Just slapped Nordstrand NJ5FS in the ASJV. Very interesting.

[Chasarms]

I have been playing my 2008 American Standard Jazz Five for a couple of hours since installing a set of Nordstrands. There is a lot of Nordy chat in the PU form, but not a great deal about this particular PU. So, I will rant.

I have to say, I am a bit surprised by these pickups. It's the NJ5FS, --a split coil, hum canceling model.

First of all, they are MOUSE quiet. That alone is a pretty big deal considering the bass was noisy with the single coils. They are very well made and look great in the bass, as they are very stock looking.

As for the tone, well, it is much more mellow than I expected. These PUs are actually smoother and more "modern" sounding than the stock single coils. They have a much tighter, more defined bottom/low mid range than the stocks. They also respond to the B string significantly better. It is a better 5 string bass with these PUs in the bass. The main reason that I wanted to swap out the stocks is that the bridge PU was thin. These absolutely are not. I have no issues at all with the soloed bridge PU tone of these. I couldn't solo the bridge with the stocks. It was just too annoying. For that, I am very happy.

Overall, the tone is more round and less textured than the stock PUs. For, that I am disappointed. There was a touch of rawness that the stock PUs had that these do not. I will miss that. There have been some posts on this board that have characterized the NJS PUs as bright. In my first wave of playing, I don't hear that. In fact, they are darker than the stocks to my ears.

All in all, I am happy. The bass sounds great, remains passive and still very much has the Fender vibe both in tone and look. I hope I don't convince myself to install a preamp. I have an itch to slap in a Sadowsky preamp and create a "Fendowsky." I believe these PUs are pretty similar in design to Sadowsky PUs. It might make for a decent clone. But, for now, the passive experience is pretty neat.

Lastly, for what it is worth. These Nordstrands sound a great deal like the Bartolini splitcoils that came in this bass, which I just bought used. They are not quite as rounded as the Barts, but of the same ilk. Maybe it is just the way with the split coils.

Of the three PUs I have heard in the bass, I will take the Nordstrands. While not as "jazzy" as the stocks, the tone is more of a traditional J bass tone than the Barts. They do still have some tooth, and the hum cancelling and the added bottom end make them MUCH more practical than the stock PUs.

And, I have to admit that I just did not like the look of the Bartolinis in a Fender Jazz. It just looked wrong.

[murphy]

Wow, Great review.
I believe you are experiencing the nature of split coils.
If you really want all your toothy growl back, I think you will need to switch to single coils

[Chasarms]

Originally Posted by murphy

Wow, Great review.
I believe you are experiencing the nature of split coils.
If you really want all your toothy growl back, I think you will need to switch to single coils

That's what I have gathered. All in all, though, I think trading the overall tone and usability of these Nordstrands over the Stocks.

Ultimately, I think a design similar to that of the Roscoe Beck V is the ultimate. I just don't have the guts to start routing and splicing!!!

[dave_bass5]

Ive got one of these in the bridge position in my Lakland DJ5 and i too am very impressed at how quiet it is.
Noise was the only reason i swapped out the original. I have a Nordy NP5 in the neck position so that left the bridge pup picking up more noise than before.

Not a lover of Jazz basses but to my ears it sounds great and this is the first Jaz bass ive owned where i dont mind using the bridge pup on its own.
Its not as thick and full as the NP5 of course but it does sound nice on its own.

[Chasarms]

Well, today offered the opportunity for some additional messing around with these PUs. I tinkered with the height a bit without much change in the way they behaved.

However, I did get the chance today to play the bass with the amp up at close to stage levels. Before I had it pretty quiet to keep from waking the kiddos. They were out today, so I had some time to myself to crank it up a bit.

With that, I am even happier with the PUs than I was before. There is more grit there than I initially thought. It is just more subtle than with the stock signal coils and the subtlety is lost at low volumes. But, with the Ampeg cranked up, it definitely had a killer jazz bass grit that I was quite taken by.

As of know, I give the NJ5FS pickups two snaps and a twist!!!!

[funkboy5]

Does anybody know if the NJ5FS's will fit in a Yamaha BBG5? I've got a set of the NJ5FS in my KSD705 and they along the audere pre sounds combo is awesome.

[Chasarms]

Originally Posted by funkboy5

Does anybody know if the NJ5FS's will fit in a Yamaha BBG5? I've got a set of the NJ5FS in my KSD705 and they along the audere pre sounds combo is awesome.

One would think that the Yamaha would take either those or the NJ5S, which is the same PU but the frame and cases are a bit different in size.

Either way, you should be able to get something that works. As I understand it, the NJ5FS and the NJ5S are identical in design, but the NJ5FS is made to retro fit the Fender (and Lakland JO5 and so it seems the KSD) without requiring a mod. The neck PU on the NJ5FS is a little shorter, I believe.

[BassAgent]

Major BUMP of this topic: I bought the NJ5FS as well, and am about to put them in my Fender Deluxe Jazz Bass V (which I made passive). I did some pickup changes before, but there's one thing on these pickups that's new to me: they grey wire. What's that for and where do I put it?

[dave_bass5]

Originally Posted by BassAgent

Major BUMP of this topic: I bought the NJ5FS as well, and am about to put them in my Fender Deluxe Jazz Bass V (which I made passive). I did some pickup changes before, but there's one thing on these pickups that's new to me: they grey wire. What's that for and where do I put it?

The grey wire is for use if your bass is active i believe.
You can just ignore it. I did.
There is some info on Nordstrands website about it. And i got a small piece of parer with mine that mentioned it.

[Nedmundo]

Originally Posted by murphy

Wow, Great review.
I believe you are experiencing the nature of split coils.
If you really want all your toothy growl back, I think you will need to switch to single coils

I have Lindy Fralin's Split-Jazz in my four string J, and they have loads of raw-edged growl, so it can be done. In fact, they sound nearly identical to the spectacular single coils from my 2008 Jazz V, but with less "air" in the highs. If you roll off the treble a bit, as I typically do, they sound the same.

I've also tried the NJ5FS in my Jazz V, but my first set had some issues, and Carey Nordstrand, stand-up dude that he is, sent me a replacement set I should have installed by tomorrow. So I'll provide a full report later, but even based on my first set I agree with much of the review, especially the reduced "texture" compared to single coils. They didn't sound much like vintage Jazz pickups to my ears. Initially I wasn't happy about the more modern tone, but it worked in a band mix, where they punched through loud and clear.

[Nedmundo]

I finally picked up my Jazz V with the replacement NJ5FS set, and they sound quite different from the earlier set. These do, indeed, sound very close to single coils, and thus very close to the Lindy Fralin Split-Jazz set in my four string J. The Fralins have slightly higher output, and perhaps a little more grit/growl, but playing through my Roland Cube 100 using the speaker and headphones, they're darned close tone-wise. These definitely growl, and they're dead quiet, so chalk up success in the tone department.

My main issue with the earlier set was low output on the E string. The A and B strings hit hard, but the E string was lost for some reason. At a minimum, this has been vastly improved. The A and E string balance seems about the same as on my four string, but the Fralins' higher output made this difficult to evaluate in an A/B test. I must have switched back-and-forth a dozen times. The real litmus test will be band rehearsal, when I'll know for sure whether the E string has the satisfying heft I felt with the stock single coils. Based on my tests so far, I'm optimistic.

[Lorenzini]

I want to bump this. Pretty cool findings. In fact, I got a replacement set from Nordstrand for the same reason you did.

Weak E, strong B and A.

New set completely resolved that and now it's perfectly balanced. These pickups are not growly as Fralins (no pickup is), but also have a much much better B string than them and suit my overall tonal needs much better. Much tighter bottom end, too, with less harsh high-mids.

I should mention that I now have Chasarms' ASJV and it's a great bass. I may mention that I will probably install a preamp like he was threatening

I highly recommend Nordy pickups! After having tried so many different models including: Fender Custom Shop, Fender Scns, older Fender Suhrs, Lindy Fralin, SD Basslines, SD Antiquity, Bartolini, DiMarzio, Lakland/Hanson, so far the best pickup for my sound comes from Nordstrand.

Originally Posted by Nedmundo

I finally picked up my Jazz V with the replacement NJ5FS set, and they sound quite different from the earlier set. These do, indeed, sound very close to single coils, and thus very close to the Lindy Fralin Split-Jazz set in my four string J. The Fralins have slightly higher output, and perhaps a little more grit/growl, but playing through my Roland Cube 100 using the speaker and headphones, they're darned close tone-wise. These definitely growl, and they're dead quiet, so chalk up success in the tone department.

My main issue with the earlier set was low output on the E string. The A and B strings hit hard, but the E string was lost for some reason. At a minimum, this has been vastly improved. The A and E string balance seems about the same as on my four string, but the Fralins' higher output made this difficult to evaluate in an A/B test. I must have switched back-and-forth a dozen times. The real litmus test will be band rehearsal, when I'll know for sure whether the E string has the satisfying heft I felt with the stock single coils. Based on my tests so far, I'm optimistic.

[Nedmundo]

Now that I've used my NJ5FS set for awhile, I'll say kudos to Chasarms for an excellent description. I agree 100%. They do lack some texture compared to the stock single coils, and have a slightly modern vibe, but at high volume the growl really comes through. While I generally prefer a more vintage tone, they are extremely effective in a band mix, and they record well too. Overall, great pickups.

[vibhas_2310]

Anyone here have any experience with Nordy's and Fralins in the same bass with a preamp ??

[Nickthebass]

Originally Posted by Nedmundo

I'll say kudos to Chasarms for an excellent description. I agree 100%.

+1 Thanks also to you Nedmundo for chipping in.

I've been trawling around t'interwebs for the last couple of days trying to find stuff on humcancelling 5 string J type pickups. One of the clearest (both in anaylsis and use of English) reviews I've read.

I'm starting to lean over in direction of NJ5Fs.

Thanks again

[MrCincinnati]

great review - even though it's months old - waiting for these exact pups for my 08 deluxe jazz..

anyone tried these with flats on a jazz?