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New PU's for a Squier Vintage Modified

CH Design

CH Design

Supporting Member
Apr 25, 2007
2,971
2,437
Ottawa, ON
#1
I'm going to be dropping some new pickups into my Squire Vintage Modified Jazz Bass. I was wondering if I could get some opinions on the different high-end replacements out there. So far, I have looked at Nordstrand, Lindy Fralin, and HAS. Are there any others out there that I should consider? Does anyone have experience will one or more of these pickups that they can share? I'm going to leave the passive controls on it for now, but may consider an Audere in the future. Thanks.
 
#6
fretless_guy said:
I'm going to be dropping some new pickups into my Squire Vintage Modified Jazz Bass. I was wondering if I could get some opinions on the different high-end replacements out there. So far, I have looked at Nordstrand, Lindy Fralin, and HAS. Are there any others out there that I should consider? Does anyone have experience will one or more of these pickups that they can share? I'm going to leave the passive controls on it for now, but may consider an Audere in the future. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Before moving back to 5 string fulltime (last week!), I had the same Squier and installed Nordstrand NJ4SV - quietest passive J pickup I've encountered, punchy, even sounding, gorgeous vinatge J tone, perhaps a BIT more hi-fi. Closest sound to true single coil of any split J pickup I've used......

The Squier comes with 500K pots - I used 250K CTS, but they should sound great with either.....as far as using the Audere in the future, Nordstrand builds their own basses with that preamp, so it would probably work very well :)

Jamie
 
#9
I just finished putting those Lindy Fralins in my Squier VM Jazz.

Oh boy, what a difference! The stock pickups in there are not horrible (they're OK -- I've heard worse), but my jaw nearly hit the floor the first time I plugged it in after dropping in the Fralins. :eek:

MUCH more dynamic, hotter, more aggressive. I'm not really good at describing tone, but it felt like a blanket had been lifted off the cab or something, because it just has so much more presence and oomph than it did with the stock Duncans.

It still can't hang with my Sadowsky in terms of playability, but the difference in tone quality has been drastically reduced.

To the OP: I went with the Fralins because I had an unused set from another project laying around. I think Fralins, Aeros, or Nordys would all be great choices. The Fralins I had are more aggressive than the regular Lindy Fralins, which will give a more vintage tone. For biting aggressive tone, I'd also consider the Aeros. I haven't personally heard the Nordys, but I've heard nothing but good things about them from people I really respect.
 
#10
to me the decision is between fralin 5% more winnding and aeros the two of them are spectacular, agresive vintage vibe nice slap...nordstrand are great too they are maeby more hi-fi thats because i´d choose between fraling and aeros
don´t get me wrong nordies are great but for jazz pickups i prefeer fralin or aero
 

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