Fender’s Contemporary Active Jazz Bass features two noiseless Samarium Cobalt pickups to deliver full range grit for all styles of playing. Furthermore, its compound modern C-to-D neck shape and black hardware add the final touches.
Jazz Bass pickups feature short, squat coils with reverse windings and reverse polarities, designed to eliminate hum when blended together and feature a scooped tone ideally suited for slap bass playing.
Single-coil
No matter your jazz bass sound – whether smooth and creamy or full of bite – single-coil pickups offer many different possibilities. As the most basic type, they’re found in most standard J-bass shapes, and provide bright tone with minimal noise output; some even feature built-in switches to customize tone on-the-fly!
There are various methods of wiring single-coil pickups, but the most effective approach is placing one pickup at each string position to cancel out magnetic fields passing through each string and reduce any unwanted hum. This way you will avoid producing magnetic hum that causes unwanted noise in the instrument.
If you want the classic Fender bass sound, then single-coils may be your ideal solution. This setup is extremely popular because it is simple to use and produces many useful tones; additionally, its bass frequencies help cut through band mixes more effectively.
Many manufacturers provide single-coil pickups designed specifically for J basses. Some models feature multiple voiced pickups and unique magnet designs. Others may offer hum-cancellation or be designed specifically to match their tone requirements. When choosing a single-coil pickup, be aware of your desired tone.
Single-coils are the easiest, simplest bass pickup available and ideal for beginners. Their warm sound with low output is great for jazz, blues and country genres alike; their only drawback being limited high end clarity.
Humbucker
Bass pickups are at the core of an analog instrument, creating sound by capturing string vibrations via magnetic fields and converting them to electrical current. This current is then amplified by your amplifier before being heard through your speakers. Pickups come in all sorts of different shapes, styles and configurations – they play an essential part in shaping your bass’s overall tone. There are two main types – split coil on Precision basses and single-coil on Jazz basses – with each having their own distinct sounds to complement specific genres of music.
Humbuckers are among the most commonly found pickups on bass guitars. These pickups consist of two magnets wrapped together by coil and then an empty coil arranged with reverse winding that when engaged can cancel out any hum that may exist between strings and produce a thicker tone, often preferred by rock and metal musicians due to their distinctive sound; however, depending on your instrument and desired genre or genre it can produce many other tones and sounds depending on its use.
P pickups are an ideal solution for bassists who wish to explore multiple musical genres. Their distinctive crisp sound cuts through any mix while being versatile enough for both slap and pick styles as well as basslines with strong emphasis. Motown and surf rock iconic artists, Parliament’s James Jamerson as well as Larry Graham of Green Day use P pickups, while they can even be found featured in contemporary genres of music like pop/slap music like Larry Graham/Nate Mendel.
Humbucker basses can be tricky to use due to their size. To achieve maximum results with your humbucker bass amplifier and gain settings, an experienced bass player is highly recommended to help find an optimal balance between bass frequencies and mids frequencies.
J
The J bass guitar pickup first saw use on Fender Jazz Bass guitars in 1960. Utilizing two magnetic pole pieces per string, this pickup transforms string vibrations into electrical signals which can then be played back through an amplifier for playback through speakers or headphones. As a result, its output provides a rich and warm tone preferred by bass players across genres.
These passive bass pickups come in different configurations, from dual inline to single coil, with several voicing options that will fit any musical genre imaginable, from rock and jazz, through rockabilly and pop/r&b. Furthermore, their installation requires little modification on most basses without costing an arm and leg! Furthermore, these passive pickups are relatively affordable solutions that will help make your bass sound better than ever!
Switching out your current bass pickups is an effortless, straightforward process that anyone with minimal skills or tools can accomplish without delay. The EMG JVX set includes high-quality 4-conductor shielded cable, treble and bass bleed capacitors, mounting hardware and wiring diagrams – not to mention an instruction manual written specifically for non-technical musicians!
Lindy Fralin NJ4SE Set bass pickups are another highly-recognized option, designed to recreate the tone of an original Fender Jazz Bass but with increased output and thicker midrange. Available as either neck and bridge sets or individually, this ceramic set features Alnico V magnets for superior magnetic properties and noiseless operation that’s suitable for various bass styles.
The hot-stack j-bass pickup features two single coils stacked one atop of another, producing increased output and an impressive midrange sound. Ideal for rock and punk bassists alike, its loud low end and midrange produce strong attack and sound with defined, strong attack.
Precision bass has long been considered a mainstay in most genres of music. P, J and humbucker pickup types provide distinct sonic characteristics that set this bass apart.
P
This bass pickup produces a rich, full sound that blends easily into most musical genres. Its hum-cancelling split coil design – which cancels out mains hum – allows it to create powerful tones which work for all styles of playing from slap bass to fingerstyle bass playing – although its one trick pony nature gives some grunt to your sound; using a plectrum helps bring out its full range sound best.
The P Bass first hit shelves in 1951 with its chrome-plated single coil pickup until 1957 when it was upgraded to a humbucking split coil pickup, boasting staggered polepieces that provided clear high-end frequencies and thunderous low end depth. Many players consider it one of the definitive bass soundscapes!
Comparable to its Jazz counterpart, the P Bass features narrower single-coil pickups and a thinner neck compared to that of its Jazz counterpart, creating significant variations in its tone and sound quality. Shorter coils help prevent feedback and provide cleaner sound output; additionally, two smaller coils on humbucking P Bass have two smaller coils, whereas only one larger coil exists on Jazz Bass models – giving this difference its own distinct sound!
Lindy Fralin makes an outstanding P bass pickup called the Longhorn which adds rich, clear tone. Additionally, this pickup can help vintage basses that require additional clarity sound better.
Modern bass guitar manufacturers have innovated upon traditional designs to produce more versatile basses. Jackson provides a selection of basses with humbucking pickups and thinner necks; others even allow users to pick them for rock and metal styles.