Treble issues

[Bashke81]

Hello good people
So I have recently bought Fender MiM jazz from 2001. The problem is treble, as there is no treble in it when I play it. The sound is just to heavy on bass and it sounds kinda muddy even when the treble knob is all the way up.
What do you guys think? Are the pickups trash and need to be replaced maybe? Loose wiring? appreciate all the help guys

 

[stingray69]

Replacing the pickups is an option for sure. Is it also like this even with brand new strings?

Replacing the tone capacitor and/or the values of all the pots can also increase the amount of treble. If you're handy with a soldering iron, replacing the tone cap and pots would be the least expensive way to achieve more treble).

I can't see loose wiring be the culprit unless somehow the tone capacitor has failed but doubtful that is the case because without a tone capacitor in the circuit, you would have very bright treble to begin with. Perhaps others more electrically inclined will chime in. Best of luck.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Hello good people
So I have recently bought Fender MiM jazz from 2001. The problem is treble, as there is no treble in it when I play it. The sound is just to heavy on bass and it sounds kinda muddy even when the treble knob is all the way up.
What do you guys think? Are the pickups trash and need to be replaced maybe? Loose wiring? appreciate all the help guys

Do you get a change in tone, even just slightly, when you operate the treble control, or does it do nothing?

 

[Bashke81]

Replacing the pickups is an option for sure. Is it also like this even with brand new strings?

Replacing the tone capacitor and/or the values of all the pots can also increase the amount of treble. If you're handy with a soldering iron, replacing the tone cap and pots would be the least expensive way to achieve more treble).

I can't see loose wiring be the culprit unless somehow the tone capacitor has failed but doubtful that is the case because without a tone capacitor in the circuit, you would have very bright treble to begin with. Perhaps others more electrically inclined will chime in. Best of luck.

Thanks! I just got it today so haven’t been able to get the new strings just yet.

 

[Bashke81]

Do you get a change in tone, even just slightly, when you operate the treble control, or does it do nothing?

Yes, I do but slightly. I miss that jazz bass punch.

 

[HelpImaRock]

Change the strings, give it a setup, and spray out the pots with de-oxit. If that doesn't work, you might change the volume and tone pots for new ones. If that doesn't work then change the pickups.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Are you by chance used to active basses? I ask because when I transitioned from Warwicks and Bongos to passive basses I thought the same thing. It took a period of readjustment, as well as learning to set my amp differently.

If that's NOT the case, then what everyone else said . A string change would be first on my list of fixes.

 

[micguy]

Start with strings - you can increase the brightness of a bass greatly with strings, especially if the strings it came with are old (or flats).

 

[JKaftertwoxans]

Try lowering your pickups down to at least 3.6mm or so on the E string side and just a tad closer for the G.

 

[Thumpin6string]

Dead strings or did the previous owner mess with the wiring? It sounds like the pot could be bad or the cap used is either not working or is not the right value.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Yes, I do but slightly. I miss that jazz bass punch.

Interesting. Try this. Turn the volume of both pickups up all the way up. Next open up that tone pot up all the way. Next set your amp to flat.

If it is still muddy (no treble), I’d say your bass is defective and I’d take it back.

 

[crazyBassClown]

Thanks! I just got it today so haven’t been able to get the new strings just yet.

The strings are probably dead.

 

[darwin-bass]

OP - Need more info.

Recorded tone? Live tone? Through an amp? Which amp? What settings? Compared to what other basses that you have? OEM pickups or are they already aftermarket? Flat wounds or round wounds?

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Yes, I do but slightly. I miss that jazz bass punch.

OK. So it's a pretty safe bet that everything is working, at least with the tone control. But just not to your liking.
Do I understand that you purchased this used?
If so, do you have any history, or can you ask, if the previous only made any changes.
aka is it stock or modded?

 

[JohnnyBottom]

make sure the capacitor isnt pushed down and touching one of the pots lugs

 

[stingray69]

Dead strings or did the previous owner mess with the wiring? It sounds like the pot could be bad or the cap used is either not working or is not the right value.

Possibly a previous owner wired it up in a series mod?

 

[bigdaddybass12]

The sound is just to heavy on bass and it sounds kinda muddy

Sure it’s not a p bass??

 

[Lenny JG]

Roll your bass off

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Hello good people
So I have recently bought Fender MiM jazz from 2001. The problem is treble, as there is no treble in it when I play it. The sound is just to heavy on bass and it sounds kinda muddy even when the treble knob is all the way up.
What do you guys think? Are the pickups trash and need to be replaced maybe? Loose wiring? appreciate all the help guys

Before you go replacing your pickups, make sure that you have the tone control all the way up and not all the way off, or even part of the way off. Those are Fender's Grease-pot controls and they don't boost anything. "All they do is cut. I've been playing Jazz Basses since 1966 when I bought my first one, a 1965 Jazz (later stolen). I run my controls with both volume knobs all the way up and the tone knob all the way up. As the saying goes, "I run all the controls on my Jazz dimed" At my amplifier I boost the low mids to about 1:30, which gives you better presence and definition when playing in a group.

Finally, when I'm playing I will move my hand to pluck the string in different places as needed to make the sound brighter or darker. I normally pluck the strings a bit in front of the neck pickup. If I needed a brighter sound (more treble) I'll move my hand back behind the neck pickup. The closer I move my plucking hand to the bridge pickup the brighter the sound will get AND the easier it will become to do galloping 16th or 32nd notes because the string tension is higher by the bridge.

If I want a darker sound I must move my hand up closer to or even over the back end of the neck. So where you pluck the strings can make a surprisingly big difference in your sound.

New round-wound strings will also add some treble to the sound. Most flat wounds are darker sounding. I use LaBella White Tape-Wound strings now after using round-wound Blue Steel strings (Dean Markely) and DR Black Beauties for about 30-years. Went with those because they are so nicely balanced from string to string and still have a lot of the high harmonics that flat wounds usually don't. But since you are looking for brighter sound, I'd probably go with the DR strings.

 

[Bashke81]

So guys, I just got the new strings and Fender Hi mass bridge IV and it sounds darn good again and has woken up from the dead
I’m very happy. Thank you guys for your help. Appreciate it