Magnetic Field pups into a Fender Jazz

[epoxo57]

Would you think I am crazy if I was thinking about putting some Magnetic Field Design pups into a Fender Jazz? I know there would be some severe modding to do (like routing and shaping the pickguard). Playing my L2000 compared to my Jazz, the Jazz is still a little thin sounding with the bass onboard cranked. I know it won't sound exactly like an L2K--I guess its a poor man's approach rather than getting a new bass since I love the finish and feel of the Jazz. I guess also, would these even work? I have an onboard stock preamp.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Scott

[spideyjg]

Originally Posted by epoxo57

Would you think I am crazy if I was thinking about putting some Magnetic Field Design pups into a Fender Jazz? I know there would be some severe modding to do (like routing and shaping the pickguard). Playing my L2000 compared to my Jazz, the Jazz is still a little thin sounding with the bass onboard cranked. I know it won't sound exactly like an L2K--I guess its a poor man's approach rather than getting a new bass since I love the finish and feel of the Jazz. I guess also, would these even work? I have an onboard stock preamp.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Scott

Do the single coil mod to your 2K. The 2K with single coil keeps my JB-2 in the closet.

Less work to go that route than gutting your Jazz like a fish. If you don't like it, you are screwed.

Jim

[bhen]

It looks like G&L are working on a JB-1 model which will feature Jazz Bass-style MDF pickups. These should then also be available separately through dealers or the G&L online shop.

Check out the pictures here.

[lmfreeman9]

Just put MFD split coil in my MIJ Fender P-Bass with excellent results, but no routing was necessary.

[Ken Baker]

Originally Posted by bhen

It looks like G&L are working on a JB-1 model which will feature Jazz Bass-style MDF pickups. These should then also be available separately through dealers or the G&L online shop.

That bass is likely a long way off, and other than the fact that the pickups will be single coil MFD, there is no indication exactly what they'll be doing with them.

Sorry to shoot this down, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for any new(ish) G&L pickup to be easily available through retail channels. If this pickup is new, or even a re-wind of the SB-2 single coil, it is likely that they'll keep it closely held for a while.

Ken...

[epoxo57]

Originally Posted by spideyjg

Do the single coil mod to your 2K. The 2K with single coil keeps my JB-2 in the closet.

Less work to go that route than gutting your Jazz like a fish. If you don't like it, you are screwed.

Jim

I want to keep my L2K as is, I just dig my sunburst Jazz with block inlays and would like the best of both worlds if possible. The L2K is still my fav, but I paid a lot for the Jazz to just sit around.

[spideyjg]

Originally Posted by epoxo57

I want to keep my L2K as is, I just dig my sunburst Jazz with block inlays and would like the best of both worlds if possible. The L2K is still my fav, but I paid a lot for the Jazz to just sit around.

If you do the single coil mod per Dave's sheet it is a cheap, transparent, and completely reversible mod. Quite unlike gutting your Jazz.

It does not change the 2 existing coil switching modes it just adds a third.

Your basses, your money so mod away.

Jim

[DavePlaysBass]

Originally Posted by epoxo57

I want to keep my L2K as is, I just dig my sunburst Jazz with block inlays and would like the best of both worlds if possible. The L2K is still my fav, but I paid a lot for the Jazz to just sit around.

The SC mod is simple and cheap as Jim stated.

You could sell the jazz and get yourself something you really like. Or if you are looking for an aggressive / full range J pickup, I would look at Aero.

[epoxo57]

All good points indeed. I'm curious if I actually did replace the pups with MFD's if the original Fender "character" is somewhat retained. Put another way, besides the obvious, what makes a Fender sound like a Fender and a JB-2 sound like a JB-2?

I am curious about the SC mode mod. Sonically, how does it compare to what I have now?

Thanks,
Scott

[DavePlaysBass]

SC has a clarity parallel does not. The inside coils is rounder and a little more midrange. The outer coils are scooped with sizzle. The sizzle coming from the bridge pickup location.

I personally prefer the inside coils because they tame the sizzle found in parallel mode as well. And they have a midrange presence that really goes well fingerstyle particular with the tamed sizzle. This sizzle I believe comes from the coil closest to the bridge.

Soloed the neck pup in SC has a solid P-ish tone. There is not a huge difference between the outer and inner when soloing the neck. The inside obviously is a little more aggressive and the outer is a little more subdued or warmer. But the delta is minimal compared to the inner and outer on the bridge coil.

A Fender Jazz sounds like a Fender Jazz because of pickup placement first and for most. Then the shape of the pickup dicates a winding characteristic that differs pickup to pickup but bounds the variation. Then you have the alder / rosewood combination for the 60's sound or the ash / maple combination for the 70's sound and of course the mid 70's J moves the bridge pup a little closer. IMO, you will not retain the character of the Jazz bass when you go with an MFD in it.

[epoxo57]

Originally Posted by DavePlaysBass

SC has a clarity parallel does not. The inside coils is rounder and a little more midrange. The outer coils are scooped with sizzle. The sizzle coming from the bridge pickup location.

I personally prefer the inside coils because they tame the sizzle found in parallel mode as well. And they have a midrange presence that really goes well fingerstyle particular with the tamed sizzle. This sizzle I believe comes from the coil closest to the bridge.

Soloed the neck pup in SC has a solid P-ish tone. There is not a huge difference between the outer and inner when soloing the neck. The inside obviously is a little more aggressive and the outer is a little more subdued or warmer. But the delta is minimal compared to the inner and outer on the bridge coil.

A Fender Jazz sounds like a Fender Jazz because of pickup placement first and for most. Then the shape of the pickup dicates a winding characteristic that differs pickup to pickup but bounds the variation. Then you have the alder / rosewood combination for the 60's sound or the ash / maple combination for the 70's sound and of course the mid 70's J moves the bridge pup a little closer. IMO, you will not retain the character of the Jazz bass when you go with an MFD in it.

This is great info, thanks. I know this is a G&L forum and not the place to yak about Fenders--sorry, but to my ears, the Jazz has a kind of "hollow" sound and lack of warmth my L2K has. Like when my strings get old, the Jazz seems "tougher" to play than on my G&L. I was thinking maybe the hotter output and pup makeup help with this compared to jazz pickups. Basically, I love the asthetics of the Jazz, but wish I could semi get the warmth and punch of my L2K without getting a new bass--or selling one. I have a Geddy Jazz I can get the jazz sound with, so retaining the "jazz sound" is not an issue. Am i dreaming??

[TDR1138]

If it were me, I'd do the singe coil mod on my L2k, put some flats on the Jazz and be done with it. If I still wanted more punch out of the Jazz, I'd just get a set of hot Jazz pups (i.e. SD Quarter Pounders). That way, you're not hacking into your Jazz with a router, and everything you're doing is completely reversable in case you hate it or want to sell it later.

[Mytola]

When you are speaking of the single coil mod anyway:

Will this essentially replace the 2-way series/parallell switch with a 4-way switch which is series/parallell/inner/outer, or am I entirely wrong here?

And would it for example be possible to turn the volume knob into a stacked one, which can be vol/vol, and then having the pickup selector switch change between both/inner/outer coils?

Would be nice with a bit of clarification here, as I'm really a total idiot when it comes to electronics.

[DavePlaysBass]

Originally Posted by Mytola

When you are speaking of the single coil mod anyway:

Will this essentially replace the 2-way series/parallell switch with a 4-way switch which is series/parallell/inner/outer, or am I entirely wrong here?

And would it for example be possible to turn the volume knob into a stacked one, which can be vol/vol, and then having the pickup selector switch change between both/inner/outer coils?

Would be nice with a bit of clarification here, as I'm really a total idiot when it comes to electronics.

There's info up top in the sticky area. You replace the 2-way switch with a 3-way switch. And you must choose which variation you want for the third option.