Why do PJ basses always have J necks?

[JRA]

This is an unscientific opinion, but for some reason when I pick up a PJ bass, it doesn't quite have the same magic as either of its parts.

I'd rather have a P or J. Or both. Both is good.

add a PJ and have three. three is greater than two. two is better than one your inability to make sense of "beyond the binary," notwithstanding. good luck with your limits/boundaries conceptualizations.

seriously, lots of very competent players don't mind alternatives to the P vs. J, false-flag argument. "P vs. J" is a dido. "P and/or J vs. PJ" is a dido. no one can help it if another person(s) is more successful doing things differently than the expected herd-think on this forum.

a PJ with the J rolled off typically doesn't sound like the same P pup alone in another bass, and a PJ with the P rolled off typically doesn't sound like the same J pup alone (or with a neck J) in another bass. But, of course, my ear has been trained over years of playing to pick up obsessively subtle differences in tone.

maybe, but you might want to consider this: if the sum of the parts is greater than your ability to conceptualize the 'whole' = it doesn't matter!

one good pickup in a good place is good. two good pickups in good places is better. IME/IMO/YMMV/BFD/FWIW

per the OP: i wasn't aware that a P neck on a PJ bass was so 'unobtanium'. you might want to consider changing out necks to have your dream ax. easy peasy! good luck!

 

[Topkat13]

Have you inquired with any specific manufacturers? Are you referring to nut width? Neck profile? Number of frets? Odd assumption.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Yup. Avatar bass. Same. Precision Plus has a Precision width (but modern slim)...

I prefer jazz necks, but I ain't giving this one up.

My PBj is going to the grave with me. BTW, I have a N series Strat that’s a cut above as well.

 

[jdjk7]

add a PJ and have three. three is greater than two. two is better than one. your inability to make sense of "beyond the binary," notwithstanding. good luck with your limits/boundaries conceptualizations.

seriously, lots of very competent players don't mind alternatives to the P vs. J, false-flag argument. "P vs. J" is a dido. "P and/or J vs. PJ" is a dido. no one can help it if another person(s) is more successful doing things differently than the expected herd-think on this forum.


maybe, but you might want to consider this: if the sum of the parts is greater than your ability to conceptualize the 'whole' = you lose!

one good pickup in a good place is good. two good pickups in good places is better. IME/IMO/YMMV/BFD/FWIW

If you read what I said, you will note that I described my experience along with presenting a theory (described as such, not as truth) as to why it might be. I described what I would not do. If you want to tell me I'm factually wrong and that there is no electronic reason why the PJ sound might sum to less than its parts, then splain me. If you want to tell me that "the sound is just not for me", then tell me that. Either option is preferable to presumptively determining that my conceptualization ability is not up to snuff only because you disagree with my opinion.

Just as well-- my main bass is a Fender design that is neither Precision- nor Jazz-based. I'm perfectly happy with breaking or altering the P/J dichotomy, and frankly in that realm I find the PJ to be a weak answer if not a cop-out. A P/J configuration with an active preamp slapped into some non-Fender Shaped Object is pretty much the scope of many alternative bass designs nowadays, and it bores the hell out of me. I would much rather see different pickups, different electronics, different control layouts... the sort of stuff that is usually only relegated to signature models and reissues. Leo Fender hit the nail on the head with both the Precision and the Jazz, but his vision was moving onward and upward instead of remaining complacent with what's "good enough" at the moment. Just as well, there are plenty of designs from decades past that were worth considering but for some reason or another did not catch. Frankly, those are what interest me most.

 

[mmbongo]

I also got an American Performer PJ and yes it has a modern P neck, 1.5" nut I believe. Super comfy and I love the thing.

The ONLY thing I will knock it on is that I don't really think the stock pickups are the best PJ pairing. Rolling in the J progressively rolls off the low end response. Like a lot. The J by itself is OK, and the P by itself is GREAT. But almost any blending of the two is just about unusable to me. I am still weighing options for pickup upgrades here and may go down the TB tried-and-true Geezer route, but am fancying a chat with Lindy Fralin to hear his thoughts first.

The neck on the American Performer PJ is 1.625"

However, the pickups should not work like you describe. The Yosemite's sound fantastic and there is no low end loss when blending the pickups..in fact there may be more sheer bottom end with both pickups on. You may want to check and make sure your pickups are not wired out of phase, did you buy the bass new?

All that being said, I installed the Duncan Quarter Pounder P/J set in mine which turned it into a tone monster. So deep and thick with a huge midrange punch, they are perfect for that bass. I tried Fralins, GZR's, Aero's, and a few others but nothing sounded like the QP's! The others weren't really a huge upgrade from the stock Yosemites, just different.

 

[BaltBass5]

My Spector Euros don’t have J necks.

 

[Relayer71]

Who makes PJ basses with P style necks?

Spector necks are more P than J.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I've started sniffing around for a P bass.. So I figured, why not make ait a bit more versatile and add a J pickup in the mix as well? Pure P tones when I need it, and then blend in some of that honky bridge pickup when I'm feeling crazy.

But it seems like almost every bass manufacturer out there does the same exact thing: Once the J pickup goes in, the neck taper and nut width goes from a nice chunky P neck to that dreadfully narrow J neck (just my personal taste, obviously)

Even if the body shape and control layout is obviously based on a Precision, the neck always seems to be based on a J.

Is there a reason for this? Or is it just one of those "that's how Fender did it back in the day, so that's what everyone does now" deals?

Who makes PJ basses with P style necks?

There's not much difference between the two necks. They don't make chunky P necks anymore. They have the same profile. The only difference between the two is a millimeter or so at the nut.

And every PJ configured Precision bass, made by Fender, has a P neck. Except the special, and the aerodyne Jazz.

And maybe the boxer. Not sure on that one.

 

[JRA]

If you read what I said, you will note that I described my experience along with presenting a theory (described as such, not as truth) as to why it might be. I described what I would not do. If you want to tell me I'm factually wrong...then splain me. If you want to tell me that "the sound is just not for me", then tell me that..... my main bass is a Fender design that is neither Precision- nor Jazz-based. I'm perfectly happy with breaking or altering the P/J dichotomy, and frankly in that realm I find the PJ to be a weak answer if not a cop-out. A P/J configuration with an active preamp slapped into some non-Fender Shaped Object is pretty much the scope of many alternative bass designs nowadays, and it bores the hell out of me. I would much rather see different pickups, different electronics, different control layouts... the sort of stuff that is usually only relegated to signature models and reissues. Leo Fender hit the nail on the head with both the Precision and the Jazz, but his vision was moving onward and upward instead of remaining complacent with what's "good enough" at the moment. Just as well, there are plenty of designs from decades past that were worth considering but for some reason or another did not catch. Frankly, those are what interest me most.

i read what you said. now you give me two choices! i vote "neither one."

you said that when you pick up a PJ "it doesn't quite have the same magic as either of its parts." i pick up a PJ and i think that it exceeds your experience, 'transformatively'. we differ in our opinions and our POV. i think your POV is 'limited'. we can disagree.
- to each his own.
- play what you like.
- there is no best unless it's "best" for you.
- yada yada.

although leo ain't my hero = i cannot help but be grateful for his legendary persistence. i've played a namesake or a clone almost every day of my bass-player life....albeit, mostly PJs.

i like PJs (actually: two pickup axes) more than Ps. i like them more than Js (because of that split coil in the PJ). i think there are other two-pickup configurations that are even better than fender-style PJs. i doubt that either one of us knows the limitations of leo's thinking, but if you feel that his "vision" influences your thinking/POV = cool beans!

 

[Rip Van Dan]

I've started sniffing around for a P bass.. So I figured, why not make ait a bit more versatile and add a J pickup in the mix as well? Pure P tones when I need it, and then blend in some of that honky bridge pickup when I'm feeling crazy.

But it seems like almost every bass manufacturer out there does the same exact thing: Once the J pickup goes in, the neck taper and nut width goes from a nice chunky P neck to that dreadfully narrow J neck (just my personal taste, obviously)

Even if the body shape and control layout is obviously based on a Precision, the neck always seems to be based on a J.

Is there a reason for this? Or is it just one of those "that's how Fender did it back in the day, so that's what everyone does now" deals?

Who makes PJ basses with P style necks?

I think that's probably because they are expecting more Jazz Bass players to buy P/J than P-bass buyers. Most Jazz players love the different sounds their Jazz can play, but it can't really get a P-bass sound out of it. So here's a bass with J pickup by the bridge and split-coil pickups in the neck pickup position. With that set up, they can run just the split-coil pickups and nail that classic P-bass sound and still get close to the Jazz sound with that Jazz pickup in the bridge position. Jazz Bass players are used to the slimmer and narrower neck on the Jazz bass.

I'm one such guy. I've only played Jazz Basses with the 60's slim C-shape neck with a 7.25" radius. Most of the P-bass necks I've played are just too chunky and thick from back to front on the neck. Back in 2018 my wife and I spent Christmas with my youngest son and his family in Australia. My Grandson got a Squier Affinity P/J Bass for Christmas and when I played it, I was suprisingly comfortable with it. That's because it has a slim neck front to back.

Most P-bass players that I know are not real interested in getting another sound besides the trademark sound that a Precision Bass makes. So it might just be that simple that they thought it would appeal to Jazz Bass players more than it would appeal to P-Bass players, so they put the Jazz neck on it.

 

[Eric Swaim]

Fender put put the Hot Rod Precision Bass with P&J's from 1999-2001 and it had a Precision neck with nut width at 1 5/8". Later in the early 2011 or so they did the 1960's hot rod, in essence the same bass and again P&J's with Precision neck feel with 1 5/8 nut.

I thing if you research for enough you will find all types of necks on P&J basses.

 

[Nebadon2000]

I think there’s a bit of a breakdown in communication happening here.

American Performer PJ with a 1.5” nut is a J style neck, even if the decal says “Precision”.

Yep a communication problem; American Performer has a 1.625 width neck

My Ultra Precision[P/J] also has 1.625 but for 25 years I played a '75 Fender P with 1.75 width which I prefer; EBMM Stingray's 1.7 also feels better to me.

 

[joel406]

I've started sniffing around for a P bass.. So I figured, why not make ait a bit more versatile and add a J pickup in the mix as well? Pure P tones when I need it, and then blend in some of that honky bridge pickup when I'm feeling

crazy.

But it seems like almost every bass manufacturer out there does the same exact thing: Once the J pickup goes in, the neck taper and nut width goes from a nice chunky P neck to that dreadfully narrow J neck (just my personal taste, obviously)

Even if the body shape and control layout is obviously based on a Precision, the neck always seems to be based on a J.

Is there a reason for this? Or is it just one of those "that's how Fender did it back in the day, so that's what everyone does now" deals?

Who makes PJ basses with P style necks?

Not all have Jazz necks.

 

[themickster]

I've started sniffing around for a P bass.. So I figured, why not make ait a bit more versatile and add a J pickup in the mix as well? Pure P tones when I need it, and then blend in some of that honky bridge pickup when I'm feeling crazy.

But it seems like almost every bass manufacturer out there does the same exact thing: Once the J pickup goes in, the neck taper and nut width goes from a nice chunky P neck to that dreadfully narrow J neck (just my personal taste, obviously)

Even if the body shape and control layout is obviously based on a Precision, the neck always seems to be based on a J.

Is there a reason for this? Or is it just one of those "that's how Fender did it back in the day, so that's what everyone does now" deals?

Who makes PJ basses with P style necks?

I've seen a Jazzmaster with a P at the neck.

 

[Moving Pictures]

There's not much difference between the two necks. They don't make chunky P necks anymore. They have the same profile. The only difference between the two is a millimeter or so at the nut.

And every PJ configured Precision bass, made by Fender, has a P neck. Except the special, and the aerodyne Jazz.

And maybe the boxer. Not sure on that one.

The Boxer has a Jazz sized neck but with a 12” radius. Very early Peavey like and quite enjoyable.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

The Boxer has a Jazz sized neck but with a 12” radius. Very early Peavey like and quite enjoyable.

Alright. I thought so. It was kinda their modern take on things.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I've seen a Jazzmaster with a P at the neck.

My jazzmaster has a P neck. But, all of my basses have a P neck. Regardless of what they might look like.

 

[cavemanbass]

I've started sniffing around for a P bass.. So I figured, why not make ait a bit more versatile and add a J pickup in the mix as well? Pure P tones when I need it, and then blend in some of that honky bridge pickup when I'm feeling crazy.

But it seems like almost every bass manufacturer out there does the same exact thing: Once the J pickup goes in, the neck taper and nut width goes from a nice chunky P neck to that dreadfully narrow J neck (just my personal taste, obviously)

Even if the body shape and control layout is obviously based on a Precision, the neck always seems to be based on a J.

Is there a reason for this? Or is it just one of those "that's how Fender did it back in the day, so that's what everyone does now" deals?

Who makes PJ basses with P style necks?

My 2006 Fender deluxe P (ok I guess you’d have to call it a PJJ since there are two J pickups wired as a single humbucker) has a real nice P width neck.

 

[klejst]

Maybe it's just me, but I always seemed to associate PJ basses more so as a jazz bass/part of the jazz bass family.

 

[Fathand]

I've wondered also about this, and came up with these alternatives for PJ's with wider necks:
- Jackson X-series Concert basses. I just bought the older PJ model used, but the new Jackenbacker model necks were also wider at the nut (IIRC, Jackson's website is under maintenance just now). Necks are slim, but wide at the nut which I like. Seem to be pretty decent basses as well (made in Indonesia, most likely at the same factory that does Squiers), or at least mine is. Fretwork is decent at best, but otherwise seems pretty solidly built.
- Yamaha BB basses. I never got to check these out before I bought the Jackson, but I like the design. If my self control lapses, might get one of these as well at some point

Then there's always the custom/semi custom route, like Maruszczyk etc.