Pickups in early model Geddy Lee Jazz Bass

[4001]

I have an early model Geddy Lee Jazz Bass. I need to know what pickups these are EXACTLY.
I was told by just about everyone, including Fender, that they are the Fender original Jazz Bass pickups, and I ordered a set for my CV Jazz Bass and the pickups are NOWHERE near the same. The output is about half of what the output is in my Geddy Lee Jazz. When I switch from the CV Jazz with the Fender original Jazz Bass pickups to the Geddy Lee Jazz Bass, I have to employ the -14 DB pads on my amps or the GL bass is overpowering the signal. I want the CV Jazz to be that loud so they are even in volume. Are those pickups in the early batches of the GL JB from Japan?? The pole pieces are flat and the Fender original Jazz Bass pickups that I replaced the original CV Jazz Bass pickups with, are slightly raised and beveled. They sure don't even look the same at all.
I'm thinking about replacing the pickups..AGAIN.. in my CV jazz bass because I need to MATCH the ones in my Geddy Lee Jazz Bass.
How would I get a set of pickups that are the SAME EXACT ones as in the early Geddy Lee Jazz Basses?
Or is that impossible because they were from Japan and they were made just for those early models??
Should I go with some Seymour Duncans?? SJB-1's?
I guess I should probably check the output in the GL Jazz Bass with an ohm meter??
Any help would be great.
There's no way that the Fender original Jazz Bass pickups that I got are the same as the ones in my GL Jazz Bass. Maybe the newer GL Jazz Basses have those Fender 'original' Jazz Bass pickups in them now, but the older ones sure don't.
I'm frustrated!

HELP!

 

[narud]

I have an early model Geddy Lee Jazz Bass. I need to know what pickups these are EXACTLY.
I was told by just about everyone, including Fender, that they are the Fender original Jazz Bass pickups, and I ordered a set for my CV Jazz Bass and the pickups are NOWHERE near the same. The output is about half of what the output is in my Geddy Lee Jazz. When I switch from the CV Jazz with the Fender original Jazz Bass pickups to the Geddy Lee Jazz Bass, I have to employ the -14 DB pads on my amps or the GL bass is overpowering the signal. I want the CV Jazz to be that loud so they are even in volume. Are those pickups in the early batches of the GL JB from Japan?? The pole pieces are flat and the Fender original Jazz Bass pickups that I replaced the original CV Jazz Bass pickups with, are slightly raised and beveled. They sure don't even look the same at all.
I'm thinking about replacing the pickups..AGAIN.. in my CV jazz bass because I need to MATCH the ones in my Geddy Lee Jazz Bass.
How would I get a set of pickups that are the SAME EXACT ones as in the early Geddy Lee Jazz Basses?
Or is that impossible because they were from Japan and they were made just for those early models??
Should I go with some Seymour Duncans?? SJB-1's?
I guess I should probably check the output in the GL Jazz Bass with an ohm meter??
Any help would be great.
There's no way that the Fender original Jazz Bass pickups that I got are the same as the ones in my GL Jazz Bass. Maybe the newer GL Jazz Basses have those Fender 'original' Jazz Bass pickups in them now, but the older ones sure don't.
I'm frustrated!

HELP!

are you the original owner of the geddy? is it possible that someone swapped them before you bought it. if you can post some pictures of the pickups in your geddy (top,bottom of the pickup,coil without the cover on) we might be able to tell you what they are.

 

[4001]

I am the original owner.
I'm writing from a different computer than my home computer so I cannot post photos until tomorrow, but you can find photos of my GL Jazz Bass on this fourm. It was bought new in 1998. The stock pickups that came with it are not the same as the ones they are putting in the GL Jazz Bass nowdays and the ones that everyone told me were in the GL Jazz basses were the "Original Fender Jazz Bass pickups" that sure look like the ones in those basses nowdays, but those aren't the same as the ones that came with my GL Jazz bass. Maybe there was a change some years ago with the pickups and nobody really knows for sure what ones were used in those Japan made basses then, but one thing is for sure the output of the newer pickups is nowhere near what my GL Jazz Bass has. I'll most likely just get some Seymour Duncan Basslines SJB-1 pickups and try those in my CV Jazz Bass and see how those work. Problem is once you install pickups, they are yours to keep. No returns if you don't like them. I can see having three sets of pickups that won't match the ones in mt GL Jazz Bass in the real near future. Anyone want to buy some pickups??

 

[Spirit of Ox]

I don't think the older GLs have Original MIA J pickups. They didn't start adding those until the bass was re-released around 2000. Also, what's giving it away is that they don't have beveled pole pieces like the MIA originals.
They are probably just a set of MIJ pickups which can tend to be hotter.
Plus add the fact that you are comparing it do another bass. The CV is a different build with different woods and components. The neck and frets are also another factor.

 

[4001]

I don't think the older GLs have Original MIA J pickups. They didn't start adding those until the bass was re-released around 2000. Also, what's giving it away is that they don't have beveled pole pieces like the MIA originals.
They are probably just a set of MIJ pickups which can tend to be hotter.
Plus add the fact that you are comparing it do another bass. The CV is a different build with different woods and components. The neck and frets are also another factor.

Yeah, I'm thinking they are the MIJ pickups for sure. How do I get a set of those???......

I even called Fender about this and told them I had an older version of that bass and all they told me was that they were the MIA Jazz Bass pickups...... wrong.

I do realise that the woods are different but even when I tap the pole pieces they are MUCH LOUDER on the GL bass and that has nothing to do with the woods, just those MIJ pickups are way hotter.
Now I either locate a set of those or I have my buddy measure the output of those MIJ pickups and I find a set to match as close as possible because the MIA Jazz Bass pickups are not cutting it at all.
Now I'm pissed! I spent money on those pickups that is now wasted. Should have never listened to so many people and especially FENDER... who seemed to know NOTHING about what I was talking about. I even explained to them that the pole pieces were the raised, beveled type and the ones in the GL Jazz were flat tops.
I don't think they knew for sure or cared, to be honest.
Like I said either find the MIJ pickup set or go another route, like Seymour Duncan Basslines SJB-1's. Should have just got those in the first place.
Dumb-ass me!

CRAP!

 

[ampegfuzz]

Does your geddy have cloth wire?? Pretty sure i remember the very early models having the "60's RI jazz pickups" and later changed to original fender brand.

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[narud]

Yeah, I'm thinking they are the MIJ pickups for sure. How do I get a set of those???......

I even called Fender about this and told them I had an older version of that bass and all they told me was that they were the MIA Jazz Bass pickups...... wrong.

I do realise that the woods are different but even when I tap the pole pieces they are MUCH LOUDER on the GL bass and that has nothing to do with the woods, just those MIJ pickups are way hotter.
Now I either locate a set of those or I have my buddy measure the output of those MIJ pickups and I find a set to match as close as possible because the MIA Jazz Bass pickups are not cutting it at all.
Now I'm pissed! I spent money on those pickups that is now wasted. Should have never listened to so many people and especially FENDER... who seemed to know NOTHING about what I was talking about. I even explained to them that the pole pieces were the raised, beveled type and the ones in the GL Jazz were flat tops.
I don't think they knew for sure or cared, to be honest.
Like I said either find the MIJ pickup set or go another route, like Seymour Duncan Basslines SJB-1's. Should have just got those in the first place.
Dumb-ass me!

CRAP!

just looked at your pics and with flat tops and cloth wiring. for the longest time, theyve advertised these as having the fender original set and the ones ive played have had the beveled pole pieces.

the way the reissue sets are is odd. they used to be called the "original 62" set. they then changed the packaging and started calling them the "fender originals". the original 62 set had flat tops and sound slightly different but not as dramatic as a difference as your describing. theres no way that it was shipped was custom shop 60's as those are even lower in output than the originals.

are the pots in the in the cv jazz 250k? mij pickups are never particularly hot. the non ceramic/alnico sets are wound to 7k which is around where the originals are at. the ceramics wouldnt have cloth wiring but you never know. if you can post a picture of the pickup out of your geddy removed from the bass (bottom flatwork and coil without the cover on) we could be of more help.

 

[4001]

just looked at your pics and with flat tops and cloth wiring. for the longest time, theyve advertised these as having the fender original set and the ones ive played have had the beveled pole pieces.

the way the reissue sets are is odd. they used to be called the "original 62" set. they then changed the packaging and started calling them the "fender originals". the original 62 set had flat tops and sound slightly different but not as dramatic as a difference as your describing. theres no way that it was shipped was custom shop 60's as those are even lower in output than the originals.

are the pots in the in the cv jazz 250k? mij pickups are never particularly hot. the non ceramic/alnico sets are wound to 7k which is around where the originals are at. the ceramics wouldnt have cloth wiring but you never know. if you can post a picture of the pickup out of your geddy removed from the bass (bottom flatwork and coil without the cover on) we could be of more help.

I'll have to do that tomorrow night. No access to a camera tonight. If you can remember to check back tomorrow night or sometime afterwards, I'll have pics posted of the pickups. I did have the pots changed out when I had the Geddy JB re-wired for stereo.

 

[4001]

Does your geddy have cloth wire?? Pretty sure i remember the very early models having the "60's RI jazz pickups" and later changed to original fender brand.

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I'm pretty sure they have the cloth black and white leads, but those "original' ones do too. I am also willing to bet those custom shop pickups are closer, if not the same ones that are in the Geddy JB that I have. I have checked out newer Geddy Jazz Bases and they dont have the same pickups that mine does and they don't even sound as good as mine does.
I'm thinking the best Geddy Lee Jazz Basses were the early ones they made. The newer ones dont even look as good, especially arounfd the headstock/neck area...the shape dosen't seem right, and something about the newer ones just looks wrong...like they did the early ones better or something.
They don't even seem to feel or play as good to me as mine does.
I'll check back in tomorrow night. Gotta get some sleep and go to work all day. Repair job on a Gibson Nighthawk guitar who's pickup mounting stud got ripped out and need a repair..that and a few other guitars to tend to.

Thanks for the imput folks...hopefully talk to you tomorrow. G'd nite!

 

[4001]

Here's the bridge pickup. It has cloth wire leads....if that matters, so do the "original" Jazz Bass pickups that are in my CV Jazz Bass too.

Pardon the dust!!

 

[narud]

Here's the bridge pickup. It has cloth wire leads....if that matters, so do the "original" Jazz Bass pickups that are in my CV Jazz Bass too.

Pardon the dust!!

looks like they might be the 62 reissue pickups before changing them over to the "original" re-branding with the beveled poles. i just saw a jazz pickup on ebay out of a jaco sig that had the flat poles.

this might sound like a pain in the ass, but try putting the originals in the geddy and see what happens. ive had pickups sound completely different in one bass from another. i had a 75 ri that i put originals and custom shop 60's in and it was always kind of dark. i put the custom shop 60's in an old 70's jazz and it they were super bright.

 

[Spirit of Ox]

Those are probably the original MIJ pickups that they put in the first run of Geddy Lee sigs.

 

[narud]

Those are probably the original MIJ pickups that they put in the first run of Geddy Lee sigs.

wheres the info that says there were mij pickups in the first run of geddy lee sigs?

 

[Spirit of Ox]

I had one in 99 and the pickups were not the Original MIA Js. My belief is that the electronics were MIJ along with the rest of the bass. I am not 100% positive on this but I remember the next run of GLs in 01-02 had 62 Jazz bass pickups listed in their specs and I thought that was unusual of a bass that was supposed to be a 70's reissue more or less.

 

[Spirit of Ox]

Oh and one other observation. The first run GLs were cheaper. I got mine for 600. Perhaps when they upped the selling cost they added the MIA pickups to make it a more attractive selling point.
It's too bad we can't find the real truth about this. Doesn't sound like Fender is much of a help either.

 

[narud]

I had one in 99 and the pickups were not the Original MIA Js. My belief is that the electronics were MIJ along with the rest of the bass. I am not 100% positive on this but I remember the next run of GLs in 01-02 had 62 Jazz bass pickups listed in their specs and I thought that was unusual of a bass that was supposed to be a 70's reissue more or less.

the 62 ri pickups used to look like that. they didnt always have beveled poles. ive also never seen a mij pickup use plain enamel wire. and everything was cheaper then. the geddy and marcus basses both got price increases. the 75 mij ri that was out shortly before the geddy and marcus came out had a street price of 500 bucks only to go for the same or more on ebay in the early 2000's.

 

[Thor]

I replaced pickups in both of my GL's. I was never really happy with the one they came with, listless, flat soundimg.


One has Sexmour Duncan Antrickity II's. Sexy. Very good sound.

The other has the hum cancelling Fralin set.
/Search.

 

[4001]

Those are probably the original MIJ pickups that they put in the first run of Geddy Lee sigs.

THAT, I am 99.999999999% sure of.
Now, how do I get another set??
Or is that most likely impossible??

 

[4001]

It's too bad we can't find the real truth about this. Doesn't sound like Fender is much of a help either.

Yeah, like I said, I called Fender and the person I talked to said the standard format, read off a 3X5 card response just like it's written in the spec. sheet answer that the pickups were the Fender 'original' Jazz Bass pickups.
I should have known better but I took his advice and got those...knowing that when I did, they were the ones with the beveled pole pieces and was skeptical, but thought that they would be the same, just with beveled pole pieces...never thought they would be so much different.
And...once you wire them in...they're yours. No returns. Bummer.

 

[4001]

Oh and one other observation. The first run GLs were cheaper. I got mine for 600.

Same here. And I think they were actually a better bass than what they are producing now with the same sig name on them. I've tried many of the newer Geddy sigs and wouldn't trade mine for any of them. They don't feel right either. Something is different...even the pickups.

And they are listing at $1099.00 now, I think.