What would be the most soapbar-esque J pickup?

[Crazy Ivan]

This is for a fretless Squier Jazz.

Basically, I've had enough of the burping bridge pickup, and want something that is better at supporting a band mix. So I'd like something with more of that really full, growly low end that you hear coming from a lot of humbuckers. The DiMarzio Model J is the only one I know to really enhance your low end, and I know the Ultra Jazzes, while humbucking, are still quite Jazz-like, so I'll have none of them.

I know nothing about Duncans, Nordies, Barts, or others. Suggestions?

[KJung]

The Nordy hum cancelling J pickups are, to me, among the least Fendery and warmest, fattest, smoothest J sized pickups I've heard.

Also, I'm not sure of the model, but the 'classic' Bartolini HC Jazz pickups (the original ones that used to be called Hi A pickups that we all put in our jazzes back in the day) are TOTALLY 'modern soapbar' sounding to me ear... fat, warm, very little grind or sizzle, just mid punchy goodness and fat low end. Those would be the bomb if someone can give you the exact reference to the pickups I'm talking about.

IMO.

[kyral210]

Try this classic!



http://www.seymourduncan.com/product...b3_quarterpou/

If your current pickups are squire, change the NOW! Squire electronics really blow. This bad boy will make your GROWL!

[eastcoasteddie]

Funny, I have 2 Squier Jazz basses. One is fretless, one is fretted. BOTH got all new passive electronics with Series/Parallel switches.

The stock squier pickups sounds really good in the fretless, not so honkey at all. I'm looking to get Quarter Pound Jazz pickups for the fretted, eventually. I , too, want a big, fat grinding sound.

[Crazy Ivan]

I will cede that the Duncan Designed pickups do sound beautiful... I'm just past my Jaco phase and want something more modern.

[Darkstrike]

Why not rout for soapbars?

Or do you maybe want to return to stock later?

[Crazy Ivan]

I might if I ever get the chance. I might be just crazy enough.

[greenboy]

What is soapbaresque, really? There's about umptynine soapbar configs in terms of footprint, with internally anything from single coil aperture to P layout to end-to-end to side-by-side humbucking to quad coil to... And I've not heard a consistent "soapbar tone" with all that diversity.

J-bass form factor has been done: single-coil, side-by-side humbucking, end-to-end humbucking, stacked humbucking, a variety of magnet structures and materials, and all that and windings too means quite a bit of diversity as well.

Also a prime tonal consideration with J basses is the actual location of the pickup. If you are using a narrow aperture at that position of route the bass has to have a lot of decidely different construction, wood choices, and electronic/pickup stuiff going on before it doesn't sound kinda ... like a J bridge pickup.

Myself, I'd look at what SGD Luthiery is doing, AGI with their decidedly different Bass Bar types, Q-Tuners, Joe Bardens, as well as Delano "rails", rather than just the companies that are changing up the old standard formulas somewhat.

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by Crazy Ivan

I might if I ever get the chance. I might be just crazy enough.

If its soapbars you want, why compromise.


Espcially, as if you want to go back to the single sound, you can get Nordie Big Singles, a soapbar size single coil.