Need help: Fralin PJ, overwound J, 5% or 10%?

[Tomie Kawakami]

I'm getting a set of pickups for my PJ build and decide to buy a set of Fralins. I heard that an overwound jazz pickup is needed for a balanced P+J sound. However, with a stock P, I found that someone suggest 5% overwound while others suggest that 10% overwound. Which one is the correct solution? What about 5% overwound P + 10% overwound J? Thank you.

 

[Slater]

You might want to consider a Split Jazz pickup so that both pickups are hum canceling. I would choose the pickup winding for the tone that you prefer. Even an overwound Jazz bridge pickup isn't going to completely keep up with a Split P pickup.

 

[Tomie Kawakami]

You might want to consider a Split Jazz pickup so that both pickups are hum canceling. I would choose the pickup winding for the tone that you prefer. Even an overwound Jazz bridge pickup isn't going to completely keep up with a Split P pickup.

Yes. The Fralin set is using a split Jazz pickup.

 

[El Tookay]

Been down this road…a 5% overwound split-coil J while using a 250K volume pot keeps the clarity and brightness, while a 10% overwound split-coil with a 250K volume pot has less clarity, feels like the tone control is rolled back 25%. NOT a bad thing, especially if you solo the J, or tend to favor the back pickup- you get a deep, barky tone that is thick and usable, and if the rear J is in the 60's spot, you can get some convincing big StingRay growl.
So…want clear, hi-fi Marcus-sparkle, 5%, want deep Jaco-in-a-box bark, 10%. There is no bad choice when it comes to Lindy Fralin's pickups, they all sound deadly.

 

[Tomie Kawakami]

Been down this road…a 5% overwound split-coil J while using a 250K volume pot keeps the clarity and brightness, while a 10% overwound split-coil with a 250K volume pot has less clarity, feels like the tone control is rolled back 25%. NOT a bad thing, especially if you solo the J, or tend to favor the back pickup- you get a deep, barky tone that is thick and usable, and if the rear J is in the 60's spot, you can get some convincing big StingRay growl.
So…want clear, hi-fi Marcus-sparkle, 5%, want deep Jaco-in-a-box bark, 10%. There is no bad choice when it comes to Lindy Fralin's pickups, they all sound deadly.

Thank you for your extremely helpful input!BTW, do you have experience with the 5% overwound P + 10% overwound J combination as well? Thanks.

 

[El Tookay]

The 5%/10% combination will just sound slightly darker/ less highs, but bigger low mids/ lows. You can offset the 'darkness' of the tone by changing volume pots from 250K to 500K. Remember, the more winds and higher resistance of the pickups equals less highs, and more low end. If you have a particularly bright bass ( one or all of brass parts, ash body, or a maple board…), and you want to tame some unruly highs, go for a higher / hotter resistance

 

[Tomie Kawakami]

The 5%/10% combination will just sound slightly darker/ less highs, but bigger low mids/ lows. You can offset the 'darkness' of the tone by changing volume pots from 250K to 500K. Remember, the more winds and higher resistance of the pickups equals less highs, and more low end. If you have a particularly bright bass ( one or all of brass parts, ash body, or a maple board…), and you want to tame some unruly highs, go for a higher / hotter resistance

Thank you so much! I guess it's 5%/10% for me. My bass project is a maple+ash one. So for a bright bass, 250k pot is better than 500k pots, right? As the 500k will offset the increased lower end?

 

[El Tookay]

For a maple/ ash combo, you should use 250K pots, as 500K will be too bright.

 

[Tomie Kawakami]

For a maple/ ash combo, you should use 250K pots, as 500K will be too bright.

Understood. Thank you so much.

 

[L. L. Elwood]

Thanks to the talkbass community for this thread. Answered my specifice questions about using Fralin overwound bridge pickup in a PJ setup.

 

[nonohmic]

Been down this road…a 5% overwound split-coil J while using a 250K volume pot keeps the clarity and brightness, while a 10% overwound split-coil with a 250K volume pot has less clarity, feels like the tone control is rolled back 25%. NOT a bad thing, especially if you solo the J, or tend to favor the back pickup- you get a deep, barky tone that is thick and usable, and if the rear J is in the 60's spot, you can get some convincing big StingRay growl.
So…want clear, hi-fi Marcus-sparkle, 5%, want deep Jaco-in-a-box bark, 10%. There is no bad choice when it comes to Lindy Fralin's pickups, they all sound deadly.

The 5%/10% combination will just sound slightly darker/ less highs, but bigger low mids/ lows. You can offset the 'darkness' of the tone by changing volume pots from 250K to 500K. Remember, the more winds and higher resistance of the pickups equals less highs, and more low end. If you have a particularly bright bass ( one or all of brass parts, ash body, or a maple board…), and you want to tame some unruly highs, go for a higher / hotter resistance

For a maple/ ash combo, you should use 250K pots, as 500K will be too bright.

Incredibly helpful series of posts. I have a custom build going that will be ash and maple, and am considering the Fralin PJ. I want a little more clarity than pronounced lows.

Stock/5% w/ 250k pots sounds like it will be about right for mine.