Scored some US re-issue JM pups...

[Jay]

So I scored a pair of re-issue JM pups on eBay for the nice price of $60 shipped.  What's typically the verdict on these?  Do they resemble vintage pups at all in tone?

[momunist]

good score at that price

[flatfiver]

I like the Seymour Duncans I have in my CIJ JM better, personally.  The AVRI pickups sound a little stringent to me.  I'd say they have a great deal of cut but very little body.

[Jay]

Which Duncans have you got?  Out of my three vintage JMs, the '61 has a very mellow sound, the wierdo grey bobbin pups dated '62 are the best IMO, very bright and punchy, and my '65s are kinda somewhere in between.  I'm hoping these may sound rather like the '62s and will be a great set to put aside in case my Jazzblaster project doesn't end up wowing me.

[flatfiver]

I've got the Duncan Hot for Jazzmaster in the bridge position and the Duncan Vintage for Jazzmaster in the neck.  I'm not crazy about the character of the Hot, but the tone is okay, if that makes sense.  Generally speaking the Duncans are pretty well-balanced: not too bright, not muddy, and with a decent midrange.  I'd definitely call the AVRI pickups bright, but I don't know about punchy.  Not that they're bad pickups by any means, I'm just not nuts about them.  $60 for the pair is a hell of a deal.

[aen]

I've got a duncan quarter puner in the neck, and an AV in thebridge.  I like them a lot, but a paperclip wound with goat hair owudl have been an improvement over the stock japanese pickups.

[JazzBlaster]

they aren't bad. I have had duncans in my MIJ forever cause back in the day that's all you could get. great score at that price!