Please help me choose noiseless J pickups.

[Krank]

I know about these from searching on the net:

Fender SCN
EMG
SGD
Bill Lawrence J45
DiMarzio DP123

Of these five, I'm trying to decide between the Lawrence and DiMarzios - unless you suggest others. I'd like a passive design and those two have good reviews. Any input?

[westernedge]

I just installed a set of DP123s. If you've read Smash's writeup in the sticky, it's right on the money. Not necessarily the classic "J" sound, but ripping good nonetheless! (No experience with the Lawrences, sorry.)

[mmbongo]

DiMarzio Ultra J's kill. My God.

[depalm]

Nordstrand NJ4SV/NJ4SE

http://www.bestbassgear.com/nordstra...m#nordstrand4j

[NortyFiner]

Our buddy Seymour has a few options.

For a more vintage sound: http://www.seymourduncan.com/product...kj1_classic_f/

If you want something hotter: http://www.seymourduncan.com/product...kj2_hot_for_j/

Hope that helps.

[Twincam]

Bill Lawrence (from Bill & Becky, not Bill Lawrence USA). Definitely. Also, wire it up with the enclosed diagram. You'll then have a BVT circuit using existing pots with the addition of a second capacitor. I put them in mine and i've not heard better. Bill brands the real stuff "Wilde".

[Twincam]

P.S. Larry DiMarzio used to work for Bill Lawrence.

[Derek Kiernan]

I'm a big fan of the J-45s.

[Krank]

Thanks so much for your replies.

I was leaning towards the J-45s already due to good reviews, the low cost and the fact that it's just Bill in a workshop. Only drawback is there seems to be an indefinate wait at the moment. Those of you who use them, how would you describe their tone?

Originally Posted by Twincam

Bill Lawrence (from Bill & Becky, not Bill Lawrence USA). Definitely. Also, wire it up with the enclosed diagram. You'll then have a BVT circuit using existing pots with the addition of a second capacitor. I put them in mine and i've not heard better. Bill brands the real stuff "Wilde".

I'm new to bass, being a guitarist. What's BVT?

[mmbongo]

Call me a doofus, but I don't see a single bass pickup on BL's website?

http://wildepickups.com/Home_Page.php

[nortonrider]

.
these really are noiseless.

[4Mal]

Out of your selections, the Lawrence would be my choice. And yes, buy them from Bill & Becky by phoning them - the number is on their website. The humbuckers designs sound nothing like a J bass to me - I'm a J bass guy and I did not like what the Dimarzio's did to my bass. It didn't sound like a J anymore.

My J's are loaded with pickps from Vintage Vibe. They aren't true noisless as they are full on single coils in 2 basses and split coils in a J housing in another. They are very, very quiet though. After being wax potted under vacuum, they are very precisely copper foil shielded. The leads are encloded in a braided shield that 'drains' the copper foil shiel. You tie that to ground and there you are. Classic single coil J implemented in a 'faraday cage'. They are very, very quiet as a result.

Pete's pickups are wound to order, nothing is off the shelf although there is a 'stock' design. So if you want, you get to spec the magent material (Alnico II, III, V or Ceramic) and underwound, standard wind or overwound. My two fave sets are Alnico V with the standard winding or Alnico V split coil.

The splits are a little lower output - you can't fit all that wire under the housing and keep the housing standard depth - but they are sweet! A little throatier than a standard J. Maybe a tad softer in the low end and just a tad laid back otherwise. Plenty of punch but with a smidgeon of the edge taken off - I have that set in a real agressive Ash body & Maple neck combination - it works to tame that bass just enough to keep it aggro but not over the top zingy. These are pretty much noisless as they are wired in the same manner as a P bass.

[BSOD]

Well after trying out a Bartolini 9J1 set (which didn't impress me all that much) I opted for a set of Dimarzio's Area J. I haven't looked back. I just love the sound I can get from these pickups (using their dual sound wiring) and from all accounts they are very similar to the Nordstrand NJ4SV/NJ4SE pickups sound wise, though not having tried a set of Nordstrand pickups I can't confirm / deny this.

The only caveat with the Area's J is that they are not as hot as the Ultra J, and have a much lower output, almost 50% less. All I can say is that I am 100% happy with the sound. They claim to be noiseless, but you'll always have some hum, but I did notice quite a reduction in hum level over the Bartolini pickups I had and with the original Duncan Designed pickups the Squire came with.

Craig

[GassieBall]

I'm curious as to why you specifically want noiseless pickups. Is it only because you have LOTS OF NOISE?

If so, have you shielded your bass? When I was experimenting and educating myself about J pickups, I thought getting a stacked or noiseless pickup set would cure all of my single-coil buzz/hum woes. But I was wrong. Even the Model Js, Area J's, and Nordstrand NP4SVs that I put in an unshielded Jazz still buzzed, albeit to slightly less of an extent compared to true single coils.

Then I bit the bullet and bought shielding paint from StewMac and shielded/grounded the cavities, and now all is dead quiet, even when I install a set of single-coil Norstrand NP4s.

@ BSOD (Craig), I agree that the Area J's are very nice. They have a much more classic Jazz tone that is reminiscent of Fender pickups. However, I feel that the Nordy's have a slightly sweeter, organic tone that I found more pleasing. But the two pickups are very much in the same spectrum. Totally different wavelength from the Model J's.

[Krank]

Thanks again. I'm all set for the Lawrence J-45 now, if only I can get my order through.

@Gassieball: I have tons of noise at home, living in an inner city apartment. I can't use true singlecoils in any of my guitars, though I'd love to. I'll probably be shielding the bass as well, but I'm pretty sure that alone won't suffice.

[4Mal]

Best way to order from Bill & Becky is to call... the website is pretty much as waste of time ...