"Modern" sounding recommendations for 5-string Jazz

[AdmiralBumblebe]

I have a Fender Elite 5-string, and I love the build and acoustic sound relative to other 5-string Elites I've played. The neck on it is slimmer than other Elite V's and slightly asymmetric.

My problem is that the stock noiseless pickups have that hard low-middy fender sound that I'm just not a fan of.

I'm looking for options to get a more modern humbuckery sound out of this instrument. Obviously I'll be limited due to the single-coil formfactor, but I'm willing to experiment a bit before I just route this thing out for some soapbars.

Ideas?

 

[Snaxster]

I have a Fender Elite 5-string, and I love the build and acoustic sound relative to other 5-string Elites I've played. The neck on it is slimmer than other Elite V's and slightly asymmetric.

My problem is that the stock noiseless pickups have that hard low-middy fender sound that I'm just not a fan of.

I'm looking for options to get a more modern humbuckery sound out of this instrument. Obviously I'll be limited due to the single-coil formfactor, but I'm willing to experiment a bit before I just route this thing out for some soapbars.

Ideas?

Hello. If you were interested in single coil options, I would recommend Klein. The set in my passive Monarch 5 Deluxe is sublime.

For humbucking options, consider the following. I understand that humbucking does not necessarily equate to "modern humbuckery". Some of these do list toward the single coil sound.

All of them (including Klein) except the Wilde and possibly the DiMarzio are specifically sized for Fender 5-string dimensions.

My intuition is that among these, one of the Bartolini Classic Bass sets (57CBJD) is closest to what you're looking for. That is based on my having both single and dual coil sets of the soapbar versions:


Bill and Becky Wilde Pickups J-45

Nordstrand NJ5FS

Bartolini 57CBJD1

Bartolini 57CBJD3

Bartolini b-axis J55J-18

DiMarzio Area J 5

Invalid Link Removed

 

[KaseOfBass]

When I think modern sounding pickups, I think of EMG. With the quick connect system, I’d think it’d be pretty simple to replace the entirety of the Fender guts with an EMG system.

 

[franvarin]

I have a Fender Elite 5-string, and I love the build and acoustic sound relative to other 5-string Elites I've played. The neck on it is slimmer than other Elite V's and slightly asymmetric.

My problem is that the stock noiseless pickups have that hard low-middy fender sound that I'm just not a fan of.

I'm looking for options to get a more modern humbuckery sound out of this instrument. Obviously I'll be limited due to the single-coil formfactor, but I'm willing to experiment a bit before I just route this thing out for some soapbars.

Ideas?

I have a standard jazz 5 string and I put Duncan quarter pounders in it with a hipshot high mass brass bridge. I also use rotosound swing strings. Sounds really good

 

[AdmiralBumblebe]

Hello. If you were interested in single coil options, I would recommend Klein. The set in my passive Monarch 5 Deluxe is sublime.

For humbucking options, consider the following. I understand that humbucking does not necessarily equate to "modern humbuckery". Some of these do list toward the single coil sound.

All of them (including Klein) except the Wilde and possibly the DiMarzio are specifically sized for Fender 5-string dimensions.

My intuition is that among these, one of the Bartolini Classic Bass sets (57CBJD) is closest to what you're looking for. That is based on my having both single and dual coil sets of the soapbar versions:


Bill and Becky Wilde Pickups J-45

Nordstrand NJ5FS

Bartolini 57CBJD1

Bartolini 57CBJD3

Bartolini b-axis J55J-18

DiMarzio Area J 5

Invalid Link Removed

I'm curious why you recommended what appear to be '62 replicas (can't say for sure, their website has been down) when I asked for modern options.

I'm not trying to be snippy, I'm legitimately curious about the idea behind the klein recommendation.

Thank you everyone so far!

 

[Snaxster]

I'm curious why you recommended what appear to be '62 replicas (can't say for sure, their website has been down) when I asked for modern options.

I'm not trying to be snippy, I'm legitimately curious about the idea behind the klein recommendation.

Thank you everyone so far!

Because they are so harmonically rich and decidedly do not have "that hard low-middy fender sound". Worth a try was my reasoning.