EMG-JAX Pickups: Anybody Played 'Em or Heard a Clip?

selowitch · #1 11-03-2010, 03:51 PM

I can search the forum neither by "EMG," nor by "JAX," nor by "EMG-JAX," so forgive me if this duplicates an existing thread.

Has anyone tried the EMG-JAX pickups (with Alnico magnets) in them specifically? How do they sound?

selowitch · #2 11-04-2010, 03:22 PM

OK, How about any of the EMG-X bass series (PAX, JAX, JVX, et al.)? Anyone?

Here's a nice review by Ed Friedland of the JVXes.

*sound of crickets chirping*

joeyl · #3 11-04-2010, 03:30 PM

I am getting a set of JVX for one of my Jazzes, I'll let you know how it goes...

Fliptrique · #4 11-04-2010, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by selowitch

OK, How about any of the EMG-X bass series (PAX, JAX, JVX, et al.)? Anyone?

Here's a nice review by Ed Friedland of the JVXes.

*sound of crickets chirping*

There are several videos of bobby vega testing out different emg pickups on their site - as far as I remember, there were some X-type pickups among those.

selowitch · #5 11-04-2010, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fliptrique

There are several videos of bobby vega testing out different emg pickups on their site - as far as I remember, there were some X-type pickups among those.

Yeah, but those are inadequate because they are uncritical and his style and technique are far beyond anything I'll ever be able to do. Don't think he has one of the JAX set, which is what I'm really curious about.

I prefer Ed F.

selowitch · #6 11-04-2010, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeyl

I am getting a set of JVX for one of my Jazzes, I'll let you know how it goes...

Please do! The Friedland review had me thinking those were GREAT. Too bad they don't come in ivory or white like the ones without the exposed pole pieces, though.

Mental Octopus · #7 01-08-2011, 11:39 AM

bumping this, has anyone tried the JAX pickups?

I'm a big fan of the EMG sound, based on what I've been reading I'm thinking the JAX Jazz pickups would be a good match with a graphite neck/alder body.

selowitch · #8 01-08-2011, 01:33 PM

I am really curious, too. Any reviews of the JAX or PAX pickups?

Sampson82 · #9 02-22-2011, 10:11 AM

I got the EMG JAX in my Fender Am. Std. Jazzbass.

First of all excuse my bad english.

I had to replace the PUs cause the NeckPU of the original PUs broke.
Searched al lot in the www to compare PUs of other Brands with the original ones.
Finally i decided to try the EMG JAX.

In comparsion with the original ones, the JAX sound way more modern. If youre looking for a Vintage tone these are not the right PUs.
The Low End goes way deeper. The highs are more crispy and brilliant. Its beautiful to play Harmonics and chords with the EMGs.
In my Band the Bass cuts very well through the mix. The Sound of my Bass is more in your face. I did not lost the characteristical Jazzbass Sound. But now it sounds more powerfull, the Frequency range is wider. For me, my Sound benefits a lot from these PUs.

Hope that helps a bit

selowitch · #10 01-17-2012, 03:48 PM

I ordered an EMG-JAX set yesterday. I'll post a review once I have installed them. The catalog description suggests they have a sound in between modern and vintage. We'll see.

pbass888 · #11 04-15-2012, 06:21 AM

Is there a defined difference between jax and jx? Thank you? I'm very interested to her from tHose who installed them on a jazz

selowitch · #12 04-15-2012, 10:16 PM

It may be a while before I can post a review or sound clips, but I can say initially that I like the pickups a lot. Rich, punchy, very clean sound. To me, it's modern-sounding without being sterile, which is what I was looking for. They seem to do best when the mids are cut quite a bit.

The solderless electronics are a mixed blessing. It's nice to not have to get out the soldering iron (I'm bad at that anyway), but the assembly is fairly bulky and it's a bit of a trick to get all that and a battery jammed into the control cavity of a typical J-Bass. Also, there are a few gotchas, like the fact that one and only one of the connectors on the tone control needs to be reversed in polarity relative to the others. That one threw me.

Some J-Bass owners may want to consider EMG's new external power supplies (in 9v and 18v versions) to eliminate the need for a battery or batteries inside the body cavity. This prevents the unlikely scenario that your battery dies in the middle of a gig or session.

tylerwylie · #13 04-16-2012, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by selowitch

It may be a while before I can post a review or sound clips, but I can say initially that I like the pickups a lot. Rich, punchy, very clean sound. To me, it's modern-sounding without being sterile, which is what I was looking for. They seem to do best when the mids are cut quite a bit.

The solderless electronics are a mixed blessing. It's nice to not have to get out the soldering iron (I'm bad at that anyway), but the assembly is fairly bulky and it's a bit of a trick to get all that and a battery jammed into the control cavity of a typical J-Bass. Also, there are a few gotchas, like the fact that one and only one of the connectors on the tone control needs to be reversed in polarity relative to the others. That one threw me.

Some J-Bass owners may want to consider EMG's new external power supplies (in 9v and 18v versions) to eliminate the need for a battery or batteries inside the body cavity. This prevents the unlikely scenario that your battery dies in the middle of a gig or session.

The X series really ushers in a new era for EMG's bass pickups. Moving from the EMG 45TW pickups to the TWX has resulted in a noticeable more open sound yet still retaining the EMG tone.

Had a similar reaction to the PJX set I installed into my Fender Jazz bass.

pbass888 · #14 04-16-2012, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tylerwylie

The X series really ushers in a new era for EMG's bass pickups. Moving from the EMG 45TW pickups to the TWX has resulted in a noticeable more open sound yet still retaining the EMG tone.

Had a similar reaction to the PJX set I installed into my Fender Jazz bass.

Tylerwylie, did you notice a much bigger low end sound from the emg x series on your jazz?

selowitch · #15 04-16-2012, 07:51 PM

If you can pardon the slightly tangential remark, two items to note is that EMG recommends that you *not* apply shielding (e.g., copper foil) to the cavity of an instrument with these pickups. Secondly, IME, because you ought to raise these pickups until they are as close as possible to the strings without interfering with technique or vibration, I find that the plastic pickup screw tubing (sold at StewMac and elsewhere) works better than springs. YMMV.

tylerwylie · #16 04-16-2012, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbass888

Tylerwylie, did you notice a much bigger low end sound from the emg x series on your jazz?

I went from the SPB-3 / STK-J2B to the EMG setup, it's now a totally different beast. Can't compare to other EMG setups, but the mids are a lot easier to work with, the overall attack is a bit smoother but still very responsive to dynamics. The lows seemed to be easier to tame but extended pretty far down there, but I am not sure if that translates to bigger low end sound or not.

selowitch · #17 04-16-2012, 08:34 PM

I like the evenness of dynamics across strings!

pbass888 · #18 04-18-2012, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tylerwylie

I went from the SPB-3 / STK-J2B to the EMG setup, it's now a totally different beast. Can't compare to other EMG setups, but the mids are a lot easier to work with, the overall attack is a bit smoother but still very responsive to dynamics. The lows seemed to be easier to tame but extended pretty far down there, but I am not sure if that translates to bigger low end sound or not.

Thanks ... I love the sjb2 in a rw neck but you description makes me want to try the jax in a maple.
Thank you!