Jazz Basses with Soap Bar Pickups

[zon6c-f]

They are really becoming popular. This one is by Bass Mods.

Thus : Zon Sonus: 4,5,6 fretted /Fretless!

 

[emjazz]

Looking to get J bass sounding soapbars to drop into my Wick Streamer.

Call Nordstrand.

 

[Rabidhamster]

Soap bars can have any kind of pickups inside them.

 

[Chasarms]

Looking to get J bass sounding soapbars to drop into my Wick Streamer.

Big Singles.

 

[Chasarms]

Full disclosure: I’d never touch a bass with single coils in it. I can’t stand the noise. Even my Sadowsky has the hum cancelling “jazz” pickups in it.

 

[pellomoco14]

In that case maybe you should.
I used to agree but have come to understand the tradeoff can be worth it. The really hum isn't so bad if everything is grounded and well shielded.

I'm having a custom spaced nordstrand NJ5 set made. underwound "70's" singles for my fretless Ibanez.

Full disclosure: I’d never touch a bass with single coils in it. I can’t stand the noise. Even my Sadowsky has the hum cancelling “jazz” pickups in it.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Big Singles.

Big splits might work like stack Jazz pickups too.

 

[emjazz]

Nordstrand can also make hum canceling J pickups in a soapbar shell.

 

[pocket_groover]

Ironically, the Jazz Bass prototype in 1959 had soapbars and three knobs:

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Ironically, the Jazz Bass prototype in 1959 had soapbars and three knobs:
View attachment 3601443

Cool, I never knew that!

 

[sikamikanico]

Since Fender has the trademark, I accept their definition.

But Dr. C., given that premise, this thread should only include Jazz basses from the Fender family featuring soapbar pickups

I've been tempted to get a Squier Contemporary Active Jazz Bass® HH, if only to try different soapbar pickups without butchering a nice bass...

 

[Dr. Cheese]

But Dr. C., given that premise, this thread should only include Jazz basses from the Fender family featuring soapbar pickups

I've been tempted to get a Squier Contemporary Active Jazz Bass® HH, if only to try different soapbar pickups without butchering a nice bass...

View attachment 3601457

Those Squier Contemporary Jazzes sound great!

 

[Stranger Danger]

I am actually wanting 5 string soapbars in a Musicman pickup shape. Yeah I am that weird.

 

[Chasarms]

In that case maybe you should.
I used to agree but have come to understand the tradeoff can be worth it. The really hum isn't so bad if everything is grounded and well shielded.

I'm having a custom spaced nordstrand NJ5 set made. underwound "70's" singles for my fretless Ibanez.

I get it, but no. No need, I’m happy with the tones I get without noise.

I had a NYC Sadowsky with singles in it, it sounded amazing with both volumes even, but it wasn’t worth the noise introduced if you tweaked your tone at all.

It’s all good. “Tone” is a mysterious pursuit. You gotta be you, and I do to.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Soapbars are usually humbuckers of one sort or another.

I think you're mistaken cheese. A soap bar pickup is simply a style that goes across the strings in a bar shape. I had a bass with two soap splits in J spacing, my talman has a bar single, most modern basses have soap bar style pickups in many different configurations. I'm pretty sure the bass in the picture you posted has singles in it. Humbucker's are fat. They're two pickups wired together to buck the hum. Splits work the same way. A split single is the only humbucker that can take up a single bar space. Well actually, ernie ball makes singles, in traditional single shape, that are actually humbucker's. They're tall. The second coil is wired under the other one so that it appears to be a single. But its not.

 

[Holdsg]

not the best recording off of a phone. but this is with a bass I used to love. A Spector US NS-2J that I modded with Nordstrand Big Split pickups. fantastic sound to me and my ears.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I think you're mistaken cheese. A soap bar pickup is simply a style that goes across the strings in a bar shape. I had a bass with two soap splits in J spacing, my talman has a bar single, most modern basses have soap bar style pickups in many different configurations. I'm pretty sure the bass in the picture you posted has singles in it. Humbucker's are fat. They're two pickups wired together to buck the hum. Splits work the same way. A split single is the only humbucker that can take up a single bar space. Well actually, ernie ball makes singles, in traditional single shape, that are actually humbucker's. They're tall. The second coil is wired under the other one so that it appears to be a single. But its not.

Oh, I know that soap bars can be anything, but from my experience, most soap bar pickups are humbuckers of one type or another. They might be side by side, split coil, or stacked, but most are humbuckers, not single coils.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

not the best recording off of a phone. but this is with a bass I used to love. A Spector US NS-2J that I modded with Nordstrand Big Split pickups. fantastic sound to me and my ears.

Nice tone and solid groove!

 

[pellomoco14]

I get it, but no. No need, I’m happy with the tones I get without noise.

I had a NYC Sadowsky with singles in it, it sounded amazing with both volumes even, but it wasn’t worth the noise introduced if you tweaked your tone at all.

It’s all good. “Tone” is a mysterious pursuit. You gotta be you, and I do to.

Oh good, at least you tried it. I thought you wrote; "I've never touched one" instead of "I'll never"

 

[wvbass]

Squier Vintage Modified Precision Bass V | h breen

According to Fender, the bass above is Precision despite having two single coils in the Sixties Jazz positions. It is a Precision because of body shape. Since Fender has the trademark, I accept their definition.

If Fender is anything, they are inconsistent. This Precision-shaped body is a Jazz bass.

No soapbars, though.