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

[jimmerk]

The Deluxe MIM PJ (2016-ish) is nice, but not having a passive tone pot was a deal breaker for me.

 

[Lesgo]

I really love mine......I "fixed" a jazz bass by putting a P pickup in the neck spot. I also have the P solo'd 90% of the time. Remember, Fenders are parts basses, so you can build it piece by piece if you want.

 

[vstrode]

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 owned a Vintage Squier Modified Jag bass for a few years and loved it, not sure why I sold it though.

 

[donnydagger]

Picked up this 2001 Fender MIM Precision Special Deluxe Passive for $300 used locally. Required some love when first acquired it and got new Hipshot tuners, Nut, Nordy Pickups and Bourns electronics. Now is my main squeeze!

 

[sietedeunsolo]

Get a Deluxe. Just get a Deluxe.

 

[jvgreene]

My first real bass was (is?) a MIM Deluxe P-Bass Special (passive) from around 2000 and 19 years later it's still my favorite bass guitar. Currently on it's third set of pickups, Aquilar '60s voiced pickups can't remember the model number. Still love it. Currently strung with D'Addario Chromes.

These have Jazz width necks which make them an awesome combination of the P and J basses. I originally bought it because I couldn't make up my mind between the two!

I usually just use the P, blend in the J every once a while. Both on full sounds really cool.

 

[Swampish]

Relatively recently purchased the Lake Placid Blue American Performer and, while not super cheap, so far the bang for the buck has been great! Love the feel, the look and, most importantly, the sound flexibility between the two pick-ups and tone control, there is A LOT of onboard sound versatility. I've only ever played Fender P/J combos and aside from a late 60s early 70s model that was stolen from me, this one kicks major butt! Love it!

 

[sietedeunsolo]

Get a Deluxe. Just get a Deluxe.

And by Deluxe I mean an American Deluxe

 

[Bumble119]

I upgraded my '96 P deluxe with:
Babicz bridge
Aguilar active/passive preamp
Dean Markley SR2000 Medium Lites

It's a killer! But, I had to trade it for $1800 worth of plumbing. Boy, do I miss it!

 

[pjmuck]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'll tell you why I don't like them. They seem like a great idea in theory: A Jazz and a Precision bass rolled into one! Except they never sound like either completely. And as a sometimes slapper, I despise the tone of a PJ with both PUPs on. A J sounds way better.

 

[richwag]

Thanks but that's a signature model, not into those at all. Ive owned lots of other brands, all the major ones and always come back to Fender.

Might I suggest a G&L SB-2? It'll blow any fender P/J out of water tone wise. And as Leo Fender said, the best guitars he made were at G&L not Fender.

 

[Barrister]

My prejudice is most likely based on my having not played a good one, but I do not like a Jazz bass neck. And, while I am not an anti-Fender snob (though I do play a StingRay and German Warwick), they feel and appear cheap to me. Maybe it is the light weight bodies, low-mass / stamped bridges and tuning heads, but they turn out to be the worst of both worlds. Again my opinion is most likely based on my having never played a good one as in theory it should sound like a great passive bass. And, if it was such a great idea Leo would have thought of it. (God bless him).

 

[jeff7bass]

I agree with the bass tech at Bass Gear that adding a J to a P doesn't add to the sound, it subtracts from it. Plus it introduces noise. The P's sound is magic. So is a Jazz bass buzz you gotta turn up both PU's full or use some kind of noise gate to remove the buzz.

 

[Pete Greaves]

Japanese Fender Aerodyne, stunning bass, classic sound, stupidly fast neck and you can get one used for under $600 if you shop around. One on eBay right now for $660 including shipping (2002).

 

[johnbegone]

I too have always been a P player, but I added a J pickup to a Fender 50's Classic Precision in the 70's position and it kills. Love that sound. Both pickups are overwound Lindy Fralins plus I upgraded the bridge to a Babicz. I've bought and built many basses since then, but every time I come back to that bass it just sounds so perfect. Most J's to me have sounded too nasal. But the PJ with that bridge pickup moved ever so slightly closer to the bridge just add the correct amount of brightness/scoop and maintains all the punch.

 

[lancer]

Have you checked out the American Elite series basses? I know you said you didn't want an active bass, but this has a passive/active switch and I think you may find the active electronics useful in some situations.

 

[TyC]

PJ bass, the sound I never knew I wanted!

I picked this up a couple of years ago used. Has a great tone. Pretty easy to dial in. That rich P-Bass sound, with a tad more edge, if needed. Fender made a brief run of these in 1997. Called the California Series. It is a passive PJ Bass.

 

[mbell75]

Get a Deluxe. Just get a Deluxe.

I did get a Deluxe and I don't really care for it. Fender seems to voice these higher end basses on the vintage side and I don't like the sound. I want the exact opposite, bright and punchy, not wooly and thumpy. My $199 Squier Affinity PJ sounds better than this $900 Fender Deluxe PJ I just picked up. The Squier is louder, fuller sounding and more punch. The noiseless J on the Deluxe is so low output and weak it's nearly useless. There is barely an audible change with it mixed with the P pickup, even wide open. The J on the Squier is much louder and has no problems being heard with the P pickup. I'll take the slight hum from the J pickup on the Squier when it's wide open, at least it's useable.

 

[Bassically Doug]

These are Roscoe Classic P/J basses. This photo was taken the day I picked mine up. Mine is the P-style body. The J-body bass was for another customer. Keith Roscoe refers to them as the Sea Foam Green cousins. They were both made at the same time, so Keith snapped a photo before I left with mine. My bass plays amazingly well, and the variety of tone possibilities is incredible. I get P-bass tone, Jaco Jazz tone, and with the pickup selection set to the center detent position, it produces a MusicMan-like tone.

 

[bigtone23]

Fender has quite a few P/J offerings, as does every other bass manufacturer out there (even Musicman--Caprice anyone?).
I also agree that most modern basses are not so precious and shouldn't be modified. If you find a P you really like: add a J pickup to it. If you find a J you really like, replace the neck pickup with a P pickup. Done. Now it's YOUR signature model.