Unless I've been out if the loop, the description of the pickups in the blurbs for the MIM standard p and j as "modern" is relatively recent. IIRC until a while ago they were described as "vintage" (which is admittedly fender's go-to word for anything that is not obviously modern). Are they the same ceramic pickups that have been used since forever or did something change when I was not looking?
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AngelCrusher
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- Sep 12, 2004
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Ceramic for sure. I just swapped mine out of a new Standard Jazz. Amazing bass, just needs a pup swap and you have a winner.
The reaction of my tech when he replaced the pickups in my MIM FSR Deluxe Jazz Bass was priceless. In a single word, it was... YUCK! (yes, I now have CS60's in the bass now).
They're still the same as far as they're not the best pickups out there, but also not the worst.
My experience with most MIM pickups (I've owned MIM Standards, Classic 50's Precisions which have old Am. Std pickups in them, and Classic 70's Jazz) is with the exception of the Classic 70's Jazz, the pickups in the MIM's I've had have always had more of what I dont like (a shrill, sometimes spike high end) and less of what I did like (and lacked low end).
My experience with most MIM pickups (I've owned MIM Standards, Classic 50's Precisions which have old Am. Std pickups in them, and Classic 70's Jazz) is with the exception of the Classic 70's Jazz, the pickups in the MIM's I've had have always had more of what I dont like (a shrill, sometimes spike high end) and less of what I did like (and lacked low end).
Want to make it really confusing? What happens if it's a "vintage" MIM standard from back in the day? Are those modern pickups now considered vintage?!
My first thought to the thread title: They used to litterally be two of the same neck pickups in both positions. They were the same neck size and not RWRP, and not noise canceling when both full on. That was fixed around 2001 however and has been covered in other threads. Be careful with those older ones, you have to open the bridge pickup cavity a tiny bit to fit a standard bridge pickup. I think someone does make a neck size bridge pickup for that era of MIM Js.