Pickups that compare to MFD's????

[mccartjm]

So i just got an sb2. And it just sounds sick. It is by far the best passive bass i have ever heard. The pickups obviously have allot to do with it. My question is, are there any pickups out there for jazz basses that compare to these MFD's as far as volume and output are concerned? G&l does make some jazz pups, but they just look like plain old alnico's.

[Ken Baker]

The G&L Alnico single coils are similar to Jazz pickups, but generally hotter and a bit more modern sounding (to my ear). There is no MFD pickup in the same form factor as a Jazz pickup.

Other manufacturers make Jazz sized pickups, and both Fralin & Nordstrand get high marks. Just know that they are not MFDs and will not sound like MFDs.

Ken...

[Nedmundo]

Lindy Fralin pickups have a raw, gritty texture similar to the MFD split-coil in the SB-2, which may explain why I love G&L's and use Lindy Fralins in my Fenders. They lack the massive output, but you can get them overwound, which might do the trick.

But the closest to an "MFD Jazz" pickup might be DiMarzio's Model J. It has very high output, uses ceramic magnets, and is supposedly very aggressive, but I've never tried them so I'm not sure how much "MFD vibe" they have.

I have, however, tried the Model P, which is similar to the SB-2's split coil, but without the latter's underlying vintage warmth. The DiMarzio is slightly "sterile" compared to the MFD IMO, but it has the same high output, wide frequency response, and aggression.

[earlgray]

I put a set of Lindy Fralin pickups in a MIM Fender Jazz bass & it totally transformed the sound (along with a BadAss II Bridge, providing more sustain). Fralins don't have the overpowering grindy sound of an MFD bass, but they are a good alternative.

I've considered putting them in my US JB-2, although everytime I play it, I can't bear to change anything.

hth.

[darjama]

I've been thinking about selling my g&l lynx. that's as close as you get to MFD jazz pickups as far as I know. To me the sound is bassier than a typical jazz, but maybe it's just because I keep it strung with flats.

[Ben Clarke]

Are the MFD J no longer available? I bought one a couple years ago to replace the DiMarzio that put in my SB-1 when I bought it in the 80s. I know they're a little bigger than a standard J, but that's what routers are for.

[quickervicar]

Nordstrand has some interesting ideas. Jason Lollar or Lindy Fralin should be able to wind whatever you want. I'm also partial to Rio Grandes on the guitard side of things. Unfortunately, you won't know what any will sound like until you put them in your bass.