Converting a J to a PJ

[Simon.]

Holla folks,

After many months of searching for a PJ style bass with a blocks & bound Jazz neck, and missing out on a Lakland Duck Dunn, I've been considering getting a nice Jazz, probably a MIJ 75 re-issue, and converting it to a PJ.

Ideally I would like to be able to have it set up & routed so the neck pickup could be swapped between the J & P pup if so desired, with an appropriate change of scratch plate.

Has anyone tried this or seen it done?

Cheers.

[The Bass Doc]

Done it three times - no problem, only the scratchplates to interchange.

[bremen]

I was going to suggest having a look see what Warmoth could do for you - they have a lot of bodies that they haven't yet routed for pickups and will do whatever you like (they did me a PJ and a P with a MM pickup). But then I looked at the prices.

[EdwardHimself]

doesn't sound like too much of a problem to me no. Maybe you ought to consider terminating the pickup connectors where the rout is so that you can swap them out easily with just a scratchplate change?

[The Bass Doc]

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1322230385' post='1448299']
Just a "swimming pool" route behind the plate surely?
[/quote]

More like a paddling pool actually

[dave_bass5]

I did this with my Lakland DJ5. Actually i had the gallery do it. It worked pretty well IMO. I never really got on with the bass so sold it but i do now regret it. I think its still doing the rounds on here.




I believe the Sadowsky PJ's allow you to change the pup between a P and a J, and come with 2 pick guards, each cut differently to allow either pup to be used. my one used a normal Jazz pick guard that the Gallery cut to fit the front pup but i think the Sadowsky one is a bit longer, allowing the front pup to sit where it should be on a P (this is from memory, and never having owned one)

Edited November 25, 2011 by dave_bass5

[Simon.]

Cheers for the info folks - glad to know that I'm not alone in thinking along these lines.

Bremen - having recently completed a Bitsa jazz build, I was tempted to go down the route of getting a body made and buy all the bits, but have fallen badly in love with this:
[IMG]http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n535/Simon_Ritson/JB75-OLB.jpg[/IMG]

Already having one MIJ 75RI, which is going to get moved on to part fund this, I love the neck profile, and can't fault the build quality, I was more than happy to go for the same basic bass, but do the mods. Was thinking of a set of either Wizard or Lindy Fralin pups.

EH - nice idea on putting connectors on the terminations. Would make swapping back and forth much easier.

[machinehead]

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1322235718' post='1448422']
I did this with my Lakland DJ5. Actually i had the gallery do it. It worked pretty well IMO. I never really got on with the bass so sold it but i do now regret it. I think its still doing the rounds on here.




I believe the Sadowsky PJ's allow you to change the pup between a P and a J, and come with 2 pick guards, each cut differently to allow either pup to be used. my one used a normal Jazz pick guard that the Gallery cut to fit the front pup but i think the Sadowsky one is a bit longer, allowing the front pup to sit where it should be on a P (this is from memory, and never having owned one)
[/quote]

Apologies for going slightly off topic but I've played this bass Dave and it's a cracker. Well set up and very lightweight. A real gem.

What didn't you like about it?

Frank.

[mr zed]

This....http://basschat.co.uk/topic/158447-sadowsky-nyc-vintage-j-with-pj-and-jj-option-dapne-blue-immaculate-l2100/

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1322255985' post='1448783']
Apologies for going slightly off topic but I've played this bass Dave and it's a cracker. Well set up and very lightweight. A real gem.

What didn't you like about it?

Frank.
[/quote]

From the moment I first pugged it in (as a jazz bass) i never really got on with the deep tone. I felt compared to my HW-1 Jazz bas sit lacked clarity and punch.
Even changing the pups to Nordstrands didnt really help. In all other respects i loved the bass and given the choice again, i would definitly keep it.
I belive its been converted to active and back again since i sold it. I wonder who has it now.

[machinehead]

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1322258759' post='1448810']
From the moment I first pugged it in (as a jazz bass) i never really got on with the deep tone. I felt compared to my HW-1 Jazz bas sit lacked clarity and punch.
Even changing the pups to Nordstrands didnt really help. In all other respects i loved the bass and given the choice again, i would definitly keep it.
I belive its been converted to active and back again since i sold it. I wonder who has it now.
[/quote]

Interesting that the bass kept its core sound even after changing the pickups.

I don't know where the bass is now but when I played it, it was owned by markbass555 who also lives in N Ireland. He might still have it. I know he's a big Lakland fan.

frank.

[dave_bass5]

Up to that point the only Jazz I had played was my HW-1. That had a different tone and i guess i was expecting the DJ5 to have it. The DJ5 sounded great but it just wasn't what i was looking for at the time. I Also think maybe i didn't like the Nordstrands so it might just be coincidence.
By the time i had placed the for sale ad i had come to like it but also moved on to a different tone so it made sense to sell it while i could get a good price for it.

The original buyer was also in N.I. I cant remeber who it was now but i know he sold it on.

[zijianli1988]

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1322235718' post='1448422']
I did this with my Lakland DJ5. Actually i had the gallery do it. It worked pretty well IMO. I never really got on with the bass so sold it but i do now regret it. I think its still doing the rounds on here.




I believe the Sadowsky PJ's allow you to change the pup between a P and a J, and come with 2 pick guards, each cut differently to allow either pup to be used. my one used a normal Jazz pick guard that the Gallery cut to fit the front pup but i think the Sadowsky one is a bit longer, allowing the front pup to sit where it should be on a P (this is from memory, and never having owned one)
[/quote]

Looks awesome!