What would a beefier Jazz Bass be?

[Mustang Surly]

Another vote for DiMarzio DP123 pickups. They also offer the additional bonus of individually-adjustable pole pieces.

 

[swarfrat]

I hate Jazz basses for this reason. Thin and wimpy. Until I show up and someone else is playing and doing just fine with a J on a song I swear needs a P. And then I just go harrumph and sit back and enjoy.

 

[pbass2]

DiMarzio DP123 pickups add all the red meat to a jazz bass tone

Yeah, I was gonna say, the trusty Model J's sound to me precisely like what the OP is after. And they're definitely not hi-fi sounding. With a pick they kill at ROCK.
I eventually took mine out of my jazz and put in Area J's to make it a little less thick!

 

[micguy]

26728363[/URL], member: 98508"]DiMarzio Model J - beefy!

I second (or third) this - you can solo the neck, and it’ll be P-ish (including hum cancellation), and with both on, it’ll have a good J scoop.

If you put a model J in the neck, and an area J in the bridge, the combo will be even more J-ish.

 

[reno88]

I was in the same boat re: thoughts on a jazz. Then I discovered that the knobs on my amp also affect the tone (not just the volume). I recommend spending some time with your J-bass and your amp. For me the settings on the amp are very different on a J-bass than what I use for a P-bass. The tone you seek is in there - you'll find it.

 

[cataract]

Not sure if it’s been said but an L2000 w/ single coil mod (for outer coils) is probably the most amazing “J” on steroids sound I’ve ever heard

 

[Chicken Wing]

Thunderbird?

 

[Cave Puppy]

How about a simple palallel-series switch on a Jazz? That way you have options for both the traditional J-bass sound and the "beefed up" J-bass.

Yeah - series!

 

[Ric5]

I've always been very ambivalent regarding Jazz Basses. I don't like them, they feel thin, I only kind of like both pickups open all the way, and still I think it's a bit thin, I don't like the bridge pickup soloed or preponderant, the neck pickup lacks the heft of a Precision.

Still, I've found myself needing a full-on Jazz Bass-like sound sometimes, especially played with a pick. The alternatives:

- PJ combination. It sort of works but you tend to have quite a difference between the lower and the upper strings.
- double split. Very nice, very aggressive, looks a bit crap.
- double humbuckers. They don't have the pick attack you get with a Jazz Bass and they tend to sound more throaty. When it's modern sounding humbuckers, they tend to sound a bit too "hifi" in my experience.
- Stingray. It can play that kind of role (bright, tight) but it's overly mid-heavy and a bit too grindy, even boosting the bass or cutting the mids.
- jazz + humbucker (the other way round basically doesn't exist), this seems like the most viable solution, and in fact I had a look at an Ibanez ATK800 (I think) which sort of does the kind of stuff I need.

Any other ideas? And any offerings in the €500-ish range?

get a 4 band Audere preamp for the jazz bass and then you have bass, treble, hi-mids, and low-mids to dial in.

Audere Preamps (audereaudio.com)

 

[Bassiclees]

The recently discontinued Squier Jazz Contemporary passive model (there are still a bunch around) has an excellent neck with a flatter radius than the standard Jazz, also has heavy bridge. Mine’s got Seymour Duncan Hot Jazz / Apollo’s in it and it’s a great companion to the superheated DiMarzio equipped Affinity. Big and round and goes from Familyman to Jaco with a two turns and some finger placement.

 

[tekhedd]

Might just be a matter of finding the right set of pickups for a standard J bass.

^^ this

A beefier J bass? I have a name for that: "My Fernandez J with Rio Grande Muy Grande pickups". So beefy, I had to switch to flats.

If like me you "don't really care much for J bass tone" this would be my #1 recommendation.

(Unless you don't already own a J, in which case I vote "dual reverse P" or "anything with an EMG cutout where the bridge pickup isn't too close to the bridge" for maximum pickup swap options.)

 

[Cory rich40]

Try a music man bongo. It’s been said it’s like a jazz bass on steroids

 

[wncBass]

Jazz basses sound thin? His lines never did.

 

[bassliner50]

Just couldn't hold this back. I need to work on my discipline.

 

[dougjwray]

Here's another vote for wiring it in series (although that does render it a "single pickup" bass, which might not be what you want).

 

[Lammchop93]

A jazz with a pair of Dimarzio model J’s. I’ve always felt jazzes were weak compared to other bases of mine. I put a set of model J’s in, and haven’t looked back since.

 

[Rick Brienzo]

My jazz with Dimarzio model J's is all beef with the neck solo. I often have to blend in some bridge pickup to thin it out a bit. It stands up against my Quarter pound P loaded Warwick no problem.

 

[Freekmagnet]

I had the same ambivalence toward Jazz Basses. I bought an MXR Bass Preamp pedal, bumped up the low mids and the bass a little bit. Problem solved.

 

[David McIntire]

My 2010 American Deluxe is as beefy as my G&L M2500. The M sounds a bit like a Jazz, but the L Series can really get a huge Jazz tone. If I need any more weight from my Jazz' tone, I turn up my bass and mid control a hair. It's huge sounding.

 

[BassikLee]

First generation Peavey Foundation, with Super Ferrite pickups. Very much a beefier jazz