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

Yes you can, as a matter of fact.

--- In [email protected], John LaPietra <john_lapietra@...> wrote:
>
> Awesome recommendation... Thanks much!=C2=A0 Do you know if you can wire =
those P/u's with a coil tap to split them too?
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> Anyone also have recommendations? Anyone using Norstand Jazz P/U's or any=
 of the newer Bartolini Preamps?
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> --- On Tue, 9/21/10, jollyr465 <jollyr465@...> wrote:
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> From: jollyr465 <jollyr465@...>
> Subject: [Bass Place] Re: Looking to Upgrade J Pickups in my Fender (Mexi=
co) 5 string Jazz Bass
> To: [email protected]
> Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 11:20 AM
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>       John, I'd try DiMarzio DP549s. they're a great jazz bass pick-up. I=
've been using my G&L L2500 as my main bass these days, over my fours. Beca=
use, I can get any tone, that I want from it. It's an awesome bass. Anyway,=
 about the pick-ups. There a stacked humbucker pick-up & give you a really =
nice fat bell like tone { Dead Quite also }. I put the DP149s in my favorit=
e Fender 75 jazz bass & I love these pick-ups. I mainly us my G&L these day=
s, over my other basses though.
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> If you want an all out great active jazz bass, then try the DP549s & use =
an AGUILAR OBP 3 pre-amp, bump it up to 18 volts & I think you'll be happy.=
 The DeMarzio's will work with that pre-amp very nicely. I've done it. Grea=
t tone.
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> --- In [email protected], "JohnL" <john_lapietra@> wrote:
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> > Hi Fellow Bass-Heads and Tone Freaks... Looking for Suggestions here...=
  I bought this Mexican Jazz Bass New around 1999 (Mostly choose it over th=
e American Standard because it actually had 3/16" WIDER Fretboard at the Br=
idge than the American Standard! and the deep WINE color, blew away the oth=
er choices at the time)  The stock pickups sounded awful (I knew this befor=
e I purchased it knowing I was going to upgrade the Pickups anyhow and sinc=
e I paid less than half the cost of an American Standard, should be plenty =
of justification in that direction.
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> > Well over the years the 5 string hardly saw any use as my 4 string Bass=
es and Drop D Tunings seemed to negate the use of a 5 string for me until r=
ecently... I now play in a HEAVY Modern Rock Band with a lot of Low B requi=
rements.. Some Funk & Slap, Some Over-Drive, but a lot of punch and attack =
(In yo Face Bass!). My Main 4 Strings (and preferred tone by choice) are tw=
o near identical Vintage G&L Basses with stock active Pickups- through a fu=
ll Hartke 8x10 XL Stack.. sometimes powered by beastly Crest Solid State an=
d sometimes by '69 Ampeg V-4 (all tubes). I use a plethora of modded analog=
 pedals, but the heart of my pre-amp tone comes from a Vintage Modded Boss =
Bass EQ, and an EBS Compressor. I was also using an American Washburn 4 wit=
h single passive P-Pickups, tuned down to C Standard (took a lot of tweakin=
g with Truss rod and such, but trying to get it down to B kinda exceeded th=
e "Threshold"..) That's when I blew the Dust off my Jazz 5.
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> > First of all, I hate the fact that if Both Volume Controls are not comp=
letely equal on passive single coils, it's "hum noise" from HELL (much wors=
e on cheapo stock single coil pickups, like magnified!) 1st thing I did was=
 wired both pickups to the top Volume Control (like it is configured on my =
G&L's) so it instantly makes them  noise-canceling (for the most part anyho=
w). Next I Shielded both P/U Cavities and control Cavity with Copper tape (=
this helped even more). Last I replaced the 2nd (no longer used) Volume Pot=
 with a "Guitar Fetish" rotary selectable, 9-volt active preamp (Hell of a =
time fitting the 9 volt in that cavity after shielding, but got that sucker=
 packed in there). Replaced the stock knob and Walla- the Jazz Bass still l=
ooks completely stock and SEXY as hell. I thought the preamp would give it =
enough "push" to compete with my G&L's but after about the 3rd HEAVY gig us=
ing it (It's way quieter now), it still lacks output and high end
>  punch (the G&L's sound much like an Active Music Man Bass). So that's is=
 where YOU, my good friends, come in??
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> > What would be the best choice to upgrade for the type of performance an=
d tone that I'm looking for??
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> > I've always been partial towards active pickups for Bass and even 6 str=
ing... So much quieter and no dealing with Bridge Grounded system HUM. I ha=
ve a single Bartolini J (in the sweet spot) with active Bartolini Preamp in=
 my Fretless and it kicks serious ARSE (but there are so dam many different=
 Bartolini's available now.. which one to choose? Active or Passive?  I've =
used EMG's and they are better than nearly all Passive Pickups I've tried, =
but a little on the plain vanilla side.  I've heard that the 1/4 pounder's =
actives are noisy junk, and I've scrapped DiMarzio's before.  I was never t=
hat into passive pickups until I started using this Washburn (as noted abov=
e)sounds really dam good, even tuned down to Baritone C! So I was also read=
ing about NORSTRAND Passive Bass Pickups and praise that they are the BEST.=
.  Okay, for those that don't know, the Mexican Jazz has 2 identical sized =
J pickups (same size as the Bridge on a US model) where as the
>  American has a slightly smaller sized J Pickup at the Neck. I don't feel=
 like messing with the pick guard so I'm going with the stock-sized set rep=
lacements. I will be tuning it in Standard B with Heavy emphasis on low end=
 and some slap..
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> > Suggestions, Opinions, Recommendations Folks???
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> > Thanks Much in advance,
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> > John LaPietra (J-man)
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> >
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> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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