Jazz Bass With MM Pickups

[JChurch_Bass]

So i was planning on putting a musicman pickup in the bridge position.
So my questions is what brand of MM pickups is best for a passive bass? Or if using active, do i have to get a preamp as well? Also would i have to add any new control knobs?
Itd be awesome if you could post pictures of a Jbass with a MM pickup if you have them.

Thanks in advance

 

[BioDriver]

Do you want a more vintage or modern sound? Transparent or colored?

Personally I'm a huge fan of Nordstrand pickups so I'd look there.

 

[JChurch_Bass]

I guess a modern tone for rock/metal/punk playing.

 

[Born.II.Hula]

Bumping for interest, as I plan to do the same thing.

Although I've been told to have a look for DiMarzio humbuckers that are the same size & shape as J pickups, so you might want to give that a try.

I want to change to humbuckers to get tones more like that of Liam Wilson/Tim Commerford/dare I say Justin Chancellor? I was at a festival last week and saw the bass player from You Me At Six was playing a Jazz with humbuckers, and he had the same high+low end boost. So I know that's the kind of sound I am after.

 

[jamestown94west]

Bumping for interest, as I plan to do the same thing.

Although I've been told to have a look for DiMarzio humbuckers that are the same size & shape as J pickups, so you might want to give that a try.

I want to change to humbuckers to get tones more like that of Liam Wilson/Tim Commerford/dare I say Justin Chancellor? I was at a festival last week and saw the bass player from You Me At Six was playing a Jazz with humbuckers, and he had the same high+low end boost. So I know that's the kind of sound I am after.

I'm only familiar with Justin chancellor out of the bassists you mentioned. What I can tell you is that the pickups are only part of the equation, in achieving that tone.

That being said, I've got a set of dimarzios in a jazz bass, and I get a killer modern rock tone.

But my amp is almost more responsible for that than my pickups. Even my early 50s single coil p bass gets a good modern tone thru my amp rig.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Itd be awesome if you could post pictures of a Jbass with a MM pickup if you have them.

Those are all Duncan ceramic MM pickups with the Duncan 3 band MM preamp.

 

[Down_Low]

IMO if you want that 'ray tone you'll need to install a pre amp bassed on the MM pre, such as the John East or the one SGD Lutherie makes.

 

[JChurch_Bass]

If I were to get EMG MM would I need to buy a preamp? It's just a personal taste of mine but I try to stay away from active pickups but if that's the only way I can use a MM pickup I'll do it.

 

[Down_Low]

Stingrays don't have active pickups, they have passive pickups with an active pre amp. You can run them without a pre amp, but imo that won't give you a 'ray sound.

 

[darius8]

Heres an SX jazz with j-pups in the neck and MM pups at the bridge and the wiring diag w/o pre-amp.
Link Removed

Link Removed
The diag shows 2 j-pups but the same is applied for this particular bass.

 

[topcat2069]

IMO if you want that 'ray tone you'll need to install a pre amp bassed on the MM pre, such as the John East or the one SGD Lutherie makes.

when I was building my "Ray" (Warmoth) I used the Nord 5.2 wired direct to the output jack before I got my John East Pre and it sounded very Ray like. Pickup placement it pretty important for the "Ray" sound, I believe........

 

[Down_Low]

Good to know. I assumed you wouldn't get the bottom end without the pre. The passive 'rays' I've heard have sounded quite different. Can you give us a comparrison between with and without the pre seeing your tried both?

 

[bottomzone]

Here's the amazing Uriah duffy on a killer Sandberg bass:

URIAH DUFFY & the Patchwork Bass - YouTube

A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

 

[JChurch_Bass]

So if I want that "Ray" sound, that extra low, I should get a preamp with the MM pickup?
I think for now I'll try just plain passive because that's what I'm comfortable with.

The sound of the bass in that video is what I want so I'm thinking preamp is the way to go for that right?

 

[bottomzone]

I would say yes to the preamp.

A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

 

[mcnach]

when I was building my "Ray" (Warmoth) I used the Nord 5.2 wired direct to the output jack before I got my John East Pre and it sounded very Ray like. Pickup placement it pretty important for the "Ray" sound, I believe........

Indeed. The 'Rayness' is there without the preamp. The preamp just gives you extra 'Ray tones', but it already sounds like a Stingray in passive mode.

My 2002 Stingray has a preamp bypass switch, so I have been able to compare it side by side, same instrument. It is still, without a doubt, a Stingray even when passive.

 

[seang15]

Those are all Duncan ceramic MM pickups with the Duncan 3 band MM preamp.

David, those PICKGUARDS! Awesome man. The art is beautiful, but the shape and fitting the MM combinations on a J is what most piques my interest.

Do you make these pickguards?

Thanks for any/all info!
Sean

 

[mcnach]

Stingrays don't have active pickups, they have passive pickups with an active pre amp. You can run them without a pre amp, but imo that won't give you a 'ray sound.

You get *a* Stingray sound with the pickup alone, as long as it's placed at The correct position. Even without the preamp it sounds unmistakeably Stingray.
You just don't have the scope for tone adjustment that a Stingray has without the preamp, but it still sounds like one.

 

[mcnach]

Bumping for interest, as I plan to do the same thing.

Although I've been told to have a look for DiMarzio humbuckers that are the same size & shape as J pickups, so you might want to give that a try.

I want to change to humbuckers to get tones more like that of Liam Wilson/Tim Commerford/dare I say Justin Chancellor? I was at a festival last week and saw the bass player from You Me At Six was playing a Jazz with humbuckers, and he had the same high+low end boost. So I know that's the kind of sound I am after.

I love the Seymour Duncan pickups, in particular the alnico version, the SMB4A. Very powerful, lovely sound.
I had a Nordstrand MM4.2 once too. This sounds more classic Stingray, compared to the Duncan... The Duncan is a bit more aggressive, but still full of "Rayness"
I have a Cort and an OLP with the Duncan. I no longer have the Nordstrand. I would go for the SMB4A, based also on what you want your sound to be like.

No need for a preamp... But if you want to go that route, I would go for a John East J-Retro preamp. Not the cheapest, but well worth it, and It's a breeze to mount, without any modification to the bass.

 

[mcnach]

Good to know. I assumed you wouldn't get the bottom end without the pre. The passive 'rays' I've heard have sounded quite different. Can you give us a comparrison between with and without the pre seeing your tried both?

I have a bypass switch installed in my 2002 Stingray. Just because.
It turns out that the sound I go for is pretty much the same as the sound I get with the preamp bypassed!
I just seem to add a tiny bit of extra low end. This means two things for my own personal taste:

1) pretty much any preamp will be ok for me. Although I would go for the original or the John East MMSR with the midsweep, preferably.

2) I would probably be happy with a passive Stingray. If it existed, which it doesn't...