Re: Looking to Upgrade J Pickups in my Fender (Mexico) 5 string Jazz Bass

I hear that,=20

I switch between my 6 String active neck through and ye old 64 (Completly s=
tock)=20
Jazz bass but I do it a set at a time because of the completly different se=
t up=20
alltogether.=20


The settings on the amp stay pretty much the same but if I run the J throug=
h the=20
Nano compresser I have to change everything. I only use the compresser on=20
the=C2=A0J=C2=A0when I hammer the bass as=C2=A0 I also play fills on Keys w=
ith my Right hand=20
but it takes a lot of re-setting things. (We should just hire an organ grin=
der!)

Guess I'd be ahead if I just got another Nano and put it in channel 2 all t=
he=20
time.=20


Later Alligators
Smoke



________________________________
From: John LaPietra <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tue, September 21, 2010 12:16:22 PM
Subject: Re: [Bass Place] Looking to Upgrade J Pickups in my Fender (Mexico=
) 5=20
string Jazz Bass

=C2=A0=20
Nice suggestion Steve but I still only=C2=A0 use the 5 String for only 1/4 =
of the=20
music- then I alternate between Eb & Drop Db=C2=A0 G&L Basses.=C2=A0 I have=
 my=20
eq/compression/gain trimmed where I want them.. so it's the Jazz 5 that nee=
ds=20
tweaking (Even when I plug in my Washburn, the stock passive pickups in the=
re=20
are so hot, it doesn't even need a pre-amp to fit in with my trim settings)=
. I=20
want to be able to quickly swap basses between songs with dicking with leve=
ls..=C2=A0=20
Plus I just think the stock Mexican Pickups just aren't "Bright" enough for=
=20
funk/slap...they are very flat sounding- even with the Guitar Fetish Pre-am=
p-=20
which only provide a slight gain in level (but it does give some nice tonal=
=20
variations and even up the attack)=C2=A0 So far DiMarzio's may be the way t=
o go-=20
especially if I could get a close tone to my G&L's...

Thanks again

--- On Mon, 9/20/10, Steve Molk <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Steve Molk <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Bass Place] Looking to Upgrade J Pickups in my Fender (Mexico=
) 5=20
string Jazz Bass
To: [email protected]
Date: Monday, September 20, 2010, 5:39 PM

=C2=A0

Sounds like you got the hum and tone fixed so if it' only more output or=20

overdrive=C2=A0you want what about a rack mount type tube preamp sitting on=
 top of=20

your amp head?

I've seen them on eBay for less then a C-Note

Smoke

________________________________

From: JohnL <[email protected]>

To: [email protected]

Sent: Mon, September 20, 2010 1:38:07 PM

Subject: [Bass Place] Looking to Upgrade J Pickups in my Fender (Mexico) 5=
=20

string Jazz Bass

=C2=A0=20

Hi Fellow Bass-Heads and Tone Freaks... Looking for Suggestions here... I b=
ought=20


this Mexican Jazz Bass New around 1999 (Mostly choose it over the American=
=20

Standard because it actually had 3/16" WIDER Fretboard at the Bridge than t=
he=20

American Standard! and the deep WINE color, blew away the other choices at =
the=20

time) The stock pickups sounded awful (I knew this before I purchased it kn=
owing=20


I was going to upgrade the Pickups anyhow and since I paid less than half t=
he=20

cost of an American Standard, should be plenty of justification in that=20

direction.

Well over the years the 5 string hardly saw any use as my 4 string Basses a=
nd=20

Drop D Tunings seemed to negate the use of a 5 string for me until recently=
... I=20


now play in a HEAVY Modern Rock Band with a lot of Low B requirements.. Som=
e=20

Funk & Slap, Some Over-Drive, but a lot of punch and attack (In yo Face Bas=
s!).=20

My Main 4 Strings (and preferred tone by choice) are two near identical Vin=
tage=20

G&L Basses with stock active Pickups- through a full Hartke 8x10 XL Stack..=
=20

sometimes powered by beastly Crest Solid State and sometimes by '69 Ampeg V=
-4=20

(all tubes). I use a plethora of modded analog pedals, but the heart of my=
=20

pre-amp tone comes from a Vintage Modded Boss Bass EQ, and an EBS Compresso=
r. I=20

was also using an American Washburn 4 with single passive P-Pickups, tuned =
down=20

to C Standard (took a lot of tweaking with Truss rod and such, but trying t=
o get=20


it down to B kinda exceeded the "Threshold"..) That's when I blew the Dust =
off=20

my Jazz 5.

First of all, I hate the fact that if Both Volume Controls are not complete=
ly=20

equal on passive single coils, it's "hum noise" from HELL (much worse on ch=
eapo=20

stock single coil pickups, like magnified!) 1st thing I did was wired both=
=20

pickups to the top Volume Control (like it is configured on my G&L's) so it=
=20

instantly makes them noise-canceling (for the most part anyhow). Next I Shi=
elded=20


both P/U Cavities and control Cavity with Copper tape (this helped even mor=
e).=20

Last I replaced the 2nd (no longer used) Volume Pot with a "Guitar Fetish"=
=20

rotary selectable, 9-volt active preamp (Hell of a time fitting the 9 volt =
in=20

that cavity after shielding, but got that sucker packed in there). Replaced=
 the=20

stock knob and Walla- the Jazz Bass still looks completely stock and SEXY a=
s=20

hell. I thought the preamp would give it enough "push" to compete with my G=
&L's=20

but after about the 3rd HEAVY gig using it (It's way quieter now), it still=
=20

lacks output and high end punch (the G&L's sound much like an Active Music =
Man=20

Bass). So that's is where YOU, my good friends, come in??

What would be the best choice to upgrade for the type of performance and to=
ne=20

that I'm looking for??

I've always been partial towards active pickups for Bass and even 6 string.=
.. So=20


much quieter and no dealing with Bridge Grounded system HUM. I have a singl=
e=20

Bartolini J (in the sweet spot) with active Bartolini Preamp in my Fretless=
 and=20

it kicks serious ARSE (but there are so dam many different Bartolini's avai=
lable=20


now.. which one to choose? Active or Passive? I've used EMG's and they are=
=20

better than nearly all Passive Pickups I've tried, but a little on the plai=
n=20

vanilla side. I've heard that the 1/4 pounder's actives are noisy junk, and=
 I've=20


scrapped DiMarzio's before. I was never that into passive pickups until I=20

started using this Washburn (as noted above)sounds really dam good, even tu=
ned=20

down to Baritone C! So I was also reading about NORSTRAND Passive Bass Pick=
ups=20

and praise that they are the BEST.. Okay, for those that don't know, the Me=
xican=20


Jazz has 2 identical sized J pickups (same size as the Bridge on a US model=
)=20

where as the American has a slightly smaller sized J Pickup at the Neck. I =
don't=20


feel like messing with the pick guard so I'm going with the stock-sized set=
=20

replacements. I will be tuning it in Standard B with Heavy emphasis on low =
end=20

and some slap..

Suggestions, Opinions, Recommendations Folks???

Thanks Much in advance,

John LaPietra (J-man)

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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=20=20=20=20=20=20

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