Jazz bass with P pickup in the traditional place

[Davebassics]

I'm going to start gigging again soon in a function band and I don't feel like my P bass is versatile enough. Set list is mainly rock but there are a few songs that were originally played on Jazz basses or Musicman basses (RHCP,  RATM etc) and could do with some sort of replication of the iconic bass tones from the recordings. Maybe I'm overthinking it but my hobby is the production just as much as the performance.

Looking at some options for later down the line and what I'd ideally like is Jazz bass with a P neck, with the P pickup in the same position as a P and then either a J or MM pickup in the bridge position. Body shape and bridge pickup choice are negotiable. I'd also like to avoid anything custom or 'boutique' as I wouldn't want to worry about it getting lost, stolen, damaged etc. I'm not against building a blista to get me through. I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the following questions:

• Does this bass exist as a production model? (maruszczyk I am counting as custom and/or boutique)
• Aerodyne Jazz basses look good but I can't tell if the P Pickup is in the P position, it looks a bit close to the neck?
• I have read that Warmouth sell a jazz pickguard with the pickup in the correct position but I can't seem to find it on their website. There is only one but it doesn't specifically mention about the placement.
• Has anyone one here been through the same GAS, how did you solve it?!

[jrixn1]

8 minutes ago, Davebassics said:

what I'd ideally like is Jazz bass with a P neck, with the P pickup in the same position as a P and then either a J or MM pickup in the bridge position. Body shape and bridge pickup choice are negotiable. 

I think you're looking for a PJ bass.  Check out the current Yamaha BB series  e.g. BB434 (passive) or BB734A (active).

[Muzz]

I play RATM, RHCP and lots of other varied stuff, and since I got the Helix Stomp, I can get all those sounds out of the box without worrying too much about the actual bass.

IIRC, Warmoth do/used to do a J body with a rout for a P pickup in the right position (they also do/did the pickguard, but it's been a while since I looked), and oddly, though I don't like the look of Jazz basses at all, put a split-coil pickup on one and it's suddenly a lot more attractive. Yeah, I'm a weirdo... 😀

[EliasMooseblaster]

Hmm...I've tried a couple of Sandberg TM4s (Jazz front/Musicman back) which had a coil split switch for the MM pickup, so you could have J/MM blends or J/J. Now, Sandberg also do a VM4 which has a P pickup at the front. I don't know how easy it would be to find one of those with the MM coil split, but at least you'd have the core P and MM tones to play with.

[pete.young]

1 hour ago, EliasMooseblaster said:

Hmm...I've tried a couple of Sandberg TM4s (Jazz front/Musicman back) which had a coil split switch for the MM pickup, so you could have J/MM blends or J/J. Now, Sandberg also do a VM4 which has a P pickup at the front. I don't know how easy it would be to find one of those with the MM coil split, but at least you'd have the core P and MM tones to play with.

Think you will probably find though that the MM pickup isn't in the sweet spot, so you won't get much of a core MM tone. The ones I've tried have sounded more like a Jazz bridge on steroids.

[EliasMooseblaster]

1 minute ago, pete.young said:

Think you will probably find though that the MM pickup isn't in the sweet spot, so you won't get much of a core MM tone. The ones I've tried have sounded more like a Jazz bridge on steroids.

Ah, a bit more like a T-bird's bridge pickup? I must admit I don't think I've ever played a Ray, so I'm less familiar with the nuances of its tone!

[Cuzzie]

You are right about the sandberg - the ‘M’ pick up will not sound like a Ray, but it was never meant to - only a Ray sounds like a Ray (position , pre amp etc.)

The reverse split coil works nicely in conjunction with the M pick up and they are very very fine basses.

This is a fine example for sale one here

 

[Davebassics]

16 hours ago, Muzz said:

and oddly, though I don't like the look of Jazz basses at all, put a split-coil pickup on one and it's suddenly a lot more attractive. Yeah, I'm a weirdo... 😀

My preference is the jazz body regardless of pickups but I agree, there is something oddly satisfying about a P pickup on a J.

I found the option on Warmoth for the pickguard with the P pickup in the traditional position. The Pickup rout looks closer to the end of the guard than on most Jazz basses so I assume this what I'm looking for. Does anyone have any first hand experience? I'm off to america in a few weeks so would be a good time to pick one up.

 

[DoubleOhStephan]

Heads up, theres a Fender Reggie Hamilton Jazz with PJ pups on ebay atm - 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F163583437859

[crunchman]

3 hours ago, Davebassics said:

My preference is the jazz body regardless of pickups but I agree, there is something oddly satisfying about a P pickup on a J.

I found the option on Warmoth for the pickguard with the P pickup in the traditional position. The Pickup rout looks closer to the end of the guard than on most Jazz basses so I assume this what I'm looking for. Does anyone have any first hand experience? I'm off to america in a few weeks so would be a good time to pick one up.

 

I've not done that as importing from the US gets expensive.  There are people in the UK who will make a Custom scratchplate for less than it costs from Warmoth.  Anotehr alternative is the scratchplate for the Reggie Hamilton signature bass.  WD Music do one and I ended up buying that.  It doesn't have the P pickup in the exact position, but it is about a centimetre closer than the usual Jazz position.  My bass is Mexican, so the Reggie Hamilton scratchplate fitted nicely.  Not sure whether it would fit the US Fenders so nicely.  I've actually got that bass for sale, but it's a Jazz neck, so isn't what you are looking for.

[dave_bass5]

22 hours ago, Davebassics said:

I'm going to start gigging again soon in a function band and I don't feel like my P bass is versatile enough. Set list is mainly rock but there are a few songs that were originally played on Jazz basses or Musicman basses (RHCP,  RATM etc) and could do with some sort of replication of the iconic bass tones from the recordings. Maybe I'm overthinking it but my hobby is the production just as much as the performance.

 

Dont forget to buy the same amps and effects as well 🙂

I do think you are overthinking it, but thats part of the fun.

[Davebassics]

16 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Dont forget to buy the same amps and effects as well 🙂

I Wish! one thing at a time!

2 hours ago, crunchman said:

Anotehr alternative is the scratchplate for the Reggie Hamilton signature bass.  WD Music do one and I ended up buying that.  

Good shout, I've just had a look for it though and didn't see it on their site. Do you have a link? I'll be in America anyways so $34 from warmoth seems reasonable.

[AndyTravis]

5 hours ago, StevieE said:

Heads up, theres a Fender Reggie Hamilton Jazz with PJ pups on ebay atm - 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F163583437859

That’s stunning 

[dougieb]

I use a Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass with the P/J configuration and find it very versatile. I use it in a Rock/Blues covers band as well as a more function orientated band and it suits both fine. 

[jimmy23cricket]

Loads of options out there. Schecter Model T or this from ESP

[DoubleOhStephan]

2 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

That’s stunning 

If I hadn't just bought a 60s Jazz modded to PJ, I'd be all over this. 

[jimmy23cricket]

New for 2019 and its a good price too. £685 from Thomann....

The full fat custom (Frank Bello) version probably many many many more dollar!

[Davebassics]

And right on que this shows up on Facebook.

https://m.facebook.com/photos/viewer/?photoset_token=pcb.2070889902959748&photo=10156301313976194&profileid=100007108414334&source=48&refid=18&__tn__=EH-R

 

Dunno if the link will work if your not part of the group. Shame I won't be able to get down that neck of the woods in the foreseeable future.

 

EDIT: it's for sale in the marketplace aswell

 

Edited March 8, 2019 by Davebassics

[DarkHeart]

What about a Blacktop Jazz?

[Davebassics]

13 minutes ago, DarkHeart said:

What about a Blacktop Jazz?

Just looked them up. Looks to me like the neck pickup is in the jazz position not the traditional p position. 

It's difficult to know how much the position will affect the tone in a mix. I'm just approaching it with the idea that my p bass works for 90% of the set so don't mess with that part, just add the bit that will give you the last 10%. Although I'm not entertaining the idea of modding my existing P.

From my research so far, p bodies with or without the bridge pickup seem to be more available. I'm in no rush so could also explore that option 

[Davebassics]

I've been doing a little further reading and came across some unrelated interesting conversations over on TB (https://www.talkbass.com/threads/why-does-my-sr5-feel-shorter-than-my-p-bass.1299145/)

This gave me the idea of doing side by side comparisons on what would and wouldn't fit on a standard body shape. this image attached. I'm no graphics expert, and the horizontal lines are only accurate to about 200% zoom, but i think its accurate enough to get an idea of where the PUPs would be in their respective traditional positions.

To my eyes, it looks like a P pickup in the traditional position on a jazz, would cut into the edge of the pickguard at the A string. The bottom of a P pickup would also overlap the top of a MM pickup if both on the same body (hard to see because the stingray I used has a black PUP and black pickguard). To have a P and a MM in the same body you could route the DG string split of the split coil above the EA coil.

 

[DoubleOhStephan]

Looks like you're right. The Reggie Hamilton Jazz P pickup seems to be set back a little from the traditional P placement 

[machinehead]

That's interesting StevieE.

My PJ Jazz has the P pickup about 20mm closer to the nut than a traditional P bass.

On the other hand on my USA Jaguar has the P pickup only 5mm closer to the nut.

I do wonder if the different positions make much audible difference to the sound?  It's something I must try sometime although, on a gig, I don't know if it would be significant?

Frank.

[DoubleOhStephan]

1 hour ago, machinehead said:

I do wonder if the different positions make much audible difference to the sound?

I imagine it would make some difference, not sure if it would be audible anywhere other than in the studio though, although I'd love to hear your thoughts if you do a/b them. 

My PJ Jazz has gone off with my tech today so I can't do any measurements until the weekend, but I assume it's  either Reggie or Blacktop spec as the scratchplate doesn't look homemade. Hoping it's a Reggie as I want to get a tort plate for it 😬

[EliasMooseblaster]

On 08/03/2019 at 15:37, jimmy23cricket said:

Loads of options out there. Schecter Model T or this from ESP

 

Now this is a very important point: how has a thread loosely centred on P/J basses managed to get this far without me jumping on my flightcase to bang on about how wonderful the Schecter Model T is? Still one of my favourites (that I've owned), though in the name of full disclosure, I do believe the P pickup is a little bit further back than it would be on a "traditional" Precision. That said...

 

14 hours ago, machinehead said:

I do wonder if the different positions make much audible difference to the sound?  It's something I must try sometime although, on a gig, I don't know if it would be significant?

...it's subtle. I'd say it has a little bit more "honk" to the tone when isolated. Just to complicate things, my passive Model T has SD pickups (the actives have EMGs) and none of my other basses do, so I've not been able to compare like-for-like with pickup placement. If you back off the tone control a bit, this difference becomes even harder to detect. With other instruments piled on top, no one's going to hear the difference.