Deep Rumble Posted October 19, 2001 Share Posted October 19, 2001 Hi.. I'm new to the forum but wanted to jump right in with a question. I am replacing the single coil pickups in my jazz bass. They have a nasty hum ( that can't be cured..believe me I have tried everything ) and pickup every CB radio, flourescent light, wireless mike etc. I want to move to a humbucking that will be a direct replacement since I have no desire to learn woodshop 101. The 2 pickups that seem the meet this requirement and fit my budget are the Carvin Humbuckers and the Dimarzio Ultra jazz. Can anyone give me a compare / contrast on these. Thanks.. The styles I play are latin, jazz, rock and funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike H. Posted October 19, 2001 Share Posted October 19, 2001 Bass Player ran a review of 30 or so Jazz Bass replacement pickups awhile back. Unfortunately, I can't remember what issue. www.bassplayer.com would allow you to search for it. The DiMarzio ultra jazz got the best overall ratings from all of them. If you want a dead silent pickup, the Bartolini stuff is really nice also. They tend to have a bit less output, but nice, clear tone, and silence. Seymour Duncan makes some nice stuff also. The Quarter Pound jazz pickups would probably fit your overall styles www.seymourduncan.com http://www.identity5.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike H. Posted October 19, 2001 Share Posted October 19, 2001 The pickup review is in the March 1999 issue of Bass Player. 24 different makes and models. A good read. http://www.identity5.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrock1san.rr.com Posted October 19, 2001 Share Posted October 19, 2001 I read that same review recently, and I am considering buying the DiMarzio Ultra Jazz DP149 (or Basslines Antiquity II). Are all Jazz Bass pickups the same size ? I have a 2-year old MIM Standard Jazz Bass...will all the replacements pickups work with that model ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Friedland Posted October 19, 2001 Share Posted October 19, 2001 The old MIM Jazz basses have 2 of the same pickup, not a dedicated neck and bridge pickup wired reverse polarity like an American Standard. So...they hum constantly. The new models do hum cancel each other, but I never noticed if they were different sizes. My experience replacing the pickups on my old fretless MIM Jazz is the bridge slot needed to be enlarged a bit to fit a stock bridge pickup. ------------------ www.edfriedland.com www.edfriedland.com The Bass Whisperer Bass Whisperer TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Rumble Posted October 19, 2001 Author Share Posted October 19, 2001 I have been told by several people that the newer pickups are reverse wound so that they are hum canceling when both pickups are on. However, I have also heard that you have to have both pickups set at the same volume and also at a high level for this too work. Has this been your experience ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modulusman Posted October 19, 2001 Share Posted October 19, 2001 That definitely is the way that you cancel hum with single coils. You have to have the two coils at the same level because it's the two coils out of phase with each other that let the two out of phase signals pass through while cancelling the hum when the coils are producing this sound at exactly the same level and in the same phase. If you use a double coil pickup like a Dimarzio, you are taking away (in theory) a little high end for the hum cancelling properties of these pickups. I have the DP149's and they're great, I love the sound of them and you can solo each pickup. Last week I was playing at a jam and playing this Yamaha in a JJ config. It hummed a lot. I did not like. Unnn. ------------------ www.thecarpentersson.ca www.thecarpentersson.ca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumper_dup2 Posted October 19, 2001 Share Posted October 19, 2001 Ed et. al.: the new MIM J PU's with the staggered poles are 3 5/8" wide for the neck PU and 3 3/4" for the bridge PU. Their tone will definitely lift lift your eyebrows if you've not heard them yet. I vastly prefer the open sound of single coils; but they do buzz, and there are some cases where the J is not appropriate. I backed up Frank Gorshen for his Las Vegas type show this summer. Made the mistake of taking the Fender. Problem was during Frank's monologues, the bass was buzzing like a hornets nest through the PA. This was a healthy '62 RI, so no issues with the instrument. It's just in the physics of the single coils. This is the type of gig where you want to be able to take one of the modern instruments with real quiet circuitry. Frank was a real gentleman about it, but I went home feeling bad. Won't forget that lesson. - pt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Friedland Posted October 20, 2001 Share Posted October 20, 2001 Yes, single coils will always buzz when they're soloed. Nature of the beast. When they're up full blast together, or at least at even levels, they cancel the hum. I too prefer the openess of single coils, but there are times where humbuckers are a nice safety net. Playing in a club with a dimmer switch on the lights, or neon lights, or neon lights on a dimmer... watch out. I'm so tempted to pick up a new MIM Jazz, even though I just sold one! I'd love to try the new pickups out. Well, I guess I can just keep playing my '74 Jazz and pretend! ------------------ www.edfriedland.com www.edfriedland.com The Bass Whisperer Bass Whisperer TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Rumble Posted October 20, 2001 Author Share Posted October 20, 2001 Thanks alot for the info. The venues I play the most, all have flouresent lighting and dimmers. That being the case I am going to try the Dimarzio Ultra Jazz set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Bass Posted October 20, 2001 Share Posted October 20, 2001 I just picked up a set of DiMarzio DP149 Ultra Jazz at Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center in Wheaton, MD. Got a great price of $81.00 plus $6.00 frt. Took them about two weeks, special order but great price. Have not put them in yet. Looking forward to hearing them. Will be putting in a Jazz Relic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted October 22, 2001 Share Posted October 22, 2001 Both of my 5 strings (MTD, Fernandes) have single-coils wired out of phase. I like the single-coil sound, but since I can't stand hum, the only way I ever used them was with both volume knobs set the same. Tiring of this, wanting to turn only one knob instead of two (yeah, I know, picky picky picky) I rewired both pickups straight to a 500k pot, no blend pot, thus assuring that they are always at the same level. This cured the hum problems for me, gives me a tone I like, and I can further tweak the tone with other controls downline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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