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In search of the perfect PJ


BillyBass

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On 22/09/2021 at 07:43, BillyBass said:

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.

The USA Jaguar is an excellent choice.  They were only available for 2 years. A PJ setup and active/passive option.  They're not easy to find now but well worth seeking out. I have an Olympic white one. (Not for sale.) :)

Frank.

Edited by machinehead
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2 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

Not strictly PJ of course, but this is the route I went down. That humbucker is perfectly balanced with the P - it absolutely pokes… and it’s all-passive.

 

PB110339.thumb.jpg.d6e5ebbe71d2677193840f7ce9a1a01d.jpg

 

I look at that and daydream of stacking the volumes and turning the 2nd knob into a five way selector: P, P+inner, P+both, P+outer, humbucker alone .... from which we can conclude that I've spent too much time reading about EBMM selector switches this week

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46 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

 

I look at that and daydream of stacking the volumes and turning the 2nd knob into a five way selector: P, P+inner, P+both, P+outer, humbucker alone .... from which we can conclude that I've spent too much time reading about EBMM selector switches this week

I look at that and want that many basses in my life....

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1 hour ago, horrorshowbass said:

I look at that and want that many basses in my life....

 

5 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

Not strictly PJ of course, but this is the route I went down. That humbucker is perfectly balanced with the P - it absolutely pokes… and it’s all-passive.

 

PB110339.thumb.jpg.d6e5ebbe71d2677193840f7ce9a1a01d.jpg

Thought you were a 'strictly only 3 basses, one in one out' type of guy. What happened?

 

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On 25/09/2021 at 07:55, wateroftyne said:

Not strictly PJ of course, but this is the route I went down. That humbucker is perfectly balanced with the P - it absolutely pokes… and it’s all-passive.

 

PB110339.thumb.jpg.d6e5ebbe71d2677193840f7ce9a1a01d.jpg

What I’m after is a versatile bass, so PJ or HH or a combination of the two are what I should be looking at I suppose.  
 

I’m in Northumberland for a week and before driving back down to London on Monday I’ll pop into Guitarguitar Newcastle, and maybe the PMT around the corner, and try a few options in my budget.

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12 minutes ago, BillyBass said:

What I’m after is a versatile bass, so PJ or HH or a combination of the two are what I should be looking at I suppose.  
 

I’m in Northumberland for a week and before driving back down to London on Monday I’ll pop into Guitarguitar Newcastle, and maybe the PMT around the corner, and try a few options in my budget.

 

You're welcome to swing by me (near Whitley Bay) and see what this can do.

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15 minutes ago, Pirellithecat said:

Hi,   I'd be very keen to try the Lakland 44-64 Custom PJ - which Guitar Guitar in Newcastle have in Stock!   I'd also try a Sandberg VT4.   I have the VM4 and it's a cracking bass - but maybe not very typical PJ as it's a little on the Modern end of things in terms of tone! 

The Lakland is one of the basses I am keen to try.

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On a MM/J set up on a Cort GB75 I had, the humbucker seriously overpowered the neck single J but by dropping the humbucker and raising the single coil, I got them sounding balanced in output when isolated as well as when both were on together.

Same deal with a G&L SB-2 which is a P/J. On that bass the I’ve read that the bridge J pup is meant to be used to add a bit of colour to the split P MFD in the neck but I managed to get a good output balance between them both. 
 

Worth half an hour or so experimenting imo

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I recently acquired this on here.  It's a bitsa and swapped out the pickups and electronics and fitted a set of EMG Geezers instead.  It's a sweet instrument.  Just need some flat topped knobs to finish it off now.

 

1287819868_PJ01.thumb.jpeg.cc69216bb56555f01cc0da0db2618d9d.jpeg

Edited by ead
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I find the Sandberg Umbo to be the perfect mix of P and J. 

The warmer Alnico 3 pickups put the front pickup into P territory alone, but still sound like a Jazz when both are selected. Having 2 of the same pickup sidesteps the issues of a P and a J together that I find with my actual PJ.

 

The passive circuit is quite quirky but capable of very diverse tones, from thumpy to bright to even semi acoustic like tones. 

988343708_redumbo.jpg.f338544ef0586ad2801a0f963d714d9c.jpg

Edited by Opticaleye
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5 hours ago, barrycreed said:

Boxer bass anyone?

A50E63B9-FB31-4D38-B27E-D72903965BF4.thumb.jpeg.455da33982a5cce740d4af23637ae77a.jpeg
 

This is the route I went and I really don’t like most Fender PJs (Ultra and Elite the exception). I like this one because of the 3 way switch which behaves the same as the one on the BB414 I had. It may end up with a stacked Jazz pickup to eliminate the 60 cycle hum. 
 

Another option I haven’t seen if you want a bass to cop the Precision and Jazz sounds would to be source a Fender (Stu Hamm) Urge II. Hard to find but worth the effort. I have a friend that plays one and it is very versatile without being complex. 

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On 28/09/2021 at 15:52, Pirellithecat said:

Hi,   I'd be very keen to try the Lakland 44-64 Custom PJ - which Guitar Guitar in Newcastle have in Stock!   I'd also try a Sandberg VT4.   I have the VM4 and it's a cracking bass - but maybe not very typical PJ as it's a little on the Modern end of things in terms of tone! 

I did try the Lakland.  Its a nice bass.  I was slightly underwhelmed I will admit but that is because it didn't give me anything, tonally, that I didn't already have.  Its a passive PJ.  

 

The neck is Jazz like, certainly narrower at the nut than a P bass but perhaps slightly deeper than a Jazz, I could be mistaken.

 

The inlays are really nice but they would look so much better on a darker fretboard as the maple is so light in colour the inlays don't stand out at all.  The body-and matching headstock-colour is not exactly blue, sort of a blue/grey silver metallic.

 

Its a good bass and worth the £1200 they are asking for it.  Its Asian built but they look it over in the U.S. before shipping and they do the 'Plek' fret treatment. 

 

I opted for a cheaper and, I believe, superior bass in the Balaguer (I've started a NBD thread about this).  

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