jazz pickups - noiseless recommendations wanted!

[carlsim]

I have a lovely Atelier Z DAL-5 which has the Atelier Z JBZ-5 pickups installed. I have changed the preamp to the Sadowsky on board as I wanted a passive tone control and as the pups are single coils, I do get a tiny bit of noise (well they are single coils!) when pups are isolated. 

In a normal gig situation it wouldn't be a problem, but I do a lot of theatre work and I notice it more and more these days.

So, I can't afford to splash out big, but what would be a good pair of noiseless hum cancelling pups that you fellow BCers would recommend? I don't want to get rid of the original pups, but I would like something quieter for the kind of work I do.

 

Any recommendations? 

[Hellzero]

An excellent full shielding of your bass would make a great improvement and you could keep those excellent single coil pickups. 😉

[carlsim]

18 hours ago, Hellzero said:

An excellent full shielding of your bass would make a great improvement and you could keep those excellent single coil pickups. 😉

 

@Hellzero do you really thing it will make much difference? I have some copper tape so could do this if you think it would fix it...

 

Do you mean preamp cavity only or pup cavities as well?

[Hellzero]

Both @carlsim and ground both of them otherwise it will be useless.

[Baloney Balderdash]

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Edited Wednesday at 10:50 by Baloney Balderdash
Two wrongs doesn't make a right... Changed my mind...

[Supernaut]

5 hours ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

.

Anyways

 

Nordstand pickups will see you right. 

[Chienmortbb]

On 03/03/2025 at 15:07, carlsim said:

I have a lovely Atelier Z DAL-5 which has the Atelier Z JBZ-5 pickups installed. I have changed the preamp to the Sadowsky on board as I wanted a passive tone control and as the pups are single coils, I do get a tiny bit of noise (well they are single coils!) when pups are isolated. 

In a normal gig situation it wouldn't be a problem, but I do a lot of theatre work and I notice it more and more these days.

So, I can't afford to splash out big, but what would be a good pair of noiseless hum cancelling pups that you fellow BCers would recommend? I don't want to get rid of the original pups, but I would like something quieter for the kind of work I do.

 

Any recommendations? 

DiMarzio are humbuckers in a Jazz housing but do sound like a jazz Pup.

[fingerz]

I've never owned the DiMarzio's but I've heard them and think I would definitely consider those in your position. The Bartolini B Axis are also a nice 'single coil ish sounding' hum bucker - to my ear they are slightly smoother and more compressed but it depends what you're used to/aiming for. FWIW I came to the conclusion that single coils balanced reject noise well and sound better than lots of Humbuckers do so I generally stick with single coils. Sounds like you don't have the option, but worth mentioning. 

[jonnybass]

I have Nordstrand hum cancelling jazz pickups (NJ4SE) in a jazz bass and a Lindy Fralin humcancelling jazz bridge pickup in a PJ bass.  Both are great sounding pickups IMO.  

 

Jonny

[Hellzero]

I think that nobody saw that @carlsim needs some 5 strings pickups...

[carlsim]

1 minute ago, Hellzero said:

I think that nobody saw that @carlsim needs some 5 strings pickups...

That is true - I have been looking at the B axis pups - I had a pair on a Sei Jazz I had years ago and they nice and silent. Although I think i am going to try a full shielding first before I change the pups. I would much rather keep the bass as is...

 

I will do a couple of noise floor tests - a before and after and hopefully post some results! Be a worthy test.

[Hellzero]

Don't forget to ground the 3 cavities after shielding them. 😉

[fretmeister]

I like the original EMG J pickups. They were designed to be like 60s J pickups but without any hum.

There's some good Bobby Vega and Guy Pratt vids of them - they both use them.

 

The only thing I would say is that the stock Tone control doesn't go as dark as a regular tone control can, if that is an issue.