Mic for JazzBass bridge?

[MyBass]

Hi there. I am Maryse, french bass and double bass player.

I would like to change the actual N3 mic I have on my American Deluxe bought in 2011. I have already bought a Fender vintage PB '63 and I am looking for the JB bridge mic to change. I am a great fan of SD mic and I love to custome my instruments.

The fact is that I can't test mics... So I am asking to the fan SD community to help me in my quest, because the specifications I read on the website are not enough for making an idea of the sound.

I am not fan of the classic mid-range of a traditionnal JB pickup. I'm looking for something with more low range and mid low range, with no excessive sustain. And I will play only into the passive mode. Could you please guide me toward something that could match?

I wish you all a beautiful day, week, month, year and life.

Maryse

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

Welcome to the forum.

I am going to assume that you have a stock, fretted, Fender Deluxe American Precision Bass.

The options for the tonality that you describe, full noise-cancellation and in a long Jazz Bass pickup format are limited. In my opinion, the Seymour Duncan regular production line does not contain anything that fits the bill. Therefore, I suggest something with side-by-side coils and increased output to better balance with the Precision Bass style pickup.

1) Bartolini 9JL #4
2) DiMarzio DP123 Model J

NOTE - This DiMarzio design pickup is sold only in pairs.

 

[MyBass]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

I am going to assume that you have a stock, fretted, Fender Deluxe American Precision Bass.

Yes. I wasn't very precise on it, but you assumed well!

Therefore, I suggest something with side-by-side coils and increased output to better balance with the Precision Bass style pickup.
1) Bartolini 9JL #4
2) DiMarzio DP123 Model J

In fact, Bartolini and DiMarzio were my two other choices. But it's true that it's difficult to choose only with writed specifications... My first choice was in fact on the 9J-L1. Is it the qame you gave me? Hoping that it wouldn't be too "modern" compare to the PB Vintage'63 (that will be on my bass tomorrow evening).

Well thank you for your point of view, funkfingers!

Edit: Excuse for my english but does mean "side by side coils"?

 

[Liko]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

Just to be pedantic (I try not to be, especially with non-English speakers, but here there's an important distinction), the English word for the device on the instrument that senses the strings' vibration is called a "pickup", not a "microphone"; you would call it a "capteur" (transducer) in French. A microphone also has a transducer, but it is coupled to a diaphragm that vibrates with the air, while a pickup is specifically designed not to be sensitive to vibrations in the air in order to avoid feedback. Microphones are often used with electric bass, but usually at the other end of the signal chain, capturing what's coming out of the speaker.

With that out of the way, you want a Jazz pickup for the bridge position of a PJ bass. You want less mids and more low end than a traditional Jazz pickup would give you. If you need a noiseless pickup, I'd recommend the DiMarzio Ultra Jazz; it's a little more scooped than a vintage voiced pickup but still has enough of the "Jazz burp" that you know you're playing a Jazz pickup. If you need more than that, the SD Quarter-Pounder Jazz pickup is very beefy and scooped, probably the most "modern" voicing you'll find in a bridge pickup.

Understand that a lot of the tone you're getting from your bridge pickup is due solely to the pickup being close to the bridge. The strings' fundamental frequency is diminished because the pickup is placed close to the anchor point of the string, so what you get from the bridge position is more higher harmonics. You're not going to change that fundamental quality of the sound with a new pickup, certainly not one designed to replace a Jazz pickup.

 

[MyBass]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

Just to be pedantic, because microphones are also used with bass but in different ways, the English word for the device on the instrument that senses the strings' vibration is called a "pickup", not a "microphone"; you would call it a "capteur" (transducer) in French. A microphone also has a transducer, but it is coupled to a diaphragm that vibrates with the air, while a pickup is designed not to be sensitive to vibrations in the air.

Yes of course. English is far more precise! In french we use "micro" for everything... magnetic pickup, piezo, "real" microphone (transducer and diaphragm). In fact, we do not have a real translation for pickup... Even "capteur" is not often used. I use it instead "piezo" for my doublebass world, or any little thing that is directly put on the bass (even a contact microphone). For an electric bass or guitar, we will say "micro"... stupid but stupids understand each others

Understand that a lot of the tone you're getting from your bridge pickup is due solely to the pickup being close to the bridge. The strings' fundamental frequency is diminished here compared to the neck pickup, so what you get are the higher harmonics. You're not going to change that fundamental quality of the sound with a new pickup, certainly not one marketed as a Jazz pickup. Maybe a Music Man pickup.

Of course! I know it (I am a piano tuner also) but it wasn't in my thinking! Thank you for putting your finger on it (direct and improbable translation from french )

What do you mean by "scooped", regarding the DiMarzio? And "Beefy" for the SD Quarter pounder?

Thank you Liko for your tips!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

There are two basic ways to construct a noise-cancelling version of a, normally, single coil pickup. Such a pickup must have two coils. These can either be;
1) stacked vertically and run the full length of the pickup
2) divided so that one coil senses the E and A strings whilst the second coil senses the D and G.

The Bartolini 9JL and DiMarzio Model J adopt the second method.

 

[Liko]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

Excuse for my english but does mean "side by side coils"?

First, understand that any "hum-cancelling" guitar or bass pickup is designed with two coils of wire, with one coil wound the opposite way around the polepieces, and its magnetic polepieces facing the opposite way (or the wire leads of the coil connected the opposite way). This is known as "reverse-wound, reverse-polarity". The net result is that the "signal" current produced in the coils by the vibrating string is exactly (or very nearly) the same between the two coils, but the "noise" produced by other electrical devices nearby ends up out of phase between the two coils and so it is cancelled out.

The trick, when creating a pickup that looks and sounds like a traditional "single-coil" pickup but is actually hum-cancelling, is how to fit two coils into the space of a pickup originally designed to have only one. For Jazz bass pickups, there are two basic strategies:

* A "stacked" pickup places the second, hum-cancelling coil underneath the first one:

* A "side-by-side" pickup is essentially two pickups in the place of one; two of the bass's strings are picked up by one coil, the other two by the second coil:

Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses. Theoretically, neither design can exactly reproduce the output and tone of the single-coil pickup it's intended to replace, because the laws of electromagnetism mean that very small differences in one or more variables inherent in the pickup's construction can have a large effect on the resulting electrical signal. However, they can get pretty darn close, and if you don't want the tone of a vintage pickup (which you don't; too middy, not enough bass) then the tonal differences aren't a concern to you, so just pick the pickup with the most bass and the least mids in that position.

 

[Liko]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

What do you mean by "scooped", regarding the DiMarzio? And "Beefy" for the SD Quarter pounder?

"Scooped" referred to a frequency response that emphasizes bass and treble and de-emphasizes midrange. The resulting frequency diagram (Fourier histogram or similar) looks like it's has a scoop taken out of it:

"Beefy" is a vague adjective, I'll admit, not unlike most words English-speaking guitarists use to describe tone. It's a rough synonym of "full", basically conjuring images of a "substantial" tone that has a lot of bass and low mids without sacrificing the treble and becoming "muddy" or "boomy". It's one of those qualities that experienced players and music enthusiasts will say they "know it when they hear it".

 

[MyBass]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

Whaou! Guys, you are fantastics!! Thank you so much fo all these explanations!

 

[BlueTalon]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

I love the side-by-side coil pickups! (Also known as "split-coil" and "dual inline coil") My favorite is the Fender Super 55, in my opinion it is a much better Fender pickup than the N3. Fender stopped making them, but you can still find them around.

I don't know what the market in France is like, but fortunately there are many makers of such side-by-side coil pickups.
Aguilar 4J-HC
Bartolini 9J-L1, 9CBJD-L1
Delano JC4 AL/M2, JMVC 4 FE/M2, JC 4 HE/M2
DiMarzio Model J, Area J , Ultra Jazz
Nordstrand NJ4SE, NJ4SV
Seymour Duncan Apollo

 

[Mincer]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

The new Apollo Jazz Bass pickups are side-by-side humbuckers that add more low mids, and power to traditional J bass sounds. They might just be the ones to work for you.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

Are they freely available yet in Europe?

 

[MyBass]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

Well guys, thank you again for all these informations and links.

For the Market in France/Europe well, I can't find all the things you gave me, but we know now that the world is a little village.

I am actually quite interested by the DiMarzio UltraJazz and Apollo JB. I know Bartolini, I like the sound but I am quite sceptical for a combination with Fender vintage '63. Don't know... And I missed my appointment with the guy who could put it on my bass so now I have to wait 6 weeks.

I knock on different french shop to know what they can have. If it's too difficult, I will try in the US.

 

[MyBass]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

Hi there! Just to be sure that I am not making a mistake, do you agree that this one: http://www.thomann.de/fr/dimarzio_dp148.htm?ref=search_rslt_dimarzio++ultra+jazz_152386_2 and this one: http://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/bass/standard-bass/ultra-jazz-bridge are the same?

For the moment, it seems that I can't find the Apollo JB in Europe.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

That is the correct size for the "bridge" position on your Fender bass.

The DiMarzio should have four output conductor wires plus a bare for grounding. In the event that the two pickups turn out electrically out-of-phase, simply reverse the red and green conductors on the DP148. (This would be impossible with the Bartolini 9JL.)

 

[Mincer]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

Are they freely available yet in Europe?

Is anything? With any new product made in the US, we get it first here, but it takes a little bit of time to make it around the world. But they can order it.

 

[MyBass]

Re: Mic for JazzBass bridge?

The DiMarzio should have four output conductor wires plus a bare for grounding. In the event that the two pickups turn out electrically out-of-phase, simply reverse the red and green conductors on the DP148. (This would be impossible with the Bartolini 9JL.)

Great. Thank you for the tip.