Best Jazz Pickups?

jason30 · #1 11-27-2008, 08:49 AM

Just wanted to hear from you guys who you think makes the best sounding jazz pickups!!

I personally like the Gib 57 Classic! Very smooth tone! Let me know what you think!! Im sure that alot of you guys have tried many other pups.. So tell us what your favorite jazz pup is and why you like it!

Happy Thanksgiving Guys!

m78w · #2 11-27-2008, 08:52 AM

I have a Bill Lawrence on my bridge and a Gibson mini humbucker on my neck. I love them, they give a consistantly warm sound and I have never had any problems with them.

MW

jamesjohn · #3 11-30-2008, 11:18 PM

Buy EMG or Seymour Duncan pickups. They have a high output and a super clean sound.
I use Dimarzios on my old '63 Les paul. I play Jazz and rock and get that fat sound and also, the bite to play rock leads.

jason30 · #4 12-01-2008, 05:12 AM

Hey guys,

Thanks for the pickup advice that many of you offered. It has really helped me narrow down my decision on which one to go with. Over the weekend, i was out of town and found a Seymour Duncan jazz model pickup that i decided to go with. I just hope that it will give me the soud and tone that im looking for.

Thanks again,
jason30

Little Jay · #5 12-01-2008, 06:53 AM

You found your pickup already, but for the sake of information sharing I'd like to add this.

In my very cheap Japanese ES-175 copy brand-named "Condor", I installed 2 Golden Age humbuckers that I ordered from Stewart McDonald for $50 bucks each. I am very surprised by these low-budget picks, they deliver a perfect jazz-tone! Compared to the SD '59s I installed in my Epiphone Sheraton they sound more alive and show more character and very "round" and "brown". No sharpness at all!

The SD's deliver also a good job, being very neutral and clear sounding, which can be desirable for a jazz-tone, but maybe a bit thin sounding and uninspiring.

Kitsc · #6 12-10-2008, 12:46 AM

I want to replace the stock pickups on a Washburn J3. Does the type or brand of humbucker make a difference on a solid guitar vs hollow body such as the J3?

gary mitchell · #7 02-11-2009, 03:39 PM

back in the 90s i had a les paul standard someone had taken the pickups out of, replace them with some hot nasty junk dimarzios. i didnt have much money at the time,so some turn me on to the steward mcdonald golden age 50s, so i loaded the guitar with them, took it back to ulik music in wichita ks. we test it with another les paul know one could tell the differents. golden age 50s are great pickups and only 50 bucks.

Little Jay · #8 02-11-2009, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary mitchell

back in the 90s i had a les paul standard someone had taken the pickups out of, replace them with some hot nasty junk dimarzios. i didnt have much money at the time,so some turn me on to the steward mcdonald golden age 50s, so i loaded the guitar with them, took it back to ulik music in wichita ks. we test it with another les paul know one could tell the differents. golden age 50s are great pickups and only 50 bucks.

I recently compared my cheapo ES175 copy loaded with Golden Age pickups to my friend's 1968 single humbucker Gibson ES175.

Through a Peavey Transtube amplifier both guitars sounded gorgeous. Would you believe that both of us could hardly tell the difference in sound between both guitars with our eyes shut? (After some listening we concluded that the Gibson sounded a little tighter on the low strings.) Makes you wonder......

(but we might have just very bad ears

)

seagullc · #9 02-11-2009, 09:04 PM

Anyone have experience with Seymour Duncan Charlie Christian humbuckers? I'm thinking of putting them into a custom hollowbody that i'll be building soon.

Scolohofo · #10 02-13-2009, 10:06 AM

bartolini Ba 5 J

Bertrand tB · #11 02-14-2009, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scolohofo

bartolini Ba 5 J

YEAH, I have a (floating) Bartolini 5J (Johny Smith) on my Gretsch Synchromatic. I really love this one.

trtjazz · #12 02-15-2009, 09:22 AM

Benedetto pickups is another option as well

Silence · #13 02-15-2009, 10:32 AM

I have a SD, 59' in the neck position of my Telecaster. It really gives a thick jazzy tone whether or not I have my tone rolled down.

with the tone all the way up, I can get some pretty good slap and pop sounds as well.

gtr_5155 · #14 02-20-2009, 08:11 PM

Duncan and DiMarzio make great rock pickups,but check all the great hand builders and you will see they all use Kent armstrongs for jazz guitars.There was a review of a Stromberg Montreux in Premier Guitar,recently.The KA pickups were reportedly "better than anything Gibson is currently using"

trvlrtom · #15 03-15-2009, 03:48 PM

Does anyone use an EMG in the neck position of a tele?

C70man · #16 03-21-2009, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtr_5155

Duncan and DiMarzio make great rock pickups,but check all the great hand builders and you will see they all use Kent armstrongs for jazz guitars.There was a review of a Stromberg Montreux in Premier Guitar,recently.The KA pickups were reportedly "better than anything Gibson is currently using"

I have the Montreux with two vintage Kents on it. They sound great to me, but I nothing to compare them to.

seagullc · #17 03-21-2009, 04:28 PM

I still need to decide on some pickups for my semi hollowbody, maple neck and body with rosewood fretboard and laminate top. Looking for a Joe Pass kind of sound, very warm but articulate and with good dynamic range. I'm likely going to go with some Vintage Vibe humbucker sized Charlie Christian pickups or Benedetto humbuckers. What do you guys think?

C70man · #18 03-21-2009, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seagullc

I still need to decide on some pickups for my semi hollowbody, maple neck and body with rosewood fretboard and laminate top. Looking for a Joe Pass kind of sound, very warm but articulate and with good dynamic range. I'm likely going to go with some Vintage Vibe humbucker sized Charlie Christian pickups or Benedetto humbuckers. What do you guys think?

A friend of mine had a 1990 Joe Pass Epiphone....I didn't like the pickups on the Epi anywhere as much as the Kents on my Stromberg using the same amp for both.

seagullc · #19 03-21-2009, 04:46 PM

I meant that I wanted a tone similar to Joe Pass has, not the Joe Pass guitar. I definately wouldn't want to purchase epiphone pickups, i'm not even entirely happy with my Gibsons on my Les Paul.

I will look into Kent's pickups though.

Bertrand tB · #20 03-22-2009, 02:25 AM

Maybe you can look for a LOLLAR "Charley Christian" like pick up. Heard that these one's are also very good.

Scolohofo · #21 03-30-2009, 05:03 PM

Have a look at this one!

I wonder how that thing sounds and if it can be mount easely!?
This comment on the schaller website:Special pickups for mounting on the lower end of the neck of a western/jazz guitar. Adjustable for use on different widths. Sliding poles permit exact alignment to strings. To improve the sound properties the 2nd coil does not have magnets ("dummy coil"). Matt-black.Schaller Electronic | Western/Jazz pickups, flat, adjustable
To good to be trough?

ES350 · #22 03-31-2009, 12:52 PM

I have an old Bartolini in a McKerrihan 16" and that pickup is one of my faves...otherwise, the SD Seth Lovers are very nice in spruce top guitars. I am also partial to good P90's in some solidbodies...

ES350 · #23 03-31-2009, 02:18 PM

That Schaller is wound pretty hot at 10K, but that seems to be the trend with the Bennys and some other stuff. Lindy Fralin makes a nice neck mount pickup as well...

TSP · #24 04-12-2009, 08:52 AM

benedetto A6 B6 or PAF

Jake Hanlon · #25 04-12-2009, 09:02 AM

I have gibson 57's on my 335 and want to change them desperately. For stock pick ups they are alright, but really the dynamic response is shite, they don't match up to the quality and possibilities of the guitar.

If you want a PAF Humbucking PU then you go and you get Harmonic Design classic Humbuckers. These things are unbelievable, just absolutely amazing pick ups. Man do they respond to you or what... holy crap I want to get a pair ordered so bad, but they're like 200 a piece and hand made so there's a waiting list or something.

My 225 has vintage p90 pick ups and I never though I'd ever want a guitar with a single coil but these pick ups are so charming and so beautiful that once I get this guitar repaired up to a gigable level then I will feel bad for my 335 because she might spend a lot more time in the case then she's used to.

seagullc · #26 04-12-2009, 01:54 PM

I wound up ordering Vintage Vibe humbucker size single coil Charlie Christian pickups for my semi hollow build. I'll let you guys know how it sounds and put up some clips once it's done (won't be for a while sadly).

valriver40 · #27 05-08-2009, 08:20 AM

on my joe pass i installed gfs vintage 59's. great sounding pickup's for a very low cost.

C70man · #28 05-08-2009, 08:27 AM

I had a Joe Pass Epi for years, a '92. The vintage Kent's on my Stromberg sound like "Joe Pass" to me rather than the stock pickups that came on my Epi.

Never tried the gfs's.....glad you like them.

fast1 · #29 05-08-2009, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valriver40

on my joe pass i installed gfs vintage 59's. great sounding pickup's for a very low cost.

how much did you get it for?

reventlov · #30 05-08-2009, 11:19 AM

"I am also partial to good P90's"

Me too, I have a Casino with P90s and it has a good range of tones.

Pickup choice is obviously quite a personal thing, it's interesting to read the variety of different things folks prefer; there seems to be no general consensus about 'best' sounding pickup.

The best sound I ever had (for my tastes) for playing standard jazz was a Gretsch White Falcon guitar with Filtertron pickups, played through a Polytone Minibrute. Gretsches are rarely quoted as jazz instruments, but that combination of guitar and amp gave the most satisfyingly full tone I've played with. I no longer own the Gretsch, it was just too heavy for my aging spine to cope with - I was sad to see it go though, I loved it's sound dearly.