Jazz Bass with DiMarzio J pups

[BassAdder60]

Anyone tried / using the Dimarzio J Pup DP123 set in their Fender Jazz ? 
 

Im looking for a bit more depth and grunt to my Jazz and these seem a decent upgrade to the stock Player series pups 

[Baloney Balderdash]

I haven't got any personal first hand experience with the Dimaezio Model J J pickups, but I see a lot of mention on how they are the most P like J pickups on the market, which makes sense since they are a split coil design just like P pickups are.

 

That is having two in line coils on each half of the pickups connected in series, which also means that they are hum cancelling. 

 

Now, while they might be the most P like J pickups on the market, they won't sound exactly like P pickups, since the coils are smaller and not least slimmer, as well as the two coils/halves are not shifted in relation to each other as on a regular P pickup but rather in line with each other, just that they do have some P like qualities.

 

So yes, I would expect a bit more bottom end, or at least a somewhat tighter bottom end, a bit more mids content, a bit less top end, less bite and burb and a bit more snap and punch generally, as well as, compared to regular vintage voiced J pickups, higher output and more aggression, also partially due to this pickup being based on a Ceramic bar magnets and steel pickup pole pieces construction, rather than featuring Alnico 5 rod magnet pickup pole pieces as otherwise traditionally used.

 

Mind that all of above for most parts is based alone on me listening/watching/reading demos, comparison videos, reviews and general blurb featuring the DiMarzio Model J pickup, and that I, as said, do not have any personal first hand experience with these pickups.

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[NikNik]

Pretty sure I had these in a Nash Jazz a few years back. I remember the bridge being tight and poky. Lacked a bit bottom end but were super quiet.

[miles'tone]

I had some a long time ago. 

I wired the neck pickup in series to get as close to a P as possible, wired the bridge pickup in parallel for a humfree J. 

Looked like a Jazz but sounded like a P/J pretty much. Sounded awesome through an old valve Ampeg rig.

I lowered the neck pickup down a bit further than a regular J pickup that, because they're so powerful, you have even more tones to play with by experimenting with their height. Easy to find your own personal sweet spot though.

Highly recommended and everyone should give them a go at least once imho...

A good idea that I never tried would be to get push/pull pots on both volumes for series/parallel on each volume pot. 

A 0.022k cap works best if my memory is correct. 

Hit up basschatter Ki0gon for a ready to go wiring loom in said configuration to make life easy!

 

Hope this helps. 

Edited June 26, 2023 by miles'tone

[JohnDaBass]

I replaced a set of Lace Sensor Pups with the Kubicki Preamp Active system, with a pair of Dimarzio J DP123s in a 90's US Fender Jazz Deluxe.

The Lace sensors were silent but lacked output even with the 9v Kubicki preamp.

Being a Dimarzio FanBoi having used the Split P on a couple of Fender P basses I knew pretty much what to expect and I was not disappointed .

The DP123s come in two different sizes so make sure you order the correct length. My US J Deluxe needed the neck and bridge Pups to be the same length and when coupled with a loom from @KiOgon the Jazz sounded fantastic. By carefully selecting the right value of Tone cap you can make your bass sound like a P or Jazz , a very flexible workhorse. Lots of power and tone, I would highly recommend the Dimarzio DP123s.

[Jonesy]

I was looking at them when upgrading the pups in my G&L Tribute J and came to the same conclusion as @Baloney Balderdash after checking out loads of vids on YouTube. 

 

By all rights they're a great pickup, but they're not quite as snappy as regular J pups and lean more toward P bass territory to my ears. It's still a pup right up against the bridge, so there'll be some of that J bite there, but not as much as a regular single coil. Personally, I bought a J because I wanted it to sound like a J and have that bite, so I went with another pup. 

 

In the end I chose the Fender Pure Vintage 74 set because I thought they were the most middy and aggy sounding. I paired them with a @KiOgon loom that has a tone bypass push/pull and also a series/parallel push/pull. I'd defo recommend one of those, whacking it in series mode gives you a lot more grunt and gets you in the P bass ballpark. 

[gjones]

On 25/06/2023 at 12:50, BassAdder60 said:

Anyone tried / using the Dimarzio J Pup DP123 set in their Fender Jazz ? 
 

Im looking for a bit more depth and grunt to my Jazz and these seem a decent upgrade to the stock Player series pups 

I put a set into a Geddy Lee and they were very dark sounding. In the end I thought they were a bit too dark and ended up selling them.

[Bassmingo]

Funnily enough, I just got my parts jazz electronics overhauled, and maybe it's because I'm properly hearing it for the first time in years, or I've just grown to love my MIM P with a DiMarzio, but I'm finding my jazz pups lacking. I bought them used and they're allegedly 75RI pups, but to me, they sound thin and weak compared to my P. So to hear that the DiMarzio Jazz pickups can be somewhat P-sounding is encouraging, as I now want my Jazz to sound like my P!

[BassAdder60]

Yes I’m trying to hot rod my Jazz to make it more like my other two PBass guitars but with a bit more clarity when required from the bridge pup 

[BassAdder60]

Ok Dimarzio DP123 loaded into my Player Jazz and … very different 

 

Firstly no more hum when one pup ON 

 

The change to the tone is quite dramatic and more dark deep and PBass like. 
 

With both pups on together sounds fuller and less “ mid suck “  and generally a hotter signal output too.

 

I think they are a good tonal upgrade and will be put through their paces very soon. 
 

TOP TIP: don’t use the Fender foam under the DP123 as it will be near on impossible to compress and get them low enough. 
I used some of the foam that came in the Dimarzio packaging ( less dense ) and it worked well. 

[JohnDaBass]

3 minutes ago, BassAdder60 said:

Ok Dimarzio DP123 loaded into my Player Jazz and … very different 

 

Firstly no more hum when one pup ON 

 

The change to the tone is quite dramatic and more dark deep and PBass like. 
 

With both pups on together sounds fuller and less “ mid suck “  and generally a hotter signal output too.

 

I think they are a good tonal upgrade and will be put through their paces very soon. 
 

TOP TIP: don’t use the Fender foam under the DP123 as it will be near on impossible to compress and get them low enough. 
I used some of the foam that came in the Dimarzio packaging ( less dense ) and it worked well. 

Sounds like you made a good choice. TBH consider changing the VVT to V -Blend-T. You achieve more flexibile tonal mix and a far better control over your sound.  

[Marty Forrer]

I have just put Model Js in my Sadowsky Metro Express Jazz. They are great! Much more heft, girth, phat, or whatever is the current jargon. Hum-cancelling too. The neck pickup soloed gets close to a P if required. Thoroughly recommended.

[3below]

I use a set in my Chowny SWB-1 and rate them very highly, good range of tones available. They were also worked really well when I used them in a Warwick Corvette.  Would happily buy another set.

Edited June 27, 2023 by 3below