I had been wondering about these pickups for a long time, and finally bought a set to put in a project bass. These are single coil Jazz pups from Bart, and they are supposed to have a "vintage" or "classic" tone. There are two models, one (9CBJS1)is voiced lower, the other (9CBJS3) brighter. I got the lower voiced option.
I've had them in for 3-4 weeks, and they have been to one band rehearsal and one gig. I'd say my opinions are still in the preliminary stage, but it is clear that these are some very nice pickups.
First off, these are some very well made pickups. Attention to detail is apparent, and the pups are nicely sealed with very good fit and finish. This is my first set of Barts, and I guess what I've heard about their top notch workmanship is true.
The bass I installed these in has been well shielded, but even at that I was surprised how dead quiet these pups were when both are full on. There is some typical hum when a pup is soloed, but still nowhere near the level that most pickups produce.
The output is a little lower than stock Fender, and I'm running these passive, so I do need to crank the gain a bit. No problem, that's what headroom is for.
So, the tone from these pickups does have single coil character, and these pups seem especially good at responding to different playing styles, EQ setting and pickup panning. Harmonics ring out very nicely. My first impression was that these were a bit "polite" sounding for single coils, but if you dig in and crank the gain, these can sound fairly aggressive. I have to wonder what the brighter voiced version of this pickup might sound like. Perhaps they would be a bit more aggressive and "classic."
Boy, these pickups really shine in the upper register, and they sound fantastic when playing melodic lines and chords. They have good lower register, as well. I find myself turning up the mids at times, especially when I want a little more of a dirty or cutting sound.
I don't know what differences there might be in the winding of the bridge and neck pickups, but I really like they way these sound when soloed.
All in all, I wouldn't quite call the tone of these pickups "classic." The guitar player in our band said he really liked how "clean" the sound was. I guess the best description would be a very pleasing "modern" sort of single coil sound.
For reference, I have been using some Aria nickel roundwounds. I'll be trying other strings as time passes, and I'll see how that affects the tone.
I hope I haven't just been blathering on...
I'm hoping someone will find this info helpful.
