Pickup Recommendations for fretless Fender Jazz??

[Linus27]

Interested on recommendations for some Jazz pickups for my fretless Japanese Fender Jazz. I am after a smooth, warm, rounded tone that will compliment the fretless. I was considering just upgrading to a set of Fender Custom 60's Jazz pickups which might be just fine but open to other options that might be more suitable for the tone I am after. My other fretless Jazz has Barts which do sound lovely but there again, may be other options more suited for fretless.

[KiOgon]

Lollars in mine - PERFECT IMHO 😍

https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-bass-pickups

[Linus27]

10 minutes ago, KiOgon said:

Lollars in mine - PERFECT IMHO 😍

https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-bass-pickups

 

Just had a listen and their standard Jazz bass pickups sound lovely, much nicer even over their B.S J-Bass pickups. Will certainly consider them. Thank you.

[BlueMoon]

I'm very happy with DiMarzio DP123's. Very warm and superb for fretless, IMO.

[Kirky]

I got a pair from Mark at Limelight for my Japanese Jazz.  Unsurprisingly they match my Limelight fretless perfectly.  Decent price too.  I think you've had a Limelight fretless haven't you?  In which case you already know what they are like.

[SlapbassSteve]

+1 for the Dimarzios, very 80's! 

(would have to be the cream cover option, of course)

 

[Hellzero]

Try some AlNiCo 2 pickups, that's what, after close to 4 decades of fretless playing, I found was suiting Jazz Basses the best, corresponding to the tone you're after.

 

But these are not the most common pickups...

 

Here are the ones I know (and almost everything available) :

 

Fender Original Jazz Bass pickups (the closest to the original Jaco tone as it's what you really hear on most of his records, my favourite pickups for the early singing and articulate Jaco tone and more) : https://www.fender.com/en-GB/parts/jazz-bass-parts/original-jazz-bass-pickups/0992123000.html

 

Seymour Duncan Antiquity Jazz Bass pickups (a bit too shy for me) : https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-product/antiquity-jazz-bass

 

Q Pickups Jazz Bass Pickups A2 Aged Relic (slightly overwound with slightly thicker wire : I like these for the extra punch and output, more reminiscent of the latter Jaco tone) : https://reverb.com/item/13613918-jazz-bass-pickups-a2-aged-relic-hand-wound-alnico-2-bridge-neck-fender-by-q-pickups

 

Aero Jazz Bass Type 3 pickups (too dark sounding for me) : https://www.aeroinstrument.com/pickups.html

 

Northern Pickups Vintage Jazz Bass pickups (never tried them, but giving their price and your location, maybe worth trying them) : https://www.northernpickups.co.uk/jazz-bass

[Hellzero]

Here's something recorded with the Fender Original (Vintage 62) Jazz Bass  pickups (after the intro on a fretted bass).

 

 

 

The bass is this one : https://baldman-guitar-relics.blogspot.com/2022/05/202204-vibe-king-body-in-heavy-relicd.html

Edited July 24, 2022 by Hellzero
Soundclip uploaded again

[Linus27]

21 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

Here's something recorded with the Fender Original (Vintage 62) Jazz Bass  pickups (after the intro on a fretted bass).

 

 

 

The bass is this one : https://baldman-guitar-relics.blogspot.com/2022/05/202204-vibe-king-body-in-heavy-relicd.html

Thanks Hellzero, looks interesting. For some reason your audio clip won't play.

[Hellzero]

Now, it should play @Linus27. 😉

[Linus27]

4 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

Now, it should play @Linus27. 😉

 

Thank you, that worked. Certainly had that Vintage Jaco-esque tone 👍

[AndyTravis]

I have Duncan classic stacks in my fretless Jazz - means you can dial back to just bridge pickup and no noise

[Hellzero]

Of course, if you want a "humbucking" pickups set, there are the Fender Noiseless Jazz Bass pickups that are stacked humbuckers with AlNiCo 2 magnets (they are quite close to single coils without their typical bite) : https://www.fender.com/en-GB/accessories/pickups/vintage-noiseless-jazz-bass-pickups/0992102000.html

 

Avoid the Fender Gen 4 Noiseless Jazz Bass pickups that are really not as good sounding as the ones above.

[biro]

Going very much against the grain here, but I find the classic EMJ J set to sound fantastic on a fretless Jazz Bass. Highly recommended!

[Hellzero]

You are not going against the grain at all @biro as the EMG's (especially the X series) are indeed terrific sounding on a fretless, but for something different from the usual mwah and/or Jaco tone most of us are after.

[Linus27]

49 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

You are not going against the grain at all @biro as the EMG's (especially the X series) are indeed terrific sounding on a fretless, but for something different from the usual mwah and/or Jaco tone most of us are after.

 

I'm quite happy to not sound like Jaco although having some mwah would be required, after all this is part of the voice and one of the reasons we play fretless right. Saying that, I'm not sure how much mwah is dependent on pickups. My Fender Jazz with ebony board and rounds has loads of mwah, especially if I dial back the neck pickup a little. However, my fretless Precision has a maple board and fully coated in high gloss with EB slinky cobalt flats and that also has loads of mwah and in the higher registers sings even more. 

 

I'll certainly add the EMJ's to the list to consider