Had 2 moments of, "Huh!...INTERESTING..." 1) When he demonstrated to tonal differences in the P pickup by using switch to go between series and parallel. Find myself contemplating installing a switch to get those differences. 2) When he played the J pickup solo with tone completely rolled off. Clarity without harshness. Perfect solo tone.
You did a great job in this video. Another way to get a P bass to sound less in your face is to turn the amp up a little and play with a lighter touch or play closer to the neck.
Thanks for all the info! Extremely detailed. Now I want to put it to use. I recently bought an Affinity PJ bass that I plan to upgrade with a Fender Jazz bass bridge and 62 P bass pickups. Now I'm looking for a wire harness and see that there are people who are selling custom wired harnesses. Question is, to get the most sounds out of the PJ configuration, what would be the best way to wire the pots?
That was an awesome, thank you. That gives me a solid reason to upgrade to a PJ configuration. I know before that I will not get really close to the J sound, except if the P pickups are in series as you demo'd in your video. So, you're 2 switches are for 1.turning of/off the J pickup and for 2.switching the P pickups into series or humbuckers? You're only knob is the volume control which sets the J and the Ps to always same volume level?
you can do the opposite using a jazz bass with a switch that wires the single coils in series :) yes, you would turn them in a humbucker and not in a splitcoil, but in this configuration the sound should be similar
Yeah - I have that mod in an old book I have, but have never had a Jazz Bass long enough to give it a try. I have heard that it can give a very P-Bass tone out of the Jazz, but I have no experience with it. Great point!
Nice video 👍, speaking of passive and Stingray I just got an olp Stingray which was a license Music Man copy but it came passive. I saw some videos before I actually got the base and they sounded like a stingray just the bite wasn't as pronounced as it is on an active base, I got it at a pawn shop for a hundred bucks so it was a chance I couldn't pass up and sure enough in person it has that Stingray bite and that's with just the generic stock pickup with an upgraded pickup I'm sure it'll sound a lot better
I have to disagree on one point. I find that a split P pickup gets lost in practice or on stage with a loud band unless the bass is also very loud (for rock and metal anyway). I find the need for the bridge pickup in order for the bass to cut through, especially if the sound man is asking the bass stage volume to be lower.
What I usually find in those situations is that I have too much low end and not enough mids. Try setting your amp flat, turning it up to a level you can hear, and tweaking the eq from there.
How do you feel about just getting a jazz bass (I like the thinner neck) and rolling off the bridge pickup and tone a bit? That can approximate the p bass sound fairly well.
There is an old mod that can be done to a jazz bass that can really help it sound like a p-bass. It is called a series parallel switch. Similar idea with what i did to my p bass. Otherwise, a jazz still sounds pretty thin in the lower mids....
Hi, nice video! I have an old Aria Pro II Wildcat Bass with PJ pickups. I play a lot of different styles, main instrument is guitar but likes to play bass as well. Gives a wider view to music. Well enough of that, I dont have had any other basses so my knowledge of different types of bass is next to nothing. But as you say, I can get a very versatile sound of my bass with this PJ setup. The only issue I have with my old bass is a lot of hum, any suggestions to good silent pickup to buy? Plays Blues, Jazz, Prog so really the J-bass deep end sound and the prog-p bass sound is preferred but withouth that hum and noise. I've meassured, its grounded but still..well, its old. I guess EMG pickups are great and may cure my hum.problem..well I hum a little bit myself sometimes.
I never like that combo, when you use both pickups you don't get a Jazz Bass sound nor something that sounds good in it's unique way, the only good thing is that you can use each pickup individually so you get the PBass and the bridge pickup Jazz sound.
Hey ! ( sorry for my bad english ) I have 400-500 € budjet for a new bass, and I want really great sond. if I buy a fender squier affinity JP bass, for 220€, and I buy Seymour duncan APJ-2 lightnin rod PU set for 200€ for total 420€ What do you think about that ?
I think you should buy the bass, and then take it somewhere to get professionally set up. Just leave everything else the way it is for a couple years. I am surprised at how good stock pickups can sound.
Good video. Usefull all the way. I'm tired of people just slaping, come on! In the real world you don't slapp all the time, only in your bedroom praticing.
Slapping only went out of style if you think of it only as early Red Hot Chili Peppers. Tasteful, soulful slapping is perennial in soul and funk. No need to discard or use techniques to follow trends-just make the sound work for you.
Thanks for this video: I think it is the most thorough walkthrough of the P/J pickup config I've seen so far. I'm currently considering getting a custom bass built, but I'm still undecided on the pickup config to go with: I already have an active with dual humbuckers, and a p-bass. The p-bass sound is my favourite (plus I love its simplicity and prefer a passive bass, too) but I'm against getting two copies of the same thing. I think P/J with a series/parallel switch just might be the ticket!
It is absolutely my favorite pickup config. For years I didn't have a tone control on this bass. The reason, is that if you back the volume off a little bit it is like having the tone control rolled back about 50 percent. But you can never get that super muddy sound that works with certain types of music. Thanks for the compliment and I hope you have good luck with your new bass!
Sorry, I'm not a native english and I did not understand very well. If somebody could please help 🙏 - The sound that mimics the Stringray is when both pickups are in series + Precision coils in parallel ? - The sound that mimics the position 2 of a jazzbass is when both pickups are in parallel + Precision coils in parallel ?
What you're saying about tone playing solo vs in a band is also true for other instruments. I play guitar and what works best in a band does not always sound that impressive in its own. Take many classic Marshall amps. They are legendary and still widely used for a reason. The well defined, mid-heavy sound works great in a mix. However, if you play on your own, especially on beginner to intermediate levels, it can sound somewhat thin, metallic/harsh and much less pleasant than, say, a full blown Mesa Boogie sound. The latter however is trickier to find a goid spot for in a band, especially for rock styles. It seems to be similar with the P bass...
Maybe pj on the bridge ,then musicman humbucker in the neck position because I want get low end sound in the neck then high end is from pj pickup . It's inspired by billy Sheehan
The DiMarzio Split-P rail pickups are an excellent on a PJ. I wired it in parallel so the output better matches the Fender Noiseless Jazz. Each half is self-humbucking so your series/parallel switch might get you a different variety. FWIW, mine's a fretless Jazz with added P bass routing.
I don't care what pickup configuration there is and which is best is an individual thing but more songs have been done with a one pickup P-bass than any other bass and there is a reason for that.
Gotta love Dimarzio's. Those are the original aftermarket pickups for Precision and Jazz bass. They have adjustable hex pole pieces and they always cut through the mix!
If you go on Dimarzio' s website you can figure out what I did pretty easy. The series/parallel switch is an ancient p-bass mod...I originally got the diagram out of a book I had in the late 80's, but it is readily available on google. Other than that, it is a stock p-bass wiring diagram with a 3-way selector switch. You can find lots of diagrams online for the selector switch.
You are dead on with your points in this video. 1 Thing I will say is I like Active Basses that have the option to go passive and bypass the on board PreAmp such as the new Fender Elite and Ultra basses.
I've played my share of PJ's where the J pickup sounded thin/weak compared to the P pickup. Took me a while to find a PJ with a well balanced set, but now I'm in bass heaven.
Awesome. I love the pj set up. Wishing fender would bring back their 5 string. Or I may have to pop in a single j or mm in my fender American standard 5. I love the passive pups.
@@davetenney5800 Also, you said series instead of parallel once and didn't correct it, but regardless that was an awesome demo. I wish I saw more basses like that in videos. (Especially Fretlesses)
Yea the pj configuration is the best. I play everything from jazz to death metal and the pj configuration works great for everything Oh and at 8:03 it was Dan Lilker and I love his work in brutal truth
Really glad I found this! I've been desiring to try this configuration and figured that an active solution was best. I only have passive pickups on hand and also thought I would need to purchase a humbucking bridge J. Thanks for explaining and demonstrating the series/parallel setup as well.
I have a Dimarzio model P and J in this bass. I have also used Seymour Duncan quarter pounders which sound similar. I like having the j pickup a humbucker...
Dude, same. I was just revisiting the tones I'm using with my PJ when I play live, and this video popped into my head. Had to go back and rewatch it. I want that series/parallel switch now, too. Had it on a J Bass once and enjoyed it.
Not at all! I like the three way because it is fast and consistent...something I needed as a live player. If you like a blend knob, then by all means use one.
Great video, cool bass brah. I'd agree with you about 'slappin' going out of style, but only in rock, like RHCP, RATM and others similar. But in funk, certain R&B tracks and some jazz, slappin' will never go out of style, imo. Rock on buddy!!!
I agree with you on having a series/parallel option on the P pickup is a really great and flexible option. I use parallel P with the J often and love that tone. Series P is also iconic. Never really thought about series P blended with J sounding Stingrayesqe, but I see where that comes from. My P/J (which is also green) is a go to for cover gigs. It has most any tone I would need.
I've always been a fan of the P bass, and recently discovered how wonderful a double pickup bass can sound... So I wondered if I'd like the JJ or the PJ better, or would end up switching between J and P all the time... You definitely sold me on this ! Especially the "pseudo-MM" sound you get with that fuller mid-range !! 🤩 Because I like how the MM sounds, sometimes, but to me it doesn't feel versatile enough for me to own one... Some thing we might wanna try out : playing aroun with EQ settings, when in a particular pickup position, so that we can reduce the frequency range of that full P, hen it sounds too much. I don't plan on getting a series-parallel switch. Yet... So I'm interested in trying to EQ that to make it sound thinner, when needed :) Also, in the configuration with both pickups on, scooping the mids out for slapping HAS to be tried.
It's a pretty versatile setup...One secret to great cutting bass sounds I learned years ago is to run your amp flat with no EQ. I made a video about that: ruclips.net/video/ygpRIljc4lM/видео.html&ab_channel=DaveTenney
I'm building a P/J bass now. I'm going to use the 62 Jazz bass concentric volume/tone controls. I like the fact that you can dial in volume and individual tone to each separate pickup. Leo had it right to begin with back in the day.
The J bass on its own is super versatile. The P on its own, you can't get a bad tone out of it. A P/J config doesn't give you the best of both worlds per se, but you certainly get a bass you can do dang near anything with!
I agree, I never understood the "best of both worlds" comments. PJ is a great bass, lots of tones but you don't get that distinctive Marcus Miller both pickups on tone with a PJ. It also has slightly more magnetic pull by adding that J pu to a P.
@@rrdream2400 To me, a P/J config is literally a P with a little J seasoning. In most basses of that persuasion I have ever played (the exceptions being way out of my price range lol), the J was considerably weak when solo'd and honestly sounded better with the split coil solo'd.
Its pretty simple....wire the three way just like a les paul guitar...there are lots of schematics out there for the series parallel switch. The volume and tone part of the circuit are standard p bass wiring. When I wire up my fretless project I'll drar a proper schematic and post it.
@@davetenney5800 Thank you! Sorry, it's all a little confusing without a diagram. I love the flexibility you have. I have the Squier VM Jaguar special, and I've already removed the boost circuit and relocated the jack to the front. The J-pup is always noisy, so I'm trying to cure that and add all this flexibility. The mini-switch controls just the P-pup series/parallel, or is it for both pups in series/parallel? I also read concentric pots are prone to breaking. Any experience?
No...I just use a stacked early jazz volume and tone knob. The p bass only has 3 holes in the pickgaurd so I was limited in what I could use. Regarding the noisy jazz pickup, that is a common problem with single coil pickups. There are several good humbucking j bass pickups that you could install that would fix that problem. The dimarzio model j is what I use, but there are others that work just as well....
I don't know of anyone making a bass like this. For your first bass I would focus on buying something that you are comfortable playing, and don't worry so much about the pickup configuration
It's a 1966 Fender Precision with a J-bass pickup added to it...Here is a video I did about it: ruclips.net/video/fXCushTIzdU/видео.html&ab_channel=DaveTenney
Agree with you about the active preamp being an inconvenience. I had an 80s super strat with EMG a and the battery would run out and drive me nuts when I forgot to unplug the wire.
I love my parts p/j bass! Its my number 1 go to bass. Its modded with Emg pjax pickups and a hipshot kickass and its strung with 45-105 elixir stainless nanowebs.
"slapping went out of style 20 years ago" *Davie504 wants to know your location*
I bet! That guy is in another league...My comment was directed at popular music...
=):
I just paused the video and came down the comments and this was the first one lol, wtf with that statement.
Maybe he was referring to HIS slapping being out of date 👍😎🎸🔥
Slapping is a circus act
Timestamps:
0:56 P p/u Series (stock) -tone 100%
2:45 P p/u Series (stock) -tone rolled off
4:10 P p/u Parallel (mod) -tone 100%
5:41 P&J p/u Parallel (mod) -tone 100%
7:05 P&J p/u Series (stock) -tone 100%
7:48 J p/u solo'd -tone 100%
8:21 J p/u solo'd -tone rolled off
god bless you
I really enjoyed the run down on the wiring on your bass. I think I might do the same thing with on of my PJ basses. Thanks for the great video!
Thanks!
Amazing video! Very well explained, thanks Bro!
That series/parallel is such a good idea holy shit gonna do this to my Sire P5
Had 2 moments of, "Huh!...INTERESTING..." 1) When he demonstrated to tonal differences in the P pickup by using switch to go between series and parallel. Find myself contemplating installing a switch to get those differences. 2) When he played the J pickup solo with tone completely rolled off. Clarity without harshness. Perfect solo tone.
You did a great job in this video. Another way to get a P bass to sound less in your face is to turn the amp up a little and play with a lighter touch or play closer to the neck.
Thanks for the tips! The tone is in your hands!!!
Soo true. Just got my custom shop PJ and its versatile 🤟
Interesting, on a Jazz I never use the bridge alone, but I love to use the neck pickup alone, specially for reggae.
Thanks for all the info! Extremely detailed. Now I want to put it to use. I recently bought an Affinity PJ bass that I plan to upgrade with a Fender Jazz bass bridge and 62 P bass pickups. Now I'm looking for a wire harness and see that there are people who are selling custom wired harnesses. Question is, to get the most sounds out of the PJ configuration, what would be the best way to wire the pots?
ruclips.net/video/lkS72lV939s/видео.html
I think this is the best way to wire a PJ. You don't need to buy a harness...bass wiring is simple.
@@davetenney5800 Thanks, brother. I'll check it out. 😊
great review Dave, thanks!!
great solve for the traditional p/j circuit
That was an awesome, thank you. That gives me a solid reason to upgrade to a PJ configuration. I know before that I will not get really close to the J sound, except if the P pickups are in series as you demo'd in your video.
So, you're 2 switches are for 1.turning of/off the J pickup and for 2.switching the P pickups into series or humbuckers? You're only knob is the volume control which sets the J and the Ps to always same volume level?
Here is a video explaining the wiring
m.ruclips.net/video/lkS72lV939s/видео.html&pp=sAQA
Super helpful for a newb like me trying to figure out my first bass guitar. Thanks!
you can do the opposite using a jazz bass with a switch that wires the single coils in series :)
yes, you would turn them in a humbucker and not in a splitcoil, but in this configuration the sound should be similar
Yeah - I have that mod in an old book I have, but have never had a Jazz Bass long enough to give it a try. I have heard that it can give a very P-Bass tone out of the Jazz, but I have no experience with it.
Great point!
@@davetenney5800 I only have a jazz bass, and I'm planning to make this mod in the future... Because I love the tone of the Pbass too
Nice video 👍, speaking of passive and Stingray I just got an olp Stingray which was a license Music Man copy but it came passive. I saw some videos before I actually got the base and they sounded like a stingray just the bite wasn't as pronounced as it is on an active base, I got it at a pawn shop for a hundred bucks so it was a chance I couldn't pass up and sure enough in person it has that Stingray bite and that's with just the generic stock pickup with an upgraded pickup I'm sure it'll sound a lot better
I have to disagree on one point. I find that a split P pickup gets lost in practice or on stage with a loud band unless the bass is also very loud (for rock and metal anyway). I find the need for the bridge pickup in order for the bass to cut through, especially if the sound man is asking the bass stage volume to be lower.
What I usually find in those situations is that I have too much low end and not enough mids. Try setting your amp flat, turning it up to a level you can hear, and tweaking the eq from there.
How do you feel about just getting a jazz bass (I like the thinner neck) and rolling off the bridge pickup and tone a bit? That can approximate the p bass sound fairly well.
There is an old mod that can be done to a jazz bass that can really help it sound like a p-bass. It is called a series parallel switch. Similar idea with what i did to my p bass. Otherwise, a jazz still sounds pretty thin in the lower mids....
Really good video in all aspects! Keep playing!
Hi, nice video! I have an old Aria Pro II Wildcat Bass with PJ pickups. I play a lot of different styles, main instrument is guitar but likes to play bass as well. Gives a wider view to music. Well enough of that, I dont have had any other basses so my knowledge of different types of bass is next to nothing. But as you say, I can get a very versatile sound of my bass with this PJ setup. The only issue I have with my old bass is a lot of hum, any suggestions to good silent pickup to buy? Plays Blues, Jazz, Prog so really the J-bass deep end sound and the prog-p bass sound is preferred but withouth that hum and noise. I've meassured, its grounded but still..well, its old. I guess EMG pickups are great and may cure my hum.problem..well I hum a little bit myself sometimes.
I never log in anymore, but I had to just to ask a question! That Rush riff you played right after N.I.B., what is that from?
"Working man"
He's right, the best Fender-style bass is the PJ.
Steve Harris played a heavy treble and tone cranked all the way up
Oh yeah...flat wound strings too. He also played triplets with two fingers, but I cheat and use three!
Weird won't play on TV... flashing black...still ain't working on TV yet...how can it not play back on TV ?....weird...
I never like that combo, when you use both pickups you don't get a Jazz Bass sound nor something that sounds good in it's unique way, the only good thing is that you can use each pickup individually so you get the PBass and the bridge pickup Jazz sound.
Each to his own i guess. I really like the way the p and j sound together....
Hey ! ( sorry for my bad english ) I have 400-500 € budjet for a new bass, and I want really great sond.
if I buy a fender squier affinity JP bass, for 220€, and I buy Seymour duncan APJ-2 lightnin rod PU set for 200€ for total 420€
What do you think about that ?
I think you should buy the bass, and then take it somewhere to get professionally set up. Just leave everything else the way it is for a couple years. I am surprised at how good stock pickups can sound.
can you give us a link to this set of pickups ?
They are Dimarzio Model P and J
@@davetenney5800 thank you very much =)
Good video. Usefull all the way. I'm tired of people just slaping, come on! In the real world you don't slapp all the time, only in your bedroom praticing.
Yeah...Not all of us can be Victor Wooten!
But can it get a Rick sound?
Ok, I gotta say I love your mods. That Rick comment was just something that would make it even extra complete for me!
Unfortunately, no Rick sounds! Some of my favorite players played those...I think they are a world unto their own!
Bro, I just wanted to say, your red and green bass fits perfectly with the christmas vibe :D
Thanks! I have never lost my fondness for Ocean Turquoise!
Honestly, my first thought on the looks was very Boba Fett-esque. Gnarly.
@@davetenney5800so that IS ocean turquoise! I have a P in that finish, it doesn't look as green in person as it does here
Slapping only went out of style if you think of it only as early Red Hot Chili Peppers. Tasteful, soulful slapping is perennial in soul and funk. No need to discard or use techniques to follow trends-just make the sound work for you.
Damn you're a hell of a bassist. Awesome video thankyou.
This is still one of the best bass videos I've ever seen. Well done. My next bass will be similar to what you've got going on here.
Really useful info. Bought my first bass weeks ago and it's a P/J. So cool and so versatile. Thanks for the vid.
Nice!
Thanks for this video: I think it is the most thorough walkthrough of the P/J pickup config I've seen so far. I'm currently considering getting a custom bass built, but I'm still undecided on the pickup config to go with: I already have an active with dual humbuckers, and a p-bass. The p-bass sound is my favourite (plus I love its simplicity and prefer a passive bass, too) but I'm against getting two copies of the same thing. I think P/J with a series/parallel switch just might be the ticket!
It is absolutely my favorite pickup config. For years I didn't have a tone control on this bass. The reason, is that if you back the volume off a little bit it is like having the tone control rolled back about 50 percent. But you can never get that super muddy sound that works with certain types of music. Thanks for the compliment and I hope you have good luck with your new bass!
Dave, this was the most useful video. Clearly you are professional-grade and you offer advice based on true experience. Well-done!
Thank you for your compliment! Of course, "old curmudgeon" describes me a lot better than professional ;)
Sorry, I'm not a native english and I did not understand very well. If somebody could please help 🙏
- The sound that mimics the Stringray is when both pickups are in series + Precision coils in parallel ?
- The sound that mimics the position 2 of a jazzbass is when both pickups are in parallel + Precision coils in parallel ?
What you're saying about tone playing solo vs in a band is also true for other instruments.
I play guitar and what works best in a band does not always sound that impressive in its own. Take many classic Marshall amps. They are legendary and still widely used for a reason. The well defined, mid-heavy sound works great in a mix.
However, if you play on your own, especially on beginner to intermediate levels, it can sound somewhat thin, metallic/harsh and much less pleasant than, say, a full blown Mesa Boogie sound. The latter however is trickier to find a goid spot for in a band, especially for rock styles.
It seems to be similar with the P bass...
Have you got a wiring diagram for this set up? Love how this sounds
That was a really helpful video Dave. Thanks
Always come back to this video. Love your vibe and how you explain things
Thank you Dave. Great video. I have a Fender Jazz bass and I am thinking about replacing the neck pic whith a P.
Hey what model is this? Mine is the MIM guitar center exclusive in Ocean Turqoiuse, mine doesnt look as green as yours does
Your right hand technique is incredible
I found it odd the on a Scott's Bass Lessons video that they crapped on the P/J configuration.
Maybe pj on the bridge ,then musicman humbucker in the neck position because I want get low end sound in the neck then high end is from pj pickup . It's inspired by billy Sheehan
The DiMarzio Split-P rail pickups are an excellent on a PJ. I wired it in parallel so the output better matches the Fender Noiseless Jazz. Each half is self-humbucking so your series/parallel switch might get you a different variety. FWIW, mine's a fretless Jazz with added P bass routing.
Lots of wisdom,here!----especially 4 beginners .excellent!
Dave, this has to be the best comparison of PJ sounds Ive heard on the internet. Thanks! very educational!
Thank you!!
I don't care what pickup configuration there is and which is best is an individual thing but more songs have been done with a one pickup P-bass than any other bass and there is a reason for that.
Gotta love Dimarzio's. Those are the original aftermarket pickups for Precision and Jazz bass. They have adjustable hex pole pieces and they always cut through the mix!
Why is the video flashing ?...on TV with YT app...no other video does this...what a waste....
That was so good! You really ran a clinic on that bass. Should be required listening. I learned a lot . Thank you sir.
What about pp? 😁
Great bass and playing. What make of pickups are they?
My favorite p bass sound is when I solo my neck pickup on my jazz bass
Hey Dave, do you think you could draw out a wiring diagram for this bass?
I’d be interested to look at it!
If you go on Dimarzio' s website you can figure out what I did pretty easy. The series/parallel switch is an ancient p-bass mod...I originally got the diagram out of a book I had in the late 80's, but it is readily available on google. Other than that, it is a stock p-bass wiring diagram with a 3-way selector switch. You can find lots of diagrams online for the selector switch.
Thanks for the awesome video man!!
i think, aside from weird custom setups, you're right. This is the most versatile setup you'll get normally.
Hate PJs it's straight P or nothing
You should learn to walk and chew gum at the same time.
Great video, man. I like it when instead of explaining of name-dropping you played it and showed the sounds.
Its hard for me to name drop, because I don't know anyone famous!
You are dead on with your points in this video. 1 Thing I will say is I like Active Basses that have the option to go passive and bypass the on board PreAmp such as the new Fender Elite and Ultra basses.
I've played my share of PJ's where the J pickup sounded thin/weak compared to the P pickup. Took me a while to find a PJ with a well balanced set, but now I'm in bass heaven.
Unless you're playing a bass designed to be that way (G&L SB-2, etc) it's usually easy to balance the pickups by adjusting the height of the screws.
@@EpictheEpicest thanks, I hadn't thought of that before
I've started adding mids on my amp and it works
It does! Try starting with your amp set flat...crank it up, and eq it while you're playing in the context of your band.
06:15 Except for every hit song in the last 4 years
Awesome. I love the pj set up. Wishing fender would bring back their 5 string. Or I may have to pop in a single j or mm in my fender American standard 5. I love the passive pups.
Dave, Dan Lilker was the bassist for Nuclear Assult.
Yes! I really loved his tone back in the early 90's
@@davetenney5800 Also, you said series instead of parallel once and didn't correct it, but regardless that was an awesome demo. I wish I saw more basses like that in videos. (Especially Fretlesses)
@@jazzprecisionbassist4847 I'll be the first to admit that I am a man of mistakes! Thank you for your comments....
@@davetenney5800 You're welcome, keep it up.
@@davetenney5800 Hey, do you know any other basses that are setup with a P/J Configuration that lets you choose series or parallel?
Yea the pj configuration is the best. I play everything from jazz to death metal and the pj configuration works great for everything
Oh and at 8:03 it was Dan Lilker and I love his work in brutal truth
Really glad I found this! I've been desiring to try this configuration and figured that an active solution was best. I only have passive pickups on hand and also thought I would need to purchase a humbucking bridge J. Thanks for explaining and demonstrating the series/parallel setup as well.
I have a Dimarzio model P and J in this bass. I have also used Seymour Duncan quarter pounders which sound similar. I like having the j pickup a humbucker...
It's been 5 years and I still think about this video every time I see a PJ bass. I still haven't installed a series/parallel switch on my bass though🤣
Dude, same. I was just revisiting the tones I'm using with my PJ when I play live, and this video popped into my head. Had to go back and rewatch it. I want that series/parallel switch now, too. Had it on a J Bass once and enjoyed it.
Oh yeah not saying a switch is wrong, any reason not to go with a dial to blend instead of a 3•way switch?
Not at all! I like the three way because it is fast and consistent...something I needed as a live player. If you like a blend knob, then by all means use one.
Great video, cool bass brah. I'd agree with you about 'slappin' going out of style, but only in rock, like RHCP, RATM and others similar. But in funk, certain R&B tracks and some jazz, slappin' will never go out of style, imo. Rock on buddy!!!
Slapping went out of style? oh no!!!
Motown or jaco!what else you need?
I agree with you on having a series/parallel option on the P pickup is a really great and flexible option. I use parallel P with the J often and love that tone. Series P is also iconic. Never really thought about series P blended with J sounding Stingrayesqe, but I see where that comes from. My P/J (which is also green) is a go to for cover gigs. It has most any tone I would need.
I've always been a fan of the P bass,
and recently discovered how wonderful a double pickup bass can sound...
So I wondered if I'd like the JJ or the PJ better, or would end up switching between J and P all the time...
You definitely sold me on this ! Especially the "pseudo-MM" sound you get with that fuller mid-range !! 🤩
Because I like how the MM sounds, sometimes, but to me it doesn't feel versatile enough for me to own one...
Some thing we might wanna try out :
playing aroun with EQ settings, when in a particular pickup position, so that we can reduce the frequency range of that full P, hen it sounds too much. I don't plan on getting a series-parallel switch. Yet... So I'm interested in trying to EQ that to make it sound thinner, when needed :)
Also, in the configuration with both pickups on, scooping the mids out for slapping HAS to be tried.
It's a pretty versatile setup...One secret to great cutting bass sounds I learned years ago is to run your amp flat with no EQ. I made a video about that:
ruclips.net/video/ygpRIljc4lM/видео.html&ab_channel=DaveTenney
Man, this bass sounds amazing! What brand and model is this? :-)
It is a 1966 Fender Precision. I have had it since I was 14 years old...
@@davetenney5800 so cool! 😍
whats with your control panel there?
have you got a wiring diagram for your bass? id like to try the configuration out
ruclips.net/video/lkS72lV939s/видео.html&ab_channel=DaveTenney
Why bassists are mostly big men?
that's such a cool looking Bass
I'm building a P/J bass now. I'm going to use the 62 Jazz bass concentric volume/tone controls. I like the fact that you can dial in volume and individual tone to each separate pickup. Leo had it right to begin with back in the day.
GREAT JOB DAVE!! ...I'M BUILDING A "PJ" NOW.... I NEED MORE INFO ON HOW TO WIRE IT AND WHAT POTS AND CAPS I'LL NEED.....
THANKS AGAIN!!
Great review.Very useful information without the usual slap acrobatics display.I think it’s the best pick up set up for bass.
Dude, sounds awful!
The J bass on its own is super versatile. The P on its own, you can't get a bad tone out of it. A P/J config doesn't give you the best of both worlds per se, but you certainly get a bass you can do dang near anything with!
I agree, I never understood the "best of both worlds" comments. PJ is a great bass, lots of tones but you don't get that distinctive Marcus Miller both pickups on tone with a PJ. It also has slightly more magnetic pull by adding that J pu to a P.
@@rrdream2400 To me, a P/J config is literally a P with a little J seasoning. In most basses of that persuasion I have ever played (the exceptions being way out of my price range lol), the J was considerably weak when solo'd and honestly sounded better with the split coil solo'd.
Do you have a wiring diagram for this mod? Love the flexibility.
I'm also looking for a schematic!
Its pretty simple....wire the three way just like a les paul guitar...there are lots of schematics out there for the series parallel switch. The volume and tone part of the circuit are standard p bass wiring. When I wire up my fretless project I'll drar a proper schematic and post it.
@@davetenney5800 Ahh gotcha. For some reason I thought you'd wired it with the two switches as well as a VVT similar to a Jazz configuration. Thanks!
@@davetenney5800 Thank you! Sorry, it's all a little confusing without a diagram. I love the flexibility you have. I have the Squier VM Jaguar special, and I've already removed the boost circuit and relocated the jack to the front. The J-pup is always noisy, so I'm trying to cure that and add all this flexibility. The mini-switch controls just the P-pup series/parallel, or is it for both pups in series/parallel? I also read concentric pots are prone to breaking. Any experience?
No...I just use a stacked early jazz volume and tone knob. The p bass only has 3 holes in the pickgaurd so I was limited in what I could use.
Regarding the noisy jazz pickup, that is a common problem with single coil pickups. There are several good humbucking j bass pickups that you could install that would fix that problem. The dimarzio model j is what I use, but there are others that work just as well....
What bass can i get that has ur configuration these days? Lookin to buy my first one. Tnx much.
I don't know of anyone making a bass like this. For your first bass I would focus on buying something that you are comfortable playing, and don't worry so much about the pickup configuration
@@davetenney5800 great, im just trying to get the most versatile bass as im a guitar player and might just buy one bass.
With paws like that it looks looks you're playing a uke
Yeah...I'm a big dude. I can't help it though, it's the way God made me.
What model PJ is that bass?
It's a 1966 Fender Precision with a J-bass pickup added to it...Here is a video I did about it:
ruclips.net/video/fXCushTIzdU/видео.html&ab_channel=DaveTenney
Wow that's a beautiful looking Bass
Thanks!
You are a damm fine bass player sir. This video let me to two conclusions. 1 - PJs are actually great. 2 - I don't really need a 5 string
Agree with you about the active preamp being an inconvenience. I had an 80s super strat with EMG a and the battery would run out and drive me nuts when I forgot to unplug the wire.
wow great tone! i have same Pbass and plan to put a J pup like yours mate
I love my parts p/j bass! Its my number 1 go to bass. Its modded with Emg pjax pickups and a hipshot kickass and its strung with 45-105 elixir stainless nanowebs.
cool bass man!
you got chops
Great video.
Excellent presentation, especially the part about the stingray sound... now THAT is versatility!
If you said it in the video, I didn’t catch it. But what position would you say the jazz pickup is in? 60’s or 70’s