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NJ5S or Big Split?

bamabass

bamabass

May 30, 2008
3,090
28
Indianapolis, IN
#1
Hey guys....pick-up noob here. I just bought a P5 with a Nordy NP5 in it and I want to add a bridge pickup. I am looking at a NJ5S or a Big Split. Is there a big difference between the two? If so, what would be the tonal or sonic differences?

Thanks
 
#2
Difference, yes.

The big split is supposed to be a jazz pickup that spent it's youth getting picked on, so it grew up abusing steroids and living in the gym. It does, however, have single coil hum.

The NJ5S is a traditional sounding jazz. but it's a split coil so that eliminates hum.
 
#4
Neither of those two will exhibit single coil hum. The nj5s will sound like a Jazz pickup. It will be more focused and have more growl when solo'd and you dig in. The split will sound more like a soapbar. Less growl and a thicker fuller response. If you like the way your P sounds already, going with the J pickup is pretty common. It will add a some high mids that the P pickup doesn't have. If you find that you are thinking you need a fuller tone, then try out the split.

I'd opt for the J pickup. If it doesn't work, you can always route out further for the split. If you go with the split to start with, you can't really unroute your bass to go with the smaller J.

Not positive, but I think the dual coils would let you install a switch for various coil tapping possibilities too. Won't sound as J like as a J pickup, but would offer a soapbar and a J'esque tone all in one pickup.
 
#7
I too am curious about the difference between these pickups. Though I'm actually more interested in the NJ5 single coils and the Big Singles, I assume the comparison here would be comparable. Kael, would you say the NJ5s tend to sit better in a full band mix (narrower sonic footprint)? I keep reading that the BSs and BSps are more aggressive/louder/bigger sounding, yet the concept of greater tonal spread seems counter to that of sitting well in the mix. I had a bass that had that modern extended tonal footprint and while I found it to sound really pretty and full on its own I also found it got buried in a full, loud band setting.

Anyone else feel like chiming in on the differences between these pickups?
 

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