Jazz bass pickup question

[xThreatBassistx]

I currently own a Mexican Fretless Fender Jazz bass and have the stock pickups in them.

Ive been looking for a way to keep my lows and mids even with a nice crisp tone but the settings on my amp just arent giving it to me and I have been wondering if it is my pickups.

Any pickup suggestions that could replace the stock pups and give me a more solid, straight forward sound?

Thanks a lot in advance!

[bearshimmy]

I really like the dimarzio model j's I replaced my stock pickups with. It does take away a little bit of the growl, but adds a ton more bottom end, and it seems to cut through the mix a little better.

[jamesie]

it´s hard to recommend pups for other guys - matter of taste, you know - but the delano jc 4 he/m2 could be for what you are looking for - on the other hand it´s always kind of trial and error because the basses (same brand and type) are all a bit different so the pups would sound in one instrument outstanding and in the other not

good luck for finding the right ones

[4StringTheorist]

Originally Posted by xThreatBassistx

Ive been looking for a way to keep my lows and mids even with a nice crisp tone but the settings on my amp just arent giving it to me and I have been wondering if it is my pickups.

Before spending some $$ on bass upgrades: Just to be sure... are you certain that your amp rig can deliver the sort of "crispness" that you desire? Does the speaker cab have a tweeter, etc.?

Originally Posted by xThreatBassistx

Any pickup suggestions that could replace the stock pups and give me a more solid, straight forward sound?

Thanks a lot in advance!

The Dimarzios are a great bang-for-the-buck J pickup to experiment with, and if you don't like the change, you should be able to sell them here on TB or eBay for a marginal loss.

According to the general consensus among people who've commented here on TB that I've read (an unscientific sample)

The Dimarzio Model Js have a solid, full sound. A bit less treble than regular J single coils?

The Dimarzio Ultra Jazz have a slightly scooped midrange, but solid mids and crisp highs.

They're more expensive, but I can say from personal experience that the Nordstrand NJ4SV pickups have an even sound across the spectrum, including a nice treble.

There are literally dozens and dozens of J pickups that might fit your needs. Hopefully more people here will chime in with ideas for you.

[Rocky McDougall]

+1 on the Nordstrands

[lonote]

Have you checked to make sure the pickups are properly adjusted?

[MuzikMan]

It would make sense to bring your bass to your local music store and try a variety of amps first so you could narrow down what you don't like, since you are not sure what the culprit is. Do ypu have new strings? How's your setup? Have you tried running your amp flat?

With that said I have yet to hear anything that sounds sooooo sweet as a set of Antiquities on a J-Bass. Growl for days if you want it, smooth if you want, they can do them both well. Of course IMHO.

[wildhorse]

My vote is for the Seymour Duncan SJB-2's.... They will give you the mids you are looking for as well as the growl. Rolling back the volume pots on the bass to 3/4 brightens up the tone to amost a Stratocaster Quack growling sort of sound but in a bass guitar version. Very nice.

[Rapisme]

APC Custom Pickups!

[wysiwyg248]

As some other members recommended... Bring your bass to a local reputable store and try different amps and settings before replacing pickups.

If you still want to replace them...
First, find out how your instrument was built (body, neck and board wood) and based on that combination, listen for equivalent instruments with different pickups. Fender has several combinations, that you can also try at the stores (with a rig similar to yours) until you find something suitable.

One recommendation: If you are looking for true Fender tone, specially on a fretless, check out Lollar pickpups. IMHO the best at reproducing that tone.