Those HIDEOUS DiMarzio Pole Pieces

[fu22ba55]

I'm on a mission to restore my '79 Jazz to as original-looking as possible. (The only problem is it sounds so good with the DiMarzios and the Badass II.) I love the sound of the DiMarzios, but I've grown tired of looking at those hideous pole pieces.

The bridge is a discussion for another day... and an easy fix. My question here is about the pickups:

Could I just buy steel machine screws with the same threads as the pole pieces, cut the heads off of them, and somehow manually screw them into the pups where the DiMarzio poles were? Would that even work?

Do any of the current Jazz replacement pickups sound similar to the vintage DiMarzios? (My DiMarzios were in it when I bought it in '88). I've just had them in there for so long, that's the sound I'm used to this bass making. I know there are "better" sounding pickups, and more "vintage" sounding pickups... I need to know if any of the current replacements (with correct, flush, vintage looking pole pieces) sound like these old DiMarzios.

Here's what the DiMarzios sound like:

Bridge Pickup

Neck Pickup

Both Pickups

(These clips were recorded straight from a DI into a Mac. No preamp, no BS, No EQ whatsoever. This is what the DiMarzios sound like 100% flat. This bass has been a DREAM to record with over the years... I just plug into the board and go. Just a tiny bit of compression if I'm really digging in or being sloppy/lazy.)

----------

The Jazz has a super-heavy ash body (about 12 pounds), so it naturally sounds pretty brittle... not warm at all, but I've had this bass for so long... I just want it to sound the same. I don't want to mess with the mojo.

-Which pickups (with correct-looking pole pieces) will sound most like these early 80's DiMarzios? I'm thinking mainly of Nordys with the 70's wind, or Fralins... but could be talked into Duncans. I also have a pair of legit Fender pups from a '72 Jazz that need repair, but I'm afraid they won't sound as punchy as the DiMarzios.

-Am I crazy to swap out great sounding pickups that I love just because I want the vintage "look"?

My goal is to get this '79 Jazz as close to stock-looking as possible in case a piano falls on me and my wife needs to sell it.

[David1234]

Originally Posted by fu22ba55

-Am I crazy to swap out great sounding pickups that I love just because I want the vintage "look"?

Yes.

If it comes to it, your wife can change the pickups.

[sloasdaylight]

Did '79s come with pickup covers? If they did, both problems are solved.

[etherealme]

I agree with leave 'em alone.
Just go with covers if you don't think they'd get in the way too much of your playing. That tone is fantastic!!!!!!!

Honestly, regardless of it's non-authentic look I really dig the black pole pieces look too.

[fu22ba55]

Originally Posted by sloasdaylight

Did '79s come with pickup covers? If they did, both problems are solved.

Heh... I don't have the pickup covers. And I've never been able to get the hang of pickup covers / ash trays. I like to get all over the strings and abuse the bass a bit when I play. Pickup covers always seemed to get in the way. But that would definitely hit the "vintage look" out of the park.

Originally Posted by etherealme

I agree with leave 'em alone.
Just go with covers if you don't think they'd get in the way too much of your playing. That tone is fantastic!!!!!!!

I know.. the tone of the bass is just great. I mean, it's thin in spots since the body is so dense, but it's a studio superstar: It gives a nice honest track that responds well to EQ in post.

Originally Posted by etherealme

Honestly, regardless of it's non-authentic look I really dig the black pole pieces look too.

If only they were black. They're a combination of rust, mung, and shiny, depending upon where they are. The whole idea of raising the individual poles is ususally lost on me since they turn into little cheese graters and eat up my fingers if they're above the pickup covers.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by fu22ba55

My goal is to get this '79 Jazz as close to stock-looking as possible in case a piano falls on me and my wife needs to sell it.

If this is your main concern, I wouldn't worry about aesthetics. They person who is seriously interested in purchasing this bass after your untimely demise will probably have a few ideas of their own.

That thing sounds killer. I love the growl. I wouldn't touch those pickups unless it was to adjust them.

[spaz21387]

i like the tone dont mess it up just leave it alone. and if the looks bug you that much get a pickup cover and a bridge cover and you wont even see them anymore.

[darkstorm]

People have been useing dimarzios since the 70's. Thats vintage. Replaceing great sounding pups makes no sense to me. The pole peices in dimarzios are fine. No one going to come up to you and remark on how the pole peice look, not ever. Adjustable pole peices are a great thing, they allow for tweaking the sound a bit. Theres nothing non authentic old school about dimarzios, theyve been used as upgrade pups since the early 70's.

[Munjibunga]

Jeez. All that sludge around the bridge, and you're worried about how the pickups look? Anyway, leave 'em.

[bongomania]

Having "correct-looking" pickups will not increase the resale value of the bass by much, if any. The kind of buyer who could/would pay big money will also be the kind of buyer not easily fooled by that kind of shenanigan.

If anything it might be worth more as-is just by dint of having "truly vintage" pickups, even if they aren't the factory stock.

["T"]

I have some Dimarzios on order and your clips made me feel better.

If money mattered that much to your wife, she wouldn't have married a musician. lol

Seriously though, that bass sounds great! Leave it alone!

[fu22ba55]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Jeez. All that sludge around the bridge, and you're worried about how the pickups look? Anyway, leave 'em.

Doh!

Maybe I should have cleaned her up a bit before snapping pics.

[gnergaard]

You're in luck!

There's a set of DiMarzio "Area J" pickups for sale on this site that I think are the same basic pick ups as the Model J's- but with a completely traditional look, particularly the pole pieces.
Buy them, and then I will gladly buy your Model J's from you...I think they look ugly too but the sound and the benefit of adjustable pole pieces make them worth it for me.
BTW- do you have your current pick ups installed with the old school Fender 250K pots or the dimarzio recommended 500K pots?
It will be good to know when you swap out the pick ups...I'd also be curious because I was thinking of switching mine back to the old Fender 250Ks...just curious as to if you like the sound either way.

[Craig_S]

Leave it, if you're happy with the sound of it.

The Area J and Model J pickups are not the same.

Area J has alnico magnets and a higher resistance

Model J has ceramic magnets and an lower resistance.

[fu22ba55]

Originally Posted by gnergaard

BTW- do you have your current pick ups installed with the old school Fender 250K pots or the dimarzio recommended 500K pots?

I'm not 100% certain, but I *think* they are the stock Fender 250k pots from '79. I'm pretty sure. I've only had the control plate off the bass once... years ago. And I think I peeked at the pots to check for datestamps or whatever. I'm 95% certain they are the original 250K Fender pots.

[westernedge]

If you like the sound the way it is, leave it. You're making music, not posing for a photo!

[stflbn]

PUt a strip of black electrical tape over each pickup. Solved.


.

[i hate username]

Never even looked at pole pieces before but they are fugly indeed

Could you not just get new cases for the pups?

[Wayne8]

I read on here some time ago where someone was saying that you could contact Dimarzio and they'd sell you replacement pole pieces that are silver in color. They just screw out/in. That's what I'd do. The black ones don't bother me.

[Fliptrique]

Man, just leave it as it is - sounds GREAT.

I mean... it`s just polepieces. Worse things have been known to occur!