Normal J size pickups that sound like a P?

[fretmeister]

Is there such a thing?

Or at least are there any that sound closer to a P than others?

 

I’m loving my Sandberg Superlight but my current gig works better with a P. I’m hoping to get the Sandberg closer in tone without getting a router out.

 

Any ideas? Or maybe a preamp swap to a 3 band to push the mids a bit?

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 4, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Reggaebass]

Not sure if this helps ,and I know nothing about electronics but, Kiogon made me a control setup for one of my jazzes which sounds very similar to my P ,  he completely rewired it and changed the caps , it transformed the sound.   I’m sure it can be done without getting the router out 🙂

[mcnach]

You won't get exactly that P sound, but a Model J is not a bad suggestion.

Another alternative is... get a new pickguard made with a cutout for a P style pickup, and just carefully route the body so you can install a P. You can always restore it to JJ  whenever you want. 

[JohnDaBass]

2 hours ago, Meddle said:

Dimarzio Model J is the closest I've heard.

I've used DiMarzio Model J' s in  a Fender Jazz Plus. Replaced the Lace Sensors and the active pre with V B T passive setup. With a well selected cap value I get very close to a typical P sound. Really lovely Pups with a broad range of powerful tones.

[fretmeister]

2 hours ago, Meddle said:

Dimarzio Model J is the closest I've heard.

Reading about this one. Seems like it’s noise cancelling but not a stack. Side by side coils. More like a P pickup.

 

Might have to try that!

[Cuzzie]

Haüssel 

They also do fat poles as well as normal sized.

massive beefy

[hooky_lowdown]

59 minutes ago, JohnDaBass said:

With a well selected cap value I get very close to a typical P sound.

Would be interested to know what cap value you use to get close to a P sound?

[KiOgon]

You want a Jazz pick up through a tuppeny halfpenny pre amp to sound like a proper passive P-bass?

I don't think so 😎

[Lozz196]

I’ve found that the Fender 74s that I’ve installed in my Squier VM 77 Jazz are able to get quite near the Precision sound with careful blending and eq, though do have to admit from what I’ve read about them the Dimarzio Model J would probably be my first shot to try and get the P-bass sound.

[Cuzzie]

1 minute ago, Meddle said:

Connecting the pickups in series rather than parallel can also coax out more mids.

If you wanted to achieve that without changing the pick ups then an easy mid is the Tonestyler Duo 6 Jazz plate V4 - would be completely passive then

https://store.stellartone.com/product.asp?specific=2130

should drop straight in

[wateroftyne]

Pickup is in a different position, and that’s partly where to P magic lies.

[Cuzzie]

3 minutes ago, Meddle said:

That looks quite fun, though I think the Stellartone stuff is overpriced for what it is, generally.

There is a number of ways of coaxing out series/parallel wiring. You can recreate the Gibson Bicentennial Thunderbird wiring scheme and get two volumes, tone and have the pickups in series. 

To get more mids, you can wire a fixed resistor in series with the hot end of the bridge pickup. This is the equivalent of backing off the bridge pickup a hair, allowing more of the neck pickup to dominate while still sounding like a classic Jazz Bass. 

Maybe, and value is in the eye of the beholder but the convenience of 6 to 10 different capacitor values to change your tonal roll off at a click of a dial and thus easy to remember is pretty handy - and second hand - incredible value 

[fretmeister]

2 hours ago, KiOgon said:

You want a Jazz pick up through a tuppeny halfpenny pre amp to sound like a proper passive P-bass?

I don't think so 😎

I think the Glockenklang pre is a bit better than tuppeny halfpenny!

 

[KiOgon]

1 minute ago, fretmeister said:

I think the Glockenklang pre is a bit better than tuppeny halfpenny!

 

I don't 😄

[fretmeister]

11 minutes ago, Meddle said:

I did exactly this! 

 

I added a Reggie Hamilton pickguard to a Squier '70s Jazz Bass body and MIM Jazz neck to make this thing. I used a dummy coil in the control cavity to keep the bridge pickup quiet.

I built this bass and then sold it on pretty quickly, so hopefully it is out there somewhere being played.

I'm planning to do the same to my sunburst Jazz Bass, but using Dimarzio Area P and J pickups this time.

 

That is interesting. Maybe it shunts the pickups in series? Cunning pot and cap choices won't put mids back into a passive circuit if they aren't there already, unless you use an inductor coil or something like that. 

I am giving this some thought as an option.

 

New plate and an Aguilar 60s wind Pickup could be perfect.

[Cuzzie]

4 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

I am giving this some thought as an option.

 

New plate and an Aguilar 60s wind Pickup could be perfect.

Careful if you rout the SL some more - it will float away!

[Cuzzie]

Talking pre-amps - Noll Electronics do some fine stuff, a bit more ‘aggressive’ than Glock and may coax some Mids out, or even the fine Aggie pre amp could be fitted.

How about the DG Tone Capsule - that’s 2 bands of Mids and no treble

[krispn]

One of these might do a good 50's era P sound.

https://nordstrandaudio.com/collections/4-string-jazz-bass-pickups/products/51-split-j-1

[mcnach]

1 hour ago, Meddle said:

I did exactly this! 

 

I added a Reggie Hamilton pickguard to a Squier '70s Jazz Bass body and MIM Jazz neck to make this thing. I used a dummy coil in the control cavity to keep the bridge pickup quiet.

I built this bass and then sold it on pretty quickly, so hopefully it is out there somewhere being played.

I'm planning to do the same to my sunburst Jazz Bass, but using Dimarzio Area P and J pickups this time.

 

That is interesting. Maybe it shunts the pickups in series? Cunning pot and cap choices won't put mids back into a passive circuit if they aren't there already, unless you use an inductor coil or something like that. 

 

very nice!

[Cuzzie]

45 minutes ago, krispn said:

One of these might do a good 50's era P sound.

https://nordstrandaudio.com/collections/4-string-jazz-bass-pickups/products/51-split-j-1

Gav - you know Turdstrand references are not allowed in threads I follow!

for a stacked P, Seymour Duncan hot stack found in the dusty hill bass is monster.

 

[Cuzzie]

Jaime at Creamery Pick ups based in Manchester is well worth talking too, nice guy, amazing pick ups, he may just be able to custom wind what you want if you can wait

[krispn]

1 minute ago, Cuzzie said:

Gav - you know Turdstrand references are not allowed in threads I follow!

for a stacked P, Seymour Duncan hot stack found in the dusty hill bass is monster.

 

The 'Dusty Hil' is a standard 51 pick up shape - the Split 51 is in a jazz pick up format/case. Gotta give the people what they want!

 

[DoubleOhStephan]

1 hour ago, Meddle said:

I'm planning to do the same to my sunburst Jazz Bass, but using Dimarzio Area P and J pickups this time.

Don't know what the pups are in mine (bought it from The Bass Gallery and they didn't know), but I've added KioGon stacked knobs and it sounds spot on. Bridge pickup adds a nice bit of bite when needed. 

Edited November 17, 2019 by DoubleOhStephan

[Cuzzie]

I know that - but routing has been mentioned and certainly preferable to turdstrands (all IMHO of course - no offence meant!)