How to jack your bass

I’m about ready to order my P-bass body from Warmoth in a PJ configuration. I like P pickups, but occasionally I like to mix in some bridge pickup action.

I’ve got all my details worked out, except for the jack. When Squier built my 2002 PJ, they moved the jack to the butt of the body rather than leaving it in the pickguard:

I thought it would be cool to have it in pickguard like a normal P or J bass, but for some reason Squier felt it should go up the butt end of the body. Surely it would be cheaper to not have to route for the jack that way-- but they did.

So as much as I’d prefer to have the jack in the pickguard, this bugs me a bit. Is there a consideration that I am missing? There’s got to be a reason they did it this way. Maybe it simply desirable, although I find it awkward to jack up my bass blindly from below where I can’t see.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

In case anyone is looking at the pic closely and notices the two screws-- I have not idea why they are there. The cup jack was there when I bought it, and broken I might add. Replaced with it the Switchcraft Tele cup that you see in there now. The original cup was some Chinese knockoff a strange nuts size when I got it.

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My guess is that they did it that way so they could use the same pick guards on the P’s & PJ’S. Just mount the tone control in the jack hole. I have Fender PJ that is the same way and that’s always been my thought on why.

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Just a thought, I’ve owned Fender guitars in the past that had the cord coming out the front and I found it very irritating as it threw my cable up under my feet while I was playing and when gigging I found it to be a distraction as I was constantly stepping on, or trying not to trip over my cable.

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There’s a thought @Gorch . All the instruments I’ve ever owned have the jack in butt. Josh would have you run that cable up over the strap, but I have had because I don’t have a L-plug to pop in there, and I just sit.

The rout for the jack in the butt is a not cost option, so I am sorta leaning that way at this point.

Anyone out there like it in the pickguard?

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I weave my cable on my strap now too. Lol.

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Yeah I’ve always done that and it has in fact helped me once or twice, even just in my apartment :slight_smile:

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I prefer the look of the jack in the side of the bass but yep I have trouble plugging it in.
The SR has the front plug but but angled into the body which is pretty cool but can be a pain to unplug.
My P copy funnily enough has the jack in the side of it .

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I actually prefer it there. But then, when I’m playing I always loop my cable through my strap no matter where the jack is.

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I much prefer the jack on the pickguard.

the jack is on the side for 2 pickups Precisions to keep the 3 holes pickguard. but of course you could have 4 holes on your pickguard, or keep a 3 holes pickguard with 2 pots with a concentric volume pots for the pickups. I’m not a big fan of concentric pots, but that’s an option.

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