Looking for gig-tested recommendations for the best all-around passive J-bass hum-cancelling replacement pickups. Thanks!
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Best Passive Hum-Cancelling J-bass Pickups
- Thread starter sumeursault
- Start date
I have a set of Lindy Fralin Hum Cancelling installed on a J Bass and they are great.
D
DiMarzio Area Js do the classic Jazz Bass sound without hum. They’re also pretty affordable as far as name brand pickups go.
Dimarzio Relentless gets my vote.
The pups are shielded by design as a plus.
5 wire plenum cable straight from the factory.
The pups are shielded by design as a plus.
5 wire plenum cable straight from the factory.
I've had Fralins in the past, many years ago. I thought they were good, but still had a humbucker-esque sound rather than approximating the single coil. I gather you probably disagree, though?
Thanks, definitely a consideration
I'm intrigued, but I feel like the bridge pickup sound is so different from the classic sound that it'd be difficult to get used to
Do not know about the best but I went with EMG JVHZ’s and have been super pleased with them. They are the same j pickup used in the Geezer PJ set but for Jazz bass.
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Huh, that's cool. I thought EMG only did active. I'll check it out!
Dimarzio also has the 60s version of similar design but is a bit more classic sounding.
Dimarzio Ultra Js are really hot and bright.
Dimarzio Model Js are a completely different vibe. Very mid rangey and a little muddy IMO.
I'm rocking the Nordstrand NJ4SV pickups in my j bass. No issues with them.
I was going to go with those until I put an obsidian wire plate in my jazz. Something about it really cleaned up the sound of that bass. EMG makes excellent passive pickups even though they’re mostly known for active.
My experiences installing and playing the following pickups on either my own basses or friends' basses. All are humbucking, and most are split-coil, because I simply cannot stand any kind of noise on stage, whether hum, electrostatic noise from neon beer signs or other digital electronics, or otherwise. Most are shielded as well.
Most like single-coil pickups with good blend: Seymour Duncan Apollo
Grindy, rockin' machines: first generation DiMarzio Model J (with a little more than 7 kohms' worth of wire)
Not-so-grindy, a little more top end: current DiMarzio Model J (with a little less than 7 kohms' worth of wire)
Scooped "hi-fi" tone: DiMarzio UltraJazz; also works very well with a vintage-style P-pickup
Interesting tone with a little more top end: previous generation of Fender Noiseless, the end-to-end series
Better in the bridge rather than the neck: Seymour Duncan 5-string Stack pickup, which is actually conventional 4-string neck size.
Dark, rich, but still have presence and clarity: Bartolini. I have the dark one in the neck and the bright one in the bridge. I don't know the model numbers.
Most like single-coil pickups with good blend: Seymour Duncan Apollo
Grindy, rockin' machines: first generation DiMarzio Model J (with a little more than 7 kohms' worth of wire)
Not-so-grindy, a little more top end: current DiMarzio Model J (with a little less than 7 kohms' worth of wire)
Scooped "hi-fi" tone: DiMarzio UltraJazz; also works very well with a vintage-style P-pickup
Interesting tone with a little more top end: previous generation of Fender Noiseless, the end-to-end series
Better in the bridge rather than the neck: Seymour Duncan 5-string Stack pickup, which is actually conventional 4-string neck size.
Dark, rich, but still have presence and clarity: Bartolini. I have the dark one in the neck and the bright one in the bridge. I don't know the model numbers.
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Need to specify the kinda tone you want.
Things I like...
Modern:
Delano JMVC
Dimarzio Ultra J
GuitarMadness Rails
(Relentless aren't bad imho, but not exciting. Sorry to my buddy, @AK Bass Guy !
)
Vintage:
Dimarzio Sixties
Fralin Stock wind
Aguilar 4J-HC
Just got Nordstrand nj4sv, and they are my current favorites.
SD Apollo next on the list to try, so no opinion yet.
Things I like...
Modern:
Delano JMVC
Dimarzio Ultra J
GuitarMadness Rails
(Relentless aren't bad imho, but not exciting. Sorry to my buddy, @AK Bass Guy !
)Vintage:
Dimarzio Sixties
Fralin Stock wind
Aguilar 4J-HC
Just got Nordstrand nj4sv, and they are my current favorites.
SD Apollo next on the list to try, so no opinion yet.
If I am not mistaken Bartolini is the OG hum cancelling split J maker. I love their original J my 1989 Pedulla has the original ones. The originals are hotter than the classic or do I have that turned around. In my heyday I was playing 6-6 gigs a week and some days are double. Never missed a beat. So definitely gig tested.
But I also love anything made by Jason Lollar. DC-J
But I also love anything made by Jason Lollar. DC-J
I have a set of Bill Lawrence-designed Wilde Humbuckers in my main bass. I use it for all my 4 string gigs. It's used in in conjunction with a John East Preamp in a CIJ Geddy Lee:
