Recommend me a pickup

[JimmyM]

I've got this parts P in the shop getting routed for a Jazz in the back. I bought a $15 MIM Fender pickup off Ebay thinking that it would be perfect for that bass, not thinking about it being a single coil. I work in a lot of situations where it's noisy for single coils and I can't do anything about it. So I think I'm going to suck it up and get a noiseless pickup. But I want two things out of it...I need it to sound like a regular vintage single coil pickup, and I need it to be passive, and I need it to be cheap (OK, three things), and I need it to look like a standard Fender J pickup (OK, 4 things). I hardly ever mod basses, and I'm not really up on the latest and greatest for noiseless pickups. The Fender Vintage Noiseless has caught my eye, but does it sound like a regular Jazz pickup?

Thanks for your help.

 

[PilbaraBass]

I've got this parts P in the shop getting routed for a Jazz in the back. I bought a $15 MIM Fender pickup off Ebay thinking that it would be perfect for that bass, not thinking about it being a single coil. I work in a lot of situations where it's noisy for single coils and I can't do anything about it. So I think I'm going to suck it up and get a noiseless pickup. But I want two things out of it...I need it to sound like a regular vintage single coil pickup, and I need it to be passive, and I need it to be cheap (OK, three things), and I need it to look like a standard Fender J pickup (OK, 4 things). I hardly ever mod basses, and I'm not really up on the latest and greatest for noiseless pickups. The Fender Vintage Noiseless has caught my eye, but does it sound like a regular Jazz pickup?

Thanks for your help.

a noiseless split J coil will give you more of that "classic J" vibe than a stacked J...I can think of two...

(1) the nordstrand NJ4SV is highly regarded

http://www.nordstrandpickups.com/bass-pickups/traditional/traditional.html


(2) stan hinesley of HAS Sound also offers a split J and his pickups are ALSO highly regarded

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either one of these companies can be contacted to get just a single bridge pickup vs. a set.

You'll pay $100+ probably, but you'll get good a quality noiseless pickup either way...


EDIT
throw DiMarzio Model J's into the fray... http://www.dimarzio.com

 

[JimmyM]

You missed the "cheap" part, right, Pilbara?

I've decided to go with a Vintage Noiseless or a DiMarzio UltraJazz. I looked at the Nordstrands but I've only got about $300 into this bass. And now I have to buy new pickups for my Lyte because the ones it comes with suck, so I'm screwed as far as money. Thanks for your links, though.

 

[#include <MK>]

Noiseless pickups are not the same as vintage single coils and will not sound the same. The frequency cancellation changes the sound of the pickup. It may appear to be close, but that's as close as you'll get.

Since the idea is to minimise noise or hum or certain frequencies, then the noiseless pickups are the go. I have tried both the stacked and a couple of split sets that I made, and agree with Pilbara that the NJ4SV will sound as close as possible with this type of pickup.

How cheap? Since you want a cheap pickup, you're not interested in sound quality really (eg. the $15 MIM Fender) - unless you can find a noiseless set cheap on ebay.

 

[JimmyM]

Bah...you're right...if it costs $200 for sound quality, I'm not interested. But it doesn't. The pickup in my SX P copy sounds awesome and if if they sold them, that's what I'd put in my Lyte. You don't have to spend a lot to get great sound quality.

 

[PilbaraBass]

Bah...you're right...if it costs $200 for sound quality, I'm not interested. But it doesn't. The pickup in my SX P copy sounds awesome and if if they sold them, that's what I'd put in my Lyte. You don't have to spend a lot to get great sound quality.

I agree with you completely, Jim.

Some expensive pickups sound awesome. But so do some real cheapies.

I recently had a P-pickup fail in my Yamaha RBX170, and I replaced it with an inexpensive Wilkinson pickup...the pickup sounded great...not awesome, but very good.
Then I had the stock pickup repaired by a fellow TBer and I put it back in on Sunday, and it sounds REALLY good...It's a cheap pickup for sure (potted in pink candle wax and all...TRUE)...but it has a very nice sound...more agressive and better lows than the Wilkinson.

The only thing is with humcancelling Jazz pickups, especially the side-by-side splits...only a few, more expensive makers are doing these presently.

For stacked Jazz pickups, however, there are a few more options...Carvin, for instance, offers a stacked jazz in a reasonable price range. http://www.carvin.com/products/single.php?product=H50S

 

[JimmyM]

I ended up getting the DiMarzio Ultra Jazz Bridge. Had good reviews on Harmony Central. And I decided to get a DiMarzio Model PJ set for my Lyte. They don't look 100% vintage but they're good pickups. Didn't totally cheap out, but cheaped out about as much as I could stand

 

[JimmyM]

Anyway, to go into more dull things in my life, I've decided to swap the pickups. My parts P has a 62 Reissue so I'll put that and the Ultra Jazz on my Lyte, and the parts bass gets the Model P and J. Now you can all tell me what a good decision it is

 

[PilbaraBass]

Anyway, to go into more dull things in my life, I've decided to swap the pickups. My parts P has a 62 Reissue so I'll put that and the Ultra Jazz on my Lyte, and the parts bass gets the Model P and J. Now you can all tell me what a good decision it is

that's a GREAT decision, Jimmy

Man, I'd LOVE to have a Lyte. But what I'm "needing" is a decent 5er (yes, a decent CHEAPIE )...

My Yamaha RBX170 fills out my P/J need quite well, even with the stock pickups...since I've got my Zoom B2.1u I've been able to customise some tones that really suit what I'm doing at the moment (minus the drop-D and drop-C stuff, however, which is WHY I "need" a 5er... )