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Nordstrand NP4V vs Fender Vmod ii

IanA

IanA

Jul 31, 2011
1,249
1,317
Leicester UK
#1
I have recently treated myself to an Am pro ii Precision and have been really happy with literally everything except how it sounded…
So having used Nordstrands previously I decided to give the NP4V a shot!
Holy smokes I cannot believe the difference!
More low end and very controlled at that, perfect string to string balance and growl for days!
I do wonder why Fender have played around with the pickups on this series apart from as a marketing exercise, a Precision pickup is a pretty simple thing to get right and in this case I feel that they failed.
I know there are numerous threads with folk sharing similar feelings, but hey why not another hey!
 
#2
I guess that Fender tried (and failed) to make a more "modern" sounding P-pickup, whatever this may mean. IMO, even in the fender pickup line, there are much better, and closer to vintage, sounding pickups. I was very pleasantly surprised by their Pure Vintage 60.
 
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#3
blr2 said:
I guess that Fender tried (and failed) to make a more "modern" sounding P-pickup, whatever this may mean. IMO, even in the fender pickup line, there are much better, and closer to vintage, sounding pickups. I was very pleasantly surprised by their Pure Vintage 60.
Click to expand...

I haven’t tried that one, I did like whatever was fitted in an AVRI 63P a few years back, would like to try the CS 63 pickup at some point as well.
Did you retro fit that pick up or was it standard fit in a bass that you bought?
 
#4
IanA said:
Did you retro fit that pick up or was it standard fit in a bass that you bought?
Click to expand...
It replaced a stock Squier P pickup. My other P is a 99 Am Std with stock pickup that I love the tone of. The PV 60 sounds even a bit better better IMO. A bit more high mids that give it more growl and definition.
 
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#5
IanA said:
I have recently treated myself to an Am pro ii Precision and have been really happy with literally everything except how it sounded…
So having used Nordstrands previously I decided to give the NP4V a shot!
Holy smokes I cannot believe the difference!
More low end and very controlled at that, perfect string to string balance and growl for days!
I do wonder why Fender have played around with the pickups on this series apart from as a marketing exercise, a Precision pickup is a pretty simple thing to get right and in this case I feel that they failed.
I know there are numerous threads with folk sharing similar feelings, but hey why not another hey!
Click to expand...

Believe it or not, without more money spend, a cheap Aliexpress Alnico V P pup with 9-9.5K resistance just smoke the Vmod II out......
 
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#7
I'd say, that the sound of the Vmod is not bad per se, just not what we are used to in a P pickup. It's a bit brighter and not as strong in the low mids. I think, the engineers at Fender tried to give it a distinct sound, something that would set it apart from the rest of their pickups that sound similar.
 
#8
If I was to buy a brand new Fender Precision Pro II I would also change the pickups right away.

My favorites are Nordstrand NP4V, Lindy Fralins 5% overwound and Fender Pure Vintage 63.
 
#9
blr2 said:
I'd say, that the sound of the Vmod is not bad per se, just not what we are used to in a P pickup. It's a bit brighter and not as strong in the low mids. I think, the engineers at Fender tried to give it a distinct sound, something that would set it apart from the rest of their pickups that sound similar.
Click to expand...

You will shocking when you measure it with ohm meter....
 
#10
DC resistance is not always (actually, not even that often) telling you how a pickup would sound. Type and strength of magnets, wire gauge, bobbin construction, tightness of the wind... these are also very important. Not to talk that you can change the sound by varying the height of the PU.
 
#11
blr2 said:
DC resistance is not always (actually, not even that often) telling you how a pickup would sound. Type and strength of magnets, wire gauge, bobbin construction, tightness of the wind... these are also very important. Not to talk that you can change the sound by varying the height of the PU.
Click to expand...

The truth is V mod are serious underwound ......
 
#18
In the past year or so I've replaced all of my basses with a single Fender Jazz Bass (American Professional I), and recently, a single Fender Precision (American Professional II). In both cases I found the stock V-Mod pickup(s) to be polite, compressed, and without any character. Early 60's P-Bass and Jazz Bass pickups, good examples anyway, had great dynamic range, they were punchy, the top end had some teeth, and had their own, easily identified characteristics.

I found the V-Mod pickups, both I and II, lacking these essential properties. They're so polite that they seem to practically remove themselves from most recordings. They seem.... lifeless. And, when rolling the tone control off, what little voice they had seemed to disappeared. While the aforementioned perceptions might seem a bit overstated, my recorded results weren't great. All the characteristics that I like from both Jazz and P basses weren't present. Best analogy I can offer would a great recipe cooked without the salt and pepper from the ingredients list. It might be identifiable as the same recipe but but it'd be bland in taste.

I happened to have a few pickups on hand from prior projects that just so happened to be exactly what these basses needed.

I replaced the Jazz Bass V-Mod I pickups with Lindy Fralin standard wind, staggered pole Jazz pickups. The bass just came alive. Roundwounds and low action provided a gritty growl when digging into the strings, and flatwounds provide a smooth, round timbre that bark with a heavier attack. The controls all behave the way a proper Jazz Bass should. There are usable tones throughout the entire sweep of the tone control.

I replaced the P-Bass V-mod II pickup with a Seymour Duncan Antiquity II (without 'aging'), and there it was - the sound of an early 60's P-Bass. Much of what I wrote about the Jazz Bass above applies here. It is now a great sounding example of what a P-Bass is supposed to be. Roundwounds bark, and flatwounds with a mute - instant James Jamerson.

Everything else (stock) on these two basses are fantastic! Feel great, play wonderfully, and nice weight to each (in the mid 8 lb range for both). The stock pickups, though, leave these basses void of their full potential, IMHO of course - YMMV.
:bassist:
 
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#19
Deaj said:
In the past year or so I've replaced all of my basses with a single Fender Jazz Bass (American Professional I), and recently, a single Fender Precision (American Professional II). In both cases I found the stock V-Mod pickup(s) to be polite, compressed, and without any character. Early 60's P-Bass and Jazz Bass pickups, good examples anyway, had great dynamic range, they were punchy, the top end had some teeth, and had their own, easily identified characteristics.

I found the V-Mod pickups, both I and II, lacking these essential properties. They're so polite that they seem to practically remove themselves from most recordings. They seem.... lifeless. And, when rolling the tone control off, what little voice they had seemed to disappeared. While the aforementioned perceptions might seem a bit overstated, my recorded results weren't great. All the characteristics that I like from both Jazz and P basses weren't present. Best analogy I can offer would a great recipe cooked without the salt and pepper from the ingredients list. It might be identifiable as the same recipe but but it'd be bland in taste.

I happened to have a few pickups on hand from prior projects that just so happened to be exactly what these basses needed.

I replaced the Jazz Bass V-Mod I pickups with Lindy Fralin standard wind, staggered pole Jazz pickups. The bass just came alive. Roundwounds and low action provided a gritty growl when digging into the strings, and flatwounds provide a smooth, round timbre that bark with a heavier attack. The controls all behave the way a proper Jazz Bass should. There are usable tones throughout the entire sweep of the tone control.

I replaced the P-Bass V-mod II pickup with a Seymour Duncan Antiquity II (without 'aging'), and there it was - the sound of an early 60's P-Bass. Much of what I wrote about the Jazz Bass above applies here. It is now a great sounding example of what a P-Bass is supposed to be. Roundwounds bark, and flatwounds with a mute - instant James Jamerson.

Everything else (stock) on these two basses are fantastic! Feel great, play wonderfully, and nice weight to each (in the mid 8 lb range for both). The stock pickups, though, leave these basses void of their full potential, IMHO of course - YMMV.
:bassist:
Click to expand...
I witnessed the exact same thing on a pro II p bass. Cute and polite sound but no balls.
 
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#20
I agree on the lacking character comments. I've had the bass for 6 years and it was fine with flats for Motown stuff. I recently installed Aguilar 4P60 which are nice warm polite pickups. On my other P I am currently trying out the P46 pickups but have some used CS62s coming. I was and might still, try the NP4Vs based on the FatBassTones demo if I am not very happy with the CS62s.
 
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