When did the first P/J's appear?

[Marc S]

In the last year or so, I've become a convert to the PJ pickup arrangement
I know several others have too - and quite a few who dislike their pickups this way - but each to their own

I've just been wondering recently, when did the first PJ pickup arrangement appear on a bass?
And more specifically, when did Fender produce their first PJ Precision bass?

I recall hearing or reading that Norman Watt-Roy spent his rent (and more) on his famous "Rhythm Stick" PJ Precision in the early 70's (was it '74?)
Did this bass start out as a PJ, or was the bridge pickup added? That's several questions, I know! lol

Oooooh - who first recorded with a PJ? Was it a Fender, or another bass?

Karlfer.... help

Edited August 18, 2017 by Marc S

[ivansc]

1983 for me. But in fairness that was me adding a J to the P myself.

Susepct it is a LOT older than that. Too easy to do.

[Dad3353]

PJ Proby, early '60s..?

PJ Harvey came much later, late '80s.

Hope this helps.

[Steve Browning]

I think people used to add a Jazz pickup to fretless Precisions quite regularly from quite early on. I suspect the trend started then and carried on.

[Marc S]

I don't recall seeing any PJ's looking at old footage, such as OGWT....
Steve Browning - I much prefer a Fretless J to a Fretless P. The J pickups just seem to create a better, more rounded mellow fretless tone IMO
I wonder if the first PJ's were fretless? Oh, that's another question

Edited August 18, 2017 by Marc S

[Steve Browning]

I know what you mean and I guess that was the reason for the addition of the J pick-up initially. I tend to use the bridge (piezo) pick up on the A/E fretless I have.

[Beedster]

Lots of folks who played the 70's Telebass added J-PUPs out of necessity. It was around the time that active onboard electronics and better bass amplification were emerging, and bass players were becoming more creative, but neither of these could do much about the mudbucker on the Telebass Whilst I remember some awful DIY mods at the time, quite a few luthiers routinely did the J-PUP mod on various basses, some fresh from the factory, so many of the early example appear to be factory but in fact aren't. Earliest P/Js I remember were Ibanez and Yamaha. Fender only caught up a while later.

[Marc S]

Thanks for your thoughts there Beedster
Yes, I recall seeing a few early Ibanez PJ's.
Just wondering whether Norman Watt-Roy's PJ was like that when he bought it in the early 70's,
Or whether he added the J pickup, as he liked the tones on his other bass - that distinctive Gold Jazz

I always thought he'd used the Jazz on the Blockheads records, but he says that he mostly used the PJ

[gjones]

Mighty mite were making PJ bodies in the early 80s. I know as I bought one.

[Beedster]

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1503050450' post='3355306']
Thanks for your thoughts there Beedster
Yes, I recall seeing a few early Ibanez PJ's.
Just wondering whether Norman Watt-Roy's PJ was like that when he bought it in the early 70's,
Or whether he added the J pickup, as he liked the tones on his other bass - that distinctive Gold Jazz

I always thought he'd used the Jazz on the Blockheads records, but he says that he mostly used the PJ
[/quote]

I'd imagine NWR's P/J was simply a modded Presision unless it's a very rare Fender indeed

[discreet]

When it started to get a bit chilly at night, I suppose.

...I'll get me coat.

[wateroftyne]

Freebo played one in the early 70s, maybe late 60s?

[EliasMooseblaster]

Wikipedia is infuriatingly evasive on the matter.

First run of active electronics? 1980-84
Precision pickup plus a bridge position humbucker? 1995-2009
First Precision with a Jazz pickup by the bridge? Diddly squat. They even acknowledge its existence but refuse to quote a year!

[Steve Browning]

I can certainly say there was no official P/J in 1974 - nothing like that in the Bells catalogue or Fender catalogues of the time.

Good point about Tele basses. I believe the brilliant Charlie Tumahai (Be Bop Deluxe) had two Jazz pickups on his Tele bass.

[ezbass]

A little history on Norman's PJ http://www.basscentre.com/british-bass-masters/bass-centre-rhythm-stick.html

[Nicko]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1503050786' post='3355312']
When it started to get a bit chilly at night, I suppose.

...I'll get me coat.
[/quote]

beat me to it

[Marc S]

Thanks for that link ezbass - I think that's where I'd read some of the info on NWR's bass
The line[b][i] "[color=#1D2837][font=poppins, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Duly christened “Paddy” and tricked out with a Jazz pickup in the bridge position......[/font][/color][/i][/b]
[color=#1D2837][font=poppins, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Suggests to me that Norman, or his chosen luthier would have done the PJ modifications to the bass then?[/font][/color]

[Highfox]

Norman's was a 74 I think.
When he tried my 69-70 P he asked me if I was going to put Jazz pickup on it , like he did with his P Bass

[deepbass5]

I was just checking Wiki - early 1800's

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pajamas

[BigRedX]

I'm definitely no Fender expert, but the only P-J configuration basses I can recall seeing in the 70s were all customised jobs either by the owner or by a luthier. The first production bass with that configuration would have most likely been something in the early 80s and I suspect would have had "Jackson" or "Charvel" on the headstock rather than "Fender".

[pfretrock]

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1503049384' post='3355289']
I don't recall seeing any PJ's looking at old footage, such as OGWT....
[/quote]

Looks like a PJ Mustang (Tina Weymouth), 1978. Does that count?

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxu5dKqEmZM"]https://www.youtube....h?v=Kxu5dKqEmZM[/url]

[Marc S]

It does indeed pfretrock.... well spotted - and I must have watched that clip several times! lol
Anyone got any pics / links to earlier examples?

Edited August 18, 2017 by Marc S

[KK Jale]

I'm going to bid 1976 (for production basses, at least) with this Ibanez...


[url=http://imgur.com/YSkLhOs][/url]

[KK Jale]

Fender were much later. This Fender Japan catalogue with the red P/J is from ’84, though the bass may have been released in ’83.

[url=http://imgur.com/IzWkSII][/url]

[TimR]

1967 on Play School, on bananas coming down the stairs.