Jazz Bass Rebuild help

k38chomponthis · #1 04-19-2011, 11:58 PM

Hey guys,
I have been reading over the forum for awhile and have finally decided to join the community...
I am a guitar player of ~9 years and have decided to take up bass

I recently bought a 1996 MIM Fender Jazz. I have done a lot of projects with guitars in the past so I am no stranger to working with instruments, but I have a pretty big question regarding replacing the entire pickup/electronics system in the bass...

before I start, I know the 90s MIM jazzes have 2 same sized pickups, but I don't mind having to dremel out the bridge pickup cavity if necessary.
I am looking for suggestions on what to drop in this baby to get her singing right. At the risk of sounding like a noob, the sounds I am looking most to achieve include Sublime, Incubus, Ben Folds Five, Primus, Rush, RHCP, etc. I will be playing through a very high gain 100w Marshall all tube head and 4x12 cabinet.
I am looking for ANY suggestions in regards to specific pickups, and wiring (active, passive, or active/passive?). I don't mind having to put some extra holes/switches in the control plate if it means a significantly more tonally-versatilve instrument.

I hope I am not beating a dead horse with this but I still haven't been able to draw a conclusive answer after many hours of youtube videos and talkbass threads.

Thanks in advance guys and sorry for the journal entry, keep rocking

bThumper38 · #2 04-20-2011, 12:17 AM

Throw in some bartolini pick-ups, a john east preamp, and that bass will be slammin'.

walterw · #3 04-20-2011, 10:26 PM

and in the opposite corner, i say try some classic vintage-type single coil jazz pickups from duncan or fender; or, step up to fralin, lollar or nordstrand. rush, rage and newer RHCP are all stock vintage jazz tones.

for now, avoid going down the rabbit-hole of push-pulls and series/parallel. "versatility" on a bass means a few good tones, not a bunch of goofy ones. the variety will come from technique, processing, and amps. (don't be afraid to solo that neck pickup for rock stuff. if folks don't like that it makes a little noise, f#&k 'em!)

also, a high-gain 100w marshall won't make for a good bass amp unless you're only doing motorhead. (it can be cool blended with a real bass amp, but that's a lot of stuff to carry.)

k38chomponthis · #4 04-23-2011, 10:33 PM

Thanks for the replies -
I was looking at a set of Fender Custom Shop 60's Jazz pickups recently...

I was wondering - what does it mean to add an active eq to a bass? Are you able to take any set of pickups (active OR passive) and then add an active component to switch between active/passive? and if so, is it worthwhile?

thanks again guys, sorry if this has been covered before but I am having trouble finding the info I'm looking for

rojo412 · #5 04-23-2011, 11:56 PM

You can add a preamp to any pickups you'd like. And if you're like me, you do!

The tones you are describing range from a lot of different styles and basses. That alone is a good reason to get an active preamp. It will really allow you to properly dial a tone easily.

I have played in bands that covered the gamut of tonality and I wouldn't even bother with such a venture again without an active bass. You have a J bass, so you're essentially starting on the right foot.

If it were me, my choice of pickups for what you describe:
Dimarzio UltraJazz.
They are modern, they will give you a lot of punch and are easy to find. They are humcancelling and will do a great job for just about anything you listed.

For preamp, I'd be split:
Aguilar OBP-3 (if you aren't afraid to rout for a battery and side-mount jack).
It's a great preamp, very intuitive, doesn't color the sound much and is very versatile.
East J Retro (if you ARE afraid to rout for a battery and AREN'T afraid to spend the money).
It's a phenomenal preamp and I would die without mine. It cost me a lot, but it's worth every penny.

Any way you decide, you should check the classifieds here. People are trustworthy and if you buy something used and hate it, you can usually sell it for what you paid (if you don't screw it up

).

And don't fear add-ons like series/parallel and active/passive. They can help immensely if you have to switch genres at the drop of a hat.
For example, let's say you're playing "Santeria" (crank the bass, series pickups, treble cut completely) and after that, you're going to play "Aeroplane" (parallel pickups, scooped mid, boosted bass and treble)... you're going to want those controls at your fingertips.

Rano Bass · #6 04-24-2011, 02:12 PM

If you're new to the world of bass i would recommend to not spend much on an active onboard preamp, just get some good pickups and start with that.
That's what most of the bands you listed use anyway.

TN WOODMAN · #7 04-24-2011, 02:21 PM

FWIW if you don't want to rout the bridge opening, you can use a neck sized pickup there as well. I know Di Marzio for one will sell you a same sized matched set on request. The wider bridge pickup will not be that different tonally. Not as much as say the difference between 60s and 70s spaced bridge pickups.

If you do wish to go with an onboard active pre, the John East Retro J is a great choice.

walterw · #8 04-24-2011, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TN WOODMAN

FWIW if you don't want to rout the bridge opening, you can use a neck sized pickup there as well. I know Di Marzio for one will sell you a same sized matched set on request.

true, but it makes more sense to me to spend a little time getting that less-expensive bass "right", rather than buying the "wrong" pickup just because it fits.

otherwise, you'd have the same problem whenever you wanted to try different pickups.

k38chomponthis · #9 04-25-2011, 12:36 AM

thanks again for the responses, guys
so when you add a preamp to passive pickups, what do you do to allow them to switch active/passive? Is it just a two-way switch you can drill a hole for and add to the control plate?

And let's say I decided to try the Aguilar OBP-3 preamp. Does the input jack have to be relocated because the preamp adds a fourth pot?

rojo412 · #10 04-25-2011, 06:38 AM

Yes and no... you could operate it with a stacked volume pot or stacked vol/pan pot, the mid, and a bass/treble stacked pot. But the more you add, the more difficult it is to cram all of that into a small cavity.

I'm actually about to build an outboard OBP-3 setup. I'll let you know when it's all done.

TN WOODMAN · #11 04-25-2011, 02:07 PM

It is pricey, but another advantage to the East Retro J is that it is completely reversible. Simply remove old control plate, pots ,wiring and all, then make connections and drop in new loaded plate with pots and battery. Fits perfectly in existing cavity with no cutting required.

The retro has a mini toggle to have instant passive if battery fails mid gig, as well.

Back to my previous post, the neck pickup sized bridge pickup opening is correct for this particular bass. You will always be able to simply buy 2 neck sized pickups when trying different pickups. I'm just not a big fan of cutting away wood if you ever wish to return to original specs.

walterw · #12 04-25-2011, 10:05 PM

"original specs" of an old mexican jazz bass with the wrong size pickups?

that's worth exactly nothing if you ask me. get the thing modded to take normal pickups, it's not that big a deal.

of course, the OP playing all this through a 100 watt marshall guitar half-stack kinda renders all our arguments moot, doesn't it?

k38chomponthis · #13 05-07-2011, 01:14 PM

Hey sorry to revive this thread after so long, but I was wondering if I could get some more input from you guys...

I just ordered a John East Retro from another TB'er and I know that these are pretty well respected preamps, but I was wondering what pickups might go well with it? I was seriously considering Dimarzio Ultra Jazzes but I've found a few threads on TB where people seemed to dislike the combo of the John East and the Ultra Jazz pickups...

What do you guys think?

Also, walterw, is it possible to just purchase a decent used bass amp head and run it through the Marshall 4x12 cab? It can handle 280W rms and has some of the higher quality speakers that Marshall uses (Celestion Vintage 30's)

Thanks for all the input, everybody!

SGD Lutherie · #14 05-07-2011, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

rush, rage and newer RHCP are all stock vintage jazz tones.

Not exactly true. Tim Commerford rewinds all his Jazz pickups himself. Now he uses Lakland basses.

Flea has the one shell pink jazz bass, but has used a lot of different basses on recordings, and now uses one of his Flea basses.

But there's nothing wrong with single coils in a Jazz bass.

TN WOODMAN · #15 05-07-2011, 01:51 PM

I've got Di Marzio js (DP123) in my fretless jazz with the Retro j preamp and it's a great combination IMO.

My other fretless is passive with the Fender SCNS.

My fretted jazz is a De Luxe with the Vintage Noiseless and factory active preamp.

I've been wanting to try a Joe Barden set in one of my basses, but am pretty well satisfied with their current set ups. May have to buy another bass to try those!