So, I recently traded my L1000 to local TB'er Metron for a pretty nice recent US Fender PJ (just could not get used to the single neck pickup/ thumbrest position of the L1000 for the life of me- the sound was phenomenal, of course!). I never thought I'd be pleased with a Fender again, but it plays very well and I really like the neck profile. It even sounds pretty good with the stock pickups- the thing is, I did the trade with the intention of dropping in a split-coil MFD that I got from TB'er Templar a little while back.

I'm looking for suggestions of a good Jazz bridge pickup that would match well with the split-coil MFD. As much as I've looked down on Jazzes the last 5-6 years, I have secret longings for that Jaco tone every once in a while (more lately, I suppose!). The Jazz on this PJ is in approximate 60s Jazz bass bridge pickup position, so I'd love a pickup that would approximate that Jaco punch but also be decently hot to balance volume-wise with the G&L pickup (I doubt there will be a Jazz pickup with that much output, but I'd just like to get as close as possible).

Some options I was considering are one of the Nordstrand NJ4s (the NJ4SE sounds promising), a Fender Custom Shop 60s J pickup (heard good about these, but can you even buy them in singles?), a Lindy Fralin of some sort....I really am not sure- could go the Model J route, but I want something more traditionally Jazz sounding right now (I'm giving in...). I'm not really concerned too much about single coil vs. humbucking, mostly just about getting a fair approximation of a 60s Jazz bridge pickup with decent output.

Oh yeah- me not knowing much about Fenders, I bought a Fender "Original '62" bridge pickup on Ebay not realizing that it wasn't the same as the Custom Shop '60s pickup- I figured there was something fishy about it when I got it for as cheap as I did. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm guessing the output might not be a good match- also, it looks awful similar (at least on the outside) to the stock pickup (bridge pickup in a Fender Hot-Rodded P), so it could be the same pickup...any opinions on the Fender "Original '62" pickups?

Thanks,
Karl

I have an SB-2, so I'm familiar with the MFD split-coil in a P/J config. My first instinct was to recommend a Seymour Duncan Hot Stack, to provide something resembling a classic tone with hot output to pair with the MFD. But I actually think a Lindy Fralin noiseless Split-Jazz might be better. I have these in my Jazz, and they're phenomenal pickups, with a slightly aggressive take on vintage J tone. They have a raw, growly edge that's a little like MFD's, so I think it would be a good tonal match with the MFD split-coil. (I also have a Fralin P-bass pickup, which is similar to an MFD split-coil, but less full range, and lower outpute of course.) Plus, you can probably get Lindy to overwind for more output for an even better match, though you might not like that if you really want that Jaco sound when soloing the J pickup.

Nordstrand Big Single

Nordstrand Big Single

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm not really looking to do any routing on this bass just yet! My idea in trading for it was to have the oomph of the P pickup in my SB-2, but have a bridge pickup that could actually be soloed as well as blended (which the bridge pickup in the SB-2 isn't, in my opinion...). I figure with all the myriad of different J pickups available, there ought to be something (apart from the Dimarzio Model J- a last resort) that will fit in a Jazz route and actually have a decent/balanced output next to the Split-coil MFD (and hopefully a decently traditional tone as well)...I do have a beat up old humbucker MFD I could just remove a coil and magnet from- but then I'd need to figure out how to make it fit in a Jazz sized casing (its a little too wide/ short). That would be interesting...

The Lindy Fralin Split-coil sounds promising- they do advertise it as being the ultimate J pickup for a PJ bass...

Any more ideas/suggestions?

Thanks,
Karl

I did not replace the stock pup in my SB2.
Jack the be-atch as high as it'll go without strings hitting it when you dig in.
It's very acceptable then.

Fralin P/J sets are available with the pure single coil J or the Split Jazz (at least on bestbassgear.com), but I believe Mike Lull uses the Split Jazz. He might get a custom wound version. The Split Jazz sounds very, very close to a pure single coil. You should check out the blog entry on blueberryhillbass.com comparing Fralins to Nordstrands:

http://blueberryhillbass.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_archive.html

I think the "raw" edge of the Fralins is exactly what makes them sonically compatible with MFD's. I don't think it's any coincidence that I play Fenders with Fralins and G&L's with MFD's almost exclusively.

Hey Karl! Dont know much about pickups but I always wanted to try Aero. Those Fralins looks interesting as well.

Karl, maybe you could snag an inexpensive used Duncan Quarter Pounder to experiment with?

I have Lindy Fralin's on a mexi J fretless and they sound terrific. Nice growly tone and hot like an MFD.

On a Fender, consider replacing the stock bridge if its still there -- going to a BadAss II will give you more sustain and take you closer to G&L-ness.

hth.

I have Lindy Fralin's on a mexi J fretless and they sound terrific. Nice growly tone and hot like an MFD.

On a Fender, consider replacing the stock bridge if its still there -- going to a BadAss II will give you more sustain and take you closer to G&L-ness.

hth.

You think the Fralins would be hot enough though? Those MFD P pickups are probably the hottest passive pickups I've tried- hotter than an MFD humbucker in series (at least audibly). I guess the volumes don't really need to be that well matched, its just that the current bridge pickup is almost as weak in output as the bridge single coil in the G&L SB-2- which is pretty darn weak! I ordered one of those Guitar Fetish Jazz bridge pickups to try out- they are pretty cheap, and 10K DC resistance, which is pretty darn high for a Jazz pickup. If that doesn't work out, I'll probably be choosing between Nordstrand and Fralin based on the opinions I've recieved...

As far as the bridge- I'm actually pretty happy with it so far- it does string through the body, which automatically puts it above many other Fenders in my opinion. I don't know why Badass doesn't make a string-through replacement bridge...

Karl

No way is a stock Fralin near the output level of an MFD split-coil, which is the hottest pickup I've played apart from possibly a DiMarzio Model P. After comparing my SB-2 and L-1500 back to back, I agree with you the MFD split-coil is even hotter than the MFD humbuckers.

But keep in mind Fralin will overwind his pickups to give you more output, and even without overwinding they're hotter than stock Fender pickups, and thus probably hotter than the SB-2's single coil. The SB-2's single coil is, however, closer to the bridge than most Fender bridge J pickups, so presumably it would fatten up somewhat in the typical Fender position. I measured my SB-2 against my 2003 MIA Jazz, and it's about a half inch difference.

Hopefully the Guitar Fetish pickup will work for you though.

There is now a BadAss III bridge, which does string through the body. Fender uses it on the Frank Bello sig, which, come to think of it, pairs a Samarium Cobalt Noiseless J with a Quarter Pounder P. So maybe that SCN is a good match for a hot split-coil.

The SB-2 looks like a 70's J pickup placement.

I have an American '75 re-issue Jazz. and it has one of the hottest Jazz pickups I've ever heard. Since I have other Jazzes as well, I've been able to do a pretty good comparison on the tone and levels. I know for instance that I don't particularly care for the tone of the noiseless pickups. In my opinion, they just don't have the "growl" you would expect from a Jazz. According to Fender, the pickups are 2 "Vintage Bi-Pole", which, incidentally, are the same pickups the put in the Jaco Pastorius model. Hope this helps....