wally8 Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Hello All Just a quicky for any Jazz people out there. I bought a MIM Jazz a few years back 2nd hand. Bloke had put a pretty cool blue sparkle finish on it and the action was super and it played well at low vols etc etc. However, it was only until i really cranked it at practice it sounded a bit odd due to the neck pickup. Now i dont know if its just mine as i dont have any other experience with Jazz's but when i turn the neck pickup up anywhere past around 1/8 vol it cuases that horrible tappy high frq noise when your playing like youve got masses of treble, irrelevant of the tone dial setting. Its sounds ok with just the bridge pickup but im sure its meant to sound better, probably with the neck pickup not being a git. Ideas? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiipopes Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 It sounds to me like the pickup is microphonic or shorting out and needs replacing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 My Marcus Miller Jazz does exactly the same thing, the windings are damaged and the neck pickup needs rewinding. Yours may have got damaged when it was pulled apart to be resprayed, it's very easy to catch the windings with the black plastic pickup cover when you take them off. If you're feeling brave try removing the 4 screws that hold the pickup down, very carefully lift the black cover off and see if you can see any straggly windings or if there's a bad connection where the windings meet the cable. It might also be a bad connection under the control panel, 3 screws off and look at where the wire joins the neck pickup pot, but I suspect it's the pickup that's faulty. I'm going to send my damaged pickup to Wizard for rewinding, apparently he turns them around quickly and cheaply [url="http://www.wizardpickups.co.uk/"]http://www.wizardpickups.co.uk/[/url] although there may be other repairers people here could recommend. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 Cheers fat rich, I will have a butchers. Really appreciate the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Hi Guys. Fat rich rich kindly gave some advice concerning this issue. Due to not playing bass for the latter part of 2012 i never got round to having a look, but now have. The neck pickup looked fine, no different to the bridge and no straggly windings. Is it possible that the volume pot has an issue and needs replacing? My mate gave me some EMG active pickups to put in it but due to some missing parts and my tiny brain, replacing a passive system with a active might be a bit much for me (unless it was one of those cool EMG no solder kits). Thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Another thing to try before replacing any parts is to lower the height of the neck pickup in relation to the strings. In other words tighten the 4 screws holding the pickup so it sits lower in the body. If that doesn't fix it I think it's most likely a duff pickup, I'd be surprised if a dodgy pot would cause the sounds you're describing. Might be worth taking it to a luthier or guitar tech to get it checked out if you don't like the idea of playing around with a soldering iron. EMG active pickups are pretty good, I think they can sound a bit sterile compared to original Fender items. To get the best out of EMGs I used to run them at 18v but finding space for two 9v batteries can be difficult in a Jazz bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Im sure i tried the pickup height, will give it another blast. What would you recommend replacing the neck pu with if needed? Is it the standard usa jazz passive one? Would that be as straight forward as soldering like for like. Im capable of that. Thanks again matey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 [quote name='wally8' timestamp='1360327022' post='1968635'] Im sure i tried the pickup height, will give it another blast. What would you recommend replacing the neck pu with if needed? Is it the standard usa jazz passive one? Would that be as straight forward as soldering like for like. Im capable of that. Thanks again matey [/quote] If you can afford it , replacing both pickups on your MIM Jazz with a better set may well considerably improve the overall sound of your bass . There are literally hundreds of different types of replacement Jazz pickups to choose from ( you will get plenty of suggestions on here as to which sort to go for ) and even some of the less expensive ones could be a lot better than the ones supplied with your MIM Jazz . If you are going to the trouble and expense of replacing one pickup , why not replace both and at least you are getting a substantial upgrade out of it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1360329424' post='1968690'] If you can afford it , replacing both pickups on your MIM Jazz with a better set may well considerably improve the overall sound of your bass . There are literally hundreds of different types of replacement Jazz pickups to choose from ( you will get plenty of suggestions on here as to which sort to go for ) and even some of the less expensive ones could be a lot better than the ones supplied with your MIM Jazz . If you are going to the trouble and expense of replacing one pickup , why not replace both and at least you are getting a substantial upgrade out of it ? [/quote] Hi. Yeah I would like to but it only cost me 200 odd quid so don't wanna go mad as I have my fav mm and precision. Just wanted the option for a backup or for one or two songs detuned etc. Are there decent passive ones which will require little more than like for like swap without replacing pots etc? Cheers Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 (edited) [quote name='wally8' timestamp='1360330454' post='1968712'] Hi. Yeah I would like to but it only cost me 200 odd quid so don't wanna go mad as I have my fav mm and precision. Just wanted the option for a backup or for one or two songs detuned etc. Are there decent passive ones which will require little more than like for like swap without replacing pots etc? Cheers Ben [/quote] I'm not very knowledgeble about electrionics ( to put it mildly ) , but there are loads of sets that should be a fairly straightforward retrofit for you existing pickups . I don't think replacing the pots ect will be neccesary with the vast majority of sets . I take your point about not wanting to spend a lot on the pickups considering that it is a relatively inexpensive back - up bass . In light of that , have you thought about keeping an eye in the For Sale section here on Basschat for a used set of Jazz pickups that would be suitable ? They come up quite frequently due to folks chopping and changing , and you can often pick them up for a bargain price . Edited February 8, 2013 by Dingus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckendrick Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 [b]Get it rewound by a specialist. It'll cost you less than the price of a USA made replacement. I take mine to the Bass Gallery. They outsource, and I don't know who to, but they do a like for like job at much less than the cost of a new MIA replacement.[/b] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Thanks guys. Ive got a few options there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Ive mailed Bass gallery. See what they say. Be no crime to get down london, sample a few in the shawditch german beerhall, kick a few tables over in the crowbar and then drop my pickup off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 There'll probably be two wires coming into the cavity from the pickup, either a white and a black, or maybe a red and a black. Unsolder them (one from a pin of the pot, the other probably from the body of the pot). You could either send the faulty pickup to someone like Wizard pickups who'll rewind it to the same specifation or one of the other winding specifications he offers, last time I looked it was about £40. Sometimes a next day turnaround I've been told. When I took the EMGs out of my workhorse Fenders I put Fender Vintage pickups in. They seem pretty good but there are probably cheaper options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckendrick Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 [quote name='wally8' timestamp='1360336181' post='1968899'] Ive mailed Bass gallery. See what they say. Be no crime to get down london, sample a few in the shawditch german beerhall, kick a few tables over in the crowbar and then drop my pickup off. [/quote] In that order...? You'll never get down the stairs withoiut knocking over half the standing stock. Could be hilarious. But probably not. Anyway.... "Crowbar"...? When were you last in town...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Crowbar is still sh*t but they play metal. Intrepid fox is soso. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHeart Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 There are some cracking bargains to be had in the classifieds, ive bought a pair of wizards and a pair of usa vintage reissues for around the £40 mark id keep an eye out on there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted February 11, 2013 Author Share Posted February 11, 2013 [quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1360325421' post='1968585'] Another thing to try before replacing any parts is to lower the height of the neck pickup in relation to the strings. In other words tighten the 4 screws holding the pickup so it sits lower in the body. If that doesn't fix it I think it's most likely a duff pickup, I'd be surprised if a dodgy pot would cause the sounds you're describing. Might be worth taking it to a luthier or guitar tech to get it checked out if you don't like the idea of playing around with a soldering iron. EMG active pickups are pretty good, I think they can sound a bit sterile compared to original Fender items. To get the best out of EMGs I used to run them at 18v but finding space for two 9v batteries can be difficult in a Jazz bass. [/quote] Hi guys. Tried fat richs idea of pick up height at practice at the weekend and it worked at treat after some fiddling. Cheers rich. Will still keep an eye out for some newies but this has seriously helped. Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Cool, glad it worked out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.