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"J" pickups discussion and comparisons.

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#621
rstaggs01 said:
Have a 2006 MIM J 5.

Basically, I need more definition across the spectrum, and more high end, to get rid of the muddiness i get with the big subs.. What I've read mostly in here, seems to point me toward the EMG J set... thoughts?
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I would not go with EMG's unless the whole bass was very very dull.
Personally almost anything else you go with will be an improvement.
I love how even a Norstrand yet still have that aspects of classic J tone. You probably better off with a Norstrands and decent pre to dial in certain situations.
 
#622
Agito said:
Hey, I have a 2006 American Jazz bass (Alder/Rosewood) and I use Stainless Steel strings (Sadowsky), It's upgraded with a J-Retro 01 preamp
I was looking into the Nordstrand NJ4 or the NJ4SV, but I don't understand well in pickups, so I would like to know what would you recommend me? (and there is this 60's and 70's winding thing)

I play everything, from Geddy Lee to Jaco and Marcus Miller and of course some other stuff.
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Ok will the folks you mentioned all play singles not dual coil pickups.
You, cannot go wrong with either but if those are the tones you dig then go with the NJ4s (They are my personal fav as well ;)).
 
#623
basswave said:
Ok will the folks you mentioned all play singles not dual coil pickups.
You, cannot go wrong with either but if those are the tones you dig then go with the NJ4s (They are my personal fav as well ;)).
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EDIT:
I've decided I'd go with Nordstrand, I'm only not sure which winding should I take, it might be 60's (normal) winding because I have a RW/Alder bass, but I slap a lot and play a lot of stuff with the 70's sound...
 
#624
A piece of objective technical data: Not all pickup designs will mate well with an Audere preamp, which is impedance driven.

Subjective quandry??: How does such a natural sounding ( you best like the way your instrument sounds acoustically before using them!) pickup like an Aero Type 1 , make such an unnatural sounding system when mated with an Audere preamp?

So takeaway opinion: if you love the way your jazz bass sounds acoustically, go passive with Aero T1's. Plenty of ommph and signal. Some say "dark", but really, its the extended response of the windings down low. Guartantee it'll bring more fundamental outta the B. And I can, as I'm only a user. :bassist:

You want your J bass to flip flop to a P , MM or modern tone, yet retain its natural "Jazzability". Impedance matching preamps. Nice. IMHO. Amatuer, so YMMV.
 
#625
RaginRog said:
Check out Dimarzio's website. The Area J I believe fits the bill.
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I have been a committed single coil user and recently installed the DImarzio Area J's. I have never been happy with humbuckers before, but the Area J's genuinely still make my Jazz sound like a Jazz. I think they're great, and as close to single coil sound from a humbucker that I have found. In the past, I have generally installed humbuckers (Villex, Bill Lawrence, EMG JV) and taken them out pretty quickly. The Area J's are staying in my main bass.

Pete
 
#626
Peter Weil said:
I have been a committed single coil user and recently installed the DImarzio Area J's. I have never been happy with humbuckers before, but the Area J's genuinely still make my Jazz sound like a Jazz. I think they're great, and as close to single coil sound from a humbucker that I have found. In the past, I have generally installed humbuckers (Villex, Bill Lawrence, EMG JV) and taken them out pretty quickly. The Area J's are staying in my main bass.

Pete
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Another believer...the thing that's great about them is the price...much cheaper ($120 usd) than most boutique pickups.
 
#627
It's time to take a break from my selfish soloing and actually fulfill my role as the rhythm section.

I've got a 60's-style jazz (Lakland DJ) that has a HEAVY ash body and has been made active with an aggie obp-1. Been using it purely to slap for a while now, but I want to play other music again.

The proprietary Lakland pups in this bass have great character on their own, but I'm having a real big problem trying to sit in the mix. The passive tone knob makes the bass too boomy, and cutting out the highs/high-mids on my amp still leaves a bit too much "punch" sticking out. I'd like something more cushiony/pillowy.

I'd like to get the smoothest (or darkest) set of pickups available, even if it means I'll lose a ton of my own voice.
Think John Mayer's former bassist David LaBruyere, who won a Bass Player award for something like "most unobtrusive bassist."

Specifically, this japanese guy on youtube playing a passive Bacchus was what really started my bass tone envy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-YMHxuP-v4


I've got my eyes on Dimarzio's Model J and Bartolini's single-coil 9SU (BestBassGear describes them as the Bart models the most focused on the lows and low-mids). Which one would you guys recommend?
 
#628
Can anyone give me a description of the tonal differences between the current Fender AM Standard jazz pickups and a set of Nordstrand NJ4's? I'm just curious in the tone differences between those exact two pickups, if anyone has first-hand experience in comparing those two.
 
#630
BuffaloBass said:
Aero's T1s have been called "dark" by professional reviewers. ? Low end is huge, but natural and not boomy. www.aeroinstrument.com ghoulbug, not being ride but I couldnt hear the bass well above all the "chipmunk speak".
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Thanks for the heads up. I find it interesting to hear that it's been called that by reviewers, because from the very few clips I've heard, they seemed aggressively grindy or at the very least closer to neutral.

Looks like I'm gonna have to dig around for more.
Aero has their Type 3, Alnico 2 model listed as having a "dark pleasent distortion sound." Wonder if that signifies some sort of mudiness?

heh, nd sorry about that little "music" selection. It's from a kiddy show about kindergartners, but the video just had me hooked when I stumbled upon it.
 
#631
Has anyone mentioned Stewmac.com in this thread? Golden Age pickups for the fender jazz bass. Alnico 5, AWG42 wire, wax potted, 8.0k neck, 8.5k bridge, reverse wound reverse polarity! $83.95 FOR THE SET!!!!!!!! I also sprang for the shielding kit, followed the instructions to the letter and have no 60 cycle w pickups out of phase! Check'um out!!!!!
 
#637
Great Thread!! ;) Thanks for starting it Smash and thaks to everyone who has contributed since :hyper:. Where have I been :hiding: ?? Since starting to read through this thread a month ago and rereading it about 2 weeks ago...I'm realizing that I should have been reading this years ago to enhance the sound of my basses :D. I've now bought me a little bass to practice my first "construction Job", but can someone just answer a couple simple questions :confused: which I'm not sure I've found the answer to yet...Which J pups/pots will fit into a Squier Deluxe Jazz Bass IV Active ...hopefully the Demarzio Js. and since this is an Active Bass do I need a new preamp or should I just unhook this one if I get passive Pickups. By the way I like TI flats on this bass so far. Has anyone modded this bass and what with? Thanks in advance for your help and for your consultation...Peace...DAcat :cool:
 
#638
Agreed. Lots of good info. I really enjoyed the samples Mr. Atkinson provided. My problem is that I like several of the J pickups and can't decided what I want.:o

DAcat said:
Great Thread!! ;) Thanks for starting it smash and thaks to everyone who has contributed since :hyper:. Where have I been :hiding: ?? Since starting to read through this thread a month ago and rereading it about 2 weeks ago...I'm realizing that I should have been reading this years ago to enhance the sound of my basses :D. I've now bought me a little bass to practice my first "construction Job", but can someone just answer a couple simple questions :confused: which I'm not sure I've found the answer to yet...Which J pups/pots will fit into a Squier Deluxe Jazz Bass IV Active ...hopefully the Demarzio Js. and since this is an Active Bass do I need a new preamp or should I just unhook this one if I get passive Pickups. By the way I like TI flats on this bass so far. Has anyone modded this bass and what with? Thanks in advance for your help and for your consultation...Peace...DAcat :cool:
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#639
Thought I'd post my Jazz pickup journey, FWIW. I always wanted a deeper, more P-bass, sound from my alder/maple J (I play blues). I don't favor the thin nasally sound. I tried Fender Custom Shop '60's, Ultra's, Aero 1's, and finally arrived at Seymour Duncan SPB-2's. Though I think they suffer a bit on the high end, they give a fullness and bottom that all the others lacked, and they're even better with Labella flats. When played through my new fEarful 15/6 cab, they produce all the highs I need.
 
#640
Hey guys -
I've had a LOT of basses through the years, but I keep coming back to jazz basses. This time, I bought a Geddy Lee jazz, and want to throw some money into upgrades for it. I think I'm set on the Audere preamp, but I'm not sure about what pickups. From the sounds of this thread, it sounds like it's between Seymour Duncan Antiquity IIs and DiMarzio Model Js. I've used Quarter Pounders in the past as well, and enjoyed them.
I play in an upbeat pop punk band, I guess you could say. I'd love to cut through, sound a little agressive, but still have a nice thick bottom for rounding out the sound when we play live. Here are some tones I really like, and would like to get close to emulating. I'm sure the first two are running through a sansamp, which I have, so I'm quite ok with using effects alongside new pickups.

The intro of this song:
YouTube - Dance Gavin Dance - Lemon Meringue Tie

Most of the bass in this song, but especially at :55
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To a slightly lesser extent, the tone in this song:
YouTube - Alexisonfire - Sharks And Danger
 
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