Jazz bass temp mod: convert to neck humbucker

[Steven Harris]

Wanted to share. Wanted to try out a humbucker in the neck position but only have a jazz.

So I bodged. Strung together both pickups, resoldered the bridge pickup back to its volume pot as had to remove.

Wedged both in the neck rout with foam, using some underneath as well. Actually super adjustable and firm enough to stay put.

Restrung, plugged in, put both pickups on full and, yeh no hum and a beefy humbucker bass. Really like this sound and all is reversible.

Ugly looking mod but that is because I am bodger! I am sure more skilled can do better.

It's a Fender mex with upgraded bits and seymour duncan basslines.

Anyway, if anyone wants to have a neck pickup humbucker bass and have a jazz lying around, here you go. No hum is very nice I must say.

Great forum
Bye all
Steve

 

[DJ Bebop]

Reminds me of…

Gibson EB-0 pickup in the front

 

[Dave Higham]

Just needs a custom pick guard now.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

That works. That’s pretty much how the double jazz pickups started way back. Cut two of the ears off of each of a pair of jazz pickups and attach them together. From here modding the existing pickguard is pretty easy.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

Kinda looks like a G&L MFD pickup…

 

[BezzarBass]

Do we know...Are twin Jazz HB pups still made? Been trying to find an old mid/late 90's - 00's version.

 

[coyote1]

I simply turn both pups to the same volume. Voila, no hum.

 

[capnjagg]

Do we know...Are twin Jazz HB pups still made? Been trying to find an old mid/late 90's - 00's version.

Artec makes ‘em still (Alnico and Ceramic), you can find them on eBay for not a lot of money (I believe $30 US last I checked). Other builders make them too, just expect to pay boutique builder prices. Nordstrand makes some in soapbar housings I believe too. Otherwise you could scour the internet for an old one out of a Kramer or wherever else they were used.

 

[bassbrad]

I have always dug the sounds and look of a jazz bass but that 60 cycle hum is a no go for me, like to be able to use either pickup or blend in different amounts. My solution was to go for a humcanceling jazz pickup either stack coil or split coil. In my fretless jazz i have a Seymour Duncan Jazz Stack 5 in the bridge and Guyker JB11 split coil in middle. That combo gives me a good selection of tonal options.

I have a black Jazz bass body in the assembly pile up that will eventually get a pair of Double Jazz pairs as I have several sets that should work.

 

[1n3]

I would not have guessed two jazz pickups would fit in the standard rout. Good work for a bodger (had to look up that one).

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Do we know...Are twin Jazz HB pups still made? Been trying to find an old mid/late 90's - 00's version.

Rio Grande has a couple of versions. Sentell also.

 

[Bassinthemudd]

That works. That’s pretty much how the double jazz pickups started way back. Cut two of the ears off of each of a pair of jazz pickups and attach them together. From here modding the existing pickguard is pretty easy.

That's how I made the pups for an 80s Kramer Pioneer Double J body I picked up.

 

[Bassinthemudd]

Wanted to share. Wanted to try out a humbucker in the neck position but only have a jazz.

So I bodged. Strung together both pickups, resoldered the bridge pickup back to its volume pot as had to remove.

Wedged both in the neck rout with foam, using some underneath as well. Actually super adjustable and firm enough to stay put.

Restrung, plugged in, put both pickups on full and, yeh no hum and a beefy humbucker bass. Really like this sound and all is reversible.

Ugly looking mod but that is because I am bodger! I am sure more skilled can do better.

It's a Fender mex with upgraded bits and seymour duncan basslines.

Anyway, if anyone wants to have a neck pickup humbucker bass and have a jazz lying around, here you go. No hum is very nice I must say.

Great forum
Bye all
Steve

Cool mod. A hum-canceling pup in the bridge position would be cool too.

 

[Steven Harris]

Thanks for all the messages. This was a fun experiment, and I can see some of you have done a better job of it!

 

[Steven Harris]

I would not have guessed two jazz pickups would fit in the standard rout. Good work for a bodger (had to look up that one).

Might actually be a UK term, but pretty much describes my approach to most things. Want to bodge a bass idea where the pickups are on rails so they can be freely moved around. Think I saw this on a bass guy pratt had

 

[BezzarBass]

Rio Grande has a couple of versions. Sentell also.

Thanks for the info! WIll check it out - hopefully similar + to Fender version.

 

[BezzarBass]

Artec makes ‘em still (Alnico and Ceramic), you can find them on eBay for not a lot of money (I believe $30 US last I checked). Other builders make them too, just expect to pay boutique builder prices. Nordstrand makes some in soapbar housings I believe too. Otherwise you could scour the internet for an old one out of a Kramer or wherever else they were used.

Do they come in 5 string? I'll check em out. Thanks also.