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Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV - Metallic Black

4-string Electric Bass with Alder Body, Maple Neck, Maple Fingerboard, 2 Single-coil Pickups, and Active Electronics - Metallic Black
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Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV - Metallic Black
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Hot-rodded PJ Bass from Charvel

Taking inspiration from their classic 1970s bass designs, Charvel serves up a hot-rodded, thoroughly contemporary instrument for demanding bass players with the Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV. While the PJ IV has a familiar feel, a slew of modern upgrades — including a baked maple neck, a Charvel HiMass Bridge, and an active 3-band EQ — take this instrument into stunning new sonic territories. This combination of old-school aesthetics and contemporary appointments is also represented in the Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV’s DiMarzio P+J pickup set, which merges warm, vintage tones with pristine, hum-free operation. Onstage and in the studio, the Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV is an all-around excellent performer!

Familiar look with modern flair

The Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV inherits its sleek body shape from Charvel’s 1970s San Dimas basses. With its classic contours, the Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV has a familiar feel, but with a deep cutaway for accessing the upper register. A rear-control cavity rout design and the absence of a scratchplate put the alder body’s gorgeous gloss finish on full display and highlights the sleek black pickup covers and glistening chrome hardware, including the rock-solid Charvel HiMass bridge.

Sweet-sounding DiMarzio pickups and active electronics

Underneath the Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV’s handsome black pickup covers rests a DiMarzio P+J pickup set. Utilizing a hum-canceling design, this powerful duo delivers a warm, vintage tone with exceptional clarity. The Model P gives you gutsy midrange for inducing growl whenever you lay into your bass hard. While the Model J delivers a sensitive response and broad tonal range, from tight and punchy to round and woody. Add in the PJ IV’s active electronics with 3-band EQ, and you have limitless sound sculpting potential at your fingertips.

Immensely playable Charvel Speed neck

Charvel’s Speed neck profile is a favorite of bass players at Sweetwater for its comfortable feel and silky-smooth playability. The Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV takes the Speed neck formula to the next level by pairing it with baked maple for enhanced stability and an upscale look. On top of that, a 12-inch to 16-inch compound radius opens the fingerboard to upper-scale acrobatics, making it hard to resist slipping a ripping bass solo into every song! A hand-rubbed satin urethane finish completes the package, eliminating sticky-neck syndrome.

Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV Electric Bass Features:

  • Hot-rodded take on a classic bass style
  • Alder body with a stunning gloss finish
  • Eye-catching chrome hardware, including Charvel HiMass bridge, open-gear tuning machines, and vintage string tree
  • Comfortable Charvel Speed profile baked maple neck; 12–16-inch compound radius
  • Versatile tone-machine with active electronics, 3-band EQ, and DiMarzio P+J pickups
  • GraphTech TUSQ XL nut prevents string binding

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Tech Specs

  • Number of Strings: 4
  • Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
  • Body Shape: Pro-Mod San Dimas PJ IV
  • Body Material: Alder
  • Body Finish: Gloss
  • Color: Metallic Black
  • Neck Material: Maple
  • Neck Shape: Speed Neck
  • Neck Joint: Bolt-on
  • Radius: 12"-16" compound
  • Fingerboard Material: Caramelized Maple
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Cream Dots
  • Number of Frets: 20, Jumbo
  • Scale Length: 34"
  • Nut Width: 1.5"
  • Nut Material: Graph Tech TUSQ XL
  • Bridge/Tailpiece: Charvel HiMass
  • Tuners: Charvel Open Gear
  • Middle Pickup: DiMarzio Model P DP122 Split Single-coil
  • Bridge Pickup: DiMarzio Model J DP123 Single-coil
  • Controls: 1 x master volume (push/pull Active/Passive), 1 x blend, 3-band Active EQ
  • Strings: Nickel Plated Steel, .045-.100
  • Case/Gig Bag: Sold Separately
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 2963068595

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

Amazing Bass

I have been playing Guitar for most of my life and switched to bass to fill a gap in my buddies band. I Played on several sub-Basses over the last 6 months. This was my all in and it is worth every dime the active passive Pickups are sick. The volume, tone, mix controls awesome and the tone is amazing. The neck is the best neck I have ever felt it tops off this great finish with a great setup right out the box and it never goes out of tune. Beyond Happy I'm glad I didn't settle its quality made in Mexico.
Music background: player
Rated 5/5

Fender done right

This is how a Fender should be made. I like Fender, the look, the sound, but sometimes I feel like you pay for the name. Charvel is a Fender brand, it has a Fender bridge and headstock. It is Fender in its bones, at a better price.

The bridge is labeled Charvel, but it is a Fender Himass bridge with a different name. It's identical, which is good as it's one of my favorite bridges. I prefer the Fender Himass over the Badass or Kickass. It's easy to restring, intonate, and adjust a setup with. Great bridge.

The body is a traditional shape, but the cutouts place it in the above average in the comfort zone. And it's not heavy. The black metallic is understated. If you're looking to make a statement, the lime green or mystic blue options are better suited. This bass is planned to be my workman's bass, so having an understated elegance with a big sound is the ticket for me.

Let's talk briefly about the weak point of the bass, which is the three band EQ. It is adequate. There are better EQs out there, but this isn't as bad as people make it out. It does the job. I think the biggest problem is that everything else on the bass is such high quality that an average EQ stands out. But let's be honest - it's eons better than a tone knob. The EQ brings punch and versatility. Pull out the volume knob and go passive, and you will see how much it is actually doing.

Truss rod - it has wheel for adjustment. I don't know why more basses don't use this system. It is inexpensive and convenient. No fooling finding the right Allen wrench; you can use a screwdriver, Allen wrench, anything that fits will let you adjust the truss. Best thing ever.

Left the best parts of the bass for last. The pickups and the neck.

The pickups are DiMarzio Model P and Model J. They are Hot, strong lows but not too warm, crisp highs and articulate through out. It is easy to produce bell like tones with these pickups. There's a lot of versatility and tones available, still it's a very modern pickup. Roll back on the J pickup and you get a Music Man like tone. Both pickups are humbuckers, there is no hum on this bass.

I know some online reviewers reported a shielding issue, I own two of these and that's not my experience. My shielding has been fine.

As I have two, on this bass I went with a different setup. My Mystic Blue bass is stock; my Black bass I went with a DiMarzio 60s P for the neck and their Area J for the bridge. This is to create a more vintage sound. The Sixties P is reminiscent of a Duncan Seymour SPB4, but warmer and fatter, with a little less of the mid tones. The Area J is a good Jazz pickup, a vintage sound, and pairs well with the Sixties P.

To bring this all together I swapped out the EQ with a Darkglass Tone Capsule, and it just sounds great.

Now for the neck - this is one of the best necks I have ever played. It is roasted maple, in a light satin finish, so it is super smooth. The nut width is 38mm like a jazz, and the profile is thin like an Ibanez, nothing like a Fender at all. How they fit two carbon rods and a truss rod in is beyond me but it is solid. The radius is 12" at the nut, changing to 16" towards the upper frets. Very fast neck to play. And if that isn't enough, the edges are rolled like a Sire or Fender Player Plus model. It is simply a great neck (and why I bought the second one).

That's the bass, the good and the meh
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