Pickup recommendation for Jazzmaster (single coil-sized): CuNiFe Wide Range, Gold Foil or Humbucker?

[smalahove]

From regular JM -> Jazz Blaster
I'm planning to swap the pickups in my recently acquired MIJ JM, transforming it into some kind of jazzblaster. I'm not planning to make any irreversible changes, so I'm looking for single-coil sized pickups, but not regular JM-type pickups, nor P90s. I have tried different variants of the WR humbuckers, but iirc they've been pretty dull tbh, and possible just mediocre humbuckers, packaged in a WR housing.

I want a different sound than my other offsets (all reg single coil), and I've narrowed my options down to CuNiFe WR, GFs and reg. humbuckers. These are my options so far, based on what's available to me, at sensible prices (ordering from a US mfc like Lollar comes out way too expensive, in comparison):

CuNiFe Wide Range:
https://www.fender.com/en-US/parts/pick ... 72000.html
https://www.mojopickups.co.uk/product/w ... ic-cunife/
https://www.creamery-pickups.co.uk/wide ... aster.html
https://www.creamery-pickups.co.uk/extr ... aster.html

Gold Foil:
https://www.mojopickups.co.uk/product/j ... gold-foil/
https://www.mojopickups.co.uk/product/j ... er-m-foil/

Humbucker:
https://www.creamery-pickups.co.uk/crea ... ickup.html
https://www.mojopickups.co.uk/product/j ... humbucker/

There have been threads touching on this, but nothing that has made me the wiser, so I'm hoping the good people of OSG can chime in with their opinions and experiences. Thanks!

[thisisnickpaige]

Don't forget Curtis Novak. He does some stellar work. His goldfoils were some of the first, if i remember correctly. He spent a long time R&Ding them; sound great. Pretty sure he does CuNiFe wide range as well. Came across some NOS rods if i recall. Also does a Humbucker both a single that is humcancelling and a 'humbucker' dual coil design.

Also Sunday Handwound, incredible stuff, great price and dude, and in a variety of styles.

[redchapterjubilee]

Catswhisker does good wrhb’s too and they are in England.

I have no experience with goldfoils or standard humbuckers in JM covers. However, I’ve had a pair of Novak wrhb’s for ten years now and a pair by catswhiskers for a year. I love the Novak set. They are evenly balanced and full sounding. They hit the front of an amp harder than normal JM pickups but not as hard as a mid heavy humbucker. They are what I want a humbucker to sound like. The catswhisker version is somewhat less balanced and brighter. They are also maybe 10% less powerful. Same flavor but slightly different.

Lollar’s full size wrhb’s and nice and balanced but I’ve not heard the JM sized pickups. In my experience they will sound somewhat different. As much as I love my Novak’s their Hb sized wrhb’s do not sound the same as the JM sized. I imagine the same goes for lollar and fender. I’ve read the fenders are bright and less full than Novak and lollar but have not heard them yet either.

[JamesSGBrown]

I have the CuNiFe’s in my AV65. Love them. Perfect for a bit more middle range without sacrificing the bones of what makes a JM great.

[wproffitt]

Don't forget Curtis Novak. He does some stellar work. His goldfoils were some of the first, if i remember correctly. He spent a long time R&Ding them; sound great. Pretty sure he does CuNiFe wide range as well. Came across some NOS rods if i recall. Also does a Humbucker both a single that is humcancelling and a 'humbucker' dual coil design.

Also Sunday Handwound, incredible stuff, great price and dude, and in a variety of styles.

Some good thoughts here. I have a Novak gold foil in the bridge position of on JM and love it! It can do pretty cleans and greasy old timey rock sounds all in the turn of your volume knob.

Sunday Handwound does tremendous work. I have his Micawber set in another JM and can’t say enough good things.

[smalahove]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Tbc, the reason I haven't included Novak ( and Lollars) is because I have to buy them from the US, and that gets way more expensive than UK and EU based pickup makers, comparatively speaking. Since WRs are often seen in JMs, I'm leaning that way :-)

JamesSGBrown, are those the Fender CuNiFe WRs?

[JamesSGBrown]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Tbc, the reason I haven't included Novak ( and Lollars) is because I have to buy them from the US, and that gets way more expensive than UK and EU based pickup makers, comparatively speaking. Since WRs are often seen in JMs, I'm leaning that way :-)

JamesSGBrown, are those the Fender CuNiFe WRs?

Yep, the Fender ones.

[mcatano]

I have three sets of the dearmond-spec goldfoils from gemini (the us one, not the uk one). I love them.

[javier-san]

I have three sets of the dearmond-spec goldfoils from gemini (the us one, not the uk one). I love them.

go on...

[mcbrandt]

Myself, and a few others on here would vouch for these being pretty good pickups for the money:

https://www.eyguitarmusic.com/Wide-Rang ... _2812.html

They have a few options, adjustable pole pieces or not, etc.

[smalahove]

Thanks for feedback! Those EY pickups look like a great low-cost option; might test them out in my 40th Ann Squier JM :-)

[smalahove]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Tbc, the reason I haven't included Novak ( and Lollars) is because I have to buy them from the US, and that gets way more expensive than UK and EU based pickup makers, comparatively speaking. Since WRs are often seen in JMs, I'm leaning that way :-)

JamesSGBrown, are those the Fender CuNiFe WRs?

Yep, the Fender ones.

Thanks :-)

[GotA]

Revel makes outstanding WRHBs. I have a set in my Vintera Tele Deluxe. I liked them so much that I'm currently waiting for my set of JMWRHBs from them. Jesse makes excellent pickups and has great customer service as well.

[mcatano]

I have three sets of the dearmond-spec goldfoils from gemini (the us one, not the uk one). I love them.

go on...

They're cool! They do the thing. Worlds quieter than stock JM pickups but definitely live in a similar universe, so not a huge shift in character but a slight benefit in practical use. I've tried P90s and never gotten along with them, these ones seem maybe like a midpoint between JM pickups and P90s? A lot of mid range punch without sounding overly "plunky" or "barky" (those are technical terms).

I bought a pair from someone here years ago (smalltownsongs maybe?) and liked them enough to get a second set. I picked up a ric recently that I want to use as my second live guitar along w/ a JM, didn't love one of the pickups in it, so I figured I'd just get another dearmond so the two guitars sound and behave similarly.

[B.T.]

Since WRs are often seen in JMs, I'm leaning that way :-)

If you decide on metal cover CuNiFe’s and a mint guard would work dm me, I have a like new Decoboom that I’m letting go of.