Vintage J-bass "Bark"

tehbassist · #1 07-19-2009, 08:05 AM

You've all heard it, that almost-hollow midrange bark that certain j-basses have. It's that awesome tone you can only get from some jazz pickups, and my question is which ones? What are the specific pickups that will give me that old school "bark" I love so much? I know Fender must make a pair because I've got the sound from a few stock Fender J-basses I've tried, but I have no idea which style of J pup's they are. Also for the record I'm trying to stay with Fender pickups, but I'm always open to suggestions (mostly ones that save me some cash).
Thanks in advance,
-Sid

mongo2 · #2 07-19-2009, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tehbassist

You've all heard it, that almost-hollow midrange bark that certain j-basses have.

Got a clip of the specific tone you are looking for?

tehbassist · #3 07-19-2009, 09:56 AM

I don't have a clip, but I can say if its helpful at all that I've gotten this tone from both Highway 1, and road worn jazz basses, but not from any MIA or MIM standard jazz basses...

the yeti · #4 07-19-2009, 10:23 AM

maybe the bridge full on and neck about 2/3 or so? tone close to rolled off? is that it?

FronTowardEnemy · #5 07-19-2009, 10:33 AM

The Road Worn and HWY1's have thinner paint thus allowing more bark to emit from the PU's. I had a MIA with Fender Vintage Noiseless PU's and they got that old school burpy bark you are talking about.

tehbassist · #6 07-19-2009, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the yeti

maybe the bridge full on and neck about 2/3 or so? tone close to rolled off? is that it?

Nah it's not a tone you can get from knob tweeking, the pups either have it or they don't.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FronTowardEnemy

The Road Worn and HWY1's have thinner paint thus allowing more bark to emit from the PU's. I had a MIA with Fender Vintage Noiseless PU's and they got that old school burpy bark you are talking about.

I realized that both road worn and highway one basses had nitro finishes, but if the finish can make the bass bark like that then all I can say is wow... But it's good to know you at least know what I'm talking about for tone.

the yeti · #7 07-19-2009, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tehbassist

But it's good to know you at least know what I'm talking about for tone.

yeah. i'm glad somebody does. but i want to.

narud · #8 07-19-2009, 11:46 AM

cruise ebay for a set of pickups out of a highway 1,roadworn or mim classic 60's bass. theyre up there all the time and relatively cheap. i dont think theyre available as a replacement part from fender (could be wrong though). last time i looked up what pickups you could get from them it was the custom shop 60's , originals (62 reissue) and the 75 reissue set. none of those replacements will sound like the pickups you liked.

mongo2 · #9 07-19-2009, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tehbassist

But it's good to know you at least know what I'm talking about for tone.

Over the decades I've heard as many "barky J bass" tones as I've heard J basses. It'd be nice if you could narrow it down with an example.

tehbassist · #10 07-19-2009, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongo2

Over the decades I've heard as many "barky J bass" tones as I've heard J basses. It'd be nice if you could narrow it down with an example.

I guess the best example would be a tone like jaco, (and I understand that jaco got his tone by only playing with the bridge pickup) but the fundamental tone has that bark I want to it...

John Wentzien · #11 07-19-2009, 04:09 PM

Sounds like you would like S.Duncan Antiquities.

mongo2 · #12 07-19-2009, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tehbassist

I guess the best example would be a tone like jaco, (and I understand that jaco got his tone by only playing with the bridge pickup) but the fundamental tone has that bark I want to it...

OK, that would probably rule out the tone of the wider pickup spacing found in the '70s.

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Wentzien

Sounds like you would like S.Duncan Antiquities.

I would suggest trying them also, the '60s Antiquity II version and closer pickup spacing.

Seymour Duncan Antiquity II for J bass

king_biscuit · #13 07-19-2009, 04:43 PM

I know that sound, and I think it has more to do with the neck. Maple 70s Jazz necks seem to have it more often than not. A nice set of gray bottom pickups won't hurt, and they turn up on ebay fairly often.

walterw · #14 07-19-2009, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tehbassist

I don't have a clip, but I can say if its helpful at all that I've gotten this tone from both Highway 1, and road worn jazz basses, but not from any MIA or MIM standard jazz basses...

are we talking older highway 1 basses, before they started coming with leo quann bridges? if so, the common factor here is the threaded steel saddles on a vintage low-mass bridge. that would have a lot bigger impact on tone than the paint IMO.

i prefer first-generation american standard basses, which had steel saddles instead of brass, for this very reason.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tehbassist

I guess the best example would be a tone like jaco, (and I understand that jaco got his tone by only playing with the bridge pickup) but the fundamental tone has that bark I want to it...

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongo2

OK, that would probably rule out tho tone of the '70s J pickup spacing.

aha, that would make a big difference, too.

i've found that replacing the stock 250k pots with 500ks brings out the "character" of the pickups more, so that a P really comes across in a mix as a P, and a J as a J, rather than just sounding like a "bass".

tehbassist · #15 07-19-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

are we talking older highway 1 basses, before they started coming with leo quann bridges? if so, the common factor here is the threaded steel saddles on a vintage low-mass bridge. that would have a lot bigger impact on tone than the paint IMO.

i prefer first-generation american standard basses, which had steel saddles instead of brass, for this very reason.

aha, that would make a big difference, too.

i've found that replacing the stock 250k pots with 500ks brings out the "character" of the pickups more, so that a P really comes across in a mix as a P, and a J as a J, rather than just sounding like a "bass".

Well I was actually thinking modern highway one with the leo quan bridge, but the road worn j bass which lacks the leo quan bridge still has the same bark I'm looking for (even though the badass bridge makes a difference, it isn't the variable)

Sufenta · #16 07-19-2009, 11:03 PM

Sounds like you are describing the bridge p/u soloed with the passive tone rolled all the way off played finger-style between the bridge and the bridge p/u. Fralins are really good at generating that tone. I had my stock Fralin bridge p/u overwound and it could do Jaco all night long.......unfortunately I couldn't and I opted to swap the passive Fralins for Nordies and an Audere.