J-bass pickup that sounds like a P bass?

[GuitarStv]

So, I have a Squier 70's Classic Vibe Jazz Bass. It plays awesome, and the stock 'duncan designed' pickups work great when I want a bright and forward bass sound. But I often find myself struggling to get a deeper, lower 'thunk thunk' tone out of it. Is there a J-bass neck pickup that can make J-bass sound more like a P-bass? I guess hum cancelling would be a benefit, as I'd probably be soloing the neck fairly often.

 

[TVFV]

Why not just change the pickguard to fit an actual P Bass pickup?

 

[GuitarStv]

Why not just change the pickguard to fit an actual P Bass pickup?

I was hoping to get away without routing the body.

 

[ICTGoober]

I suggest a better set of pickups to give your sound some beef. Or get an active EQ rig to add some lower frequencies on the fly.

 

[PFDarkside]

It’s not P-Bass, but have you checked out the Model J?

 

[GuitarStv]

It’s not P-Bass, but have you checked out the Model J?

Yeah, I've read that Dimarzio's Model J might get in the ballpark of what I'm looking for. I guess I'll have to spend more time checking that out.

 

[jeremy]

a friend of mine has a '77 j bass and the neck pup was dead, he has other jazz basses so wanted something with more meat to it. i wound him something with about 20% more turns and its definitely thick and has more thump, he loves it. i dont know if you can get exactly a pb tone with a jb pup, but you can get some of those qualities

 

[Mincer]

I have not heard a pickup that does that, but maybe a Quarter Pound is a slight jump in that direction. Or, talk to MJ and see if she can build something...I bet she can.

 

[PFDarkside]

By the way, after 20+ years of playing bass, I’ve realized that no matter what I’ve done to my Jazz Bass, it sounds like a Jazz Bass. And that the 4 main tones I like, in order, are:
1. Traditional P Bass
2. Active PJ, a la Spector, etc.
3. Jazz Bass (with both pickups up full)
4. Musicman

I know you don’t want to route, but by doing that and adding a new pickguard you can got back and forth.

 

[jeremy]

I have not heard a pickup that does that, but maybe a Quarter Pound is a slight jump in that direction. Or, talk to MJ and see if she can build something...I bet she can.

the qp magnets do their own thing to the sound, i think youd get closer to a traditional pbass tone with the normal size rods actually

 

[alex1fly]

Have you checked the routing under the guard? Might be room for a P pickup.

If not, try some boosting or EQ pedal to shape the frequencies.

Some will say a Jazz will never sound like a Precision. Others will say it's pretty close. When I was gigging in a loud band I loved the P way more than the Jazz. Now that I'm doing more medium volume stuff, I don't hear much difference between the P and the Jazz with the neck soloed.

 

[GuitarStv]

Yes, I've checked under the guard. Routing is just for a J bass single.

 

[Benjy_26]

So, I have a Squier 70's Classic Vibe Jazz Bass. It plays awesome, and the stock 'duncan designed' pickups work great when I want a bright and forward bass sound. But I often find myself struggling to get a deeper, lower 'thunk thunk' tone out of it. Is there a J-bass neck pickup that can make J-bass sound more like a P-bass? I guess hum cancelling would be a benefit, as I'd probably be soloing the neck fairly often.

I think the Dimarzio Model J's are p-bass pickups in a jazz shell, aren't they?

 

[ICTGoober]

I think the Dimarzio Model J's are p-bass pickups in a jazz shell, aren't they?

NO.

 

[BluesMan335]

There's MIM Jazz Basses that come with dual spilt coil pickups, and some with large HB's. They don't cost that much.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

NO.

The neck pickup solo’d sounds awfully P-ish.

 

[Clint 55]

I say put in a 3rd pickup right at the heel of the neck lol.

 

[alex1fly]

I dunno if OP has done anything but another route could be to put it through a preamp pedal. I get the ease and appeal of wanting more of a P sound, but a preamp pedal may provide the tone shaping necessary to get what OP wants without changing pickups. Any bass Sansamp pedal with a Character knob has tons of voicings available any there.

 

[jeremy]

an eq pedal would get you pretty dang close

 

[dotsdad]

I swapped the vintage noiselss oit of my fender jazz with a set of golden ahe pickups from stewmac...made all the difference in the world! The two pickups together still have thatj thing, but the soloespd neck really does hav3 that little more thunp...kind of a fat wooly thing going on. Roll tg3 treble back a bit...even better...put some of th3 rubber pickup mount stuff under the strings at the bridge. Old school thumpin. Im a happy camper