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Fender Jazz Bass pickup difference is MIA and MIM

MovingPitchers

MovingPitchers

Jun 9, 2013
8,504
12,015
Canada
#1
Before you get all uppidy about the topic, this is the actual, longer question

I want to replace my stock MIM jazz bass pickups with some Custom 60s pups, same ones as in the Geddy Lee signature. If I can't get a Geddy bass, might as well configure my MIM into one.

Will these pickups, more meant for MIA basses, fit my standard jazz bass' pickup slots?

Will I need to change the capacitor to something that can handle the Custom 60s?
 
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#2
jazzonlyjazz said:
Before you get all uppidy about the topic, this is the actual, longer question
Click to expand...

OK

jazzonlyjazz said:
I want to replace my stock MIM jazz bass pickups with some Custom 60s pups, same ones as in the Geddy Lee signature. If I can't get a Geddy bass, might as well configure my MIM into one.

Will these pickups, more meant for MIA basses, fit my standard jazz bass' pickup slots?
Click to expand...

How old is your MIM? In pre 2000 MIM Jazz the pickups lengths were the same. After 2000 the pickup lengths were changed to follow the MIA standard: the bridge pickup is slightly longer that the neck pickup. So if you have a late model MIM you are good with any MIA replacements... you can just measure them and compare

jazzonlyjazz said:
Will I need to change the capacitor to something that can handle the Custom 60s?
Click to expand...

nope.
 
#14
jazzonlyjazz said:
OK so I measured my pickups. They both turn out to be 9.2cm, give or take a few millimeters.
Click to expand...
how few?

you need to really nail this down before we can help you; if the pickups really are the same size as each other, then upgrading becomes more of a project and more necessary!

the early mexi pickups that were the same size as each other were also the same polarity (so no hum-canceling) and were frankly just terrible.

doing what it takes to get real J pickups to fit (which are different sized from each other and from the stock cheapies) will be a bit of a pain but well worth it.
 
#18
jazzonlyjazz said:
If a neck pickup is in the bridge position will it sound like a regular neck pickup or sound sort of like a bridge because of the positioning
Click to expand...

A pickup is a pickup. Generally if there is a difference at all, the bridge pickup will be that the bridge pickup will sometimes be wound slightly hotter due to the fact that there is less string movement at the bridge position. Being wound the same isn't a big deal however.

So to answer your question its the pickup positioning that makes it sound like a bridge pickup and not the pickup itself. Noiseless pickups are necessary as they are hum canceling and you wont have to cancel out each others hum. Your only other option would be to find two different aftermarket neck pickups that are reverse wound, reverse polarity to each other.
 
#19
Here
http://www.bestbassgear.com/bartolini-4-string-j-pickups.htm

If you scroll down to description of special sets, it says this

9J#1 S/SB - Split Coil Hum-Cancelling Pickups
Same as above, except for MIM J Basses that have two short J pickups. This is a true set, where the bridge and neck are wound to match. This is not two neck pickups.

I have never used this particular set but Bartolini has a good reputation.
 
#20
i think EMG also sells a set sized for the old mexis.

were it mine i'd "correct" the bass to use standard pickups so i could use anything i wanted, instead of getting oddball-sized pickups that wouldn't fit in anything else.

part of the project would be a new pickguard, which will have the right-sized hole for any "real" neck pickup; then it's just a matter of a little woodwork on the bridge hole to get a real bridge pickups to fit.
 

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