Jazzmaster pickup comparison

[schoolie]

I am blown away by the set of Sunday (timbo) JM pickups that I just installed. I got a Sweet 59 in the neck, and a Woodchime in the bridge. Beautiful, clear tones and no shrill high end. I think this is my favorite set, so far.

[ohm-men]

Does anyone know what pickups Fender put in their "Vintera" Jazzmaster?
I have a Vintera IBM Jazzmaster and I really like these pickups a lot. The bridge had less output then the neck pu, but for some reason it does not bother me.

The discription of the "Vintera Jazzmaster pickups you find online tells you zip, other then "vintage sounding"....
This I find somewhat disapointing...

They have grey bobbins, like the AV "65, but I don't think they are te same as the AV "65. The output seams to differ, although not much.
I used to own a set of AV "65 (or whatever they are called) but I did not like them, way to harsh sounding even with the vol and tone rolled off quiete a bit. (I never liked the AV 62 Jazzmaster pick ups as well, so it must be me...)

[timtam]

Vinteras are wound in Mexico. AFAIK we don't have much good info on them. If they aimed to be like the MIA PV65's they would both be 6.8 kOhm DCR and 3.2h inductance (as measured on say DE-5000 LCR meter) - so PV65 bridge needs to be closer to the strings for similar output. Have you measured DCR on yours ?

PU ASSY 65 JAZZMASTER NK MEX AGD WHT 7716107000
PU ASSY 65 JAZZMASTER BRG MEX AGD WHT 7716108000

[ohm-men]

Thanks Timtam.

I measured both Vintera Jazzmaster pickups (while still in the guitar, lead circuit, vol and tone wide open as I didn't wanted to open up the guitar and grab a soldering iron just to get a reading from just the pick ups) I'm aware this is not "the way" to measure ressistance, but it get's in the ballpark.
and measured the following with my multimeter straight from the jack of a short guitar cable;

Neck pick up : 6.8 K Ohm
Bridge pick up : 6.44 K Ohm
Both pick ups : 3.33 K Ohm

I guess these have Alnico V magnets.
Construction wise they look a lot like the AV '65 Jm set,

The bridge pick up is indeed closer to the strings then the neck pick up (which sits quiet low, compared to the bridge pu) So both pick ups on sound very balanced. To me this guitar sounds like a Jazzmaster should.
My other jazzmaster (with a set of Peter Leonards/Pickup Wizzard's Jm pu's sounds very different, but these have a 8.1 K Ohm neck and 9.1 K Ohm bridge.) To me it seams as if the lower output pickups have more "magik" in them... they are more subtle and pick more "up" so to speak.

[AztecGold]

Anyone have long term experience with the Novak JM-PAF?

How do they sound/work in a JM? Especially compared to the Wide Range versions?

[ek11sx]

Curtis Novak’s new historic Jazzmaster pickups are incredible. I got the 60-64 matching set and I cannot be happier

[OV7]

Anyone have long term experience with the Novak JM-PAF?

How do they sound/work in a JM? Especially compared to the Wide Range versions?

I had a set for quite a while. Great sound, very quiet, and easy install. I had to adjust the polepieces a bit on the neck pickup to match volume between the bridge and neck pickups but nothing out of the ordinary. I sold them to get a set of Antiquity I pickups and really wish that I hadn't as now I've got all that Jazzmaster humming again!

[wotsch]

Oh, okay. Thank you!

Can anyone say something about the Creamery or Q pickups?

I have 3 Q_pickups sets .
The Jazzmaster vintage set , the Jazzmaster hybrid set and a Custom Jaguar set .

The 3 are awesome . I also have a Jazzmaster with Curtis Novak pickups ( JM-V and JM-FAT ) and the Q_pickups are different but they are really good .
I’m pretty amazed by his jazzzmaster hybrid set .
I also had a Jaguar with Fender Pure Vintage 65 pickups and I prefer The Q_pickups custom set .

Hey pikmin,

I know you posted your message a while ago, but I'm strongly thinking of changing the pickups in my JMJM for the Q hybrids that you mentioned. But it's hard to find resources out there to hear what they sound like...

Here is my question: do they sound like these?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIP5omjfWcA
As they are also Jazzmaster/P90 hybrids?

Thank you, your opinion would help a lot!!!

[pikmin]

Oh, okay. Thank you!

Can anyone say something about the Creamery or Q pickups?

I have 3 Q_pickups sets .
The Jazzmaster vintage set , the Jazzmaster hybrid set and a Custom Jaguar set .

The 3 are awesome . I also have a Jazzmaster with Curtis Novak pickups ( JM-V and JM-FAT ) and the Q_pickups are different but they are really good .
I’m pretty amazed by his jazzzmaster hybrid set .
I also had a Jaguar with Fender Pure Vintage 65 pickups and I prefer The Q_pickups custom set .

Hey pikmin,

I know you posted your message a while ago, but I'm strongly thinking of changing the pickups in my JMJM for the Q hybrids that you mentioned. But it's hard to find resources out there to hear what they sound like...

Here is my question: do they sound like these?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIP5omjfWcA
As they are also Jazzmaster/P90 hybrids?

Thank you, your opinion would help a lot!!!

Hi !

I will be home only on January 15 . I could make a video then .
Until that here’s a small live video with those pickups : https://fb.watch/apoYaCaSKI/
And a song from my other band I recorded with those pickups : https://youtu.be/BgNhKh8W_fk

[wotsch]

Wow, that's very kind of you - I don't want cause too much trouble! You don't seem to have much free time left!

I'll check out the links you shared and come back then. Thanks again!

[pikmin]

Wow, that's very kind of you - I don't want cause too much trouble! You don't seem to have much free time left!

I'll check out the links you shared and come back then. Thanks again!

What I can say is that the hybrid pickups have more output than vintage style pickups . But they still sound like Jazzmaster pickups and they are full and clear at the same time . Probably clearer that P90 .
I really love them . And everyone who has played on my JM loved them .
They sound great both clean and distorted .

[wotsch]

Hell, you got me convinced to give the hybrids a try! Your guitar sounds and looks amazing!
This will be my first change of pickups in ANY guitar, so this is quite exciting... And what I learned of reading here in the forum and other sites that you have to start at some point when it comes to trying different pickups.

I have a AM original 60s JM and Jaguar and I like the sound of the Pure Vintage pickups - and I don't want to start modding with these rather expensive instruments. That's why I got me a JMJM, and the P90-like pickups have something on them.

And I think you mentioned in antoher post that Q pickups deliver boutique quality at non-boutique prices - so this is definitely the way to go for me! Thanks for your help! It's absolutely invaluable!

[wotsch]

And I am from Austria, so Croatia is really close and in the EU which makes ordering from them additionally interesting.

[pikmin]

Yeah Q pickups are definitely boutique pickups as good as Novaks or Fralins for me and I can compare cause I have a set of Novaks and a set of Fralins on other Jazzmasters ...

[wotsch]

I always had the strong feeling that you know what you are talking about, so I didn't need any kind of proof, but BAM, here you go! You definitely know your pickups. As mentioned before, I'm just getting started with modding and changing pickups... I'm interested in Qs 1958 vintage JM pickups, for my AM original, for getting an old school surf sound.

But first things first - I will see how changing the pups on the JMJM will do...