Cons of PJ

[thegummy]

If you were going to buy a P-Bass and the exact same one was available but with a good J pickup also installed for the same price, would there be any downside to taking the PJ aside from if you think it would look worse?

Is there a compromise compared to just a P-bass or is the worst thing that could happen is that the J pickup sit there unused and redundant?

[CameronJ]

As far as I’m concerned, assuming the P pickup is the same model and placement in both models, there is no downside to having a J too. More is more.

[Norris]

I use my J a lot more since I fitted it with a series/parallel switch. The old electronics were pretty shot so I got @KiOgon to make me a new loom including a switch on the tone pot

[Len_derby]

One thing to consider is the neck.

A lot of the factory-made PJs seem to have neck profile in a jazz style rather than a precision style. For example, the Fender Precision Delux models.

That might not be what you want.

[LewisK1975]

24 minutes ago, Len_derby said:

One thing to consider is the neck.

A lot of the factory-made PJs seem to have neck profile in a jazz style rather than a precision style. For example, the Fender Precision Delux models.

That might not be what you want.

Correct, and definitely one to look out for if it's really a Precision 'feel' you're after..

I love my PJ's.  One is a 2015 Fender American Elite and the other is a Bitsa with a Japanese maple P neck and a squier VM body.  Both have 42mm / 1.625in Nuts.

[ead]

I like a PJ, either with a reversed P as on my Spector, or 'normal' on other basses.  It just gives an extra option to blend in as required.

[ikay]

It depends how the P and J pups are wired. If it has a single Vol and Tone and a 3-way pickup selector switch (P, P+J. J) then, when in the P position it will be exactly the same as a P bass. On the other hand, if the pickups are wired Vol/Vol/Tone (or Vol/Blend/Tone) then the resistance of the additional pot changes the pickup loading and the solo'd P will sound slightly darker. It's not hugely noticeable, but there is a subtle tonal difference. If you want to retain the original tonal range of the P pickup then wire it with a selector switch.

Edited April 5, 2018 by ikay

[Trueno]

Clearly no-one has any cons for the PJ... they just want the other bits according to personal taste. 

For myself I'd prefer a J body and neck and a VVT passive set up... and a short scale if yer asking. Interesting about the difference between pickup switch and VVT, but I still prefer the blendability.

[tom1946]

I have a P Lyte and as I never use jazz bridge pickups mine sits redundant, I only bought it because it was a P and it's very light. (no pun intended)

[BreadBin]

If nothing else a PJ gives you more places to rest your thumb when playing, so giving you more tonal options. 

[Thunderbird]

I always think a PJ makes the P pickup sound slightly different just to a straight P pup

[Raggy]

Every time I've used a bass fitted with the PJ configuration, the J gets turned off. Always sounds a bit too hollow and scooped for my tastes. 

[chris_b]

I've owned my fantastic passive Lull PJ5 for about 5 years. I was looking for a good quality Precision and it just happened that the best one I'd played in decades came with a Jazz bridge pickup. The J pickup was superfluous to the sound so I don't use it.

The P sound doesn't need a J pickup and I have the J5 for anything else that the Precision can't do. The Jazz does everything plus all the limited sound that the J bridge pickup brings, only it does it all better.

IMO get the best sound, buy 2 basses.

[Lozz196]

10 hours ago, thegummy said:

If you were going to buy a P-Bass and the exact same one was available but with a good J pickup also installed for the same price, would there be any downside to taking the PJ aside from if you think it would look worse?

Is there a compromise compared to just a P-bass or is the worst thing that could happen is that the J pickup sit there unused and redundant?

The only downside for me would be that I`d continually be trying different permutations of pickups for the ideal sound, whereas with a straight P-bass it`s everything on full all the time, less to think about. Additionally if your sound is a PJ and you have to use a different bass for whatever reason, well it`s much more likely that a regular P-bass will be at hand, maybe a Jazz, so replicating the sound of a PJ could prove difficult, easier to obtain a regular P-bass sound.

[Happy Jack]

Interesting that no one has mentioned the 'sweet spot' theory.

IME, and I've had a few P/J basses and far too many Precisions, having a P/J setup pushes the split-P pickup closer to the neck to make room for the J-pickup.

Whether or not there's a sweet spot, that move has to change the sound of the solo'd split-P as opposed to an equivalent Precision layout.

 

[Trueno]

There's a sweet spot? Bugger!

[Ghost_Bass]

Only donside for me in a PJ setup is that the bridge pickup isn't a H. A PH setup (with reversed P, if i'm chosing) is the best of everything especially with a coil tap on the H for added flexibility if a traditional Jazz sound is required.
Oh, and 5 strings and if it needs to be passive a stacked vol/tone for each pickup and light and the neck has to be vintage tinted and... Thats derailing the thread...

[thegummy]

59 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

Interesting that no one has mentioned the 'sweet spot' theory.

IME, and I've had a few P/J basses and far too many Precisions, having a P/J setup pushes the split-P pickup closer to the neck to make room for the J-pickup.

Whether or not there's a sweet spot, that move has to change the sound of the solo'd split-P as opposed to an equivalent Precision layout.

 

Really? I might be mis remembering but I thought I had measured a few and found the p to be in the same place. That's why I ask this question; if it's different then the answer is obvious.

I'll need to measure again.

[Misdee]

I've got a few PJ basses, and have owned a fair number over the years. They have their pluses and minuses, but in my opinion the pluses outweigh the minuses!

The biggest issue with this configuration, particularly on a conventional Fender -  style bass, is the inherent seeming difference in volume between P and J pickups. There are various reasons for this discrepancy, and some pickup sets address this problem more effectively than others. There is also an issue with phase cancellation when both pickups are on together. These are part of the characteristics of a PJ, and not necessarily a bad thing, but it is definitely a thing. A notable exception to the rule would be my Yamaha BB PJs. I've no idea how,  but these basses suffer none of these problems associated with more traditional PJs.

For me, adding a J pickup makes a traditional P much more versatile and articulate. It just makes it a much more useful bass, and I have never noticed any significant detriment to the sound of the P pickup.

 

[ikay]

1 hour ago, thegummy said:

Really? I might be mis remembering but I thought I had measured a few and found the p to be in the same place. 

If the bass is a P with an added J then generally the P is in the exact same place. If the bass is a J with a P neck pickup then it's generally a little bit north of where it should be. The other common positional variation with P/Js is having the J pickup in the 60s or 70s position.

I agree with Misdee about Yamaha BBs being among the best sounding P/Js. Particularly models with a hot blade J bridge pickup like the BB1024 etc. A regular J pickup just sounds weak when matched with a P and isn't man enough for the job IME.

Edited April 5, 2018 by ikay

[EliasMooseblaster]

2 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

Interesting that no one has mentioned the 'sweet spot' theory.

IME, and I've had a few P/J basses and far too many Precisions, having a P/J setup pushes the split-P pickup closer to the neck to make room for the J-pickup.

Whether or not there's a sweet spot, that move has to change the sound of the solo'd split-P as opposed to an equivalent Precision layout.

 

Curiouser and curiouser...on my own P/J, the split-P is actually closer to the bridge than on a normal Precision. Presumably that placement was chosen to impart a certain tone, though I've faint recollections of a thread on here about P/Js having the split-P moved bridgeward rather than neckward.

 

EDIT: I've just remembered I have a second P/J in the cupboard, a Fender to boot. I might have to make some measurements later.

Edited April 5, 2018 by EliasMooseblaster

[LewisK1975]

3 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

Interesting that no one has mentioned the 'sweet spot' theory.

IME, and I've had a few P/J basses and far too many Precisions, having a P/J setup pushes the split-P pickup closer to the neck to make room for the J-pickup.

Whether or not there's a sweet spot, that move has to change the sound of the solo'd split-P as opposed to an equivalent Precision layout.

 

Not true for ALL PJ's.  Some, yes, but definitely not all. YMMV!

[dannybuoy]

1 hour ago, ikay said:

If the bass is a P with an added J then generally the P is in the exact same place. If the bass is a J with a P neck pickup then it's generally a little bit north of where it should be. The other common positional variation with P/Js is having the J pickup in the 60s or 70s position.

I agree with Misdee about Yamaha BBs being among the best sounding P/Js. Particularly models with a hot blade J bridge pickup like the BB1024 etc. A regular J pickup just sounds weak when matched with a P and isn't man enough for the job IME.

+1, Yamaha nailed the BB pickups by having a super high output J bridge pickup - mine is louder than the P pickup. Blending the two sounds a lot more like that sound you get from a Jazz with both pups up full compared to many PJs where adding the J just slightly alters the main P sound rather than totally transforming it.

[Misdee]

I would have to make the distinction between Yamaha BBs and a Fender -style PJ. The Yamahas, particularly the bolt-on ones, may at face value share certain construction characteristics with a Fender, but in practice it is a very, very different animal.

A Fender - style PJ has its own idiosyncrasies and shortcomings, but can still be very enjoyable and useful.  How even do you need the output of the pups to be? I've got a USA Lakland 44-64 with a jazz neck and Lakland PJ pickups and it is a snarling beast of a bass. I cannot think of many musical situations where it wouldn't do an admirable job. A simple but very versatile and practical instrument.

Edited April 6, 2018 by Misdee

[mcnach]

On 4/5/2018 at 10:26, Raggy said:

Every time I've used a bass fitted with the PJ configuration, the J gets turned off. Always sounds a bit too hollow and scooped for my tastes. 

 

It can happen, yes. But it depends hugely on the actual pickups, wiring and how they're set up (balanced heights).

I currently own two PJ (one passive, another with active EMGs plus preamp) and while the position with both pickups on is slightly more scooped, it doesn't get lost at all. I like a bass with presence (despite my avatar, I use a Stingray most of the time). I rarely like the Jazz pickup on its own, it sounds too thin unless I use the preamp to thicken the sound a bit, so for me the bridge pickup is just there to add to the P pickup. I play with the pickup heights until it sounds right. Generally it means one of the is slightly more prominent on the 'both pickups on' mode than the other.