Are P/J basses a compromise?

[jeremy]

odd setup for sure. i like having a tone control so i dont know if id ditch it, but i dont mind concentric controls so i might think about a stacked volume/tone setup with a blend control and skip the 3 way

[some_dude]

Disconnect the 3 way and install a pair of concentric pots in a V/T V/T configuration.

[alex1fly]

No, they don't sound the same because they are two completely different pickup types that are not designed to work together. Just like a neck single coil doesn't sound the same as a bridge humbucker.

For the blended sound yes they will sound different. I was saying that a solo’ed P pickup in a P will generally sound the same as a solo’ed P pickup in a PJ.

[idsnowdog]

I could convert the tone to a second volume but I would need to change the wiring from going to the switch first to the volume controls first and then to the switch and output.

[Inflames626]

I use P, the P+J, rarely ever J alone.

But I really like P+J...

I agree. For me the J in a PJ isn't there to balance the P as much as to give the P a bit more edge to cut through when a P alone would be too muddy.

Soloing the J in the bridge by itself is its own tone (when I was just starting out I associated this tone with an active pickup bass).

For me, a better question than how to balance the J with a P is why is the neck J pickup so useless that it needs a P to thicken things up?

[jeremy]

i dont think a neck j pup is useless at all, tons of great tones can be had with a jazz bass.

[Mr. B]

I like the added versatility of the J pickup, but what I like most about P/J basses like the Fender Jaguar is that the string spacing is usually closer to that of a narrower J-bass, instead of the traditional P-bass' wide spacing. P/J basses like the Yamaha BB and Ibanez TMB100 have spacing somewhere in between, which I like even more.

[donaldr]

The bass has a three way toggle with one volume and tone. So I would have to replace the tone control to get a balance pot.

Bingo, here's the problem. My PJ is mostly P with added J to taste. This is better done with V/V/T where V neck is 100%, V bridge to taste or to control the level of treble and master tone.
Since your is V/T and 3-way switch, I would:
1- disconnect the switch
2- wire P direct to output (volume is always 100% on my basses anyway )
3- wire the volume to the J pickup only so it will act as a blend pot
4- keep the master tone