I recently purchased a passive Squire Jazz 4 loaded with "Duncan Designed" pups. Seeking advice and opinions on replacement pups.
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Replacement pups for Fender Squier four string
- Thread starter bassworx1975
- Start date
Just curious, what year is this Squier Jazz? The first-run Vintage Modified Jazz Basses with the Duncan Designed has been touted to sound pretty good stock. Those basses were made in Indonesia (ICS), I think starting around 2009 or 2010-ish.
If you do fancy new pickups, there’s tons of options. From the affordable Fender, DiMarzio, to Seymour Duncan, to the higher price points like Nordstrand, Lollar, Fralin, Delano, Aguilar. There’s also boutique-level like Aero.
What kind of sound improvement are you looking for?
If you do fancy new pickups, there’s tons of options. From the affordable Fender, DiMarzio, to Seymour Duncan, to the higher price points like Nordstrand, Lollar, Fralin, Delano, Aguilar. There’s also boutique-level like Aero.
What kind of sound improvement are you looking for?
I picked up the Squire not only because it was quite "cost friendly", but it does sound good as is. I did some research on the Duncan Designed pickups and found that they, like the bass itself are referred to as "mid-grade". I thought I could increase the punch and overall tonal quality by going with replacement pickups.
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If you think it sounds good as is, I wouldn't advise changing anything. It's quite possible to spend $200-400 for pickups, just to find that you don't like the sound of them any better than what you had. That said, if it was me, I'd consider getting a pair of split-coil hum canceling pickups if noise ever became an issue.
Watch for Fender Super 55 pickups in the classifieds here, Reverb, and ebay. Fender doesn't make those pickups any more, which is a damned shame since it's one of the best pickups they ever made.
Watch for Fender Super 55 pickups in the classifieds here, Reverb, and ebay. Fender doesn't make those pickups any more, which is a damned shame since it's one of the best pickups they ever made.
What BlueTalon said is true. The best sounding Jazz Bass pickups in my collection are ones from my Squier Paranormal Jazz Bass, and not from my other Jazz Basses: Fender Hwy 1 Jazz, Fender Player Series Jazz, and Lakland Skyline 44-60.
That being said, I do understand how fun the pickup swap journey is.
That being said, I do understand how fun the pickup swap journey is.
