Jazz Bass Deluxe USA preamp swap?

[2elliot]

I'm looking to change the preamp, and possibly the pickups in my USA Deluxe Jazz as I find the standard setup is very limited, it may as well be passive with the tone control stuck on full. It's the late 90s - mid 2000 model.

 

Has any one swapped over to another preamp and did it make a difference?

 

 I'll probably go Dimarzio Model J for the pickups.

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Prana]

I like Glock pre amp with Noiseless pickups.  Gives back that Jazz sound

[bubinga5]

I presume its a Suhr preamp in your Deluxe Jazz now., the deluxe Fender jazz basses came with the Suhr pre from 1996 I think and are really sought after Fenders. But you really can't go wrong with an East circuit tone wise. Will be easier with a drop in Jazz plate pre like the East. I presume you want a drop in Jazz plate.?

[Yan_Huriey]

Check this out for jazz pickups. I like both of these. As far as onbozrd preamp I have the 'Jazz Elite' preamp, its good but very aggressive kind of very off or on. But it requires 2 batteries. Consider Darkglass or Aguilar preamps.

 

 

Edited September 10, 2021 by Yan_Hurei

[2elliot]

14 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

I presume its a Suhr preamp in your Deluxe Jazz now., the deluxe Fender jazz basses came with the Suhr pre from 1996 I think and are really sought after Fenders. But you really can't go wrong with an East circuit tone wise. Will be easier with a drop in Jazz plate pre like the East. I presume you want a drop in Jazz plate.?

 

The East looks promising and comes ready to drop straight in. It's currently top of the list. 

[bubinga5]

Do you have a picture of the bass. Like i said i presume you would prefer a drop in jazz bell plate.?

[2elliot]

27 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

Do you have a picture of the bass. Like i said i presume you would prefer a drop in jazz bell plate.?

 

[bubinga5]

There is a battery box on the back i presume.?

Edited September 10, 2021 by bubinga5

[peteb]

A word of warning about the East pre. It can sound great, but it has too many unmusical options and unnecessarily massive cuts and boosts. In particular, be very careful about boosting the bass knob! 

 

If you get the one with the sweepable mid control, then that can be very useful if you are playing a difficult room where you are struggling to cut through the mix. 

Edited September 10, 2021 by peteb

[Prana]

54 minutes ago, peteb said:

A word of warning about the East pre. It can sound great, but it has too many unmusical options and unnecessarily massive cuts and boosts. In particular, be very careful about boosting the bass knob! 

 

If you get the one with the sweepable mid control, then that can be very useful if you are playing a difficult room where you are struggling to cut through the mix. 

Plus 1 hence why i prefer my Glock.

Tbf, bass boost on most pre amps can be too much but the treble on a John East is spikey too.

 

[2elliot]

2 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

There is a battery box on the back i presume.?

Yes, it's a separate compartment on the back. 

[bubinga5]

3 hours ago, peteb said:

A word of warning about the East pre. It can sound great, but it has too many unmusical options and unnecessarily massive cuts and boosts. In particular, be very careful about boosting the bass knob! 

 

If you get the one with the sweepable mid control, then that can be very useful if you are playing a difficult room where you are struggling to cut through the mix. 

I tend to agree. Its a premp that is like a hot sauce. Use it in the mix carefully. I personally have preferred the  Audere 2/3 band preamp. Im not sure they are available in the UK now though. The best thing for you to do is ask John East.Just call him.  Talk to him and tell him what you want sonically, even if you have no experience he will give you the best options. This guy gave me a preamp for free once. He's a total bass geek and will help you in any way possible. 

Edited September 10, 2021 by bubinga5

[peteb]

42 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

I tend to agree. Its a premp that is like a hot sauce. Use it in the mix carefully. I personally have preferred the  Audere 2/3 band preamp. Im not sure they are available in the UK now though. The best thing for you to do is ask John East.Just call him.  Talk to him and tell him what you want sonically, even if you have no experience he will give you the best options. This guy gave me a preamp for free once. He's a total bass geek and will help you in any way possible. 

 

My favourite would be the combination in my Xotic jazz, i.e. an EBS Tri-logic pre paired with Lindy Fralin pickups. The EBS is a great sounding and very musical preamp that would be very difficult to get a bad sound out of. 

 

There are some great sounds in the East circuit that I had, but there is just way too much boost and cut in there. I used to dread letting anyone play the bass I had it in through my rig in case they turned the bass up and blew out my speakers, as once nearly happened when a really good American bass player decided that he wanted a bit more bass and inevitably dialled in way too much and had me cringing at the back of the room as my Berg 410 struggled to handle that much bottom end! 

 

It is cool that John East will talk to customers and custom build preamps, as the option of a less drastic version of the J-Retro Deluxe would be great. 

 

Edited September 10, 2021 by peteb

[Owen]

I have recently been messing with Sadowsky preamps and have found them very pleasing. They do a drop in Jazz plate. 

[2elliot]

3 minutes ago, owen said:

I have recently been messing with Sadowsky preamps and have found them very pleasing. They do a drop in Jazz plate. 

I've just watched a couple of vids with Sadowsky Pre Amp + Bartolini B Axis jazz pickups... they sound very good together. 

[TrevorR]

Big big fan of the Audere preamps. Got one in my Frankenjazz. Really well voiced with a distinct lack of unmusical settings. Definitely one to put on your shortlist. Mine is the three band Z series which allows you to load the pickups differently for different core tones with a little toggle switch. Mine came mounted on a plate with solderless connectors. So simple to install.

[Boodang]

I can definitely recommend a set of pickups from the Creamery (hand wound in Manchester). I talked to the guy there as I wanted a set for my Squier jazz which were not in his stock list and he was very accommodating. Alnico2 for the bridge and Alnico5 for the neck, scatter wound, and they've turned out a treat. So close to the sound I want I've not bothered with an active preamp. I've also got a '70s style P bass p/u from him for another project and that just needs no eq-ing. If you have p/u response in mind, the guy at the Creamer seems happy to discuss options and he's not expensive. 

[cLepto-bass]

Interesting thread, this.

 

I too am considering a 2 band drop-in active preamp (i.e. East) in my Fender Jazz, however, I am curious to know if an outboard/floor-based preamp pedal, like the Sad­owsky SPB-2 Bass Preamp, would do the same thing? Or is that a totally kettle of fish?

[bubinga5]

10 hours ago, owen said:

I have recently been messing with Sadowsky preamps and have found them very pleasing. They do a drop in Jazz plate. 

Yes but they are nightmare to fit. I bought a German made one. Gave up.

[bubinga5]

9 hours ago, TrevorR said:

Big big fan of the Audere preamps. Got one in my Frankenjazz. Really well voiced with a distinct lack of unmusical settings. Definitely one to put on your shortlist. Mine is the three band Z series which allows you to load the pickups differently for different core tones with a little toggle switch. Mine came mounted on a plate with solderless connectors. So simple to install.

Where did you get that Audere from.?

[bubinga5]

32 minutes ago, cLepto-bass said:

Interesting thread, this.

 

I too am considering a 2 band drop-in active preamp (i.e. East) in my Fender Jazz, however, I am curious to know if an outboard/floor-based preamp pedal, like the Sad­owsky SPB-2 Bass Preamp, would do the same thing? Or is that a totally kettle of fish?

Imo there is a difference between an out out board and an on board. The reason being I don't have lean down to adjust it.

[dub_junkie]

Shame that the Sadowsky is a pain to fit as the one on my Valenti with the VTC paired with Aguilar J pickups sounds the dogs doo-dahs.

 

 

[bubinga5]

On 10/09/2021 at 10:42, 2elliot said:

 

Also consider you have a side jack.Its not going to be a drop in preamp. Take the bass to a pro and let them advise and fit.

[Owen]

1 hour ago, bubinga5 said:

Yes but they are nightmare to fit. I bought a German made one. Gave up.

I have people to do that for me. As in, my tech abilities are zero so I do not even try. 

 

I had an Audere once with the variable impedance switch. It did something bonkers to the pickups. In a good way. Should I have left that bass as it was? Absolutely. 

[Owen]

14 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

Also consider you have a side jack.Its not going to be a drop in preamp. Take the bass to a pro and let them advise and fit.

I had forgotten about the side jack aspect. That does change things.

 

The shodiest piece of work I ever had done was a side jack on a MONSTEROUSLY expensive custom I had had made for me. I took it to the local guitar shop for a side jack to be installed. "How difficult can it be to do a tidy and aesthetically pleasing job?" I thought. Too difficult for the bodger masquerading as a tech. And when it was done, there was nothing I could do to rectify it. I am still angry when I think about it.