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What pick-ups to use


hitchy64
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Hi all,
I'm building a Fender Jazz based Bass, I'v got a Jazz neck and a standard Jazz body will arrive soon.
But I don't want Fender pick-ups, I'm after a differant tone. Any ideas???
Has anyone heard of Joe Barden engineering pups??? It will be a passive bass.
Cheers, Hitchy

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Barts for me.

But I'd talk to a few makers to see how the idea of the sound in your head would transpire in terms of design.

For single coil character, I prefer a bigger gauge coil but less winds. To go the other way, with more winds, make the pickup more powerful and bigger sounding but loses nuances, IMV..but Armstrong or Wizard would be better people to reference.

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You're gonna get rather a lot of suggestions I'm afraid.

For me the Bartolini pickups on my Lakland are the best, but I've heard people say that there is a difference between old (mine are 12 years old) and new. If I was going to go passive I'd look at Lindy Fralin first.

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[quote name='bubinga5' post='903865' date='Jul 24 2010, 11:24 AM']Hitchy, every one will say what they like... but what sort of tone are you looking for?? vintage, modern,? do you want silent pups, single coils.. unless we know, we cant help.. :rolleyes:[/quote]

:) You beat me to it! It's a buyers market these days & the world is your lobster. There are a lot of good brands nowadays

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I have Barts in my jazz but they sound naff to me without an active preamp?(which it now has ,an ebs one).As you say you are going passive then I would either try one with Barts first to confirm exact model etc or steer clear,They sound great with active circuits and I love them before the Bart brigade come after me! :)

Other than trying someone elses with known pups in first its going to be gamble whatever anyone tells you.

Edited by stingrayPete1977
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[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='904383' date='Jul 24 2010, 10:49 PM']Wizards.[/quote]
I had a Seymour Duncan Hot Stack in the bridge of a Fender Aerodyne Jazz, and it certainly was a change to the stock pickup.
I did however choose it based upon the artist who was already using it, Duff McKagan.
So that may be something to look at - whose tone (if applicable) do you really want to try and capture, then research their equipment for what pickups they`re using.
I certainly nailed Duffs sound once I had the SD.

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[quote name='hitchy64' post='903584' date='Jul 23 2010, 09:24 PM']Hi all,
I'm building a Fender Jazz based Bass, I'v got a Jazz neck and a standard Jazz body will arrive soon.
But I don't want Fender pick-ups, I'm after a differant tone. Any ideas???
Has anyone heard of Joe Barden engineering pups??? It will be a passive bass.
Cheers, Hitchy[/quote]
I really loved the Delanos in a bass I had last year, wonderfully open sound.

I also had a custom Wilkins Jazz with DiMarzio Ultra Jazz pickups in. They were really lovely too, very authoritative and seemed like a very refined Jazz tone. The guy I sold the bass to was pretty knocked out by the tone too.

All the above were passive. It's so subjective though, and although adjectives are woolly in meaning, they communicate more than a frequency map would.

All I can say is those pickups really pleased my ears.

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