion Special
PJ: Warmoth custom made by a talkbasser.
J: Squier VM Jazz
MMJ: Brubaker Brute MJX5
MMP: Harley Benton MP5-EB
I went straight PJ for many years. Effectively covers everything. But, picked up/built a jazz with an Audere, and grabbed a P that's strung with flats. I think the P with flats thing is the one thing that can't truly be mimicked.
And no, PJ is definitely not a good jazz replacement. Does perfectly well as a P only, though.
And no, PJ is definitely not a good jazz replacement. Does perfectly well as a P only, though.
I have all three, and my p/j is the nicest bass I've ever had. Not because it's a p/j, but because it's by far the nicest bass.
Honestly, if these two traded basses, would it make any difference at all?
I can hear the difference, but would it matter at all?
Honestly, if these two traded basses, would it make any difference at all?
I can hear the difference, but would it matter at all?
Well I have a mid 80s P style Epiphone "Accu Bass" that is loaded with an EMG GZR split P pup and strung with Chrome flats. So that covers the "P" sound for me and it does it very well.
Then I have a 2000 "J style" Peavey Millenium BXP 5 string, all stock, mixed match set of broken-in rounds that I have no idea what they are that pretty much covers the "J" sound for me. It's got a great "grindy" jazz sound for sure which is why I haven't replaced the strings.
And I have a 2015 FSR Squier Jaguar (short scale) that is a P/J. Bought it used knowing it needed pup/electronics replaced in it. And eventually when I get around to it I'll put an EMG GZR P/J set in it. I suspect it won't sound like the other two basses I mentioned.
So I guess in my case with the basses being so different from each other it definitely isn't overkill for me.
Even if you stick with just Fender and open yourself up to buying used as well as new, there are so many variations of Ps, Js, and P/Js out there that you could easily wind up with all 3 and them all be very different from each other.
I have all 3 configs, and can get a happy sound from any of them.
I think the purest form of PJ is G&L's SB-2, which pushes the concept of "adding bite" to a P-pickup to the max. Of course, the MFD P pickup is pretty aggressive anyway, but Leo added the bridge pickup as a kind of "brightener". Just 2 volume controls - pretty neat!
I think the purest form of PJ is G&L's SB-2, which pushes the concept of "adding bite" to a P-pickup to the max. Of course, the MFD P pickup is pretty aggressive anyway, but Leo added the bridge pickup as a kind of "brightener". Just 2 volume controls - pretty neat!
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When you asked this question I thought you meant in relation to Fender.
I also have other P, J and P/J 'style' basses.
P style
J style
Active
Active
Active
P/J style
Active
Reverse P/J
The Retrovibe by Chowny P/J (last black tort maple FB) has a series/parallel switch that is a pretty awesome feature for a passive bass.
The Dean B2 also has a piezo in each saddle besides the two single coil J style pups which also is an interesting feature.
All at same time for clarification
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Been there, done that, sold some off. As others have said, a PJ is more a P+. My PJ's are pretty much a P with the option to dial in some some bite if desired. Since I'm a mostly-neck-pickup guy, I don't care much for J basses in general. Seeing as the the number of people in the audience who will be able to tell the difference between basses is usually between zero and none (depending on audience size, where in bigger venues it can get as high as nil), I opt for balancing simplicity and flexibility, so I take PJs everywhere. While we're on the topic of zeroes, that is also how much I care if I am generating 'pure P' or 'J' tone as there is no absolute, definitive standard by which to measure it. If the tone fits the song, that's what matters. But to each his own!
I have a couple of P's, numerous J's, and 4 P/J's. Of the 4 one is a Warmoth P body w/a J neck loaded with Aguilar pickups. As mentioned, often the J pickup is poorly balanced output wise with the P. Aguilar did a great job making the J a humbucker and getting the outputs even. Running passive - An excellent set. It's not comparable to either a P or J directly because the pickups are voiced slightly different. I use it as is and it rocks. If I want a "pure" P or J tone I grab one of those.
My other P/J's:
Kawai KRB105/graphite neck = Schaller pickups run passive
Spector NS-4CR = EMG's + Aguilar OBP-3
Yamaha BB3000S = factory pickups run passive
Yamaha BB5000 = factory pickups run passive
My other P/J's:
Kawai KRB105/graphite neck = Schaller pickups run passive
Spector NS-4CR = EMG's + Aguilar OBP-3
Yamaha BB3000S = factory pickups run passive
Yamaha BB5000 = factory pickups run passive
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I have a P and PJ, neither are Fender. They are both great, but I like them differently.
Nice Dean Razor there. Don't see them too often any more. I used to own one just like yours.
You mean at the same time?
OK, about 13 years' ago, I had a Jazz (it was active/passive).
Then, I ordered a passive Precision PJ. So I had a J and a PJ.
I sold the J, and bought a Jazz in a passive PJ configuration, so I had a JPJ and a PJ.
I sold the JPJ. I was down to the PJ.
Then, I bought a P, so I had a P and a PJ, both passive.
I sold the P.
A year ago, I sold the PJ.
This week I ordered another P. After all this trial and error, I wanted a straight up, passive P with a 1.5 inch nut.
Hope this helps. How, I have no idea.
I completely understand..I can live with just a P like most here if I had to choose
I've played PJs primarily in the last 9 or so years, and they seem to have a lot of variation between models. As others have said, the J pickup is usually overpowered by the P. So most of the time, the blended sound is really the P sound plus some filtering from the J, not that much added. Just subtracted. But I've owned a few PJs where the J pickup was really strong and added something more, and gave it a really unique grind and growl. The BB424X with the blade J, the Nordstrand NP5 and Big J Blade I had in my carvin, and the SB2.
I've never really gelled with any JJ basses, but recently I got a short scale jazz and I'm loving it. I don't know if it's because of the short scale, but I'm finally getting sounds I really like out of those style pickups. So right now I have a PJ Mustang with Aguilar pickups, that I use either full P or a little J blended, and a Jazz.
At this point, the only reason I'd get a regular single P bass is if I happened to like the bass and I could only get it with just the P pickup. If given the choice, I think I'd always get the PJ just because it only adds more options, even if I barely use it.
I've never really gelled with any JJ basses, but recently I got a short scale jazz and I'm loving it. I don't know if it's because of the short scale, but I'm finally getting sounds I really like out of those style pickups. So right now I have a PJ Mustang with Aguilar pickups, that I use either full P or a little J blended, and a Jazz.
At this point, the only reason I'd get a regular single P bass is if I happened to like the bass and I could only get it with just the P pickup. If given the choice, I think I'd always get the PJ just because it only adds more options, even if I barely use it.
I've never really jelled with JJ basses, either. The PJ I had was great (it was a Lull, and the balance between the pickups was spot-on), but I found myself using the P pup most of the time with the tone rolled off about half-way! Anytime I did use the J pup it was never soloed and I only added it for a little on-the-fly "flavor" if the room was dead.
I'm curious about the shortie Jazz you mentioned - what brand is it?
