Not jazzed about jazz bridge pickup sound

blockinlay · #1 07-11-2009, 11:29 AM

Should I be doing something different? I've got two Fender jazz basses and I don't really like the sound from the bridge pickup on either. One has SCN pickups, and the other american from 03. Both have the S-1 switch. Both basses have a Badass bridge. Now I had a Geddy Lee bass with the vintage pickups, and like that bridge pickup sound, but It's not there for me with these two basses. I find myself only using the neck pickup, and push the S-1 pickup for the little extra umph I need when the guitar player hits his volume pedal.
Doesn't matter what amp I use, or how loud I go, the bridge pickups just don't dound cool to me. Sounds kind of twangy.
I have both of these set up to the specs on the Fender website, then adjusted a little more to my liking.
I was wondering if raising the bridge pickup more would help.
Maybe new strings, I don't know.
I had a 59 CS P-bass and liked it, but didn't like the wider nut.
Maybe I need a P bass with a Jazz neck.

RFord04 · #2 07-11-2009, 11:38 AM

Well, I was just going to chime in about how I used my bridge pickup with a little bit of neck pickup last night at my gig and loved the way it sets in the mix... but then I read that you like the bridge tone on your Geddy, which is what I was using.

I didn't dig it much at first by itself, but once I played with the full band at a gig, I fell in love. Are you judging by the soloed tone or with a full band mix?

wildhorse · #3 07-11-2009, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blockinlay

Should I be doing something different?
Maybe I need a P bass with a Jazz neck.

1980's Vintage Peavey Fury! Neck is even a tad narrower than a Fender Jazz and it's got P-Pups. I've toyed with the idea of putting a SD Quarter Pounder in it but the o.m. pickups are good stock.

On my Jazz Bass I always use the two pickups together.
However I have Seymour Duncan Hot Jazz Pups.... Most of the time the volumes are set at 3/4 on both. Nice Hot clean sound. At full volume they are more of a Humbucker sound. Oh and I use Diaddario Chromes.

Stickk · #4 07-11-2009, 11:46 AM

Works for me:

John Wentzien · #5 07-11-2009, 11:49 AM

+1 on the SD hots.
Just put them in my jazz. (the single-coil ones)
Way better mids and low-end with mellower highs.
Still retains the "growel"...but not as scooped or harsh on the high-end.
Really makes a difference on the bridge pickup.

**line6man** · #6 07-11-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stickk

Works for me:

Works for me too:
(The humbucker splits into a traditional single coil Jazz bridge pickup...)

Ok, that's about the 3rd time this week i have posted this picture, but it's always fun to post.

John Wentzien · #7 07-11-2009, 12:03 PM

I'll bet those bases are "Jaco-City!"

BeefJerky · #8 07-11-2009, 01:51 PM

what kind of neck wood is that on the right? Pau Ferro?

**line6man** · #9 07-11-2009, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeefJerky

what kind of neck wood is that on the right? Pau Ferro?

Pau Ferro on the left. The one on the right is Goncalo Alves.

blockinlay · #10 07-11-2009, 01:59 PM

I guess if I was limited to just the bridge pickup, I'd have to make due. Doesn't help me though.
Maybe I'll just play on the bridge till I figure it out.

TerenceSharp · #11 07-11-2009, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stickk

Works for me:

Is it jsut me or does that neck look reaaly misaligned :s

Photo angle?

**line6man** · #12 07-11-2009, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TerenceSharp

Is it jsut me or does that neck look reaaly misaligned :s

Photo angle?

Yeah, the neck alignment is way off.
He says he likes it that way though because it keeps him from doing excessive bending on the G string.

**line6man** · #13 07-11-2009, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blockinlay

I guess if I was limited to just the bridge pickup, I'd have to make due. Doesn't help me though.
Maybe I'll just play on the bridge till I figure it out.

Personally, i absolutely could not stand the tone of the neck pickup or both pickups on a Jazz bass. I always got the tone i liked from playing on the bridge pickup only, so that's the way i did my Jazz basses.

I have never felt limited, because that's about as useful as any other Jazz bass is to me anyways, so i am not losing anything.

FWIW, i am planning on putting in a P bass pickup pretty soon, but i think my main tone will always be just the bridge pickup.

koobie · #14 07-11-2009, 07:36 PM

I generally don't prefer the J bridge pickup over the J neck pickup either, the bridge position usually strikes me as nasally for lack of a better term. It seems like you'd need to specifically eq your amp to get fatness on the bridge, but then your neck pickup would probably be bloated. When I think of J bridge pickup tone, I generally think of guys playing solos as opposed to laying down the foundation. It's all good, just not what I prefer for bass.

SGD Lutherie · #15 07-11-2009, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blockinlay

Sounds kind of twangy.

Of course it's twangy... it's the treble pickup! Maybe you need to adjust your amp to remove some high end or upper mids?

It also depends on where you pluck the strings.

Are you looking for a deep tone with no twang? Use flat or half round strings.

aresc · #16 07-11-2009, 08:11 PM

You can try a hotter and mellower pickup,but I dont see any problem in not liking the sound of the bridge pickup.
I m a jazz player and I also dislike the sound of the bridge pickup soloed and the sound of both pickups full on,but I love the sound with the neck vol10 and the bridge vol7.

Derek Kiernan · #17 07-11-2009, 08:28 PM

What do you play through and how do you set your EQ? Moving the pickup close to the strings is not a bad idea at all, as long as you're not hitting the poles with the strings all the time. I keep mine very close, but the poles are radiused, so you might have to be more concerned for the string to string balance.

**line6man** · #18 07-11-2009, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koobie

I generally don't prefer the J bridge pickup over the J neck pickup either, the bridge position usually strikes me as nasally for lack of a better term. It seems like you'd need to specifically eq your amp to get fatness on the bridge, but then your neck pickup would probably be bloated. When I think of J bridge pickup tone, I generally think of guys playing solos as opposed to laying down the foundation. It's all good, just not what I prefer for bass.

I should point out BTW that I'm a solo player, so "laying down the foundation" has never really been an interest to me.

Fretted Jazz basses do tend to sound thin and midrangey on the bridge pickup, but on a fretless, the sound is just completely different.
Because a fretless is so much mellower, the pickup doesn't seem to sound as thin.
Also, i play from over the neck pickup rather than over the bridge pickup like most people, so the tone is a lot smoother that way.

I can't speak for Stickk though, because he's playing fretted.

Stickk · #19 07-11-2009, 10:06 PM

Here are some soundclips of mine: Telejazz Bass Soundclips.

Nedmundo · #20 07-12-2009, 12:21 AM

Nothing wrong with preferring tones other than the bridge pickup on a Jazz. I love Jazz basses, and have never soloed the bridge pickup for recording, rehearsing, or gigging. I play rock exclusively, and want a thicker, more supportive tone, so it's usually neck 100% and bridge about 70%, or both pickups on full. Occasionally I'll solo the neck pickup.

By the way, I think it's strange that you liked the bridge tone on the Geddy, because its pickup is even closer to the bridge, in the 1970's position. That should be even more twangy.