Confused by PU's on MexiJazz

[specker]

The pickups on my recently acquired 2002 Standard Jazz are of similar strength and quietness to those on my 1978 Jazz (the real deal). Different tone, yes, but not like the crap I've heard described. The last mexi jazz I tried the PUs were way weaker.

How many versions are there on these mexi standars? Mine show the raised A and D pole pieces, and the bridge pickup is longer than the neck. Are they called "vintage"?

Thanks!

[walterw]

those are way better than the first generation mex jazz pickups, in that they're RWRP from each other so they hum-cancel, and they're the right sizes, so the strings stand a better chance of lining up over them (with the correctly spaced bridge, which the stock one is not). the raised inner poles are a nice touch that for the life of me i can't understand why all jazz bass pickups don't have.

oddly enough, "cheaply" made pickups like that with steel slugs and ceramic bar magnets underneath tend to be louder than "nicer" vintage-style pickups with real alnico rod magnets.