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"J" pickups discussion and comparisons.

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#61
Thanks alot for the comprehensive review, Smash. I'm seriously considering getting a Lakland Skyline Darryl Jones and they are fitted with Aero pickups. I emailed Larry, asking him which type of pickups do they have installed in the DJ and a few hours later he responded saying the DJ has type 1 pups in them.

Thanks again for the review, I'm ordering my Lakland Skyline online and I have no clue what they sound like, your review gives me a rough idea what to expect from the bass when I eventually get it.
 
#63
Originally posted by Randy Payne
Hi Smash:
You didn't take mp3's of each pickup set, did you by any chance?? That would be cool.....
Click to expand...


I didn't because :

- when I started I did not have facilities to properly record/encode/edit samples, and the extra time it would have taken to do so would have meant not getting anything done at all.

- I had no idea it would get this far or be at all popular, so at the time sound samples seemed less important anyway.

- by the end I did have facilities to do so, but being a bit of a completist I figured "why start now?" Also it'd still be a fair bit of work and I hoped instead my descriptions (and hopefully other people will add their throughts) would suffice.

- Most of these pickups you can resell for basically what they cost you so I hope that with that security and my descriptions anyone considering a change will try it and, most importantly, hear for themselves.
 
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#66
SMASH,
I would like to just agree with what you've said about Larry at Aero. I bought a pair of type 1's for my FBB 5er about a year ago. I lived close enough that I actually got to pay him in person, and pickup my pickups. When I did, we talked for about an hour and a half, about pickups, amps, companies, and such. He is a really nice guy. The last time I was over there he was redesigning the power section for an old amp he had in the shop. BTW my FBB is passive, I feel you don't need a preamp with these pups. Every producer that hears my bass ask who made it, and what kind of pickup I have in it. 99% of the time they ask if it's active;)
 
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#72
yeah, I really like your review of the model j too. I'm looking into new pickups for my p/j combo bass and was looking into the dp 126 model p/ model j set, but haven't been able to find any info on how the model p sounds, or how they sound together. If you know or can point me in the right direction it would really help.

Thanks
 
#73
Regarding the Dimarzio 126 combo, they sound awesome together.

They were a very popular combo for working players in the late 70's and through the 80's. Basically guys would route their P basses for a bridge PU and drop them in there.

A friend of mine and local pro in town has been using them for at least a decade... 4-6 steady nights week.

I also remember hearing some amazing tone and playing pumping through the walls of a rehearsal space I was in. They people next door were rehearsing 'J.C. Superstar' I went next door to meet the guy. Guess what... A modded Precision w/ DP 126's.

I think the old house player from the Saturday Night Live house band used them as well.
 
#75
Anyone else care to chime in with some reviews? More the merrier.

I've recently bought another 3 or 4 sets of J p'ups ... I'm not even sure which ones ... but one pair is Custom Shop 60 ... a couple different Seymour Duncan pairs I think ... more reviews coming soon.
 
#77
Cool. Thanks Ívar. I also added links to Harmony-Central reviews for the pickups that are also reviewd there.


Carey Nordstrand ... how do things sit with this? In the course of time I have come to really love the NJ4 set. I feel for those who want a passive/true sound with some natural heft without going overboard (Model J, Antiquity II) the NJ4 are the path.

The idea you could season them a little more to taste I think would appeal to many.


Carey said:
Another note, after a little more R&D time I will be able to offer modified versions of either pickup. Overwound, underwound, different wire, etc. Hopefully, with good communication, I will be able to give any player exactly what they want tonally.
Click to expand...
 
#78
Smash,
Well, to be honest, I haven't gotten anybody that wanted to change them yet. I'm sure that trend will be what the majority of my customers follow, but eventually I'll have to do something a little more custom for somebody and when that time comes I'll try some different winds and add them to my page as custom options.

I can only hope that I get more customers like you where the pickup fits with your idea of the ideal tone so well.

Thanks again for your support.

I've still got a set of Aero's for sale...
 
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#79
Hey guys, based on Smash's excellent review of the Model J Dimarzio's, I took the plunge and got some for my Hwy 1 J-Bass. Tonight was my first night to use the guitar in a band setting and I must say I am amazed by the difference. The sound quality is WAY better. My Hwy 1 also has a BAII bridge, and with these new pups the sustain is unreal.

I have them wired normally. I also am trying out some new strings as well, D'Addario Prisms. I think the brightness and crispness of these strings definitely bring out the highs in the Model J's. I have excellent lows, low mids, and highs are there also.

Current setup that this was played on was an Ampeg B2R (acting as a preamp) into a QSC 1850HD into an Ampeg SVT-410HLN. Tomorrow the B2R will be taken out for a BBE Bmax. Cant wait to try that!

Thanks Smash!
 
#80
I recently got a NOS 2003 (non-S1) Jazz. The sound isn't terrible, but since I'm a recovering P-bass addict, it's not really punchy enough. I'm thinking Antiquity II, DiMarzio Model J, or maybe Fender Custom Shop '60's. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
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