My new bass is due to arrive next week (hopefully) and I just saw that they changed from PJ to JJ.
Oh noooo!?
Old model:
New model:
I have never played a JJ and I really like PJ! What’s the difference?
Also I wanted to put in the DiMarzio DP126. Now I need to have the DiMarzio DP305N or DP302N, righ?
Can anybody say anything about that??!
Well the JJ doesn’t have a P pickup.
You’re welcome, I’m here all day 
Ah, woooooow! I should have looked at the letters instead of trying to understand the tonality 
Can you also explain the difference between E, A, D and G??!
So, wait. You ordered a P/J but they shipped a J/J? Just return it.
What does your order say?
No, I have ordered the new model of the Harley Benton MV-4MSB during a glitch in the Thomann shopping system, when real data were not available.
I knew that they don’t have the Gotoh tuners anymore and I can live with that.
But now I see a teaser, where they also changed PJ to JJ. Unfortunately I have already a DiMarzio Dp126 here. I can send it back, but I was really looking forward to the DP126.
Now I have to reconsider. Is JJ worth it? Should I go for the DiMarzio JJ pickups?
I can find a lot of comments and reviews about the DP126, but not much about the DiMarzio JJs (it even exists as Relentless version).
For me that means that JJ is not very popualr. From Video reviews of JJ basses I find that they lack kind of “soul”.
That’s why I ask!
Interesting sound profiles:
DP302 - can only get it in black here
And the DP305 “sixties” model - can get it in silver!
Maybe it’s just a matter of EQing the J’s to match a P? If so, take the DP302 or the DP305?
Precision, Jazz and PJ are more about pickup position not really the pickup types unless you are sticking to the vintage single coil then more needs to be said about that.
From the limited viewing angle of your picture it looks like they put the neck pickup in the same position. Can you post the full bass picture?
If you are modding then it would be any difference. EMG make PJ version in JJ form as well as other companies.
This looks like more of form than function since the neck pickup is more in the middle than toward the neck. It should produce the similar tone.
Cool! Thank you!
Still have no better pic, unfortunately! Thomann is quite secretive about it all. I know they have the basses and working on setting up mine. They just don’t want to give me more infos. They are worse than Apple with new products ^^
So that means I can get an J style in the neck position that will sound similar to P, as long as it is in the same location?
That means I could get either the (expensive) Dimarzio sixties JJ in chrome - which I like for aesthetic reasons. Or the (also expensive) Relentless JJ in black - which I like cause of the adjustable pole pieces…
Well J pick ups is a bit more complicated when it come to sizes.
The neck pickup usually refers to as short 91mm and the bridge is long 94mm. So the strings would line up properly between the 2 magnets, in a general sense of course. Then you have the Fender Mexican jazz model not, MIM where both pickup are the same size 91.7mm.
The main difference is P pickups is a split coil and humbucking and most J are single coil. If you get a Humbucker J then it should produce similar tone to P counter part.
I don’t know If i like that in general. The groves on the adjustable pole would also serves as more places where my plugging fingers can catch, ouch!
Good point! Also it makes me want to get the chrome one more
Unless you are seeking a particular look or the 60’s tone I’d go for the smooth one, or the smoothest one.
The design of the Relentless has a radius top instead of flats. So that Billy Sheehan can use it as a finger ramp. If you are going to get a relentless it’s best you utilize the feature.
Need to google that to see what Sheehan is doing - I’m already happy to not fall of the sofa while playing
So, if in doubt I could also look ath this
DP149 Ultra Jazz
DP123
Just read a few reviews: the DP123 sounds like a P pickup. Problem solved!!!
Check this out. He’s talking about the first Relentless concept
JJ is a different sound than PJ. It’s versatile.
As far as pickups, the set which is closest to the DP126 is the Model J, DP123. You have one DP123 Model J pickup in the 126 set
One nice thing about Model J pickups is they’re hum cancelling, which a standard J isn’t
Al’s kind of underselling the differences there. The vast majority of J pickups are single coil and sound VERY different than P/J. But yes, you can buy split coil pickups in J format, you just need to know what you’re doing.
When someone refers to a J pickup they are almost always talking about single coil classic J’s, which 95% or more of them are. These have a very different sound than a P or P/J, which are much more punchy and focused towards the low mids. J-basses usually have a pronounced mid scoop tone compared to P’s or P/J’s.
Less versatile than P/J though, where you have two actually different pickup types that sound little alike.
exactly what @howard said.
The J neck pickup sounds way thinner and weaker overall than a P pickup. The advantage of the J neck pickup is the good definition and mostly the fact that it’s very very very easy to mix. It sounds kinda narrow and for that reason, sits very easily in a mix. You have almost nothing to do when mixing a J neck pickup.
The P pickup is more powerful, punchy, raw, full, fat. For a lot of applications it’s just a better choice IMO (except for jazz guys who will prefer a J because of the definition and the “clean” character). A P pickup is a bit harder to mix because the bandwith is wider in the low range, but not that much, considering that everybody knows the frequencies of a P pickup and knows how to deal with that.
If you have a lot of basses, it’s cool to have a J/J because it’s just something different. If you play jazz (or other styles where a J is kinda required), go J. Otherwise, P/J is by far the most versatile configuration.
@howard & @terb: that is exactly why I am worried about JJ.
I hope to resolve that with the DP123!?
Also: no jazz for me. Never jazz!!!
I’d either return it or find a P/J pickguard for it and make it a P/J.
As we are talking about an entry level Harley Benton here it’s not like it’s an irreplaceable dream bass; it’s a very common type of bass in a very crowded market of similar instruments.
There’s a lot of JJ in rock. The famous bass solo for My Generation was done on a Jazz. John Paul Jones used a Jazz. Ian Hill of Judas Priest recorded British Steel on a Jazz. Flea, Geddy Lee, lot of Jazz in rock.
Here’s Haraguchi-san of Nemophila on a Jazz. Nothing to be afraid of.
