The Jazz Bass was first introduced to the world by Leo Fender in 1960 and has since become one of the most popular bass guitar models ever — and with good reason. It’s the more adaptable of Fender’s two main electric bass models (the other being the Precision Bass). While the J Bass was designed for jazz bassists, it has been utilized by a wide range of bassists and bass guitars in a variety of genres over the last six decades, including Jaco Pastorius, John Paul Jones, Geddy Lee, Larry Graham, Aston Barrett, Marcus Miller, and Flea.
Jazz bass pickups differ from Precision bass pickups primarily in how they are set up. Two single-coils are situated at the bridge and neck of a Jazz Bass, and both can generate a wide spectrum of tones for everything from heavy rock to blues, funk, reggae, and jazz (of course).
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Fender Custom Shop ’60s Jazz Bass Pickups
- Custom '60s jazz bass& pickups are patterned after vintage pickups but are overwound for more punch, midrange, bass, and output.
- Uses alnico 5 magnets and formvar magnet wire.
- Sold in pairs only and includes all mounting hardware.
With the combination of single coil pickups and a five-way toggle switch in their first Stratocaster in 1954, Fender effectively established the future of electronics in guitars and basses with the fender jazz bass guitar.
Since then, Fender has continued to expand and innovate the game, as well as producing reissues of their most popular and ground-breaking designs from previous generations. The Fender Custom Shop 60’s Jazz Bass Pickup Set is one such reissue. This Fender Jazz Bass reissue model pickup set is designed to replace the standard pickups. The Fender Custom Shop 60’s Jazz Bass Pickups, like the rest of the replacement pickups on this list, are passive. That means you’ll never have to worry about damaging your instrument’s battery by leaving it plugged in overnight!
For a more uniform and balanced tone and responsiveness, the Custom Shop 60’s use Alnico 5 magnets with flush mount pole pieces. These pickups have a significantly lower resistance than some of the others in this post and are stated on the Fender website as having a moderate output. The neck output resistance is 7.1k, while the bridge output resistance is 7.4k. The bass frequencies are enhanced, while the medium and higher frequencies are gently muted.
It’s no surprise that these pickups come standard on the majority of Fender Custom Shop basses, given their articulate and fiery tone. It comes highly recommended. Overall, the Fender Custom Shop 60’s Jazz Bass Pickups are a great addition to any Fender or Squier Jazz Bass. This is the Best Jazz Bass Pickups in 2023.
EMG EM940020 EMG Bass JV-X Set X-Series Pickups
- For 4-string, standard j-bass milling, visible polepieces
- Specially designed preamplifier with open and dynamic sound concept
- Specially designed preamplifier with open and dynamic sound concept, traditional-vintage oriented sound
Since 1976, EMG has been producing guitar and bass pickups, as well as EQ accessories, from its factory in Santa Rosa, California. Steinberger guitars, a staple of their unusual headless guitar designs, were the first to catch on in Europe. In the United States, the firm gained popularity, and their pickups have since been accepted by a wide range of guitarists, mainly in the metal and rock genres. The EMG JVX Bass Pickups are designed to be used in Jazz Basses to replace the factory pickups.
The EMG JVX Bass Pickup Set are made of Alnico 5 magnets and are active pickups. That implies the pickups must be powered by a battery. Active pickups have a higher output than passive pickups and are frequently preferred for their improved clarity and sustain. EMG pickups are built using a bar magnet rather than pole pieces, which sets them apart from other manufacturers. A bar magnet, rather than a set of pole pieces, is thought to give a more equal and balanced response throughout the string basses. These pickups, on the other hand, are designed to be a bridge between active and passive pickup types, with offset pole pieces for a more faded and vintage sound.
Overall, the EMG JVX Jazz Bass Pickups are an intriguing alternative to investigate if you’re looking for active pickups with a warmer, vintage tone. Active pickups, particularly ceramic active pickups, have been criticized for sounding overly brittle and harsh like a jazz bass single coil. By combining an active pickup with offset pole pieces, the EMG JVX Jazz Bass Pickups are designed to minimize some of these issues. This is the Best Jazz Bass Pickup in 2023.
DiMarzio DP123 Model J Bass Pickup Set Black
- Recommended for: Neck and bridge positions. The DiMarzio Model J was designed to fit the original Fender Jazz Bass, which has neck and bridge pickup...
- Quick Connect: No
- Wiring: 4 conductor
The DP123s from DiMarzio are another set that recreates old Jazz Bass tones with a few modern adjustments to boost output. These pickups, while not true humbuckers, are manufactured with a ceramic magnet and have a strong tone that stays crystal clear as the volume is increased.
When it comes to adding gain to the mix, they’re also one of the greatest performers on this list. While the low-end might use a little more punch, the tone is overall fantastic — warm, woody, and earthy, with the bridge pickup in particular providing good thump. Punk and hard rock basses, as well as fretless basses, will love this. The under-$100 price tag also impresses us, making these some of the greatest value picks on the list.
Lindy Fralin 4 String Jazz Bass Pickup Set
- 4 String Pickup Set includes Neck (short) and Bridge (long) PickupsDirect Replacement for American Fender Jazz Bass and many othersPassive Design...
Lindy Fralin is a boutique pickup maker founded in the 1990s in Richmond, Virginia. Fralin’s pickups are all hand-wound and tested for tone, clarity, and consistency in their shop. This is the kind of quality and attention to detail that you should expect from a boutique pickup manufacturer. The Lindy Fralin 4 String Jazz Bass Pickup Set is meant to replace the factory Fender Jazz Bass pickups.
The Lindy Fralin Jazz Bass pickups are passive, which means they don’t require any energy to operate. Because the stock pickups on Fender Jazz Basses are also passive, there is no need to modify them. The Fralin Jazz Bass Pickups are made with Alnico 5 magnets made in the United States. Alnico magnets are a magnetic alloy composed of aluminum, nickel, and cobalt, as well as iron. The most prevalent alnico type in guitar and bass pickups is Alnico 5. These pickups provide an output of 8.4k in the neck position and 8.8k in the bridge position. Because determining a reliable measure of output for pickups is challenging, the D.C. Resistance is commonly used to determine a pickup’s output.
Overall, the Lindy Fralin Jazz Bass pickups are a huge improvement over the factory Fender Jazz Bass pickups. The Fralin Jazz Bass pickups are more dynamic, with sweeter and warmer mids and a wider tone range. You can’t go wrong with these Lindy Fralin Jazz Bass pickups, which come with a variety of winding options to suit your preferences and the assurance of a high-quality, hand-crafted piece of gear. These are without a doubt the greatest passive jazz bass pickups available.
Seymour Duncan SJB3 Quarter Pound Jazz Bass Bridge Pickup
- Bridge-position Single-coil Pickup f Jazz Bass - Black
Since its inception in the mid-1970s, Seymour Duncan has been at the vanguard of the guitar and bass pickup industry. Seymour Duncan pickups are still built and tested by hand at their Santa Barbara, California plant, and are well-known for their superior craftsmanship and collaborations with high-profile musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, and Alan Holdsworth. The Quarter Pound Jazz Bass Set by Seymour Duncan is meant to replace the factory pickups on a Fender or Squier Jazz Bass.
Because the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Jazz Bass Set is a passive pickup system, you’ll never have to replace a worn-out battery as you would with an active pickup system! The Quarter Pounders have Alnico 5 magnets with 14″ diameter pole pieces and overwound coils for a higher power than comparable pickups. The specifications are unclear as to whether each pickup has a resistance of 13.7k or if the combined set has a resistance of 13.7k, implying that each pickup has an average resistance of roughly 6.5k.
Overall, the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Jazz Bass Set is a fantastic upgrade to a Fender Jazz Bass’s standard pickups. These pickups stand out from the crowd thanks to their vintage Alnico 5 magnets and overwound construction. Overall, these are some of my favorite pickups, and their high output practically qualifies them as rock’s best jazz bass pickups.