Jazz bass pickups, bright and tight low end

[David De Vos]

Hi bassmen!

After a weekend living on the interwebs searching for reviews and soundsamples I am here now to ask for opinions, experiences and advice.

I am looking to replace my dual coil pickups in a Peterbuilt (70s style) jazz bass. They have too much low end for me so I am looking for replacement pickups:
- tight low end
- not boomy with too fat lows
- clarity and some brightness
- single coilish

On my list so far
- Fender pure vintage 74
- Dimarzio Area J
- Aguilar AG 4J 60
- Bartolini 9cbjs

Any advice

 

[Bodeeni]

I love my Delano Pickups. I use the humbucking JSBC 4 HE/M2. I know it is a long name, but the pickups sound great, even and tight. And the bonus of no grounding finger noise with no exposed poles. And no 60c hum.
I bet their single coils are great too

 

[tb-player]

Check out Lollar or Lindy Fralin.

 

[Ggaa]

MEC passive single coil.

 

[bass player 53]

I have these custom shop ‘60’s pickups that came standard on my 2013 American Standand Jazz Bass. I think they give the Jazz Bass sound that everyone recognizes.

 

[mpdd]

i've had good luck with the aguilar noiseless

 

[vedi]

Aero type 1.

bright, check.
tight low end, check.
single coils, check.

experiment with 500k pots for even brighter sound, and install a .022uF capacitor to move the cutoff frequency a bit higher.

 

[sheesh]

Lindy Fralin split coil Jazz pick ups

 

[bassfran]

The stock Alnico V's in my G&L JB are exactly what you're looking for.

 

[pbass2]

Hi bassmen!

After a weekend living on the interwebs searching for reviews and soundsamples I am here now to ask for opinions, experiences and advice.

I am looking to replace my dual coil pickups in a Peterbuilt (70s style) jazz bass. They have too much low end for me so I am looking for replacement pickups:
- tight low end
- not boomy with too fat lows
- clarity and some brightness
- single coilish

On my list so far
- Fender pure vintage 74
- Dimarzio Area J
- Aguilar AG 4J 60
- Bartolini 9cbjs

Any advice

For single coil the Fender Pure Vintage '74 kick arse!!! Punchy, responsive, great mids, very "tight", clear but with attitude. I have a 70's Jazz reissue that has had those in it and now has Area J's. The Areas are much more polite and clean, but....are hum-cancelling of course. I like them a lot, they sound to me the most like single coils of any noiseless J pu's I've tried (and I've had Areas, Models, and Ultras). But that said, they lose that "spank" and responsiveness you get from single coils (pretty much always the case w hum-cancelling J's IME). IMO the first order of business would be deciding if you want hum-cancelling or single coil.

 

[Low Main]

I took the preamp out of a Spector NS-2J and wired it 2 Vol 2 Tone passive and it's a very usable sound.

However, the EMG pickups are active and do require a battery.

They have a slightly compressed sound with controlled low end and as much high end as you want to dial in.

EMG's are not everyone's cup of tea, but they fit what you described in the thread title.

I run the bass through a Darkglass Harmonic Booster for further EQ and "personality" as needed.

 

[sdjfoh]

Delano
Lollar
Fralin

 

[Thumb n Fingers]

Bartolini B-Axis. Recently updated my 2017 American Standard with these and its a phenomenal new player now. Very, very articulate and well defined tone.

 

[InstantEctobass]

The Fender Pure Vintage '74 kick arse!!! Punchy, responsive, great mids, very "tight", clear but with attitude.

Not at all ; these are very harsh sounding and lack the high end. Too much high mids, nothing after. Too overwound for OP's asking.

 

[micguy]

I am looking to replace my dual coil pickups in a Peterbuilt (70s style) jazz bass. They have too much low end for me

Any advice

Just so you know, most pickups do not have more or less low end - all standard magnetic pickups are flat in the bass and low mids. The only exception I know if is Lace Alumitones - they have a small transformer in their design which causes some low frequency rolloff. Any other pickups are going to be flat down there.

 

[David De Vos]

Just so you know, most pickups do not have more or less low end - all standard magnetic pickups are flat in the bass and low mids. The only exception I know if is Lace Alumitones - they have a small transformer in their design which causes some low frequency rolloff. Any other pickups are going to be flat down there.

I am sure you know what I mean!

 

[micguy]

I am sure you know what I mean!

No, sorry, I do not. You're asking for advice on pickups with less low end. Aside from one example (which I shared) they don't exist. What is it that you meant, if it wasn't that?

 

[bassdude51]

Generalized..........for bright, clear, clean sound with tight sounding low end....................any AlNiCo 5 magnet J pickups in the 6.5 K to 7 K ohm range. Hotter pickups = bigger sound but less defined sound.

These are nice.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...MIxYvan-ykkwMViXF_AB2YCAAbEAQYAiABEgLB3fD_BwE

(about 7 K neck and 7.3 K bridge)

Fender Pure Vintage '66 Jazz Bass Pickup Set

Get the guaranteed best price on Jazz Bass Pickups like the Fender Pure Vintage '66 Jazz Bass Pickup Set at Musician's Friend. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of items.

www.musiciansfriend.com

(both around 7 K ohm)

(OUCH! Pickups are expensive these days!)

 

[Gervais Cote]

To your list, I would add the Dimarzio Ultra J.

It’s a different animal though and doesn’t sound like a standard/vintage set of jazz pickups but it’s very lively and fits your taste although very modern sounding.

Another one that is very articulate, punchy and dynamic is the Seymour Duncan quarter pounder but to me, it’s more about turning your jazz bass into a rock and heavy blues machine.

 

[Fernando Costa]

If you want a normal vibe: Fender Custom Shop 60's, DiMarzio J DP123. If you want something more sophisticated: Delano or Aguilar.

Alnico 5 is recommended; I believe you want a passive system.