Snarliest, nastiest J pickups. GO.

[joelb79]

Big +1 to what MysticMichael said. Having owned both I really really concur with the tonal descriptions he gave.

[georgiagoodie]

Originally Posted by MysticMichael

I'll chime in. The answer is, it depends.

Bear in mind first of all that the DiMarzios are a heckuva deal, and probably underpriced - relative to the competition.

For only $100 more, I would say that the Delanos are most definitely not overpriced - relative to the value you get. They're super - but not necessarily everyone's cup o' tea.

The Model J has a relatively more subdued upper midrange & high frequency response, that can be opened up somewhat - as JoelB stated - by using a 500k tone and/or volume pot. Still, its main strength is in the lows and the lower mids. It sounds thick. And when played in a high-gain situation, it snarls & growls very nicely.

The JMVC is hotter & brighter, IMHO. It also has a relatively more open, more extended upper midrange & high-frequency response. But the mids & lows are also very present - and very powerful.

The JMVC has excellent attack characteristics. If slapping/tapping is in your bag o' tricks to any significant extent, the JMVC will thrill you. Think of the JMVC as more modern, the Model J more vintage. But both will knock your socks off, given the right playing environment (i.e. instrument, rig, settings, technique, etc.).

Hope that helps...

MM

Well said!
+1

[socialleper]

Originally Posted by georgiagoodie

Well....
I'm not sure I can answer that.
I suppose it is relative to you specific situation.
I put the these DiMarzios on that '74 Jazz in 1979.
I just put the Delano in the Tele.
I have not had a lot of time with it, but it does seem to sound
a tad more "snarly"/"burpy"/"Jaco-like" straight-up than the DiMarzios, but then again I have the '74 set up with phase &
coil tap switches, so I can get a lot of different sounds with
them....
I suppose I was wanting to have different basses with different (quality) pups, so they would all sound different.
However I DO LOVE the DiMarzios!, and have for 33 years...

I guess the definition of "worth it" would be you bought it, installed it, and when you heard it said to yourself "could I have gotten this sound for less money?" Of course ever pickup is different, but do you feel like what you are getting out of the Delano is worth what you paid?

[socialleper]

Originally Posted by MysticMichael

I'll chime in. The answer is, it depends.

Bear in mind first of all that the DiMarzios are a heckuva deal, and probably underpriced - relative to the competition.

For only $100 more, I would say that the Delanos are most definitely not overpriced - relative to the value you get. They're super - but not necessarily everyone's cup o' tea.

The Model J has a relatively more subdued upper midrange & high frequency response, that can be opened up somewhat - as JoelB stated - by using a 500k tone and/or volume pot. Still, its main strength is in the lows and the lower mids. It sounds thick. And when played in a high-gain situation, it snarls & growls very nicely. It's an uncouth beast of a pickup.

The JMVC is hotter & brighter, IMHO. It also has a relatively more open, more extended upper midrange & high-frequency response. But the mids & lows are also very present - and very powerful.

The JMVC has excellent attack characteristics. If slapping/tapping is in your bag o' tricks to any significant extent, the JMVC will thrill you. Think of the JMVC as more modern, the Model J more vintage. But both will knock your socks off, given the right playing environment (i.e. instrument, rig, settings, technique, etc.).

Hope that helps...

MM

Good data!
Now, here's a tough one: if you have a 5 string what's your best bet since the Model J only appears to come in a 4 string model?

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by socialleper

Good data!
Now, here's a tough one: if you have a 5 string what's your best bet since the Model J only appears to come in a 4 string model?

Again, it depends largely on the kind of timbre & tone you most prefer for the particular application you have in mind...

I can tell you that I have a set of Delano JMVC 5 FE in my five-string Carvin SB5000 J-style bass, along with an Audere JZ6D jazz plate preamp, and it's simply an outstanding combination. With a maple/walnut bolt-on neck, swamp ash body, ebony fretboard...and a set of DR Hi-Beams strings on that baby, the entire instrument has been designed as a system - for the ultimate modern, snappy, clean yet souped-up "J" tone I wanted in that instrument.

MM

[georgiagoodie]

Originally Posted by socialleper

I guess the definition of "worth it" would be you bought it, installed it, and when you heard it said to yourself "could I have gotten this sound for less money?" Of course ever pickup is different, but do you feel like what you are getting out of the Delano is worth what you paid?

Yes.

[Pitter_Patterns]

+1 for Nordstrand pickups. Ever since I put them into my old bass, my newer ones have been collecting dust. They're really that good. For reference, I got the npj4sv set (P & split coil J), and the J absolutely rocks. My friend loves it so much that he recently ordered an nj4sv set for his Jazz.

Nordstrands are the definition of versatility, IMO. If you want snarly, nasty, midrangey bark and punch, you'll get it easily from these pickups. Even moreso from the nj4se pickups, which were designed for a tight, over-the-top, midrange punch.

In the OP, you mentioned that you have a preamp. I installed a Nordstrand 3 band preamp with a tone roll-off & preamp bypass in my old bass (3B-5b), and it's never been easier for me to blend in, or stand out in a mix. I just keep my amp flat now and dial in the tones I need on the bass. To be honest, though, the Nordstrands sound so good on their own that I often just bypass the preamp, and when I do go active, any contextual adjustments I need to make are minor

I hope this helps! All the best in finding the perfect J set for your bass and needs.

[bassdrummer]

I've used the Dimarzio Ultra Jazz and Area Jazz pickups. The Ultra Jazz were scooped with huge low end and high end, and sounded smooth. The problem was string to string volume was really different. My E string and G string were WAY louder than my A and D string using the Ultra Jazz. After switching to the Area Jazz pickups, this problem of uneven volume was solved. Vintage, lower output, hum-free tone which sounds great. But, I find myself wanting a snarlier, more aggressive tone from the bridge pickup. I am wanting to keep the Area neck pickup but would like to install a Model J in the bridge for more tonal variation and the option for more snarl.

[socialleper]

Out of curiosity, why no love for Seymour Duncan jazz pickups? Are they too polite sounding?

[klaus486]

Another boost for the Dimarzio Model J. LOve 'em!

[OptimusPrime]

Do you need a preamp for the Delano JMVCs?

[FiyaPowa]

You don't need a preamp for the Delano JMVC pickups. They're fully passive. I just finished installing a set in my passive Warwick Corvette to replace the stock passive MEC Dynamic Correction J-Pickups, which were too noisy. They are WAY hotter than the passive MEC's. I had to turn the mic preamp down 10dB to record the same piece right after I replaced them. I must say that I am a bit disappointed in the loss of low frequencies with the JMVC's though. Here's the before and after tones. I could probably make up the low frequencies with EQ, but I wish I didn't have to.

Warwick Corvette --> Great River MP-500NV, Hi Z input --> Ensemble Apogee --> Logic. No EQ, no compression, no funny business of any sort.

If you go over to the Sticky Jazz pickups thread, I posted more sound samples with drums and a noise test before and after also.

[FiyaPowa]

I have an additional question. Are the Model J's noise cancelling?

[FretlessMainly]

If you are considering dimarzios, don't overlook the DP123 Jazz set. These sound very crisp and growly and also have adjustable poles, which is something I covet in a bass pickup. Also, they don't need to be set at equal volume to cancel hum; they are very quiet at any setting.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by FiyaPowa

I have an additional question. Are the Model J's noise cancelling?

Yes. All DiMarzio Js models are.