In search of the perfect PJ

[BillyBass]

I have a Yamaha BB434.  The P pup sounds great and the J pup is good for altering the tone of the P pup but its a bit weak on its own.  Is there such a thing as a PJ which has a J pup that can be used on its own without the P or perhaps with the P dialled in a bit and sound like my Jazz bass does?

 

What I'm after is a PJ that can be both P bass and jazz bass in one.  Anyone have such a bass?

[Lozz196]

Fender Deluxe/Elite Precision, J pickup def useable especially on active mode. I find I can get a good Cranberries/Zombie sound from it.

[Hellzero]

An old Yamaha TRB-4P will tick all the boxes.

[Hellzero]

A fretted Fender Tony Franklin signature model will also be perfect just like any very good sounding P-Bass with an added Jazz Bass pickup in the bridge position, which is a typical 80's mod.

 

Avoid the expensive Yamaha BB2024X that sound really dull, especially compared to an old Yamaha TRB-4P...

[ped]

I’ve never found a PJ that does a perfect J sound. Mind you not all Js do it either 😆

[Doctor J]

Adjust the pickup heights so the output of each is balanced through an amp. Use your ears to set the height, not your eyes. Generally, I find the bridge J needs to be considerably closer to the strings than the P.

[jd56hawk]

You might want to think outside the box.

One of only two PJs I'd spend my hard-earned money on...and nether have active electronics yet are as potent as any bass that does.

Reverend Decision 

 

P-BLADE

Captures the classic P-bass character, but with increased volume, sustain, clarity, and extended low end response. 42 gauge wire, ceramic magnet, 12K ohms

 

JAZZ BOMB BRIDGE

Warm mids and a focused attack, enhanced output, and still percussive when you dig in. Hum-free. 43 gauge wire, ceramic magnet, 14K ohms.

 

 

Edited September 21, 2021 by jd56hawk

[BillyBass]

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Fender Deluxe/Elite Precision, J pickup def useable especially on active mode. I find I can get a good Cranberries/Zombie sound from it.

The Elite is way over budget but the Deluxe is affordable, if not widely available.  I'm guessing the new 'Player Plus' might also fit the bill, as they have an 18v preamp.

 

And, coincidentally, we do Zombie, it's our warm up song.

[BillyBass]

1 hour ago, Doctor J said:

Adjust the pickup heights so the output of each is balanced through an amp. Use your ears to set the height, not your eyes. Generally, I find the bridge J needs to be considerably closer to the strings than the P.

Is this the answer for every PJ? Or are there drawbacks? Like more noise?

[BillyBass]

2 hours ago, jd56hawk said:

You might want to think outside the box.

One of only two PJs I'd spend my hard-earned money on...and nether have active electronics yet are as potent as any bass that does.

Reverend Decision 

 

P-BLADE

Captures the classic P-bass character, but with increased volume, sustain, clarity, and extended low end response. 42 gauge wire, ceramic magnet, 12K ohms

 

JAZZ BOMB BRIDGE

Warm mids and a focused attack, enhanced output, and still percussive when you dig in. Hum-free. 43 gauge wire, ceramic magnet, 14K ohms.

 

 

I like the look of Reverend basses and there are loads of different pick up options.  However, I picked one up in a store once, a couple of years ago and it felt really light, too light in fact, like it was a toy, not a bass.  It had a glossy black finish that looked fine but it was a fingerprint magnet.

 

I would be keen to try one again but they don't seem to be in stock anywhere over here at the moment.

[Sparky Mark]

The bridge pup on the RH has plenty of grunt on its own.

Edited September 21, 2021 by Sparky Mark

[Al Krow]

I've got the previous series model BB 1025 (the 4 string version is the 1024) and I find the the J pup a little grittier than the current series you have and which may be just what you're looking for tonally - I certainly use it on solo J when I'm particularly looking to cut through rather than sit in the band mix. 

 

Two more PJ basses that I have 5 string versions of:

 

A used Spector Euro LX4 would be superb, but they don't come cheap! 

 

Bit left field but likely to you impress for its outstanding value for money is the Harley Benton Marquess. Will cost you less new than many comparably spec'd basses used.

 

The other key factor to bear in mind is whether you go for an active or passive bass. The BB 434 you currently have is purely passive, as is the 1024. The other two basses I mentioned are both active and active preamps can make quite a big difference to the sound you're getting from your bass eg in being able to push the mids to enhance how much you cut through, but this is also something you can usually do from your amp. 

 

Edited September 21, 2021 by Al Krow

[TrevorG]

 love the J p/u on my Fender Ultra. Tiny bit louder than the split coil and really barky. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, BillyBass said:

Is this the answer for every PJ? Or are there drawbacks? Like more noise?

Generally speaking the Jazz pickup on most PJs will have some level of 60 cycle hum. One option that can work well but requires additional funds is to replace the J with a stacked pickup or a humbucking J style pickup. There are a number of options available to you there. If you can find a Fender with Noiseless pickups that is another good option. The version 5 Noiseless are quite good. I don’t care for version 3. 
 

Regardless, I agree with Doctor J about the Jazz pickup height. It normally needs to be closer to the strings than the P pickup.

[jd56hawk]

1 hour ago, BillyBass said:

I like the look of Reverend basses and there are loads of different pick up options.  However, I picked one up in a store once, a couple of years ago and it felt really light, too light in fact, like it was a toy, not a bass.  It had a glossy black finish that looked fine but it was a fingerprint magnet.

 

I would be keen to try one again but they don't seem to be in stock anywhere over here at the moment.

My Thundergun is 7.9 lbs...Korina.

Only thing heavy is the tone.

I'm guessing the one you tried was a Rumblefish...light and resonant due to its hollow design and phenolic composition, much like a Danelectro.

Today's Reverends are far more substantial, as solidly constructed as any quality bass.

[BillyBass]

7 hours ago, Moving Pictures said:

Generally speaking the Jazz pickup on most PJs will have some level of 60 cycle hum. One option that can work well but requires additional funds is to replace the J with a stacked pickup or a humbucking J style pickup. There are a number of options available to you there. If you can find a Fender with Noiseless pickups that is another good option. The version 5 Noiseless are quite good. I don’t care for version 3. 
 

Regardless, I agree with Doctor J about the Jazz pickup height. It normally needs to be closer to the strings than the P pickup.

I changed the pickups on my Jazz to Di Marzio Ultrajazzes and as well as sounding really good, they are hum cancelling.  This was what has pushed me to see if I can get one bass with really good J and P sounds. 

[BillyBass]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

 

From your comments it appears I have a few options.

 

1) Buy an active PJ, like all the Fenders in your posts

2) Adjust the height of the J pup on my BB

3) Buy a Reverend when shops in the UK are restocked.

 

Prior to starting this thread I was considering buying a Fender Jaguar or the Ashdown version of it.  I've never considered buying an active Fender but maybe I should look into it.

[Old Horse Murphy]

I'd look at the recent Charvel San Dimas basses too. The built quality is excellent and the DiMarzio pickups are really very good. They're a great price as well. 

Edited September 22, 2021 by Old Horse Murphy

[Hellzero]

@BillyBass You forgot one very important point :

 

4) Go to a real luthier who is also a bass player (there are some) and get your bass totally set up to your taste while staying there when he is doing the work. And don't forget that the strings have also a great impact on the sound. Come with your amp too.

 

You have excellent pickups on your bass, so the "issue" certainly is the perfect setup.

 

Sometimes it takes me 2 to 3 hours to have a perfect setup on a bass and I've set up thousands...

[fretmeister]

Pickup height is very important.

 

My PJs are both Ibanez. One has the stock pickups and the other has EMGs. On both the P pickup has loads more output than the J. That's partly because a P is just more powerful, but also because at the point it is sensing the strings the string movement is massive compared to where the J is.

 

My J pickups are raised very high until the point where there is about 1mm string clearance when the last fret is fretted. Then I adjust the P height to get similar levels when swapping between them.

The P will be lower but probably not as low as you might expect so will keep the lovely P tone fully.

 

Works for me!

[Nebadon2000]

16 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Fender Deluxe/Elite Precision, J pickup def useable especially on active mode. I find I can get a good Cranberries/Zombie sound from it.

You can ad Ultra to that list but price range out of line with BB434

 

Have not heard new Player Plus [sort of MIM version of Elite/Ultra] but maybe? at about $1100 US if looking New.

[LeftyJ]

Find a hot J-sized stacked-humbucker! A humbucking pickup will blend great with any splitcoil, as they're both in series and will compliment eachother nicely. The blended positions will also be fully humcancelling with this combination, unlike a splitcoil coupled with a true singlecoil. The series wiring also makes its output just that bit hotter. It's exactly the reason why the Fender Ultra P mentioned above works so well: it has a Fender Noiseless J-pickup, which is also a stacked humbucker. 

Edited September 22, 2021 by LeftyJ

[Reggaebass]

My P bass special does a very good job of this , but it’s the older 1998 model, they do come up now and again and are reasonably priced 

[horrorshowbass]

8 hours ago, Old Horse Murphy said:

I'd look at the recent Charvel San Dimas basses too. The built quality is excellent and the DiMarzio pickups are really very good. They're a great price as well. 

https://reverb.com/item/43566676-charvel-pro-mod-san-dimas-bass-pj-iv

 

Bargain

[TheGreek]

Is there not a solution in pedal form? Or on your EQ?