Giving a Jazz bass some balls.

First, try leaving it alone, favoring one pickup a touch and giving a nice boost to the low mids (200-350ish Hz.. in there somewhere) and cutting just a smidgen of bass (if you're boosting your bass EQ, quit.)

Play like that with your band so you can hear it in the mix. See what you think.

For $110, you can also check out these. But I'd say first thing is to back off a bit on the bass EQ, and bring up your low mids. You'll cut like a hot knife through butter.

 

Have you not yet checked out the "J" pickups comparison sticky thread?

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91384

MM

 

+1 on the Model J's (DiMarzio).

Search around - you can get them for $100 - I dug deep and got them for $90, new, shipped. (on sale I think?)

 

I am really happy with my Geddy Lee Jazz bass. I got me some VintageVibe PU's and an Audere Jazz preamp and since putting those in, it has become "King of the Jazz Basses" IMHO. Wasnt real crazy about having to remove the control plate to change the battery, so I routed out the back and added a battery box. One Bass I will never get rid of! Absolutely quiet, zero hum, and with the high & low Z make sounds that no other bass can match. Wasnt cheap, but well worth the price of admission.

Koy

West Texas



**GIBSON 1981 Victory Artist Bass
**Robin Hybrid Freedom Bass
**Ibanez USAtk 4 string
**Carvin LB70 Walnut Bass
**Warwick Corvette 4 Standard Hybrid
**Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass
**Tradition Fretless Bass
**Ibanez EW20ZW Electric/Acoustic
**Ampeg B2R-Ampeg 410
**Carvin BR510N Combo+Peavey Tour 15
**Carvin PB100-15

Carvin Club #156
Texas Bassist Club #66
Fender Jazz Bass Club #328

 

Add a series/parallel switch. The series sound has a lot more oomph. I use it all the time.

 

+2 on the Model J's those things hit like a punch in the gut-in a really good way though!

 

Dimarzio J's and a good 2 or 3 band eq preamp. Adjust each pup for best tone solo'd to you then tweak that a little for both pups together full on. Slightly rolling off the neck or bridge for your other two main voices with this setup. A little boost of the bass eq if needed. What wood is your basses body made of? Mahogany gives the best dark ballsy tone imo.

 

uh, i suspect flea and timmy are using plain ol' stock jazz bass pickups.

the "balls" comes from the rig.

(that said, fralins kick butt.)

 

check this brand i have heard very good comments http://www.teslapickups.com/vr-b2 and it is not expensive

 

This! Will make a bigger difference than swapping out pups.

 

I am lovin' the seymour duncan single coil "Hot" pickups- scjb-2.

The quarter pounders are suposed to be even heavier.

 

I think Timmy C winds his own pickups, but otherwise a big +1. With the right rig, a Jazz has plenty of "balls," aggression, whatever you want to call it. And for that, I use Fralins.

A series/parallel switch is a good idea too. I have the S-1 on my 2003 Jazz, and it's useful. I might take this route on my incoming G&L JB to give it a little more punch without spending mucho $$$ for new pickups.

 

Bartolini's and Delanos. I've used both and they sound great. Barts are my personal favorite.

 

Used Aguilar OBP-3. Don't change the pickups - add a preamp.

 

It's been said already. Dimarzio J's. Ridiculous oomph for jazz style pups. Add a series/parallel switch and it'll be borderline ridiculous.

However, based on the soundclip, lot of low end oomph isn't exactly how I'd describe that tone as it's very grindy and has a lot of high end. And for that, basic single coils should do fine. Just dig in on your new strings like you'd wan't to go right through the bass, keep the high end there, roll of a little of lows, dial in the sweetspot for those mids and push it through a powerful amp and good speaker. I think you should be able to get pretty close on any bass even though the original sounds very much like a bridge position humbucker to my ears. It's all about the insane attack.

 

This. But I would put it this way:
Right Hand - most important by wide margin. Than strings and rig. Than p'ups.

BTW, yes, don't do that both p'ups at 11 thing. Beside working out exact balance, play with p'up heights and tilt, very important imho. For instance, my neck p'up is tilted to treble side as much as it could go, bridge a bit mor even, neck is fully on, and bridge is backed down enough to provide enough midfreq body but leave mids and highs unscooped. I get agressive enough pick sound even with rather neutral and bland Daddario EXLs.

offtopic:
That particular Fleas' sound was probably direct recording, but for that tone I would get something ampegish and 4x10ish. Another thing, most of three band amp EQs are inadequate for fine sculpting. Get some fine graphic EQ (I personaly prefere fully parametric ones, but I'm wierd).