Difference in P and J sound: is it just the pickups?

[ingmar808]

Is there anything other than the pickups that contributes significantly to the sound of Precision compared with a Jazz?

I have a Modern Player Jazz, with which I'm very happy - love the neck, balance, feel etc. But I wouldn't mind more of a Precision-ish sound, if possible. Could this be achieved by simply adding/replacing with a Precision pickup?

If so, would this work in the bridge pickup position – or does the Precision pickup absolutely have to be in the mid/neck position?

On my MP, the neck pickup is pretty good (lots of warm bottom end) while I hate the bridge pickup – it's bass-light and honky – so ideally the Precision pickup would go there: but would it be too close to the bridge to sound any good?

Thanks for any advice...

[hubrad]

A P pickup in bridge position would sound a bit fatter than the J bridge pickup, but the J neck pickup will give you the more P like sound.
Just leave the bridge pickup off if you don't like that tone, or get a P bass!

[geoffbyrne]

DiMarzio Model 'J' is pretty much a 'straight' P pickup (i.e. two coils side by side in series).

You could try that in the neck position - I'm sure someone on here would have one to sell you at a reasonable price.

G.

[Rumple]

A P bass with a Jazz Bass neck would be ideal, I have one that I love.

Another option (that I also have) you could try is to put a series/parallel switch in your Jazz, it might not sound exactly like a P but will turn both pick-ups into one humbucker.

[JTUK]

Position of the pickup on a P is KEY.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1468500292' post='3091352']
Position of the pickup on a P is KEY.
[/quote]

This.

[discreet]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1468500544' post='3091359']
This.
[/quote]

That.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1468500866' post='3091362']
That.
[/quote]

Them.

[KevB]

The other?

[Muzz]

Those.

Warmoth do a scratchplate for a jazz that has a cutout in the right place for a P-in-a-J (it's not exactly where the J-pickup is): I had one (the bass, not just the scratchplate) and it did sound very very P-like.

[bonzodog]

[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1468499440' post='3091337']
A P bass with a Jazz Bass neck would be ideal, I have one that I love.

Another option (that I also have) you could try is to put a series/parallel switch in your Jazz, it might not sound exactly like a P but will turn both pick-ups into one humbucker.
[/quote]

Isn't the modern player jazz 2 humbuckers anyway?

[Dan Dare]

You can't simply drop a P pickup into a Jazz. You'd need to cut a different sized hole for it. Rather than wreck the re-sale value of your Jazz, best to just get a P bass.

[machinehead]

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1468511257' post='3091482']
You can't simply drop a P pickup into a Jazz. You'd need to cut a different sized hole for it. Rather than wreck the re-sale value of your Jazz, best to just get a P bass.
[/quote]

Or buy an American Standard Jaguar - P and J pickups as standard. And... passive/active.

Frank.

[Rumple]

[quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1468510258' post='3091472']
Isn't the modern player jazz 2 humbuckers anyway?
[/quote]

TBH I don't know, I just assumed it had standard Jazz pick-ups

[Beedster]

Try a series/parallel circuit, Kiogon on here will make you a very high quality version at a good price.

[TheGreek]

For the best of both worlds why not consider a SimS quatro pup....get a free humbucker too...

[JTUK]

Tried them the other day... really very good, and I prefer them to the big Block

[Painy]

For those not familiar and as bonzodog says, the modern player jazz has dual humbuckers already. On the later models these were coil tap-able by means of a 4 way rotary selector switch (I have one in a 5 string) which gives the options of HH/HS/SH/SS, plus the standard VVT controls.
I find the neck pickup solo'd in humbucker mode gets much closer to a precision sound than a standard jazz single coil. In fact whilst it's not exact played on its own, it's probably still close enough to pass for a P fairly convincingly when it's in the mix.

[Thunderpaws]

Get a Febder Aerodyne. A bit more expensive than a new pickup but then you'll have two bass guitars and he aerodyne will do P and J.

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1468500544' post='3091359']
This.
[/quote]
[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1468500866' post='3091362']
That.
[/quote]
[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1468501831' post='3091378']
Them.
[/quote]
[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1468501838' post='3091379']
The other?
[/quote]
[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1468503384' post='3091399']
Those.
[/quote]

What they said.

[AustinArto]

[quote name='Thunderpaws' timestamp='1468653805' post='3092352']
Get a Febder Aerodyne. A bit more expensive than a new pickup but then you'll have two bass guitars and he aerodyne will do P and J.
[/quote]

Or a Yamaha BB bass.

[Dan Dare]

Or a P Bass Special - P+J pickups. Love mine.

[Leon Transaxle]

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1468705765' post='3092835']
Or a P Bass Special - P+J pickups. Love mine.
[/quote]
This. Plus mine came with a Jazz neck.

[Damonjames]

[quote name='Leon Transaxle' timestamp='1468707373' post='3092858']

This. Plus mine came with a Jazz neck.
[/quote]

Mine is great! I can't see why you wouldn't want something like this rather than just a p. I'd rather have the bridge j and have it turned off than no have it and want it!

[Damonjames]

[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1468498533' post='3091328']
DiMarzio Model 'J' is pretty much a 'straight' P pickup (i.e. two coils side by side in series).

You could try that in the neck position - I'm sure someone on here would have one to sell you at a reasonable price.

G.
[/quote]

I've had these and they are epic!!!