Jazz Bass - Precision Sound?

[texicus]

Hi guys - I've got a Samick J-Bass that I love, but the sound just isn't it for me...I'm more of a P-Bass low end thump sound kind of guy than the more refined J sound (or that's what it sounds like to my ears...)  Any recommendations on pickup upgrades that could give me the sound I'm after, or a step in the right direction?  Was looking at EMGs, but most of them are active, hoping to go passive...any help is appreciated!  Thanks!

 

[whyachi]

Try a split-coil pickup possibly? Lots of companies make them. This one is from Nordstrand.

 

[baskruit]

Well, the Nordstrands are designed to mimic the jazz sounds as are most other J-shaped pickups. For the P-growl, you'll need more than just a split coil.

 

[whyachi]

I didn't read the info on them. I am also going back to bed.

 

[JimBeed]

Im not that well versed in how to get a p bass sound from a jazz routed bass, but the only sure fire way i guess is to have a p pickup, but without the right route, thats impossible, of my knowledge thats it, but there may be more options

 

[dNA]

is this Samick top-routed?

 

[JimBeed]

Ah my bad it probably is, well if you can find them what id suggest is something like a seymour duncan p pick up of some sort, but also get with it an s1 switching system, which were on p basses by fender till 2008 or so, and find how to wire it, as itll give you series and parrallel sound, and i can tell one of them sounds more like a jazz pickup but still sounds like a p bass in the other, that along with the other jazz pick up should let you do either, shame u cant put a selector switch in there!

 

[BassmanAK]

Seymour Quarter-Pounder J......

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Doublecheck the size of the pickups.  Samick may use both the same size pickups like Fender does on the MIM models.  Warmoth and the Fender American Standard have a different bridge and neck size pickup route.

 

[dNA]

Doublecheck the size of the pickups.  Samick may use both the same size pickups like Fender does on the MIM models.  Warmoth and the Fender American Standard have a different bridge and neck size pickup route.

Warmoth doesn't have a fixed route for anything. You can get either the same size or different

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Oh really?
http://www.warmoth.com/Bass/Options/BassPickupRouting.aspx
For $45, they'll route whatever wherever.

Anyway the point wasn't what Warmoth does, but what his Samick might have done so whatever pickups he orders fit.

 

[dNA]

Oh really?

yes. really. there's no upcharge for getting the same size pickup route in both positions.



anywho. if the thing's top-routed then you can try and get a new pickguard, or cut the pickguard yourself to fit a P-bass pickup and then make a nice P/J setup - which seems to be a very popular setup.

 

[bob7point7]

I believe some Fender Jazz basses have a switch that wires the two J pickups in series instead of parallel. The result is supposed to be a P-bass type of sound. You might give it a shot with your current pickups and see what happens. I haven't tried wiring two J's in series yet, but I'm considering it. Even if it doesn't nail the P-bass sound it could be pretty useful...

-Bobbie

 

[texicus]

Thanks everyone!  Might look into the quarter pounders if I could find a decent sound bite on the web.  Do any come with talent built into them?

 

[bassilisk]

Before you buy anything new try wiring the pickups in series. You can get a push-pull volume pot to let you switch it in and out.

It's a $10 change and you may be very pleasantly surprised at the results.

 

[JimBeed]

Ill find out from my neck quarter pounder when its installed haha, but yeah im installing a neck 5 string quarter pounder and i think by early next week ill be done and ill have ability to just record that so ill try record you a sound bite. but look on seymour duncans website something tells me somewhere there is a tome of sound bites for all there pickups!