Jazzmaster pickup comparison
- 39Steve
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
Great post, and well done to all those posting sound clips. All nice pickups, but nothing that would make me pull the stock pickups out of my '62 AVRI, which sounds so close to my old '64 that I'm pretty happy.
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
Thanks, this was very helpful.
- JKjr
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
We players can talk all day and night about how things sound...hearing well made clips is soo much better. Doesn't mean we'll shut up though
- Momofuku
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
Thank you for your amazingly thorough review
- mr bungle
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
B'marked. Cheers.
- dan_abnormal
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
Thank you very much to the OP and all subsequent contributors.
Needless to say, this is REALLY helpful.
Needless to say, this is REALLY helpful.
Ladies and Gentlemen We're Floating In Space
- tantamo
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
Yes, I feel like I wasted a bunch of time, Tried out the novaks, lollars, pickup wizards, and in the end I don't think they're any better than the avri really. They're all nice though.39Steve wrote:Great post, and well done to all those posting sound clips. All nice pickups, but nothing that would make me pull the stock pickups out of my '62 AVRI, which sounds so close to my old '64 that I'm pretty happy.
- planningtojazz
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
the difference is night and day to my ears. you have me curious to try the AVRI's thoughtantamo wrote:Yes, I feel like I wasted a bunch of time, Tried out the novaks, lollars, pickup wizards, and in the end I don't think they're any better than the avri really. They're all nice though.39Steve wrote:Great post, and well done to all those posting sound clips. All nice pickups, but nothing that would make me pull the stock pickups out of my '62 AVRI, which sounds so close to my old '64 that I'm pretty happy.
- Despot
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
I've four different sets to compare now (the 62 AVRI, the newer 65 AVs, a set from Jess Loureiro and a set of Lollars). They're all different, but they're all shades of the Jazzmaster sound rather than radically different sounding.
Of all the sets I like the lollars that came in the Bilt best - but I should mention that the Bilt comes with 1meg pots as standard, so the Lollars are extremely bright in the Bilt. I normally run it with volume at 7 or 8 and tone at about 6 or 7, which takes the edge off the brightness and brings it back into Jazzmaster territory proper ... the advantage of the 1 meg pots is that if you want that really cutting brightness you can simply roll the tone and volume back up - but there's no loss of tone in rolling them back to my preferred settings. The lollars are easily the most dynamic of the pickup sets I've used - and less boxy or one dimensional. Also worth noting that the lollars have radius matched pole pieces, which I don't think I have seen on any original Jazzmaster pickups (or any replacement sets) and that does seem to give them a little bit more midrange and overall balance - though the pickups are matched to 7.25 inch whereas the standard Bilt radius is 9.5, so maybe that's a small influencing factor.
Next in line would be the new 65 AVs - out of my standard Jazzmasters these are the brightest set - the neck in particular is truly beautiful sounding. They're noticeably brighter than standard AVRI JM pickups, but that's not a bad thing. The bridge pickup is a little bit lacking in output, but that seems to be common case for Jazzmasters that don't have a slightly overwound bridge pickup. I wouldn't be in any rush to rip these out of the AV all the same.
The set from Jess Loureiro were cheap (80 euro) and they sound great! They're a little warmer all round and the neck is a little less bright (but still clear and articulate, just a mellower sound) and the bridge sounds pretty good (though I'm usually someone who plays out of the neck pickup on most guitars). They're in the CIJ and again, I'm in no rush to change them out.
The AVRI pickups aren't too shoddy either - I have them in a '08 Thin Skin AVRI. But I do notice that they're lacking a certain 'something' that the lollars provide. They're not as dynamic as the lollars and there's a little less sparkle all round. But don't get me wrong, they're good pickups. If I had never played the lollars I would be perfectly happy with these. That said these are good pickups, and they're certainly good enough for anything I play, so again - no rush to swap them out.
The one thing I can say about all these pickups is that they sound like a Jazzmaster should (at least to my ear). Having played stock CIJ pickups (strat) and stock CP pickups (just basically nothing special p90s), these four different sets above play around in the JM spectrum, but they're not radically different (like say comparing a strat and a tele).
Of all the sets I like the lollars that came in the Bilt best - but I should mention that the Bilt comes with 1meg pots as standard, so the Lollars are extremely bright in the Bilt. I normally run it with volume at 7 or 8 and tone at about 6 or 7, which takes the edge off the brightness and brings it back into Jazzmaster territory proper ... the advantage of the 1 meg pots is that if you want that really cutting brightness you can simply roll the tone and volume back up - but there's no loss of tone in rolling them back to my preferred settings. The lollars are easily the most dynamic of the pickup sets I've used - and less boxy or one dimensional. Also worth noting that the lollars have radius matched pole pieces, which I don't think I have seen on any original Jazzmaster pickups (or any replacement sets) and that does seem to give them a little bit more midrange and overall balance - though the pickups are matched to 7.25 inch whereas the standard Bilt radius is 9.5, so maybe that's a small influencing factor.
Next in line would be the new 65 AVs - out of my standard Jazzmasters these are the brightest set - the neck in particular is truly beautiful sounding. They're noticeably brighter than standard AVRI JM pickups, but that's not a bad thing. The bridge pickup is a little bit lacking in output, but that seems to be common case for Jazzmasters that don't have a slightly overwound bridge pickup. I wouldn't be in any rush to rip these out of the AV all the same.
The set from Jess Loureiro were cheap (80 euro) and they sound great! They're a little warmer all round and the neck is a little less bright (but still clear and articulate, just a mellower sound) and the bridge sounds pretty good (though I'm usually someone who plays out of the neck pickup on most guitars). They're in the CIJ and again, I'm in no rush to change them out.
The AVRI pickups aren't too shoddy either - I have them in a '08 Thin Skin AVRI. But I do notice that they're lacking a certain 'something' that the lollars provide. They're not as dynamic as the lollars and there's a little less sparkle all round. But don't get me wrong, they're good pickups. If I had never played the lollars I would be perfectly happy with these. That said these are good pickups, and they're certainly good enough for anything I play, so again - no rush to swap them out.
The one thing I can say about all these pickups is that they sound like a Jazzmaster should (at least to my ear). Having played stock CIJ pickups (strat) and stock CP pickups (just basically nothing special p90s), these four different sets above play around in the JM spectrum, but they're not radically different (like say comparing a strat and a tele).
- aviavi
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
The Kinman Zero Hum pickups are out. I would love to hear these before purchasing...
http://www.kinman.com/guitar-pickups/jazzmaster/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.kinman.com/guitar-pickups/jazzmaster/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
- micaiah
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
very good review man I'm stoked about dropping my AVRI bridge pup in my BTJM to make it proper *high fives*Despot wrote:I've four different sets to compare now (the 62 AVRI, the newer 65 AVs, a set from Jess Loureiro and a set of Lollars). They're all different, but they're all shades of the Jazzmaster sound rather than radically different sounding.
Of all the sets I like the lollars that came in the Bilt best - but I should mention that the Bilt comes with 1meg pots as standard, so the Lollars are extremely bright in the Bilt. I normally run it with volume at 7 or 8 and tone at about 6 or 7, which takes the edge off the brightness and brings it back into Jazzmaster territory proper ... the advantage of the 1 meg pots is that if you want that really cutting brightness you can simply roll the tone and volume back up - but there's no loss of tone in rolling them back to my preferred settings. The lollars are easily the most dynamic of the pickup sets I've used - and less boxy or one dimensional. Also worth noting that the lollars have radius matched pole pieces, which I don't think I have seen on any original Jazzmaster pickups (or any replacement sets) and that does seem to give them a little bit more midrange and overall balance - though the pickups are matched to 7.25 inch whereas the standard Bilt radius is 9.5, so maybe that's a small influencing factor.
Next in line would be the new 65 AVs - out of my standard Jazzmasters these are the brightest set - the neck in particular is truly beautiful sounding. They're noticeably brighter than standard AVRI JM pickups, but that's not a bad thing. The bridge pickup is a little bit lacking in output, but that seems to be common case for Jazzmasters that don't have a slightly overwound bridge pickup. I wouldn't be in any rush to rip these out of the AV all the same.
The set from Jess Loureiro were cheap (80 euro) and they sound great! They're a little warmer all round and the neck is a little less bright (but still clear and articulate, just a mellower sound) and the bridge sounds pretty good (though I'm usually someone who plays out of the neck pickup on most guitars). They're in the CIJ and again, I'm in no rush to change them out.
The AVRI pickups aren't too shoddy either - I have them in a '08 Thin Skin AVRI. But I do notice that they're lacking a certain 'something' that the lollars provide. They're not as dynamic as the lollars and there's a little less sparkle all round. But don't get me wrong, they're good pickups. If I had never played the lollars I would be perfectly happy with these. That said these are good pickups, and they're certainly good enough for anything I play, so again - no rush to swap them out.
The one thing I can say about all these pickups is that they sound like a Jazzmaster should (at least to my ear). Having played stock CIJ pickups (strat) and stock CP pickups (just basically nothing special p90s), these four different sets above play around in the JM spectrum, but they're not radically different (like say comparing a strat and a tele).
Excelsior amp love it a shit load more versatile then given credit for fender strat, squier standard tele don't hate, it has the tone I've been chasing since I modded it with my secret I won't reveal unless you REALLY wanna know and a blacktop Jazzmaster
- poil pacotille
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
Hi everyone, thank you for the sound samples posted here,
I just bought a novak JMV neck which sounds really great on my jazzmaster avri but the JM fat (advised by mister Novak who said that they'd be great for my needs because they had more bass and highs of their fatter wire) sounds really thin trebly and shrill (like if some basses and mids were missings). The output volume is the same between both pickups but the bridge JMfat makes my ear bleed.
I play on a vox ac15, the neck position is really great (volume 12 o'clock, basses 3 o'clock, treble 11 o'clock) but when i switch on the bridge position, it isn't really useable.
I've replaced my saddles with graphtech tusk saddles(less twang and brightness but much more sustain)
So which bridge which would be really useable for clean tones (not too middy) should i put in? I'm hesitating between
Lollar (a little overwound),
Klein pickups http://www.kleinpickups.com/p-243-jazzm ... p-set.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Kami (probably too thin and trebly)
I don't really think that p90's would suit my needs, because of the excess of medium.
I'll put some samples this week-end.
I feel like it is impossible to find the right pick up, help me please!
Thank you for your answers.
Poil.
I just bought a novak JMV neck which sounds really great on my jazzmaster avri but the JM fat (advised by mister Novak who said that they'd be great for my needs because they had more bass and highs of their fatter wire) sounds really thin trebly and shrill (like if some basses and mids were missings). The output volume is the same between both pickups but the bridge JMfat makes my ear bleed.
I play on a vox ac15, the neck position is really great (volume 12 o'clock, basses 3 o'clock, treble 11 o'clock) but when i switch on the bridge position, it isn't really useable.
I've replaced my saddles with graphtech tusk saddles(less twang and brightness but much more sustain)
So which bridge which would be really useable for clean tones (not too middy) should i put in? I'm hesitating between
Lollar (a little overwound),
Klein pickups http://www.kleinpickups.com/p-243-jazzm ... p-set.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Kami (probably too thin and trebly)
I don't really think that p90's would suit my needs, because of the excess of medium.
I'll put some samples this week-end.
I feel like it is impossible to find the right pick up, help me please!
Thank you for your answers.
Poil.
- tantamo
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
I thought both the regular jmv and the lollar sounded good in the bridge position and were not middy.=
- dan_abnormal
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
I have your same set (JM-V neck + JM-FAT bridge) in my Thin Skin JM and I haven't experienced any issue with hi-frequencies. The JM-FAT is surely a little more aggressive but I think it's great with distortion.poil pacotille wrote: I just bought a novak JMV neck which sounds really great on my jazzmaster avri but the JM fat (advised by mister Novak who said that they'd be great for my needs because they had more bass and highs of their fatter wire) sounds really thin trebly and shrill (like if some basses and mids were missings). The output volume is the same between both pickups but the bridge JMfat makes my ear bleed.
I play on a vox ac15, the neck position is really great (volume 12 o'clock, basses 3 o'clock, treble 11 o'clock) but when i switch on the bridge position, it isn't really useable.
Please consider that the AC15 (C1? CC1?) is a very bright amp when pushed into distortion, so you may perceive that your bridge pickup is shrill-sounding and thin. Have you tried the JM-FAT with another amp? Are you playing it just pushing the amp or using also dirt pedals? My advice would be to test it through a cleaner amp, possibly with a flatter EQ (Hiwatt, even some solid state like a Roland Jazz Chorus), and then through both a Fender and a Marshall.
Ladies and Gentlemen We're Floating In Space
- percnon
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Re: Jazzmaster pickup comparison
I'd love to hear a clip of the JM-Fat in the bridge position. Anyone?