Jazz bass pick ups

[skarate]

Right, so I've got a Mexican jazz bass from around 93/94 and I've a feeling that the pick ups have been the same all the way through (I've never touched them and got it about 7 years ago)

Seems like the pick ups seem to be giving up the ghost, and I'm wondering what might be an idea to put in their place? I've thought some Quarter Pounders, but I'm wary of losing mid, so toyed with some SD Hot Jazz, but not heard a lot about them. Any thoughts? It's for playing stuff like this

http://homeadvantage.bandcamp.com/

I'd originally thought about having a jazz pick up at the bridge and reverse p pick ups at the neck for a slightly punchier pj type thing, but given that the current ones are packing up, I think I might hold off on that and just keep it working for now

Edited June 26, 2013 by skarate

[Phil Starr]

Not tried the Jazz pups but replaced my P pups with Kent Armstrongs and they were great.

[iiipopes]

MIM J-basses do not use the same pickups as MIA J-basses. The length and screw spacing of the MIM pickups may be different. Make sure you measure your pickups and compare them to standard J-pickups.

[gjones]

I bought a set of mexican Jazz bass pickups from ebay which cost me the princely sum of £9.99. I was chopping and changing pickups at the time and decided, at that price, they were worth a try. Compared to the other pickups I've had in my bass they didn't get a very good score out of 10.

These are the pickups I've tried in the last 2 years.

American Vintage 9/10 (very stereotypical growly Jazz Bass)
American Original 9/10 (quite rounded 60's style Jazz Bass)
Wizard 64s 9/10 (very like the American vintage sound)
MIJ Silver Squiers 9/10 (deeper rounded sound almost precisionlike)
DiMarzio Model J 6/10 (very deep dirty sounding - not very typical Jazz Bass)
Mex Standard 5/10 (not very exciting compared to the others - not much character)
Squier standard 7/10 (decent all rounder - especially considering the bass only cost me £95 secondhand)
Roadworn Jazz 10/10 (best sounding pickups I've owned - great character. Can do growly Jaco and deep John Paul Jones. These are made in Mexico so shows they can get it right if they want to)

[canarybass]

I'd also recommend Wizards. Very good pickups at a very good price. And give them a call before you buy and they will happily talk through your requirements.

[V2factoryman]

Can also highly recommend them. I acquired a Geddy Lee Jazz and loved the neck but found the pups a bit trebly for my liking. I'd read up about their 64s and 84s and I rang them and said I needed something in between.....so they wound me something in between......same day.....they arrived in the post next day. They call them 74s but they're still a custom wind. Service is excellent.

[dazza14]

I've been going through the same thing!!!

Wish i had read 'gjones's' comments before, that would have helped me...
I have a Squire VM Jazz and the pickups are all very nice but no punch compared to my Vintage Jaco fretless, so i wanted more bang for my buck but still keeping the overall tone.
I toyed with Wizards, Seymour Duncans, DiMarzio and getting a straight copy of the Vintage Wilkinson pups.
I fitted some MIM Fender stock pickups and they were poor, pretty fuzzy in the mid and offered too much low end.
I decided to bite the bullet and buy some Wilkinson pickups from the bay, they fit the routing ans screw spacing perfectly and i'm really happy with them.
I contacted Wizard and because i play punk and reggae Mark at Wizard said his pups weren't suitable for reggae. So 10/10 for the honesty but they aren't for me. Wilkinson are a contender in my book, they cost £48 the pair and have given my bass a new voice!
Try Wilko, cheap and very very good.