As an experiment and because of all the hype and talk I bought an SX J-Bass so I could try out the Audere preamp. Fell in love with it so much I decided to build a better bass around it.

Ended up with a 70's style J made with mostly Fender parts. Some of you have probably seen it in another thread. Anyway I was considering putting Nordtrand pickups in it but because of the cost and in trying to keep with a Fender theme I went with Fender vintage noiseless pickups instead.

I like the Fenders fine but continue to hear nothing but good things about the Nords and how much they are worth the extra money. My questions are these:

*Are they really worth it?
*Will I really notice an improvement over the Fender pickups?
*Does it even matter when paired with the Audere preamp?

Answered in red...


*Are they really worth it?
SH|T YES!

*Will I really notice an improvement over the Fender pickups?
Absolutely. I've been through different types of Fender, Dimarzio, and Fralin pickups, and both sets of Nordstrands I've replaced them with (NJ4/NJ4SV) crushed them all IMO.

*Does it even matter when paired with the Audere preamp?
The Audere only improves upon the Nordstrands awesomeness, Nord + Audere is one of the best possible pickup/preamp combination around.

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Double Yes

Nordstrand's are not hype, they are that good. They really work well with preamps as well. The two that I have experience with is Sadowsky and Audere. If you like your current sound now, wait until you try some Nords in there.

I have an NP4 in my P-bass that I just bought. Man...that with passive electronics, it sounds awesome.

This is making me kinda GAS for the nordy jazz pups...

I just replaced my Fender Highway One Precision pickups with Nordstrand NP4's and the difference is night and day. The tonal spectrum and from string to string and across the fret board is much more balanced. The tone is much clearer as well.

Definitely go for it. As for the Audere, I can't comment. I'm not familiar.

Of course, they're worth it, but it's maybe not the sound you are looking for.

Listen to the sound clips of the following pickups (they all sound metallic because of the DR Hi-Beam strings, but there's still a big difference between each pickup) recorded by David Wilson with a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass :

Villex
Dimarzio J
Dimarzio Ultra Jazz
EMG JV
Nord 4JSE
Aero single coil
Sadowsky hum cancelling
Bartolini 9J
Bartolini 9 Classic Bass
SD Antiquity II single coil


http://pickups.dmw.ftml.net

needmoney and dean82's posts have me antsy to get these NJ4SVs on my bass. Just waiting for that Audere to get delivered now...

*starts singing "Anticipation"* ;)

Wow! Thanks for the sound samples. That must have taken quit some time not to mention dollars to put together. Very helpful though. From your samples it sounds like the Nords are exactly what I am looking for tone wise. Big bottom, very evenly balanced across all strings and a smooth high end. Perfect. Thanks again.

I can't believe how good my bass with the NP4 sounds. I was skeptical but it makes a huge difference.
robert sjea

Another NP4 lover here!

Nordstands are amazing...

YES Big Singles user.

And now you can pair them with a Nordstrand preamp too ...

I've got a set of NJ4s in one of my jazzes and they are they are really nice. My problem is that I shouldn't have listened to the clip of the Type 1 Aeros. Now I want a set for my Highway One.

As an experiment and because of all the hype and talk I bought an SX J-Bass so I could try out the Audere preamp. Fell in love with it so much I decided to build a better bass around it.

Ended up with a 70's style J made with mostly Fender parts. Some of you have probably seen it in another thread. Anyway I was considering putting Nordtrand pickups in it but because of the cost and in trying to keep with a Fender theme I went with Fender vintage noiseless pickups instead.

I like the Fenders fine but continue to hear nothing but good things about the Nords and how much they are worth the extra money. My questions are these:

*Are they really worth it?
*Will I really notice an improvement over the Fender pickups?
*Does it even matter when paired with the Audere preamp?


1) Yes... but no more than Seymour, Aero, etc. Very nice pickups with their own tone profile that many like.

2) You will notice a difference (a bit warmer, a bit smoother, a bit fatter, a bit less aggressive than what most consider a classic Fender tone). If you like the difference, you will hear it as an improvement:smug:

3) The Audere is pretty subtle and will not 'cover up' the tone of a given pickup, so IMO that's a moot point.

1) Yes... but no more than Seymour, Aero, etc. Very nice pickups with their own tone profile that many like.

2) You will notice a difference (a bit warmer, a bit smoother, a bit fatter, a bit less aggressive than what most consider a classic Fender tone). If you like the difference, you will hear it as an improvement:smug:

3) The Audere is pretty subtle and will not 'cover up' the tone of a given pickup, so IMO that's a moot point.

So do you think the NJ4s wouldn't acheive a pre-CBS early '60s Jazz Bass tone? I'm considering replacing my Fender CS '60s pickups because of the raised pole pieces (annoying to me) and unbalanced string volume, but I don't want to deviate from that tone.

So do you think the NJ4s wouldn't acheive a pre-CBS early '60s Jazz Bass tone? I'm considering replacing my Fender CS '60s pickups because of the raised pole pieces (annoying to me) and unbalanced string volume, but I don't want to deviate from that tone.

I'm not really an expert on the pre CBS vintage tone, since that's not particularly my thing. I've played a few basses with the NJ4's now, and they don't sound particularly 'Fenderish' to me, due to the smooth, warm, mid present tone. However, that could just be my bias towards the more grindy single coil tone that is more associated with, for lack of a better term, 70's J type tone.

They sounded darn good though, very warm and smooth, with lot's of mid definition. I'll let the 60's experts handle this one though.

I'm not really an expert on the pre CBS vintage tone, since that's not particularly my thing. I've played a few basses with the NJ4's now, and they don't sound particularly 'Fenderish' to me, due to the smooth, warm, mid present tone. However, that could just be my bias towards the more grindy single coil tone that is more associated with, for lack of a better term, 70's J type tone.

They sounded darn good though, very warm and smooth, with lot's of mid definition. I'll let the 60's experts handle this one though.

Yeah I know you are a '70s J guy, no problem.

That's funny, I think of the early '60s Fender tone as smooth, warm and mid present, but tone is so subjective. I'm not particularly into a grindy/aggressive/sizzly/bright J tone, which is why I like the early '60s alder/rosewood combo. Great example of this tone here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKZVNrC0QYA But don't get me wrong, my favorite sound is still a passive Jazz with singles, just not a super grindy one. To me a passive Jazz with singles is perfect:D Thanks!

That's funny, I think of the early '60s Fender tone as smooth, warm and mid present, but tone is so subjective. I'm not particularly into a grindy/aggressive/sizzly/bright J tone, which is why I like the early '60s alder/rosewood combo. Great example of this tone here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKZVNrC0QYA But don't get me wrong, my favorite sound is still a passive Jazz with singles, just not a super grindy one. To me a passive Jazz with singles is perfect Thanks!


You sound like a candidate for some Frailins. The tone you describe is what I like as well. Check out "Papers In Order" here http://www.myspace.com/theoldceremony 75 Jazz w/ frailins thru a 64 Bassman

I have a set of NJ4's for my Lakland Skyline DJ4 and MM5.4 for my Skyline 5502. One thing that really sticks out about the Nords is articulation and clarity, while still maintaining ballsiness.

1) Yes... but no more than Seymour, Aero, etc. Very nice pickups with their own tone profile that many like.

2) You will notice a difference (a bit warmer, a bit smoother, a bit fatter, a bit less aggressive than what most consider a classic Fender tone). If you like the difference, you will hear it as an improvement:smug:

3) The Audere is pretty subtle and will not 'cover up' the tone of a given pickup, so IMO that's a moot point.

+1

Gotta agree with KJung - they are a damn fine set of pickups, but a lot of manufacturers have great sounding sets of pickups too. The NJ5F's I had paired with an Audere had a very nice growl - a very warm growl in the lower frequencies, not a 70-ish aggressive jazz, upper mid growl, but very nice just the same. Also had excellent note clarity as others have stated.

The bass tone on lovefoolosophy is just AWSOME.. sitting on the buss omw to get a cort masterpiece Jazz style bass with CS 60's fender pupps... Can't wait!!!!

You sound like a candidate for some Frailins. The tone you describe is what I like as well. Check out "Papers In Order" here http://www.myspace.com/theoldceremony 75 Jazz w/ frailins thru a 64 Bassman

Wow that's a killer tone! I was under the impression that the Fralins had a lot of high-mids, and consequently were agressive, thin, bright, and raw sounding. But damn, that's the last thing I would say about that tone! Do you know what kind of strings?

Thanks man. I can't remember what strings. I think they were GHS stainless flats. I can't speak highly enough about the frailins. When I installed them my bass came to life. They're capable of all the tones your describing.

I love my Nordstrand NJ4SEs on my Jazz with a J-Retro pre. Great combination, extremely versatile. There's lots of great pickups out there and it's all down to personal preference, but if you like the sound of the Nordies, then go for it.

I also have a set of NJ4SVs that are due to go on to my Geddy Jazz bass at some stage, still haven't got round to fixing this up.

Of course, they're worth it, but it's maybe not the sound you are looking for.

Listen to the sound clips of the following pickups (they all sound metallic because of the DR Hi-Beam strings, but there's still a big difference between each pickup) recorded by David Wilson with a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass :

Villex
Dimarzio J
Dimarzio Ultra Jazz
EMG JV
Nord 4JSE
Aero single coil
Sadowsky hum cancelling
Bartolini 9J
Bartolini 9 Classic Bass
SD Antiquity II single coil


http://pickups.dmw.ftml.net
man, no offense to the op but i'll take the sadoskys hands down!!!!

sadpwskys was the loudest.....don't let your mind fool you. Listen with your ears.....not your mind.

I just replaced my Fender Highway One Precision pickups with Nordstrand NP4's and the difference is night and day. The tonal spectrum and from string to string and across the fret board is much more balanced. The tone is much clearer as well.

+1

easy answer.....yes

I posted way back when on this thread while awaiting delivery of my Nordstrand NJ4SVs, so I guess it's time for me to reply to the initial question:

Yes. They're definitely worth it!

And of course, so are many other fine manufacturers' pickups.

Big fan of my Fat Stacks. Big fan. I prefer them somewhat over a traditional J style single coil, because the larger 'aperture' really does produce a fatter sound, but maintains the clarity and 'single coily' tone- sounds like a Jazz bass, only bigger.

I have NP4's on a 57 AVI . They sound great. I have Lindys on a 66 Jazz ,again a great pickup.
When you're talking top shelf pick-ups , you're not going to find too many duds.

So which pickup Nord or not nails the 70's upper mid snarl? Looking for this tone myself and leaning toward the NJ4SV's

So which pickup Nord or not nails the 70's upper mid snarl? Looking for this tone myself and leaning toward the NJ4SV's

I have not heard the new '70's wound' Nordstand singles, but the rest of his pickups are SO far removed from this, that I (IMHO) would look to another brand if that was your thing.

So which pickup Nord or not nails the 70's upper mid snarl? Looking for this tone myself and leaning toward the NJ4SV's

a humcancelling set will never get you that imo. im curious as to an 70's upper mid snarl being attributed to the pickups though. that description sounds more like the wood the pickups are in. if you take your average 70's jazz bass and take a look at the pickups, you are going to have a set with plain enamel wire wound to about 7.5k for both pickups. thats not exactly hot and wouldnt be something id look to for grind. however, that would be an accurate sound of a 70's jazz bass and what is what i personally prefer.

a humcancelling set will never get you that imo. im curious as to an 70's upper mid snarl being attributed to the pickups though. that description sounds more like the wood the pickups are in. if you take your average 70's jazz bass and take a look at the pickups, you are going to have a set with plain enamel wire wound to about 7.5k for both pickups. thats not exactly hot and wouldnt be something id look to for grind. however, that would be an accurate sound of a 70's jazz bass and what is what i personally prefer.

It all works together:smug: I never particularly associated the 'hotness' of the output level of pickups with 'grind', etc. To my ear, it's more the voicing of the pickup, and the ratio of the upper mids to the low end.

+1 on the HC comment all the way. The only HC that came even close was the Armstrong split coils wound specially for the Celinder basses, but they still weren't the same as true singles IMO and IME. Pretty darn close though!

It all works together:smug: I never particularly associated the 'hotness' of the output level of pickups with 'grind', etc. To my ear, it's more the voicing of the pickup, and the ratio of the upper mids to the low end.

after trying nearly every single coil out there in the same bass, considering how little the variables can be changed, ive found the resistance ratings a pretty good measure of what the pickup is going to sound like. theres only so many ways you can change a pickup with alnico 5 poles and heavy formvar wire which is what most of the replacements are. except for aeros which are taller, most are subtle variations on the same design. most of them didnt sound that different.

but it does work together and thats my point. i dont really think there is a magic 70s snarl pickup. a set of aeros wont transform a 1960 stack knob into something else completely imo.

after trying nearly every single coil out there in the same bass, considering how little the variables can be changed, ive found the resistance ratings a pretty good measure of what the pickup is going to sound like. theres only so many ways you can change a pickup with alnico 5 poles and heavy formvar wire which is what most of the replacements are. except for aeros which are taller, most are subtle variations on the same design. most of them didnt sound that different.

but it does work together and thats my point. i dont really think there is a magic 70s snarl pickup. a set of aeros wont transform a 1960 stack knob into something else completely imo.


+1 Things interact so much that sometimes we all get a bit tied up in our shorts over this stuff. The age and type of string has more impact on tonal differences many times than anything else, and as we've discussed before, I've never heard two basses sound exactly alike, even when they are spec'd virtually identically.

Interestingly, the Aero singles on my 60's position alder body DJ sounded more like what many people describe as a 70's tone than many ash bodies 70's pickup position basses! It still amazes me at how much variation and interaction there is in all this stuff associated with the bass itself.

That's one of the reasons I post primarily in the amps section. The cool thing about an amp, is once you describe the tone, it's constant across 1000 units. With a darn bass, there's so much variation within lines of instruments (Fenders, Alleva's, Fodera's, whatever) that it's hard to even talk about!

Interestingly, the Aero singles on my 60's position alder body DJ sounded more like what many people describe as a 70's tone than many ash bodies 70's pickup position basses! It still amazes me at how much variation and interaction there is in all this stuff associated with the bass itself.



skyline or mia? the skylines are all ash.

A Nordy Single Coil Split 51 Precision pickup and Fat Stack combination will be going in the the custom '51P that Rod at Regenerate Guitar Works is currently building for me.

In a couple months I'll be able to let you know if the Nordy's are worth it or not.

Here's a pair of Nordy NP-4 sound clips recorded yesterday afternoon. These were recorded utilizing a bass I built a couple years back (for reference: maple/maple neck with poplar body, 250k ohm pots with .047uf Orange Drop cap, BAII bridge, D'Adderio flats) no effects, no compression, no EQ on either of these two clips

R&B (http://regenerateguitarworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/vrb-p4-sample-meters.mp3)

Immigrant Song (http://regenerateguitarworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/vrb-p4-sample-immigrantsong.mp3)

This bass has seen a ton of studio work from its owner here in Seattle since it was first constructed. funny, the whole idea was to build it as cheap as possible but utilize a NP4 and BAII bridge. I think we succeeded on all objectives.

O ... you should hear this thing grind away when it's strung with rounds :eek:

all the best,

R

Hey, I tried the link and theres a password required, how do I reach the pickup samples?

you get prompted for a password for those MP3's - really?

drop me an e-mail (not a PM) and I'll send you an mp3 attachment for each of them

all the best,

R

Links work fine for me. Nice gutsy tone on the 'Immigrant Song' clip, great playing. If you don't mind, what was the signal chain on the bass?