Opinions on Samarium Cobalt Noiseless Jazz Bass Pickups or SCN Generally

pintspiller

I've had a Squier VM Jazz for a couple of years and thinking about upgrading the pick-ups.

The SCN pick-ups from Fender Mod Shop seem to be going for affordable money on Ebay, so I'm tempted to make the jump.

I haven't played out for two years and nothing I have been involved with since seems to take off or last (the usual story), so I do not wish to spend anything over £100 unless I know I'll be playing regularly and earning some cash with the instrument.

Noiseless seems like a sensible option for an upgrade right?

steamabacus

I can't answer your question about the SCN pickups but you might want to consider a set of Tonerider pickups. I put a Tonerider Precision Plus pickup in my Squier Precision bass and I'm extremely happy with it. Sounds good (considerably better than the stock p/ups), proper vintage style construction (unlike the stock p/ups) and not expensive at all. The Precision Plus was around £35 if I remember. I think a Jazz set would be somewhere around £60 -£70.

guitarfishbay

My view on noiseless sets I've heard (Delano, and Fender) is the soloed pickups sound good, but the in between position and blends thereof have less character than a regular set of single coils. The best sounding set I've heard so far are the Fender Custom Shop 60s, they come as standard on the American Standard Jazz bass if you want to hear them at a shop.

pintspiller

I wonder if "less character" is something that can be remedied by use of EQ or if it's a little bit of a personal-taste thing, like brands strings (I'm using Rotosounds at the moment, but they lack something when compared to the original strings that I assume were Fender's own).

thermionic

I think the consensus is that Squier CV basses have Tonerider pickups in them (or at least they come from the same production line). I don't know about the VM basses though, they might be something completely different.

Wilkinson Jazz Bass pickups are pretty good on a budget. The set I had sounded better and were much better made than a set which came out of a MIM Standard.

pintspiller

When I was checking out the basses, I could not see how the MIM could cost £200 more than the VM. In fact, I was not sure that the MIM was actually better, but some things are subjective and a matter of personal taste. I am certain that noise less will be of benefit. I do not gig a lot generally, despite still referring g to myself as semi-professional (I haven't given lessons in almost two decades either), and am convinced the noise/hum I experienced at my last pub gig was because I was virtually leaning back against the PA cabs.

guitarfishbay

It is definitely a taste thing with regards to noiseless vs normal single coils.  When both pickups are on a regular single coil Jazz bass is noise cancelling, but it also has a very distinctive scooped mids sound in this position (and more so than noiseless sets I've heard).  As you reduce the volume on one pickup you start to introduce noise.  A noiseless pickup guitar will be noiseless in all positions.

If you are near a Fender dealer you can hear for yourself by comparing a US Standard to a US Deluxe/Elite set to passive mode.  I've not yet tried the Elites myself.

If the VM you played was better, and cheaper than the MIM then seems like a good choice, and the £200 difference could go to covering whatever pickup change you wanted.

pintspiller

guitarfishbay said:

As you reduce the volume on one pickup you start to introduce noise>

Mmm. I'm beginning to wonder if wiring both pickups to one volume and improving EMI shielding could be a better option.