Question for Passive P/J Users
 

Which do you prefer for the Jazz pickup, a single coil or stack? Why?

I've got a DP148 DiMarzio Ultra Jazz in mine. It's got a very good tone which matches the p pickup, high output and is noiseless.

It's hard for me to use a regular single-coil J pickup solo because of the hum.

Bob

I use the Fralin "P" with the Fralin Split Coil "J" for great tone and no hum.

I've used a split coil J pickup that was great. I bought the P and J as a matched set (Nordstrand). Though in all honesty, I really never use the J pickup soloed....

I use the Duncan STk - J + SPB-1 and they both sound great and quiet, with a lot of nice tones. I like the quietness of the STK and not much differenence in tone from the single coil jazz. Just my 1-1/2 cents.

Do those of you getting hum with the single coil J, is this happening only when the J is soloed or when blended too? I don't seem to get a lot of hum out of mine, granted I don't play under lots of lights but no hum in crappy bars.

You will get the hum to be noticable when you start to roll either pickup lower.
so if you just like the one tone of the bass...no big deal but if you like to change tones, then think about stacked J's

I prefer a hum canceling J pickup simply because I don't like hum. A single coil J will hum whether it is blended with the P pickup or not, although the hum will become more tolerable the more the P is favored in the blend. The J pickup on my Reggie Hamilton is a dual coil pickup, I guess that is what you are calling stacked. Some hate the tone of dual coil pickups but I am not a tone geek after some (possibly mythical) single coil sound from days of yore. As long as the bass can provide a decent range of tonal options I will be happy with its stock pickups. Now you can get closer, perhaps very close, to a single coil sound with split coil Js so if you want a single coil sound with no hum when soloed or mixed you should go with split coils.

Ken

Hum drives me nuts too - I replaced the stock with a DiMarzio Model J.

I have little problem with hum on my Fender American special Jazz. I attribute most of that because of the shielding Fender put in all the cavities and grounded ALL grounds to a single point on the back of the Neck volume control. The other volume and tone ground to the control plate that is grounded by the by the output jack. Also not that some single coil pickups like Seymour Duncan's connect their ground (negative) wire to the outer winding of the pickup. This makes a fairly effective shield that protects all the inner winding that eventually connect to the positive signal wire from a lot of noise. Having said that, I know from experience in the past that the Lindy Fralin dual coil J pickups sound very good of all the noiseless/low noise pickups I have tried and used in the past. Being very price at $250 a set I can not longer afford them. Wish I had taken them out when I sold the bass.

+1.