I have a Squier Jaguar bass SS that I want to upgrade a bit- (you know, new strings, new pickups, the works) Would a couple of Precision bass pickups be a good investment? Would they work with my Jag? Before you put me on blast, just know that I've only been playing bass for year, so please be gentle with me.
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I gotta P
- Thread starter Whitenoise17
- Start date
It's impossible to say without having a clear idea of what you are looking for in the end result. You have said nothing of your preferences and goals in upgrading.
If it hasn't been done yet you should get it properly set up first - that will be a much bigger improvement than any "mods". Nothing wrong with the stock pickups and strings - get new strings if you've played out the ones on it. Then spend your time learning how to play rather than getting sucked into the Talkbass "mod and mod again" black hole LOL.
Well, I'm looking for a more growly and refined sound, and based on my research, p bass pickups should do the job quite nicely. My Squier sounds okay, but it's just not the sound that I want.
That describes EMG Geezers.
No soldering required for a newb like yourself.
Bonus is they come complete with the wiring harness with pots and jack as well. No soldering just connecting. Easy installation and instructions.
No reason not to experiment. It's your money. If you do go with the GZR's, make sure they fit (meaning they don't get caught in the pickguard or J route and can freely adjust) before you do anything. They fit most traditional P and J routes until they don't, so there's that.
They are my favorite pickups growly and easy to put in. I believe the j is compensated to match the volume of the p and the kit comes with everything needed. You won't be sorry getting this
The bass is fine. Get it setup with a new set of DR hi beams by a competent tech. I'm going to emphasize competent tech.
I did put Seymour Duncan Quarterpounds in mine (just because I had them already). Stock pickups are fine, but I wanted a bit more output. GZR's is also a good choice. No problem fitting them, it is standard P size on the bass.
If you do the switch, keep your old pickups, so if you change bass somewhere in the future, you can do the swap back and use your new pickups elsewhere.
I agree with others, a good setup is the first thing you want to do.
Don't under-estimate this bass because it's cheap. When I bought mine, I tried nearly every passive bass under 800$ that was available locally (it was my budget and I did'nt want an active one), and I finally bought it just because it was the most comfy I found (and that is an important factor when you play 3 hours gigs regulary).
If you do the switch, keep your old pickups, so if you change bass somewhere in the future, you can do the swap back and use your new pickups elsewhere.
I agree with others, a good setup is the first thing you want to do.
Don't under-estimate this bass because it's cheap. When I bought mine, I tried nearly every passive bass under 800$ that was available locally (it was my budget and I did'nt want an active one), and I finally bought it just because it was the most comfy I found (and that is an important factor when you play 3 hours gigs regulary).
I can see how short scale might not be conducive to "growly" sounds. I'd experiment with strings first, a pickup change won't get you there necessarily. If anything, get a cheap P, like Duncans or DiMarzios (used less than $50), but I'd explore strings with high tension...
Seymour Duncan SPB-3 with steel strings is my current holy grail tone. I unfortunately haven't used jazz pickups before so I can't really suggest anything there.
I modded my Squier SS Jag, with a Babicz bridge and EMG GZRs. Did not get the sound I was after at all, to my chagrin. Just pulled the EMG P to put in another bass, am reverting the Squier to stock. I got more difference out of playing with string changes, the stock Squier pickups are decent enough. Ultimately, I determined short scale is not for me, but I know full well many others have love for SS and make great music with them.
Me too. I realize that using words to describe tone is notoriously difficult, and different people use the same terms to mean different things, but to my mind "growly" and "refined" are pretty much mutually contradictory.
Sorry to focus so much on semantics, but I also would not consider changing strings an example of "upgrading." But whatever you call it, I agree with those who suggest experimenting with a variety of different strings before changing pickups or anything else.
Plus 1 on experimenting w/strings first. In any experiment, to be valid, you have to deal w/one parameter at a time.
2 or more variables at the same time means you don't really know what (and how much) actually caused the result. It makes sense to start with the most affordable variable. I've been surprised several times how much strings can change the sound/tone/feel of a particular bass..
2 or more variables at the same time means you don't really know what (and how much) actually caused the result. It makes sense to start with the most affordable variable. I've been surprised several times how much strings can change the sound/tone/feel of a particular bass..