jazz bass midrange

DADGUITARD · #1 02-14-2013, 10:26 AM

what jazz bass pickup set has the most midrange that sound similar to a gibson g3.

Cadfael · #2 02-14-2013, 11:05 AM

Wire your Pus in series.
This will give you a midrange push without changing them ...
At a G3 (75-83) the middle PU is also always wired in series to the other PUs. The G3 has no sound without series wiring ...

DADGUITARD · #3 02-17-2013, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cadfael

Wire your Pus in series.
This will give you a midrange push without changing them ...
At a G3 (75-83) the middle PU is also always wired in series to the other PUs. The G3 has no sound without series wiring ...

that doesn't sound good for the bass

Stone Soup · #4 02-17-2013, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DADGUITARD

that doesn't sound good for the bass

er...

**hsech** · #5 02-17-2013, 11:11 PM

Just tweak your amp for the midrange you are looking for. A Jazz Bass is not going to sound like anything other than a Jazz Bass.

walterw · #6 02-17-2013, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cadfael

At a G3 (75-83) the middle PU is also always wired in series to the other PUs. The G3 has no sound without series wiring

if this is true...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cadfael

Wire your Pus in series.
This will give you a midrange push without changing them

...then this is indeed what you want.

series-wired jazz basses get really loud, deep and boomy; it's actually a fun sound, very powerful, but sometimes too much. (i'll wager that the G3 pickups were much weaker individually than typical jazz pickups if they were intended all along for series wiring.)

eight0eight · #7 02-17-2013, 11:42 PM

I have a push-pull pot on my Squier Jazz to switch to series wiring and it is definitely good for the bass! When engaged it increases overall output slightly and pushes the low mids. You also loose a bit of the top end that jazzes are known for. Still sounds mostly like a jazz bass but with more grunt and less glass if that makes sense. It's a simple mod and with a push pull pot you can switch back and forth on the fly so you don't loose you're original sound. Both pickups are fully on in series mode so you can't solo or favor either pickup individually.
Hope this helps

nofretsplz · #8 02-17-2013, 11:44 PM

+1 for series wiring. I have a 5 position lever switch on my '87 MIJ Fretless Jazz (Bill Lawrence pups, Basswood body) that includes a series position, and it rocks. Literally, I use that position for rock--there is a pronounced mid hump that does a great job of pushing through the mix. I don't think the midrange mojo is coming from the brand of pickups, but rather the fact that they are wired in series. Gotta try it before giving up on your current pups.

Also, +1 on EQ. My Aguilar Tone Hammer DI has a great sweepable mid that I use for both my Jazz basses (the other is a MIM fretted Jazz, swamp ash body, DiMarzio pups). Both of them like a mid push around 700Hz.

BAce · #9 02-17-2013, 11:52 PM

Fender did a series/parallel switch for a while on their USA Jazz Bass. They called it the S1 Switching system. Just a push putton in the centre of the neck volume control that switched between parallel=switch out=normal to series=switch in=not normal, but really nice LOL. Almost sounds like a P Bass. I have this on my '04 American Standard and it's really quite versatile. Lots of guys mod their Jazz basses to do this with a push-pull pot. No extra holes. Very good for the bass! It can also be done with a separate toggle switch of course.

maturanesa · #10 02-17-2013, 11:58 PM

Most of the jazz pups around cant be wired in series... the op should get some 4 wire jazz pups to achieve that

CapnSev · #11 02-18-2013, 12:02 AM

Favoring one pickup or the other will bring back the mids that get lost when you turn both pickups all the way up. I generally prefer doing that for most fingerstyle playing.

walterw · #12 02-18-2013, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maturanesa

Most of the jazz pups around cant be wired in series... the op should get some 4 wire jazz pups to achieve that

not even remotely true.

the idea is to wire the two single-coil pickups in series with each other.

you're thinking of dual-coil pickups, that get wired in series or parallel individually.

maturanesa · #13 02-18-2013, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

[/i] get wired in series or parallel individually.

That is what i meant..

maturanesa · #14 02-18-2013, 12:17 AM

i think the j pups are builded to work both on parallel, and the G3 pups to work on series... With a series connection on the jazz bass you'll get a moody/cloudy sound...

Cadfael · #15 02-18-2013, 04:53 AM

Leo wired them in parallel - but you can wire them in series.
No problem ...

Most of the time Gibson Thunderbirds hat parallel wiring but during a special time they were wired in series ...

J PUs normally have to wires without using a shielding.
This is perfect for parallel OR series wiring ...

DADGUITARD · #16 02-18-2013, 06:59 AM

thanks for your help everyone very informative.

kasbrey · #17 02-22-2013, 08:04 AM

I recommend the Stellartone Tonestyler. One of these has totally transformed the mids on my unspectacular sounding Jazz.

You could also try making your own Varitone style circuit. Due to the success of the Tonestyler I've been trying to build an outboard varitone for my other passive basses (but I've not managed to get it sounding as good yet).