Jazzmaster pickup comparison

[fisonic]

Threw a set of Lollar JMs on my AVRI about a week ago. Wow, these get that vintage sound that a vintage reissue deserves. THe staggered pole peices are nice touch. Only thing is that the Ivory covers, which look great, are a darker tone than the stock vintage knobs. So, the search begins for some darker vintage style knobs.

Any suggestions. Thanks in advance.

[alberto2000]

Anyone can tell me what song that is which is being played in the neck pickup clips?

[southpaw219]

These comparisons are amazing. Thank you for posting them!

Still, I'm no closer to making up my mind ... the Novak JM-V in the Neck position clip sounds very bottom-heavy compared to the Lollar in the same position. I'm not saying this is bad, per se, but it sounds in the clip like it's too much (signal, load? I don't know the technical term), so there is some distortion, whereas the Lollar clip is clean throughout. Meanwhile, the clip with two JM-Vs together sounds superb...

I'd intended to put a JM-V in the neck position and a JM-Fat in the bridge position, but I'm a little wary of the JM-V neck after listening to that pickup's neck clip. Also, there is no example of the JM-Fat in the bridge position, but the clip of it in the neck position sounds great. Am I misguided in thinking the Fat pickup would be better suited for the bridge pickup? I know it's a single coil, but if it's meant to have a beefier sound, that's in keeping with the philosophy that puts humbuckers at the bridge in H-S guitars.

At the moment, I've got Seymour Duncan Vintage for Jazzmaster pickups in my cart at Warmoth. I listened to the clips on the Duncan website and I think they sound great. I gather, though, that they are considered lower-grade than the Antiquities.

The AVRI pups sound pretty good, too, though. All the options are driving me a little crazy.

A lot of folks are on the boutique bandwagon. There's got to be something to it. But I'm still stuck.

[spacecadet]

At the moment, I've got Seymour Duncan Vintage for Jazzmaster pickups in my cart at Warmoth. I listened to the clips on the Duncan website and I think they sound great. I gather, though, that they are considered lower-grade than the Antiquities.

I went through this discussion myself about 2 years ago and if I recall correctly, the basic gist is that the "vintage" pickups are modern mass-produced pickups made to basically vintage specs (though what "vintage" year they're most similar to I'm not sure), whereas the "antiquity" pickups are hand-made pickups made the same way the originals were for the eras they're trying to represent that are then chemically (and otherwise) aged to simulate what a vintage pickup would sound like today.

I went with the antiquity II's and I could not be happier. I don't know now but a couple years ago there was not much difference in price, so if this is your choice I am not sure why you'd really go with the vintage ones unless you want that brighter sound. I think the vintage ones are basically made to compete with the AVRI's; the antiquities are made to compete with the other boutique brands (though SD won't make them to order).

[Green angel]

Anyone can tell me what song that is which is being played in the neck pickup clips?

Hi!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU-RHAHWMNM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[southpaw219]

I am not sure why you'd really go with the vintage ones unless you want that brighter sound.

Sadly, I don't know what I want, with regard to sound. I only knew that I wanted the Jazzmaster body, which finish and that tremolo, which suits my style since I'm not a dive-bomb kind of guy. As for pickups ... I'm still at a loss for precisely how I want the string vibration to be induced and amplified.

Those clips were helpful because it gave me an aural point of reference for a number of different combinations, but I think I need still to hear some things in person, the result of my playing. I'm not sure any of the shops near me even stock any Jazzmasters, certainly not lefties, but I can play upside down and backwards for the purpose of testing the pups.

I'm leaning toward Novaks right now: JM-V neck and JM-90 for the bridge. But I've got 10-12 weeks until the body and neck arrive, so that's a lot of time to change my prone-to-changing mind.

[Green angel]

These comparisons are amazing. Thank you for posting them!

Still, I'm no closer to making up my mind ... the Novak JM-V in the Neck position clip sounds very bottom-heavy compared to the Lollar in the same position. I'm not saying this is bad, per se, but it sounds in the clip like it's too much (signal, load? I don't know the technical term), so there is some distortion, whereas the Lollar clip is clean throughout. Meanwhile, the clip with two JM-Vs together sounds superb...

Thanks!
About the Novak JM-V indeed it has more mid-bass than the Lollar set, it perhaps sounds less "Hi-Fi" with clean but fuller with crunch, overdrive and distorsion, although the Novak JM-V is far from a P90, it stays clean even when you slap the strings.
What kind of music do you play? What is your favourite guitar sound and what's your amp/cab?

[Barbe Bleue]

is it me or it feels like you can get more or less the sound of any mic you want by tweaking the treble/med/heavy knobs on your amp?

[Green angel]

is it me or it feels like you can get more or less the sound of any mic you want by tweaking the treble/med/heavy knobs on your amp?

On certain limit it's true, though you can tweak the tone knob during an hour it will be hard to get a Novak tone from a Japanese pup.

[GAZINGUK]

Just thought I would update this thread again by adding the following from here in the UK.

The Creamery (Jazzmaster pickups used by Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand):

http://www.at-the-creamery.co.uk/scatte ... ckups.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also here are some new ones on eBay made by Heywood Pickups:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jazzmaster-Pi ... 2832wt_907" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Or you can check out their website:

http://www.hoaglandbrothersguitarcompany.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bulletbennyc]

Great comparison! I echo the gratitude expressed by other members of the forum. My favorites were the Lollars and the Antiquity Is. I found that the Lollars had a lush, full range tone where all the frequency ranges sit in a great niche. The Antiquity I's sounded pretty great as well but with a little more high end bite.

[GAZINGUK]

I forgot to post these ones too by Vintage Vibe Guitars:

http://www.vintagevibeguitars.com/windo ... zzWin.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

These are the vintage one's but there is also a P90 for Jazzmaster version too!

Also check out catswhiskerpickups as he makes a vintage, P90 and wide range humbucker pickup for Jazzmasters:

http://www.catswhiskerpickups.co.uk/page2.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.catswhiskerpickups.co.uk/page3.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.catswhiskerpickups.co.uk/page6.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's an auction for the Wide Range Humbucker for Jazzmaster here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CATSWHISKER-PIC ... 500wt_1204" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[GAZINGUK]

Here's some more:

Klein Pickups:

http://www.kleinpickups.com/p-232-jazzm ... ckups.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mojo Pickups:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mojo-Pickups- ... 500wt_1156" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Woody's Pickups and Parts

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jazzmaster-Pick ... 591wt_1141" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Brock the Mod]

I'd intended to put a JM-V in the neck position and a JM-Fat in the bridge position, but I'm a little wary of the JM-V neck after listening to that pickup's neck clip. Also, there is no example of the JM-Fat in the bridge position, but the clip of it in the neck position sounds great. Am I misguided in thinking the Fat pickup would be better suited for the bridge pickup? I know it's a single coil, but if it's meant to have a beefier sound, that's in keeping with the philosophy that puts humbuckers at the bridge in H-S guitars.

I actually have the JMV neck and JMFAT bridge and I think its the best combination I had! The JMV sounds lovely and the JMFAT deliverers a very full sound (better then the JMV in the bridge according to some).

[jazzman]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to this site so please forgive the basic information. I recently upgraded my Japanese Stock Jazzmaster Pickups with Jess Louriero pre CBS handwound pickups and I created a quick comparison between the two. The recordings are done using Guitar Rig Session I/O directly into Ableton Live and start from the bridge position to middle to neck and then rhythm circuit. I hope these work. His website is http://www.jlguitars.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and the prices are very reasonable.

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single ... D=11141230" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single ... D=11141231" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;