Why aren't PJ basses more popular and more available?

[Zen Ho]

I have an MIM Fender PJ Bass hanging 3 feet from me. A Mustang.

 

[noeinstein]

I got a real nice one, not real common but they're out there, Fender American Vintage Hotrod 60's Precision, it's got a compound neck and a '63 P bass pickup which knocks walls over, you can find them on ebay once in a while, best sounding P bass I've ever heard.

The one on the right.View attachment 3392913

I recommend finding one of these. The 63 P pickup is the best IMO and I think the J pickup is a 64, another classic. P bass body, neck & nut width, which were important to me. Not sure what benefit the compound radius offers, but it def doesn't detract.

Until then, keep your Squier. I also had one of those and thought they were hard to beat. I also had a Tony Franklin fretted, which was perfect in every way except I wanted the blend options afforded by VVT vs the switch on the TF.

So I found a good, used Vintage Hot Rod '60s P Bass on Reverb. And it's really all the bass I need.

Good luck

 

[bobyoung53]

I recommend finding one of these. The 63 P pickup is the best IMO and I think the J pickup is a 64, another classic. P bass body, neck & nut width, which were important to me. Not sure what benefit the compound radius offers, but it def doesn't detract.

Until then, keep your Squier. I also had one of those and thought they were hard to beat. I also had a Tony Franklin fretted, which was perfect in every way except I wanted the blend options afforded by VVT vs the switch on the TF.

So I found a good, used Vintage Hot Rod '60s P Bass on Reverb. And it's really all the bass I need.

Good luck

I have a TF fretless and had another Volume put in, you can see it in the picture although it's obscured. It made that bass really nice too as I always like to blend the J pickup in with the P pickup on P/J basses.

 

[FrenchBassQC]

Build your own and make it like you want it to be, end of discussion. There is lots of part sellers out there that have a lot of options available. I'm sure you can find what you're looking for at a lower price.

 

[mbell75]

P/Js are amazing. I love them too. I think the way to know if its for you is to see how you like the tone of both pickups on or soloed. Thats pretty obvious but the slap sound is different from a j bass and then you need to make sure that the bridge pickup is dialed in and it is a tone you need.

This is where you should reconsider active versus passive a little because if you have an active p/j you can quickly boost the bass a little on your bridge pickup and it is a game changer.

A lot of guys who play passive or some active p/js dont use the j on its own because it cant really match the neck pickup. They use it more for flavor.

The ideal p/j for me can be played active or passive and has extremely well balanced pickups. It has a treble and bass knob and most importantly has a tone control knob that works in both modes. The tone control knob is a game changer in active mode.

With all those factors i bought a sadowksy p/j and i have been quite happy. You may or may not need all of those things but it is a very powerful combination since the modern sound producers keep wanting seems to be a defined bass tone that retains its warmth. When you have an active bass that you can roll the tone off of, you get just that.

I posted this before but a lot of guys playing active basses are getting amazing tones by rolling their highs and mids way back. So that may be another p/j setup to consider.

When it comes to passive only ones i agree that there are not too many options. But i believe there is a reason for that and thats why i touched on it above.

Thanks. Ive never liked the sound on any active bass I've played but would reconsider an active if it could be played passive. However, the only ones I've seen I might be interested in like the Fender and Sire have 1.5 nuts unfortunately. Someone mentioned Jazz nut widths are more popular which I did not know. I used to prefer them too until I bought a P with a P neck and got used to loving it. Now Jazz necks feel like toothpicks, uncomfortable and cramped to play. I might have to make a few sacrifices somewhere though.

 

[nostatic]

Take out the 1.5 nut width, active electronics and models that cost thousands of dollars and you are left with very few. I also have no interest in brands like Ibanez, Yahama and others because I've never liked the sound of them and usually hate the designs. I prefer Fender.

The pickier you get about details, the more money you likely will have to cough up. Such is life. If you have to have Fender and don't want a 1.5" nut, then you can either buy a production bass and do a neck swap, or pony up the money for the US-made PJs.

Flexibility = $
Rigidity = $$$

 

[mbell75]

The pickier you get about details, the more money you likely will have to cough up. Such is life. If you have to have Fender and don't want a 1.5" nut, then you can either buy a production bass and do a neck swap, or pony up the money for the US-made PJs.

Flexibility = $
Rigidity = $$$

Thanks. Leaning towards modding the Squier I have or buying a Fender with a Jazz neck and swapping a P neck on. Either option would be cheaper than the American Performer.

 

[Edmang]

Preferences are fine until you find that you've "preferenced" yourself out of the marketplace.

The OP has so many exclusions that my advice would be to either customise an existing bass or forget the red-lines altogether and just listen to as many basses as he can and pick the one that sounds the best.

Isn't the purpose of Fender's Custom Shop to provide exactly what one wants in a bass? Seems based on the preferences, that is the solution, although pricey.

 

[noeinstein]

G&L offers a semi-custom design option where you can get the SB-2 with a P neck. A little pricey, but I have considered it.

 

[nostatic]

Isn't the purpose of Fender's Custom Shop to provide exactly what one wants in a bass? Seems based on the preferences, that is the solution, although pricey.

If he doesn't want to pay $1200 for a production bass, then CS is out of play.

Cheapest solution would be to take a P-bass he likes and have a good luthier add a J pickup. That's been happening for decades...

 

[nostatic]

Thanks. Leaning towards modding the Squier I have or buying a Fender with a Jazz neck and swapping a P neck on. Either option would be cheaper than the American Performer.

Neck swaps can be great or not. While they typically can interchange, the fit might not be perfect (though usually not perfect to begin with), may need to shim (though that often is the case anyway), dead spots may increase, decrease, or move. I think the easiest is dropping a J pickup in, but some find volume differences to be a bit much. Depends on the pickups.

 

[Charlzm]

PJ bass, the sound I never knew I wanted! I prefer P basses to Jazz basses and when I have used Jazz basses, Ive never liked the bridge pickup, even with the neck pickup. Been going thru lots of P basses lately and rosewood/Pau Ferro boards always seemed a bit too dark and the maple board P I bought a month ago is just sounding too bright to me lately, especially with the new strings. The local GC got in some 2019 Squiers and they had a 3 tone burst PJ with an Indian Laurel board sitting there for cheap, picked it up and couldn't put it down. Was finally able to get the P tone I loved but could brighten it up a bit when I needed with some of the J pickup and with both pickups wide open, I could get another useable tone I liked and that was all without touching the tone knob or EQ on the amp!

So now Ive been looking for a Fender PJ bass with a rosewood or PF board, but the options are few IMO. Don't want an active bass and don't want a signature bass, so that leaves the American Performer as the cheapest option at $1200. At this point, I think I may just hold on to the Squier and even if I upgraded the pickups, electronics, bridge and tuners, Id still come in well under $1200. Why are there no MIM options for PJ basses? Anything used I should look for? Really surprised at how limited it is and how few I see being played by popular bands, I can only think of one. Extremely versatile bass with lots of tonal options, pretty perfect bass IMO.

I have a Warmoth bass (body and neck ordered from them) that I had routed for P/J. I put Nordstrand pickups in there and run it passive. The definition and attack of a J and the thick tone of a P, right there, all the time. And if you want just the P sound, roll off the bridge volume about 20% and there it is.

All in, it cost me about $1500 and it's a personalized, super high quality, one of a kind bass.

Move past Fender and the options are wide open.

 

[zon6c-f]

PJ bass, the sound I never knew I wanted! I prefer P basses to Jazz basses and when I have used Jazz basses, Ive never liked the bridge pickup, even with the neck pickup. Been going thru lots of P basses lately and rosewood/Pau Ferro boards always seemed a bit too dark and the maple board P I bought a month ago is just sounding too bright to me lately, especially with the new strings. The local GC got in some 2019 Squiers and they had a 3 tone burst PJ with an Indian Laurel board sitting there for cheap, picked it up and couldn't put it down. Was finally able to get the P tone I loved but could brighten it up a bit when I needed with some of the J pickup and with both pickups wide open, I could get another useable tone I liked and that was all without touching the tone knob or EQ on the amp!

So now Ive been looking for a Fender PJ bass with a rosewood or PF board, but the options are few IMO. Don't want an active bass and don't want a signature bass, so that leaves the American Performer as the cheapest option at $1200. At this point, I think I may just hold on to the Squier and even if I upgraded the pickups, electronics, bridge and tuners, Id still come in well under $1200. Why are there no MIM options for PJ basses? Anything used I should look for? Really surprised at how limited it is and how few I see being played by popular bands, I can only think of one. Extremely versatile bass with lots of tonal options, pretty perfect bass IMO.

If Squier made a fretless 5 PJ I'd be first in line ...

 

[somebrains]

Neck swaps can be great or not. While they typically can interchange, the fit might not be perfect (though usually not perfect to begin with), may need to shim (though that often is the case anyway), dead spots may increase, decrease, or move. I think the easiest is dropping a J pickup in, but some find volume differences to be a bit much. Depends on the pickups.

Older guys had a ton of experience wrenching on basses with the ^ issues from the factory.

The whole "tight fit = sustain" thing people were all focused on from the late 60's - birthing Modulus, multi laminate neckthrus, etc was a bit over done.

It was just an era of transitioning from 50's design via trial and error to the cranking out product out of a Samick factory that didn't have glaring issues ad nauseum.

Also everything seemed to be a J or PJ until humbuckers came into fashion on everything when the EMG DC launched. Bartolini was still don't those weird pencil thin form factors at the time. Tobias was pushing MMs in their Korean lines way early.

That was a weird time to play bass bc we didn't have aftermarket pickup options to customize cheap factory product.

PJ was a default bc there was a lot of cataloged options in the hair metal era.

 

[Marikk]

I have a Warmoth bass (body and neck ordered from them) that I had routed for P/J. I put Nordstrand pickups in there and run it passive. The definition and attack of a J and the thick tone of a P, right there, all the time. And if you want just the P sound, roll off the bridge volume about 20% and there it is.

All in, it cost me about $1500 and it's a personalized, super high quality, one of a kind bass.

Move past Fender and the options are wide open.

That's what I did, Ran me about $1000. I waited around and grabbed things out of the premade or discount area when what i wanted came up
I couldn't find an early 50's bass with a Jazz neck, So i built this one with a roasted maple neck and a SD stack coil switchable P pickup. Absolutely love it, The fit and finish on my Warmoth parts is top notch

 

[kentiki]

Anything change on the pj front in the last week since the previous thread?

 

[TNCreature]

More available? I can't seem to escape them.

 

[mbell75]

More available? I can't seem to escape them.

Fender made with P bass necks that aren't active and don't cost thousands of dollars? Lets see em! I see one.

 

[BamaBird]

Love my PEavey USa neck Through UNITY P/J

 

[AngelCrusher]

I recommend finding one of these. The 63 P pickup is the best IMO and I think the J pickup is a 64, another classic. P bass body, neck & nut width, which were important to me. Not sure what benefit the compound radius offers, but it def doesn't detract.

Until then, keep your Squier. I also had one of those and thought they were hard to beat. I also had a Tony Franklin fretted, which was perfect in every way except I wanted the blend options afforded by VVT vs the switch on the TF.

So I found a good, used Vintage Hot Rod '60s P Bass on Reverb. And it's really all the bass I need.

Good luck

The hot rods are super rad. Tough to find but almost perfect for the op.