Changing my pups from 62 ri to CS 60s and cap from .047 to .1...
 

Hi guys,

My jazz bass now has 62 ri pups (I really like the sound of these... for $85 they are impressively vintage sounding) but I recently heard a comparison of Fender 62 ri jazz bass pups and the Fender CS 60s pups and I think I like the CS 60s a LOT more. They sounded a lot like my 62s in terms of character but had a slightly more vintage-modern sound, with a little more clarity, and a bigger and tighter low end. They seem like my 62 ri's, but better.

Also, I have a .047 uf Sprague orange drop cap. I was thinking about switching to a .1 Sprague orange drop when I swap pups... this should give me a smoother, beefier tone when I roll the tone off, right? As opposed to my .047 (which is the classic jazz bass cap, yes?)

Not a super dramatic change here but hoping you guys could offer some insight on the tone changes I should expect. My bass as is sweet, warms up nicely with the tone rolled off even to halfway (but is a little boxy), and very vintage sounding, with the growl and power you'd expect from a heavy ash, vintage styled jazz bass. I love this sound but am hoping to give it a little more clarity, low end tightness, and bass. It is a little bright as is, probably because of the 7+ lb hard ash body...

the cool thing about the custom shop jazz pickups ime is that they have a low mid presence and warmth at the same time, kind of like a jazz on the border of p territory

That is pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks!

In that case, should I stick with .047 cap?

Hi cstar,

really CLASSIC for 60-70 are .047 caps.
Everything else is not 60-70.
I have never seen any .1 in a "classic" JB - so, no "classic" sound.
.022 can be called "classic" from the mid 70s on -but not with 62 PUs ...

To be honest ...
I am a human being and try to fool myself so many times! You do the same ...
Contentment has nothing to do with "best". Gras is always on the greener on the other side!

Your question is so specific (to me!!!) that being unsatisfied has nothing to do with the PUs or the cap but with yourself (I hope I'm not to personal). My experience is that the sound is in your fingers and not in components. I also tried to find satisfaction and happiness in equipment. Took me a long time (and money!) to find out that this is wrong.

Sorry for not answering your question ...

Hey,

Thanks for the reply.

Ultimately, yes, better playing is better sound.

I am interested in luthier work and mods though and I have noticed certain upgrades make certain changes to the sound of my basses.

I realize that tone chasing can be quite frivolous after a certain point. I have listened to some decent demos though and heard a noticeable difference between the 62 ri set and the CS 60s set. Will changing the pickups make me a better bassist? Absolutely not. Will I notice and the change in tone? I think so :)

I am in no way looking to compensate for anything :)

There isn't anything wrong with tracking down an optimum tone to your ears. You may as well like your equipment.

I switched to the CS60's with good results. They tend to be on the darker side so I would stick with the .047 cap. They will probably tame your ash brightness and give you the tight low end that you're looking for.