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"J" pickups discussion and comparisons - PART II

#841
LoveThatBass said:
I may be all wet, however I think some pickups do better (lower noise) because the outermost layer of windings connect to the Negative Or ground wire which helps sheild from noise.
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Yes you are right...those cheap over seas knockoffs were quite noisy and cheap pickups always seem to Buzz
Early Mexican Fenders had crappy pickups that were susceptible to hum/ buzz
 
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#842
My favorite Jazz Bass Pickups are Aero JB1’s
Had Fralins years ago on a Jazz Bass and they were nice pickups but eventually sold the bass
I like Quarter Pounders on my ash bass but oddly not as much on an Alder bass. I believe the Ash added some clarity characteristics for that one.
Really like Quarter Pounders on my P bass. I lowered them for a less “in your face” tone
 
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#843
purpleunicorn42 said:
Im looking to change my pickups in my ibanez soundgear what do you guys think? BTW im trying to mimic the sound of a Warwick, Musicman, and possible a Fender. Also i play in a Reggae/rock/funk jam band, and need a punchy yet clear noticeable sound. Ps. not much of a gear head YET so please help.
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You might want to switch out the bass. Go after one of the basses you mentioned. A Sterling Sub will be pretty cheap used $180-$200 which is what a good set of pickups will run you. I picked up a Sub with a Bartolini in it for $250. Butter all day
 
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#844
btglbass said:
No doubt you will want to hang me high from the yardarm after this, but here goes.

Looking at Jazz bass single coil pickups. Randomly picked examples.

Nordstrand NJ4 £140.
Lindy Fralin Jazz Bass £150
Tonerider Jazz plus £58.90

Nordstrand blurb:
Made with 60’s era correct Heavy Formvar wire and Alnico V magnets. In winding these pickups we use a simulated hand wound pattern.
Coil resistance ~8K

Lindy Fralin blurb:
Using ALNICO V magnets and 42 gauge Heavy Formvar wire, they are all hand wound to vintage specifications.
Coil resistance ~8K

Tonerider blurb:
High-Grade "Smooth-Top" Alnico V Pole pieces - no sharp edges!
42 gauge Heavy Formvar wire
All coils scatter wound on our 999-step CNC winding machines.
Coil resistance ~8K

The parameters from a pickup that matter are output voltage and frequency response.
The output voltage depends on the magnet dimensions and field strength, the wire diameter and number of turns on the coil. The frequency response depends on the inductance of the coil.

If the magnetic field is too strong, it will influence the string and reduce the sustain of the guitar. If it is to weak, the output level will be low.
So there is an optimum field strength to aim for.

The greater the number of turns on the coil, the greater the coil resistance, the higher the output voltage.
The greater the number of turns on the coil, the higher the inductance of the coil, reducing the high frequency response. A compromise between output and frequency response.
So there is an optimum number of turns to aim for.

Three makes of pickup, all with the same physical dimensions.
All use Alnico V pole pieces of the same diameter with similar field strengths.
All use 42 gauge wire with similar number of turns.
All use simulated hand wound patterns.

It is a basic electronic component, magnets and wire, a coil, no magic involved.

How much difference in sound could there possibly be?
Can one sound sweeter? How?
Could you tell the difference in a blind listening test?
Is this a case of the Emperors new clothes?

Different output levels? Doesn't matter, plug into an amp and adjust the gain.
Different frequency response? Doesn't matter, plug into an amp and adjust the tone controls.

So, you got to ask yourself, where's the best bang for your buck?
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I am a fan of the tonerider pickups. So is Fender by the way. I have heard they started using them in Tele's
 
#845
ptooner said:
Let me throw this out for a little advice. I have an old Ibanez GSR200 sitting in a corner of my studio that I really like the feel of. I also have a Yamaha Fretless (forget the model, it's out in the trailer) that I actually play on stage occasionally because I like the feel. I just got to wondering if it would be possible to make either or both of these basses sound as good as they feel? Of course if it winds up costing me as much as my higher end basses it wouldn't be very cost effective but it still might be an interesting experiment. I usually prefer passive basses, but some of my better instruments are active so I can go either way. I play mostly country or bluegrass when I'm on bass. Any ideas?
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I paid more for my Aguilar pickups than I did for my Yamaha BB404. Worth every penny! Totally different instrument now. Or maybe it is just the instrument it was meant to be! Also changed out the pots and added NOS oil cap
 
#846
mrcircle said:
Something I've often wondered myself. I know that the Aguilar 4J-60s in my MIJ Squier sound and feel "better" to me (clearer, more balanced and responsive) than either the original Squier pickups or the Duncan SJB-2s I tried. But I have no idea whether the Aggies sound appreciably different from any of the other "vintage correct" possibilities out there.

Curious to hear what others have to say.
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I have the noise canceling Aggie J's. Love them. They have a different voice for sure than a "vintage pickup" but they sound more like I want vintage to sound - if that makes any sense. I have owned actual vintage jazzes and they sound great. No question. I had a 60's parts Jazz for a short time and loved the heck out of it. I did change out the pickups in my 78 though to a Duncan in the neck and a Bart in the bridge. The Bart smoothed things out really nicely. That bass was just too heavy though.
 
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#847
Mojomoose said:
I have a 72 jazz bass. Broken coil n bridge pickup. Has anyone tried out bartolinis as a replacement, thinking of changing both
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Yes! Do it! I had the same problem with my 78. Both pickups bit the dust. Put a Duncan in the neck and a Bart quad in the bridge. That bass sounded amazing! Sound guys loved that bass. Recorded really well and sounded great on stage. Also probably part of the reason I have such bad back problems today!:D
 
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#848
DavidEdenAria said:
I noticed on the new vintage Fender 64 jazz bass pickups both were 7k resistance.

However, the 74 vintage jazz pickups were hotter resistance but the neck (8.3k )hotter than the bridge (7.8k).
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My 78 was around 7.4k I think. I have no idea why I remember that. It was 25 years ago.
Further proof my mind is like a merry go round. Spinning spinning and every once and a while something falls off.
 
#849
I'm looking to replacing my pickups on my Bacchus Standard 5 bass (Ash body, Maple neck with Ebony fretboard).
The preamp on the bass is Bartolini XTCT.
I'm looking for a versatile pickup set, I would like more growl, tighter sound and clarity, pickups that will not make the B string sound muddy.

Currently I'm not really happy with my current Bacchus pickups, they lack definition and sound muddy IMO, they do lean towards a more 70's sound but lack character.

I have good experience with Nordstrand (NJ4, had the 70's but using 60's winding now on my Fender JB and love them, but not sure if they are the proper PUPs for my 5), I've also been interested in Aguilar pickups, I'm thinking if I should go with Hum-Cancelling or more vintage type of sound.

Please share your opinion, thanks.
 
#851
Well folks...Just wanted to let you know I have installed my Fender Pure Vintage PV74 pickups into my 2010 AM STD jazz.
The thin weedy sound is gone
Midrange bark is much more pronounced
Sound to me more like my Fralins and what a Jazz bass should sound like
Big improvement
 
#852
I have to say I think there are only two major decisions points when you hear a J in a mix, and that is single coil versus noiseless and strings. I currently have basses with Fender Gen 4 noiseless, Fender Super 55s, Dimarzio Ultra, Seymour Duncan Single Coil, Bartolini B-axis, Hi-A single coil, Klein, and most recently possibly one of the last pair of Reed James he made. While the Barts are possible the one exception that sounds different, I keep coming back to the Ultras (although I am playing the Reed James a lot), and honestly the single coil makes very little noise in a mix, just turn down between songs. Oddly enough the only ones I can say I am not fond of are the Super 55s. I can hear the differences when I play by myself, but right now I think strings make more difference than pickups
 
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#853
Have you tried Fender Yosemite J or PJ coils ? I have only heard them on Youtube and they have a more pronounced sort of bass piano key harmonic sound or funk . Requires a change of capacitor and maybe pots too depending on what's in your bass.
 
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#854
PsychoMX said:
I'm looking to replacing my pickups on my Bacchus Standard 5 bass (Ash body, Maple neck with Ebony fretboard).
The preamp on the bass is Bartolini XTCT.
I'm looking for a versatile pickup set, I would like more growl, tighter sound and clarity, pickups that will not make the B string sound muddy.

Currently I'm not really happy with my current Bacchus pickups, they lack definition and sound muddy IMO, they do lean towards a more 70's sound but lack character.

I have good experience with Nordstrand (NJ4, had the 70's but using 60's winding now on my Fender JB and love them, but not sure if they are the proper PUPs for my 5), I've also been interested in Aguilar pickups, I'm thinking if I should go with Hum-Cancelling or more vintage type of sound.

Please share your opinion, thanks.
Click to expand...
Love my Agi HC's. Have them in an Alder body Yamaha BB404. Its a simple bass. Threw in an NOS oil cap and pots. Sound is amazing. Sits perfect and has been what I have been looking for for 30 years. And I have owned most basses in that time. Vintage, modern, German, you name it.
 
#855
Pete Greaves said:
I have to say I think there are only two major decisions points when you hear a J in a mix, and that is single coil versus noiseless and strings. I currently have basses with Fender Gen 4 noiseless, Fender Super 55s, Dimarzio Ultra, Seymour Duncan Single Coil, Bartolini B-axis, Hi-A single coil, Klein, and most recently possibly one of the last pair of Reed James he made. While the Barts are possible the one exception that sounds different, I keep coming back to the Ultras (although I am playing the Reed James a lot), and honestly the single coil makes very little noise in a mix, just turn down between songs. Oddly enough the only ones I can say I am not fond of are the Super 55s. I can hear the differences when I play by myself, but right now I think strings make more difference than pickups
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This was my experience also with the super 55's. Did you find them harsh? I put them in a bass with a East preamp, and it was really hard to find a sound I liked without really working with the preamp a lot.
 
#857
My fretless Jazz has a pair of Nordstrand NJ4SE's into an Audere preamp. I really love how it sounds. But strangely I originally came up with that combination because my fretted Jazz had EMG's into a passive circuit and I loved the result of mixing active and passive components for more versatility. Over time, I have come to love the EMG's less and less. Either they've become more sterile over time (what it sounds like) or my ears have become tired of them over time. (equally likely, though)

So I think I need a similar recipe to the fretless Jazz : a good pair of noiseless J's into an active preamp.

Any recommendations?
 
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#859
Bard2dbone said:
My fretless Jazz has a pair of Nordstrand NJ4SE's into an Audere preamp. I really love how it sounds. But strangely I originally came up with that combination because my fretted Jazz had EMG's into a passive circuit and I loved the result of mixing active and passive components for more versatility. Over time, I have come to love the EMG's less and less. Either they've become more sterile over time (what it sounds like) or my ears have become tired of them over time. (equally likely, though)

So I think I need a similar recipe to the fretless Jazz : a good pair of noiseless J's into an active preamp.

Any recommendations?
Click to expand...

Fender Super 55's are nice split-coil J pu's. You may still be able to find a set on eBay or Reverb.
 
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