Jazzmaster Pickups!!!!

thezdog15

I've had my AVRI 62' reissue JM since about september (dream come true!) but haven't loved the pickups. Since the guitar itself cost a good hunk of cash i haven't been able to consider upgrades until this time. I love my neck pickup but the bridge is a bit too chimey for me. I was something possibly with a bit more... hmmm... how should i put this? Tone? I want a more whole sounding pickup. A while back i tried the Thurston Moore JM and liked the Antiquity II's from what i remember. I have also heard good things about the Novak pickups. Anybody have experience with these pups? And what would you suggest? Thanks!

(I really dig Nels Cline's tones)!!!

Earth

Its not so much the pickups, its the 1Meg pots that make it chimey, bright,thin...whatever you wanna call it. As JM pickups are very warm and thick sounding with the right pots.

If you reduce the lead circuit volume pot to 250k it will be very different.

Changing pickups will change the sound somewhat depending on which ones you buy but not as much as reducing the ohms of the volume pot. 500k is still a little bright IMO, I like 300k but the only 300K pots I know of are Gibsons (however I'm sure mouser sell 300k CTS pots) but luckily they are a direct replacement for AV JM pots.

Same size, shaft etc.

So I would try this before buying a new pickup as its a cheaper and a fix you're possibly gonna like more anyways.

And an advance answer to a stupid question some people ask, yes, it will still sound like a jazzmaster! 😁

AngryHatter

thezdog15 said:
I've had my AVRI 62' reissue JM since about september (dream come true!) but haven't loved the pickups. Since the guitar itself cost a good hunk of cash i haven't been able to consider upgrades until this time. I love my neck pickup but the bridge is a bit too chimey for me. I was something possibly with a bit more... hmmm... how should i put this? Tone? I want a more whole sounding pickup. A while back i tried the Thurston Moore JM and liked the Antiquity II's from what i remember. I have also heard good things about the Novak pickups. Anybody have experience with these pups? And what would you suggest? Thanks!
(I really dig Nels Cline's tones)!!!

You could buy your heroes guitar and you still won't sound like him.

Tone is from the fingers, not the guitar or the amp, pickups or stomp box.

😀

chunkachunka

250k 500k pots !!!!

Maybe try turning the volume down on your guitar & up on the amp. I also swapped the tone cap for a .05uf wax paper repro from E-Bay ($6), & the whole guitar warmed up.

But seriously the 1 meg pot goes from 1 meg to Zero, so at half setting on a linear taper pot, the value is halved(500k). If you can find no use for the higher range & want a 500k pot, solder a 1meg resistor(cheap) to the two outside tags of your volume pot & bingo, now you have a 500k pot.

The main problem with volume pots is that they don,t maintain the highs when rolled off(I know, stay with me here). A treble retention cap/resitor combo might help maintain a certain linearity through the range. You can the adjust the EQ down on your amp so it doesn,t sound too shrill.

Other things that affect tone:

Pickup Height, Effects pedals(even the good ones suck tone), Leads etc. So when checking your guitars sound it is important to have a good lead & plug the guitar directly into the amp to assess the volumes influence on tone. Iv,e had some pedals that turned to mud & others that actually brightened up when the volume was turned down.