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"J" pickups discussion and comparisons.

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#201
Smash, thanks for the great info. Just bought a MIM Jazz (have not owned a Jazz for 20 yrs) and am looking to replace the pups. This is tremendously helpful.

I am wondering if anyone has done (planning to) review the Fender 62 RI's? Anyone have any comments on them?
 
#202
smash, why do you think it is that so many of the modded warwicks use bartolinis which you basically ignored?:confused: i play a warwick fretless bubinga body passive bass w/stock jazz MEC's. was wondering about switching to Bartolini 9CBJS1 deep tone single coils or 9CBJD1 dual inline coils/humcancelling?:help: i plan on staying w/my stock passive electronics. any thoughts on these or any suggestions(& no, i'm not selling my warwick). i realize the barts have a lower gain/output then you like in a pickup, but is this the main reason you have shunned the pickups? or is it that warwick players simply have such a different idea of the sound they want from the fender players that the instruments make for a poor pickup comparisons when using the different bodies? both my warwick fretted thumb b.o. w/active jazz mec pickups/electronics & my fretless corvette w/passive mec jazz electronics are bubinga bodies w/ovankol wenge necks. is this the reason so many warwick users go the bart jazz pickup route that fender users here don't seem to use? i am considering changing pickups in both basses for transparency/airiness clarity overall better tone & some more gain for the passive fretless. i am not looking for a highly coloured sound & certainly don't wish to lose any of the famous warwick growl. you certainly have peaked my interest in antiquity II's, dimarzio J & nordy NJ4's. also i assume that the pickup choice would more than likely change for fretless passive & fretted active electronic setups. any help here is appreciated.
 
#203
decision made. just ordered:

Nordstrand NJ4 single coil jazz set for my warwick corvette fretless & will keep the stock passive electronics.

Bartolini classic series 9CBJD1 dual coil hum cancelling deeptone set for my warwick fretted thumb b.o. bass & keeping the stock mec active elecronics.

:bassist:
 
#204
I'm still holding out for this review. I've got a Custom Shop Strat that sounds immaculate with the pickups that came with it.

I'm a guitar player and I'm mainly interested in the recorded sound of my US Fender Jazz Bass improving. If anyone has used these, bring on the reviews, por favor!!
 
#205
kingmacaw said:
decision made. just ordered:

Nordstrand NJ4 single coil jazz set for my warwick corvette fretless & will keep the stock passive electronics.

Bartolini classic series 9CBJD1 dual coil hum cancelling deeptone set for my warwick fretted thumb b.o. bass & keeping the stock mec active elecronics.

:bassist:
Click to expand...


I just saw your original query last night and was about to reply today. I like the Warwicks the way they are too, especially my Corvette fretless (active/passive).

I have practically no experience with Barts.


chappy said:
I'm still holding out for this review. I've got a Custom Shop Strat that sounds immaculate with the pickups that came with it.

I'm a guitar player and I'm mainly interested in the recorded sound of my US Fender Jazz Bass improving. If anyone has used these, bring on the reviews, por favor!!
Click to expand...

Not sure if that was addressed to me. I might have written someplace I was going to review the CS60 set. I did have those in a bass, and they seemed about how people describe them - warm/mellow and with no zingy top, but I never did put them into the bass I used for my proper A/B comparisions so I can only really guess how much of that tone was the pickups rather than the bass (SX Jazz in this case).
 
#206
must admit smash i've enjoyed your reviews here too. just realize that a warwick is a different animal from a fender tho. both are great basses but both do sound different & tend to appeal to different players. but you've helped me in the past w/pm's concerning amps to listen to. tho i came to different conclusions, based on my tastes there your input was helpful.
interestingly the nordies have been loved by you in your fender & some musicians w/wicks too. so i'm taking the chance.

i'm going to the nordies because of your reviews, carey's reputation & a couple of other warwick players who use them. basically, i've never heard anything bad about them, but even so i hope i love them. should be an interesting pickup & i felt it best to go w/passive electronics since they are single coils. interestingly on my fretless passive the hum level is greater when dialed even on my stock pickups=volume to both pickups. it is far less if dialed to either the neck or treble pickup. go figure??

since the barts seemed to be so universally used by most wick players who have changed pickups & because i love the bart soapbar in my tobias active bass i made the choice to go w/the bart classic series hum cancelers in my active system.

but beware, all musicians, no matter how many great reviews we read we all have some different ideas on our sound. i m made the mistake before buying bass strings that had had 15 talkbass reviews-all had loved the strings. well i bought several sets on sale w/o trying them & hate them. my review on the DR hi-beam ss strings are number 16 & i gave them a 3 out of 10 on my active basses. they absolutely are not a sound that i like on my active fretted basses. tho i know they make excellent strings. next i'm trying some DR lo-rider nickels on my fretless warwick. i'm returning to Dean Markley blue steel ss on my active fretted. hell, i even prefer d'a xl nickels to the hi-beams.

so i'm keeping my fingers crossed until i can try out my nj4's. just hope everybody realizes as much as we all ask other bassists for reccos & read the reviews diligently, there's nothing like being opinionated about what you like on here because it is soooo subjective & should be. hell, we're all artists. (maybe my playing will be worth more when i'm dead.) :hiding:
 
#207
SMASH said:
DiMarzio Model J
You can hard wire these easily in humbucking series or parallel. In parallel they're more standard / tame with better clarity, while in humbucking series they're almost perversely thick and beefy.
Click to expand...

Smash, please clarify the series/parallel. Do you mean the pickup itself, or the pair of pickups as series/parallel?

The Model J are 4-wire pickups, so each pickup can also be wired series/parallel.
 
#209
bgavin said:
Smash, please clarify the series/parallel. Do you mean the pickup itself, or the pair of pickups as series/parallel?

The Model J are 4-wire pickups, so each pickup can also be wired series/parallel.
Click to expand...

I meant both. You can put the two in series as single coils (standard J bass series/parallel difference) or both/either pickup in series humbucking then both again in series too for a double-whammy series.
 
#210
Someone help me out here. I have a MIA Jazz. Wanna replace my stock pups to either lindy fralin or suhr classic j vintage. im looking for a vintage sound, yet versatile for all genres. or should i settle for model j?
 
#211
SMASH said:
DiMarzio Model J (aka DP123)

WOW !!! These are extremely impressive, especially given their low cost - just $90 for the pair brand new.

Split humbucker, ceramic, 4 conductor, adjustable pole pieces, coated in some kind of waxy goodness to shield, and mine came with beige covers which looks ultra-swank on my sunburst with tort guard '69 replica.

...

Massive output and punch. An indistinct/thick tone (which for some is a bonus), but there are highs buried there which you can easily dial in with either an active preamp (sounds stupendous with a J-Retro) or the stock passive tone knob and thereby get some definition and cut. In fact, these are the only pickups I've had to cut the bass and boost the treble. Sick !!! These are dead quiet due to the split-coil humbucker.

...

DiMarzio Model J

Warmth: 4.5
Clarity: 2
Output: 5
Punch : 5
Amplified Sound: 4.5
Recorded Sound: 4.5
Value: 5

...
Click to expand...

I just bought a set of these off eBay and stuck them in my Geddy Lee Jazz Bass. HOLY CRAP! These suckers rock!!!
 
#213
thanx alot smash, i found this real helpful... right now im trying to decide between throwing in the dimarzios or the EMGs. i've heard a sound clip of the emgs and have heard nothing but good things about them from jut about every other source... but now you got me thinking dimarzios. here in lies the problem... i wont go with one or the other without hearing a soundclip of the Dimarzios because the EMGs i've heard on their site
 
#214
CrazyWallaWalla said:
thanx alot smash, i found this real helpful... right now im trying to decide between throwing in the dimarzios or the EMGs. i've heard a sound clip of the emgs and have heard nothing but good things about them from jut about every other source... but now you got me thinking dimarzios. here in lies the problem... i wont go with one or the other without hearing a soundclip of the Dimarzios because the EMGs i've heard on their site
Click to expand...

Do you mean DiMarzio Model Js? They're quite different from the EMG. EMG is more .. artificial/electric ... softer vibe. Rich lows. They're nice and sit well in a mix. DiMarzio are rougher, punch harder, and ... depends how you wire them too.

Anyway, here's a Model J clip as in my '74 J Bass through an old Traynor set pretty much flat : Invalid Link Removed

I don't have any clips of the EMG set.

Glad this was of some use. YOu never really know until you tey a set in your own bass with your setup/strings/cabs/etc though. Good luck.


BFH - I've never tried Fralins. Can't be of any use there.
 
#215
SMASH said:
DiMarzio are rougher, punch harder, and ... depends how you wire them too.
Click to expand...
so im starting to lean dimarzio... and yes Js.
i don't have any experience with anything like installing pickups and anything short of changing the strings... so i was planning on getting them installed by a local music store.

my current situation is that im trying to assemble a decent bass that will keep me happy for 3-4 years while i slowly waver through the cash drought that is college, so versatility is key. I am completely certain playing bass is for me so theres no concern there, i just wanna have a nice bass thats a step up from my epiphone les paul, and these stock pups r killing me. i also plan on putting on a badass 2 bridge again throught a local music store...

and im real sorry for high-jacking this thread (everyone gets one right?)

thanx in advance
 
#216
To whom it might help:

I recently (a few moths ago) baught and installed a set of DiMarzio Ulta Jazz Pu's for my 78 Mia..
Ive tried quite a few Pu's over the years.. (T-bear, EMG's, Barts..) But DiMarzio realy surprised me..
My bass ha a rosewood board and I whanted more headroom and definition in the tone..
What the Ultra Jazzes lack in mids (compared to the "J"s).. they more than make up for in every other aspect when used on a alredy middy instrument..

Just the other week I got to play my bass in a Aguilar setup.. Man oh Man what a setup.. I could push the amp and bass so hard that it nearly sounded like slapping when I played normaly with my fingers.. the Aguilar retailer seemed impressed that the PU's didnt distort the sound at all even when pushed to the extreams..

I couldent be happier.. :hyper:

Ive stated before:
Mapel neck = UJ's may be to bright.. "J"s might be better
Rosewood neck = UJ's.. definetly!
 
#219
Thangfish said:
Well for starters, how about these:

http://stores.ebay.com/Rays-Custom-...0QQcolZ4QQdirZQ2d1QQfsubZ103717QQftidZ2QQtZkm

http://www.bestbassgear.com/duncan-antiquity2-jazz.htm

http://www.darrenriley.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_list&c=6

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Invalid Link Removed

... and many more places, I'm sure. Try google sometime.
Click to expand...

Thank you!
When I googled none of those came up, though i did think of ebay later. I've never ordered music parts online so this helps a lot.
Thanks again,
F
 
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