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What kind of Strat type pickups are those? Just a generic basic Stratocaster sound or is there something more memorable?

I don't know of anyone who's dug too deep into them, as a lot of people remove them as a a matter of course*. As such I can't think of an in depth dissection of a Strat-in-a-JM-housing vs a regular Strat pickup. Pure speculation: I'd say they're a tall JM bobbin wound roughly to the same specs as what Strat pickups from the same factory were. That is to say, I don't think they were ever made to have a 50s/60s/specific voicing to them.

*I'd never say these pickups sound bad, but if you're after something approaching the platonic ideal of a Jazzmaster they're a step sideways.

Yeah, I mean, the reason we play JMs is because of the pickups. Nothing else sounds like that.

What about MIJ/CIJ Jaguars? Are those also equipped with strat style pick ups?

tade wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:24 am

What about MIJ/CIJ Jaguars? Are those also equipped with strat style pick ups?

I had one years ago.... pickups just fed back constantly.... awful.

I have one and played it with the stock pickups for years before changing them. They're not really Strat pickups and they don't sound half bad. The thing is, vintage style Jazzmaster pickups bobbins are really flat and wide. The MIJ/CIJ ones were taller and narrower but not as tall and narrow as actual Strat pickups. You still get a recognisably JM-ish tone because of the overall construction of the guitar, with a third bridge and all, it just doesn't have all the same tonal characteristics as you would get with a vintage JM-style pickup.

Like I said, they're still not bad pickups as such, they're just not what anyone went looking for when they wanted a Jazzmaster. It's Coke vs. Diet Coke rather than Coke vs. Sprite, if that makes sense. Modern MIJ/CIJ (I don't know what they are these days) don't have that style of pickups anymore, opting instead for something more traditional.

I still have my originals in a box somewhere so if you're really interested I can get a picture comparing one to a more vintage-spec JM pickup. It's not a world of difference basically.

I think it's important to say that these are not remotely "unusable" as some people like to say they are. To my ear they have bags of character and really suit the guitar

Johno wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:16 am

tade wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:24 am

What about MIJ/CIJ Jaguars? Are those also equipped with strat style pick ups?

I had one years ago.... pickups just fed back constantly.... awful.

That was the problem I had with my Thinline Jaguar...they were horrible - feeding back as soon as I‘d even look at a Fuzz pedal...
On a friend‘s CIJ Jazzmaster (2006-08 something) it wasn‘t that bad. They were just too shrill for him but pretty good sounding.

My MIJ Jag also had horrible feedback issues with the microphonic stock pickups.

My MIJ Mascis JM was the single worst-sounding stock Fender I ever played. Played so well, looked amazing, but those stock pickups were just the most bizarrely thin and screechy things. Blech.

I love strat pickups, but whatever that JM had just didn't work for me at all.

I'm not a fan but have lived with them in my '94 MIJ JM for years by mostly just sticking to the rhythm circuit. I've had no functional problems with them. I bought the guitar new and will finally change them and rewire it this week.

mbene085 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:56 am

My MIJ Jag also had horrible feedback issues with the microphonic stock pickups.

My MIJ Mascis JM was the single worst-sounding stock Fender I ever played. Played so well, looked amazing, but those stock pickups were just the most bizarrely thin and screechy things. Blech.

I love strat pickups, but whatever that JM had just didn't work for me at all.

Same experience with my 2004 CIJ Jazzmaster. They actually sounded bad - and I am a fan of abrasive and non-musical sounding things

Very difficult to make generalisations - they've been produced over 3 decades and I tend to believe they changed along the way.

My bandmate had an early '90s MIJ Jazzmaster that was bone stock and it sounded amazing. In an A/B comparison with my CIJ there's just no way you'd think they were the same type of guitar.

luau wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 25, 2021 6:57 am

I'm not a fan but have lived with them in my '94 MIJ JM for years by mostly just sticking to the rhythm circuit. I've had no functional problems with them. I bought the guitar new and will finally change them and rewire it this week.

You definitely don't want to rush these things.