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Best pickups to give a Jazz more presence/authority?


Clarky
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[b]Clarky[/b]

When Kent Armstrong had his operation down in Kent he made pups for everyone and it was an education to talk to him about that side of the business.

I would talk to his son about what you are after. At least it may be a little less that hit and hope, as as far as I can see this is a bit of a black art that we can't really determine how it will all work out. But he would have more clue that most. I expect Wizard to know the same sort of thing about pup characteristics.

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Clarky.

Ive got a set of Wizard 74's lying around at home. Your welcome to borrow the for a while. Im not selling them as i plan on using them in the future but no idea when that will be.
They certainly have a bit more mid punch than any other Jazz pups ive had, and i too got them to get a bit closer to the P "presence in the mix" tone.
After speaking with Andy he recommended the 84's but i felt they lost a bit too much sparkle and did sound a bit dark. . The 74's seem to keep the punch and low mids but brought a bit more sparkle back.
Im not sure they really made it to P level (how could they) but it certainly got the bass a bit more up front in the mix with more kick and thicker lower mids.

PM if you want them.

Edited by dave_bass5
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[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1110918' date='Feb 1 2011, 01:07 PM']Clarky.

Ive got a set of Wizard 74's lying around at home. Your welcome to borrow the for a while. Im not selling them as i plan on using them in the future but no idea when that will be.
They certainly have a bit more mid punch than any other Jazz pups ive had, and i too got them to get a bit closer to the P "presence in the mix" tone.
After speaking with Andy he recommended the 84's but i felt they lost a bit too much sparkle and did sound a bit dark. . The 74's seem to keep the punch and low mids but brought a bit more sparkle back.
Im not sure they really made it to P level (how could they) but it certainly got the bass a bit more up front in the mix with more kick and thicker lower mids.

PM if you want them.[/quote]
Thats very kind Dave. I am tempted, though, to get something a bit beefier (like 84s or DiMarzio Model J) which reminds me I need to drop a message to Andy at Wizard

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While i cant really say that the 84's were beefier, i have found that the bass also makes a difference. The 74's sound more mellow in my Squier CV than they did in another bass, so i would think the 84's were probably the right pups for me in the first place, just in the wrong bass.

Good luck.

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Im sure Gaff will be in here at some point. He has a Wizard Gaffer (i think thats what its called) Its a split coil in a Jazz pup case. I believe Andy has given up on trying to produce these but he might be able to knock one out (lol) for you.
Worth asking him IMO.

Edited by dave_bass5
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[quote name='Clarky' post='1111955' date='Feb 2 2011, 07:03 AM']"Whatever we suggest I don't think you'll get the Precision balls, especially if you wish to retain the Jazz character as well.
84s may help but sadly we couldn't gaurantee it."[/quote]
Him speaketh the truth.

If there REALLY was a J pickup that sounded - and felt - like a P pickup, we'd all know about it. It would be plastered all over here, and TB. You wouldn't have to ask!

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[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1111958' date='Feb 2 2011, 07:16 AM']Him speaketh the truth.

If there REALLY was a J pickup that sounded - and felt - like a P pickup, we'd all know about it. It would be plastered all over here, and TB. You wouldn't have to ask![/quote]

True... had this conversation with Martin Sims and he gets round all the sounds by having a huge pick up block.
It is the positioning of the pups that contribute so much..esp P-bass, IMO.

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At the risk of seeming extremely thick here, given everyone seems to accept that J's have less presence than P's in a noisy rock setting, how come countless loud rock bands have happily used J basses (Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zep, Judas Priest etc)????

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[quote name='Clarky' post='1112041' date='Feb 2 2011, 09:32 AM']At the risk of seeming extremely thick here, given everyone seems to accept that J's have less presence than P's in a noisy rock setting, how come countless loud rock bands have happily used J basses (Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zep, Judas Priest etc)????[/quote]

Personally i think its more a tradition to use a P in Punk and Rock rather than a need.

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FYI, based on comments above and the poll, I've just ordered a set of Dimarzio Model J pickups (the black set, not the cream ones, although I was tempted!) and will let you know how I get on with these. Either way I think the Bacchus pickups were a bit weak so something needed doing

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[quote name='JTUK' post='1112035' date='Feb 2 2011, 09:24 AM']It is the positioning of the pups that contribute so much..esp P-bass, IMO.[/quote]
I'm not convinced by this argument (which seems to be commonly held). I think the position of the pickup mainly affects the amount of low end it generates. The design of the pickup itself seems to have a much greater influence on its character. The difference between the P and Jazz is probably down to the geometry of the coil, for example.
If you don't believe me, listen to a Strat. Three pickups in quite different positions, each one sounding just like a Strat.

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[quote name='Clarky' post='1109721' date='Jan 31 2011, 05:12 PM']There is a major issue here that perhaps I should have mentioned earlier, Chris. Mrs Clarky

She likes my seafoam green Bacchus Jazz more than any bass I have ever owned (and there's been loads!) because of the colour. She has even given it a name which I will not use ("Minty"). I am banned from selling it ever and thus I want to get the most out of it![/quote]

Buy a seafoam Precision and bin the Jazz. Problem solved. Shouldn't be a problem for an experienced trader like yourself.

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Think its also a case of style as well. If the style of the bass in the band is holding down root notes, and providing a platform to work on, P-Bass every time. If however the bass has a more active role with the melodies, the articulation of the Jazz helps put this across, without the force of the P-Bass. There are of course exceptions to this, Bruce Foxton for example.

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I've got a fretless Overwater J5, filled with Bartolini goodness.. dunno the model, but being a 5-string that narrows the choice down as I know the 4-string daul-coil J Barts have a gap in the middle.
This bass has pretty much got rid of that unshiftable feeling that, even though I don't actually WANT one, I really SHOULD have a fretless P-bass. :)

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[quote name='stevie' post='1112075' date='Feb 2 2011, 09:55 AM']I'm not convinced by this argument (which seems to be commonly held). I think the position of the pickup mainly affects the amount of low end it generates. The design of the pickup itself seems to have a much greater influence on its character. The difference between the P and Jazz is probably down to the geometry of the coil, for example.
If you don't believe me, listen to a Strat. Three pickups in quite different positions, each one sounding just like a Strat.[/quote]

I tend to agree with this. Ive seen basses like Sandbergs and Nordstrands where the two halves of the P pup are in the reversed position, so the D and G coil is nearer the neck. It still sounds like a P.

No data to back that up though.

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