Bass Vi pickup suggestions? Standard Jazzmaster body.

Creed_Clicks · July 2021

Hi guys. Any suggestions on what pickups might be good for a Bass VI conversion on a standard JM body? Either JM sized or HB sized that would fit in a JM route, with the right pickup surrounds.
I am aware it's neither a bass or a guitar, but am thinking your standard JM pickups might not work best? Or maybe they would?

Funkfingers · July 2021

Fender/Squier has issued baritone instruments with Jazzmaster pickups. (It is possible that some of these were single coils of P90 proportions, disguised under JM covers.)

The forum "village bicycle" Harley-Benton Mosrite-alike baritone left me with two Sky/Armstrong P90s in lieu of proper Mosrite single coils.

Dyna-Sonics or Filter'Trons should confer a combination of twang and grit.

Humbuckers under JM covers are the work of people like Curtis Novak, The Creamery and Mojo.

FWIIW, the stock pickups from my Fender AV65 are languishing in a parts drawer, sans covers and with their output conductors cut to the usual Jazzmaster cable run lengths.

Creed_Clicks · July 2021

Hmmm. Not sure if the standard JM pickup would suit an E to E tuning. Maybe I should look for single coils in JM housing etc or P90s.

paganskins · July 2021

The Japanese ones had a JM looking pickup in the bridge position, but was it really or a hum bucker in disguise?

Image: https://images.contentful.com/r1mvpfown1y6/5P6Wc4lf8IKqeo6kMSKUI0/1175e3924f600422393b6d64efb99262/Screen_Shot_2016-12-05_at_10.18.20_AM.png

Owning a squire VI I'd be looking for as bright a pickup as possible to avoid anything using more than two strings sounding muddy, the strangle/bass roll-off circuit is useful in this respect too.

Funkfingers · July 2021

Creed_Clicks said:
Maybe I should look for single coils in JM housing.

Fender Jazzmaster pickups (and all good replicas) are single coils.

Even the nasty Squier J Mascis and Fender mk1 American Pro pickups are single coils - just not necessarily in the right proportions.

tanihhiavlt · July 2021

Are you wanting it to sound like a Bass Vi or something else? No wrong answers, mind

I've made a Bass VI from USACG parts - initially I had single coils and aspirations of getting the Curtis Novak ( https://www.curtisnovak.com/shop/bass-vi-1961/)

But settled for a raucous single coils - now I've got Jaguar pickups and at some stage will need to re-route and replace the pickguardian pickup.

I personally use the bass VI as a rhythm guitar that can provide basslines ( all chords are built around the G and D string ) - that said I sold my Jazz Bass and kept this... who knows maybe Jack Bruce, Noel Redding, Glen Campbell and Mary Kaye were onto something

There is someone here selling Jaguar-sized p90s from The Creamery - I'd be tempted to give them a shot

Creed_Clicks · July 2021

@Funkfingers my mistake, indeed they are, I keep making the mistake thinking they are more of a P90 style...

Creed_Clicks · July 2021

@tanihhiavlt not sure what I want it to sound like. I suppose it won't sound like a BASS bass but as a low E to E, it should be in that ballpark where I can use the G to E for chords and melodies, open strings etc, E A and D for power chord type stuff. Will stick some effects in there as well, but of generous fuzz at times....

ICBM · July 2021

Creed_Clicks said:

@Funkfingers my mistake, indeed they are, I keep making the mistake thinking they are more of a P90 style...

P90s are also single coils.

In answer to the original question, personally I would go with Jazzmaster pickups if the body is routed for them. JM pickups are deep, clear and punchy, which is exactly what I would look for in a baritone/Bass Vi pickup.

tanihhiavlt · July 2021

my experience is E and A barre chords only sound clear above the 10th fret, mine is wired like a 61 without the strangle, mind

but I seem to recall having that option on a push-pull tone once... this is on a Silverface Twin or a Cornell Romany so YMMV. I use G, D and C barres or fragments to get the chords I like - those can sound weak on guitar - but they won't on a bass vi

Creed_Clicks · July 2021

i’ll keep my eye out, might get a used set.

PhilKing · July 2021

Mojo makes the original style Bass VI pickups, depending on how much you want to spend.

Funkfingers · July 2021

tanihhiavlt said:

I personally use the bass VI as a rhythm guitar that can provide basslines ( all chords are built around the G and D string )

Er, you have not actually stated what tuning you adopt.

My habit on six string, 30" scale instruments is ADGCEA or BEADF#B.

tanihhiavlt said:
There is someone here selling Jaguar-sized P90s from The Creamery - I'd be tempted to give them a shot

I was tempted by those for a project Squier CV Jaguar. I decided against partly because I feared they might sound too fat but mainly because my guitar has a fret issue.

Creed_Clicks said:

bit of generous fuzz at times.

This is where baritone guitars and Fender offsets excel. Double stops often work better than full chords. Octave pedals add to the fun. (Think: John Paul Jones riffs on eight string bass.)

tanihhiavlt · July 2021

Standard Bass VI tuning - EADGBE (an octave below the guitar)..
I have had it tuned CFBbEbGC with Ibanex Baritone strings once or twice...

Creed_Clicks · July 2021

I plan on tuning it E to E, standard Bass Vi tuning. I had baritones before, liked them, but for a few reasons didn't keep them very long. I can see the E to E fitting into what I'd like to do (in my head anyway!)

Seziertisch · July 2021

G&L Treble and Bass tone controls would greatly increase flexibility.

meltedbuzzbox · July 2021

paganskins said:

The Japanese ones had a JM looking pickup in the bridge position, but was it really or a hum bucker in disguise?

Owning a squire VI I'd be looking for as bright a pickup as possible to avoid anything using more than two strings sounding muddy, the strangle/bass roll-off circuit is useful in this respect too.

I would guess that would probably be wound like a strat pickup. That's usually how a Japanese jm pickup pans out

Creed_Clicks · July 2021

Ordered a used CIJ set of pickups anyways so will start from there...

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Bass Vi pickup suggestions? Standard Jazzmaster body.

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