Favorite Jazzmaster pickups

I recently bought a Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster. I believe it has some kind of mid-60s reissue pick ups. Having no experience with Fender guitars not called Telecaster, I'm pretty happy with them. Brighter than P-90s, but articulate and good sounding. Anxious to see the responses. I need an education.

 

My partscaster has Fender AVRI 65 pickups in it and they sound sweet. They can handle clean and overdriven sounds with ease and they won't break the bank.

 

www.ocduffpickups.com

Owen winds some great pickups. He has several flavors of Jazzmasters.

Usually a quick turn around time too.

 

SD Antiquity 2s in my 2000 MIM sound even better than the stock gray bobbin originals in my 1965 MIA.

 

While we're at it, can anyone comment on the Squire VM stock Jazzmaster pickups compared to some of these?

 

They sound more like a Jazzmaster than MIJ pickups.

 

I didn't like the hot pups in my Classic Player JM special so put American Vintage '62's in it. I really like the tone of them, they seem pretty good 'ol JM to me.

I don't think you can get them anymore (new). Now they are 65's.


Found these though, part numbers are correct ('62)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-Aged-White-Jazzmaster-pickup-set-of-2-neck-and-bridge-/282376268095

 

You know, today I got to know mine a bit better thru my champ clone with 2-8"'s and thought, "what a unique sound." I really quite liked it.

 

I was lucky to pick up a pair of these Kinman Fatmasters used. I have to say they are my favorite Jazzmaster pickups. I've tried two vintage jazzmasters owned by friends with vintage Jazzmaster pickups and while both had amazing necks and a great weight (lighter than most modern ones) these are the best pickups I've tried. Heresy, I know.

 

Very nice indeed.

 

I like the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Jazzmaster pickups.

 

I also have a Troy Van Leeuwan Jazzmaster and I do like the vintage-voiced pickups in it. That said, I'm also interested in bumping up the fatness and sustain a bit and the Kinmans sound absolutely fantastic!

 

Have tried Antiquity 2s, some old Lollars and currently have a Novak JMV+JMT setup... The Lollars were kind of dark and overwound sounding (not sure if they match his current models though) and I really missed the sparkle. Got the Novaks and have been pretty happy ever since... Tried another guitar with the Antiquity 2s and wasn't overly thrilled BUT that guitar wasn't as well setup and dialled in as mine so I think the comparison wasn't really fair. They sounded pretty nice and sparkly though...

 

I'm very happy with the GFS pickups that I put in my VM Jazzmaster. They sound nice to me.

 

The Fender AVRI are excellent for those glassy clean tones and they take distortion and fuzz very well. If they lack a bit of mid hump, just throw in a Klone pedal in front and voilà ! The first year I got my Jazzmaster, I had planned to upgrade the pickups but after hearing several pickups comparisons and receiving very positive reviews from bandmates I couldn't find any good reason to change them !

 

What do folks look for in JM pups?

 

Probably quite subjective but I'd say: clarity, bite, and fullness in frequency range.

Whenever I play my JM straight into a tube amp it always feels like I am playing through a compressor. There's a lot of percussive "clunks" that make their way through. I guess this would be a quality that might make someone want to play a JM. I could take or leave that, personally.

 

What got me into the JM was hearing a local guitarist who had owned his JM since he was a teenager playing surf rock at it's height of popularity. While they pickups are vintage and have never been rewould, I'd say they are a tad bit warmer and fuller sounding even straight into an amp than most JM pickups I've tried (even other vintage ones). So, I'd say my taste goes to the slightly warmer and fulller sounding end of what a vintage JM pickup can sound like played clean. I think sounds I like can be had with a wide range of JM pickups, if I'm willing to use my pedals to sculpt the sound though.

 

My favorites are the ones I am currently using: Kinman Surfmasters. Awesome pickups with no hum. Sound at least as good as the Antiquities and AVRI pups I had. Actually better, because the others were so noisy they were unusable in an average club situation.