redstriper

I have a Bronco and the original strat pick up is a bit thin sounding, especially on the E string. I play reggae, so I need a really deep tone - can anyone recommend the best replacement? I am considering either the Brandoni Cool rail strat humbucker that Jean-Luc recommends, or this one on ebay - [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=161193407153"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=161193407153[/url] PS Sorry for the slight topic hijack

Nice one, thanks

Very restricted top end is fine by me

I loved Stump and I love Prescott, but I can't think why you'd change the strings so soon.

Looking good Phil and well done for keeping the weight down. Do you have an Eminence kappalite 3012LF driver to try in there? I am particularly interested in it's low end capacity for dub reggae. Steve.

Thanks again - I'll check out the simplex 15s I already have the drivers but I'm not confident of building them myself.

Thanks mrtcat I currently use 2 composite Flite cabs loaded with 15" Kappalite 3015LFs as shown. They sound good and they are very compact at 18" x 18" x 14" and light weight at only 9.8kg. But I've been advised that the cab is too small for the driver and the port inadequate for deep bass. I tried an ACME 12" Flatwound cab, which uses an adapted 3012LF and it went much lower than my Flites. I would probably be better with the 15" BFM version as you suggest, using my drivers, but then I sacrifice weight and size. I know it's a compromise and I really like the ease of carrying the Flites, it's just a shame they aren't slightly bigger with more effective ports. It may be possible to adapt the Flites by adding ports, but it's a bit risky. [attachment=160771:Flite cab.jpg] [attachment=160772:Flite2_amp.jpg]

Very nice can I ask a couple of questions... What are the dimensions and weight? Will it handle deep lows for dub reggae? How much should I expect to pay for the components? Where can I find someone to build one for me? Thanks Steve.

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fender-Stainless-Flatwound-40-100-45-105/dp/B0002DUO7O"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fender-Stainless-Flatwound-40-100-45-105/dp/B0002DUO7O[/url] Check they've got the right gauges.

All Jazz basses sound different to me, even identical models. The differences may not be obvious at first, but they become more apparent over time.

I'm thinking of buying one of these but I don't know what to expect from such a low priced instrument. Are the frets well finished - I hate sharp fret ends and more importantly what is the tone like? Will it go really deep for reggae, like the neck pup on a Jazz bass?

The funk's in the gunk

Tone is by far the most important for me, but I only recently realised this fact. My favourite bass is an ugly, heavy, hard to play old beast, but it sounds great so that's the one I play. I have bought more attractive, expensive, comfortable and playable basses from many brands, but I always prefer to play the old beast with the best tone and I haven't found anything that even comes close (yet). I used to think it would be ok to sacrifice slightly on tone, in order to have a lovely, easy to play, comfy new bass for gigs where no one else would notice the tone anyway.......... But it isn't.

What do you look for when considering a new (or used) bass purchase and which is the single most important aspect? Would you only buy a bass that satisfies all 6 listed features, or would you be happy with just one or more? With so many instruments bought on line, it is only possible to know 3 in advance, (brand, price and appearance) - does this mean these features are most important to on line buyers? I added Brand as another choice in response to flyfishers post - dunno why I hadn't thought of it before.

I have had Squier CV and VM Jazz basses which have been excellent and better built instruments than the Mexican Fender they replaced. My '90s Squier silver series Jazz is even better, although I am thinking of selling it to help fund a Fender CS. I think the Affinity basses are marked as such on the headstock - my Bronco is.

I believe the silver series bodies are made of basswood, see the brochure in this link: [url="http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/fenderjapan/1992-squier/en_index.html"]http://brochures.yok...r/en_index.html[/url] There's a thread about it here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/229795-very-interesting-japanese-fender-other-makes-brochures-through-the-years/"]http://basschat.co.u...ough-the-years/[/url] My Jazz bass is very light at 8.5 pounds and I think MDF would be heavier. Mine is the sunburst SJB shown here: [url="http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/fenderjapan/1992-squier/en_04.html"]http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/fenderjapan/1992-squier/en_04.html[/url]

[quote name='Captain Rumble' timestamp='1396191408' post='2410765'] on my old mex jazz I did the opposite and lowered the pickups ie moved them away from the strings resulting in an increase in bottom end and an increase in output, I tried this after some research into how different pickups work and reading that the shape of the magnetic field generated by the pickup needs to be taken into consideration when deciding how close to the strings to place the pickups. For those clever chaps that can prove im talking rubbish all I can say is it worked very effectively for me [/quote] Interesting....... very interesting

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1396039485' post='2409430'] If you want to try out some Fender CS' 60'S pickups, they are fitted as standard to all the post-2012 American Standard Jazz Basses, so if you see one of those in a shop, that is your chance to give them a whirl. You can instantly tell them from the pre-2012 standard ( non-CS) Fender pickups because the Custom Shop ones have raised pole pieces, whereas the previous ones had flat pole pieces flush with the pickup case. [/quote] Thanks for the tip - I will definitely give them a go when I get the opportunity. It is hard to know in a shop though, it's only when I get home to compare with my old bass through the same amp that I would know for sure. First world problems eh

[quote]if you roll off the volume on one Jazz Bass pickup by about a quarter and the other by about an eighth it is an old trick that some bass players use makes them kind of out-of-phase , and that does attenuate the treble , similar to rolling off the tone control a bit. [/quote] I only use the neck pick up with the tone off. There is a marked increase in treble and upper mids with the volume on full. It isn't the same tone as using the tone control, which adds higher frequencies. [quote]I am glad that you the peace of mind of knowing that the pickups are all original on your old bass, but it isn't the end of the world if old pickups have been rewound [/quote] It gives me no peace of mind at all, I'm not bothered either way but I just happen to know they are original, unlike much of the bass that has been replaced over the years. [quote]All pickups wear out eventually, and most the ones on the market today sound better than vintage ones ever did, once you strip away all the hyperbole. I've played and owned a lot of old Fenders , and I've never played an old Jazz Bass that had pickups that sounded as good or had the kind of output of the current off-the-shelf Fender Custom Shop Vintage '60's Jazz Bass pickups . Those pickups are overwound ( extra wire) and sound magnificent , [b]to my ears anyway[/b]. If someone had an old Jazz Bass with duff pickups a set of those CS ones would be a good replacement . [/quote] I wonder when mine will wear out? They've done over 50 years so far I have only played a few pre CBS Fenders and they have all had very powerful, juicy sounding pick ups. I have owned and played some modern US and Mexican Fenders, but no CS models (yet). The pick ups have sounded weak in all of them compared to my old beast. It's a shame because I would love to find a new bass that could give me the same depth of tone. It is all subjective of course and I know my taste tonewise is not like most player's.

Was this part of the inspiration? [media]http://youtu.be/v2yCgO1vRT8[/media]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1396021197' post='2409142'] Passive basses do indeed always sound best ( or at their fullest and most dynamic, let me put it that way) with the volume on full . [/quote] [quote]Maybe it's just me (and I have no idea of the science behind this, if there is any!) but when I reduce the volume on any passive bass (and especially a P-type bass) there appears to be a loss of tone too..[/quote] There is science behind this, but I can't remember the explanation. Basically, the full tone of the pick ups comes through with the volume on full, while reducing the volume also attenuates the upper frequencies. I don't like the tone with the volume on full. I play reggae and I keep the volume under 75% to reduce the treble and upper mids that are present on full volume. I haven't noticed any loss of dynamics, just a much warmer old school tone. [quote]Well, presuming that you are right and the pickups on your bass wern't rewound( or changed completely) prior to your ownership ( as far as I know, without dismantling the pickup it can be hard to tell if it has been rewound or rebuilt ) one reason for the hit and miss nature of vintage Fender pickups is the slightly haphazard way in which they were wound in the olden days.[/quote] I know the history of this bass and the pick ups are original and never rewound. [quote]The truth is that no one gave it much thought at the time. The idea that these guitars would become holy relics would have been laughed at. More wire on a pickup will make it louder, but also reduces the high frequency response, and some magnets stay magnetized better than others. . [/quote] I don't think of it as a holy relic at all, just a working instrument that happens to suit me perfectly tone wise. They must have used a heck of a lot of wire, because it's the deepest sounding Jazz bass I've ever heard. TO the OP - Sorry for derailing your thread. I understand your problem because I don't like weak pick ups. Be careful replacing them though, as a lot of new pick ups are also weak IME.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1395942413' post='2408275'] Vintage Fender pickups, especially Jazz Bass pickups, can indeed start to give a lower output over time and become increasingly microphonic, and may eventually need rewinding , renovating or replacing. It comes with territory with vintage basses, I'm afraid. [/quote] Do you know how this happens? My '63 Jazz has never had any work done to the pick ups afaik and it has been used heavily throughout it's life. The pick ups are as loud and clear as when I got it in 1980, they are much louder than any modern passive bass that I've tried. Is it just luck, or should I expect them to die off any time soon?

My band's got loads but we've already had one done, (the first one I think). Let me know if you want another. Cheers, Steve.