Poll: Fender Bass Pickups: Mod or Original?

[ubado]

I've got the stock CIJ's in my '75CIJ reissue; although I did change out the black covers for white ones. I dig'em. With a J-Retro ... I can dial in about any tone I want/need. So being CIJ's instead of MIA's isn't too big a deal ... although I will agree that the MIA's will/do sound a bit better.

The only complaint I have is that darn 60 cycle hum. I thought about changing them out with some Sumarium Cobalts ... but I just dig my white covers ... I just can't part with them (since Sumarium poles won't fit through classic J style covers ). And regular Fender noiseless' aren't the tone I'm going for.

As far as going with another brand ... I just like the tone of Fender pickups in Fender jazz basses ... they just go together so well. If I had a Fender PJ ... I'd probably change them out for EMG's.


:EDIT: I just noticed that Fender changed the pole spacing on the SCN's back to the regular style ... So I'll be looking to change them out soon :/EDIT:

 

[tmw]

Stock Fender Pickups...

 

[rllefebv]

I went with 'Carrots' as I have a mix... I would have kept the stock p'up in my '96 MIA P, as it was the best Passive P pup that I had ever heard, but it 'somehow' got a beverage spilled on/in it that eventually corroded the E-A half and made it sound like snot... I replaced it with a QP to get it up and running, and have a Lindy Fralin all set to put in it, (the QP will then go into my shell pink P that I got from ibanezcollector)

The stock pup in my '50s Classic is flat-out killer... First gig with this bass last night, and I just couldn't be any happier...

The one that I could not justify keeping was the Squier VM TB P bass pup... Not that it was a bad pup, or bad sounding, (it wasn't), just that it didn't mesh in a band situation. This bass is getting converted to a backup SCPB, albeit with a stock Squier SCPB pup...

-robert

 

[RBrownBass]

There should be an option for "other Fender pickups". My Jazz has SCNs and 500K pots. Love 'em.

 

[gjbassist]

I have two Fender jazz basses. One is MIM and the other is one I built from various parts. Both have SD Basslines quarter pounders.

 

[Coop Soup]

MIM standard Jazz - replaced with EMGs
MIA P - stock
MIM Jazz deluxe - stock

 

[Bass_masta16]

I use actual Carrots in my bass..

 

[Pilgrim]

Original pickups are still in my '63 P and my 2000 MIM J.

 

[Arranger]

Stock American Jazz Deluxe with stock pickups. This instrument turned out to be a rarity in that is sounds full and round and was born to play as it is right out of the case. No dead spots, no interference, no problems of any type. I have to leave it alone.

 

[Jeff K]

I have 3 Fender P's and 2 Jazzes. All are wearing their original pickups. I actually bought a set of Nordy NJ4's recently. The plan was to put them on my '08 MIA Jazz. But once I got the Jazz set up how I like it, I was so pleased with the sound that I decided not to switch them.

 

[Saxomafone]

Lindy Fralins are in my Hwy 1 Jazz. I took those stock pickups and put them in my MIM Jazz, and they are ok, but I'm not putting anymore money in that bass.

If I were to get a new American Fender P, I still think I would put Fralin's in them. The only Fender Bass I might leave stock pickups in would be the Marcus Miller or any Pre-CBS.

 

[seanm]

All of my Fenders have stock Fender pickups. The MIM came with SD quarter pounders, can't complain about that The fotoflame has the stock pickups AFAIK and the sunburst has a pickups from a 70s Fender.

 

[lorenk]

my '94 (factory) hotrodded p still has the stock pups though ive always wanted to replace the jazz pup with a hot stack from seymour duncan. the hum kills me =/

 

[rodl2005]

My '05 Am. Series S1 Jazz has the stock pups- seem darn good.

My MIM Reggie Hamilton Sig. has an Am.Series P pup & a noiseless J in bridge pos. & they ROCK!!!! It's a killer bass that one!! Dunno what it is about that one- just has tone for days & will growl & rock the nuts off ALL my other basses!!

 

[ciubz]

1977 Jazz Bass - stock
1984 62'RI Jazz Bass = stock
2008 Marcus Miller Jazz Bass V - stock

 

[bh2]

I've DiMarzio's on my Jazz (61)... I really, really wish I'd hung on to the originals... I think I gave them away... cry.

 

[membluz]

I've replaced the stock Fender pickups in my MIA basses with DiMarzio pickups and changed the stock 0.047 tones caps to 0.10uFcaps and get the sound I want from my Jazz basses and P basses.

 

[NorCal Dog]

i put a Fralin in my Highway One P

&

a Duncan SPB-1 in my Hoppus Sig Jazz

both sound AWESOME

 

[Fat K]

71 Jazz Lollar Jazz
Marcus Miller 4 was dimarzio UJ, now back to Stock
Jaguar Stock
MIM Standard P bass, Fender "Original" PU
(Fender??) Squier VM Fretless Dimarzio Model J


So "Carrots" for me

 

[pasta4lnch]

I have 2 fenders one a MIA p/j w/ stock pups - absolutely LOVE the way it sounds!! and a MIA j V w/ duncan 1/4lb's and I absolutely love the way that sounds too.

fwiw the duncans had less of a bite/growl than the stock pups but the duncans a more even tone. I had the same experience w/ fender p-90's I had on a strat that I swapped w/ duncans.

not better, just different.