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Much brighter than expected
Neck pickup is very hot, bridge pickup seems a little weak, I have to keep the neck pickup below max to keep the sound clean. As long as I keep that control below maximum the sound is incredibly crisp and clear (maybe a little clinical even) but playing around with the EQ and going through a preamp box allows me to experiment within a much wider range than with stock pickups.
I found the the mids are very prominent so turning down the mid control on the amp and rolling off the treble a little gives a much better tone for me.
I set the bridge pickup to within 3mm of the strings to bring the level up and this makes a big difference to the output and also makes that pickup usable (3mm E side, 2.8mm G side, holding down strings on last fret to make measurements). Before I did this the bridge pickup output was very disappointing.
Fitment was pretty straightforward but they supply 4 long screws and 4 a little shorter, I would have preferred 8 long ones, they could have also added a few short ones for people who needed them. Use the longer screws for the bridge pickup so it can be raised closer to the strings.
All in all I can highly recommend these pickups if you have an average bass and looking to improve the sound but not the looks. I upgraded the electronics at the same time with good quality pots and a real Sprague cap so not sure how good they would sound on the original set, my guess is you would still hear an improvement but it wouldn't be as good.
I found the the mids are very prominent so turning down the mid control on the amp and rolling off the treble a little gives a much better tone for me.
I set the bridge pickup to within 3mm of the strings to bring the level up and this makes a big difference to the output and also makes that pickup usable (3mm E side, 2.8mm G side, holding down strings on last fret to make measurements). Before I did this the bridge pickup output was very disappointing.
Fitment was pretty straightforward but they supply 4 long screws and 4 a little shorter, I would have preferred 8 long ones, they could have also added a few short ones for people who needed them. Use the longer screws for the bridge pickup so it can be raised closer to the strings.
All in all I can highly recommend these pickups if you have an average bass and looking to improve the sound but not the looks. I upgraded the electronics at the same time with good quality pots and a real Sprague cap so not sure how good they would sound on the original set, my guess is you would still hear an improvement but it wouldn't be as good.
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A
DiMarzio DP126 PJ Bass Pickup Set
Having upgraded a bass with an EMG PJ-X set, I wanted to try something passive with my next project and having read good things about DiMarzio, I gave them a try as they were at a great price. One of my stipulations was for a noise-free single-coil and knowing that the DiMarzio J pickup is actually two coils side by side wired in hum-cancelling configuration, these fitted the bill. These had a considerably hotter output than the original pickups on the bass, with more pronounced low mids and of course, the J was silent when soloed. Another great feature of the DiMarzios is that you can adjust the pickup pole heights with a hex-wrench, allowing you to set a consistent output across a bass with more a pronounced neck radius. As the pickups are 4-conductor wires, you also have the option of wiring them in series or parallel, giving further tonal options. Easy to fit, they look great and sound even better, I'd happily recommend these pickups looking to breath a bit of life into a bass.
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A
Wow, what a step up from stock
These are not the most expensive pickup sets out there, but they certainly work for every cent! My bass player has very small hands and so she likes short scale basses - unfortunately too many of them are aimed at beginners and not serious players. Amongst others she has an Ibanez GSRM20 which is a wonderful tiny bass 28.6" scale but the pickups etc are obviously low-budget options. These DiMarzio's went straight in without mods - the P section now has the full rock growl and bite of a hot vintage P-bass and the J is very full with a lot of coverage. They are quite dry - nothing like an active EMG - but not as warm as a specific vintage set - but they let you do your own thing rather than forcing one set sound on you - which is perfect for our band.
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M
Great replacement pups
I got these to replace the stock pickups in a Yamaha RBX-170. Partly because I've spent many happy hours playing my RBX170 and thought it deserved an upgrade and partly because I was interested in experimenting to discover what differences new strings / pickups / bridge made (doing one at a time so as to control the changes).
Swapping the pickups over was straightforward - destring the guitar, desolder and then remove the original pickups, screw in the new pickups, solder them in and then restring. All-in-all it took about 30 minutes.
Then plug-in and cross my fingers! Everything worked fine. The P pickups are noticeable hotter than the originals and have more low-end grunt to them. Overall a definite, worthwhile improvement. I don't use the J pickup so much (it's generally at about 10% of the P); but to my ears there's not much in it.
Overall then - a straightforward change that's made a definite, albeit slightly pricey, improvement.
Swapping the pickups over was straightforward - destring the guitar, desolder and then remove the original pickups, screw in the new pickups, solder them in and then restring. All-in-all it took about 30 minutes.
Then plug-in and cross my fingers! Everything worked fine. The P pickups are noticeable hotter than the originals and have more low-end grunt to them. Overall a definite, worthwhile improvement. I don't use the J pickup so much (it's generally at about 10% of the P); but to my ears there's not much in it.
Overall then - a straightforward change that's made a definite, albeit slightly pricey, improvement.
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I Like
Having never used Dimarzios before I took a bit of a gamble and bought this set and I am glad I did they are a touch middy for my liking but a little adjust of the amp and all was good, these are also very powerful pick ups and have plenty of grunt for rock or metal music and being all black they look very cool in my black stealth bass :)
They arrived really fast as is always the case with Thomann who are a great company to deal with big big big thumbs up from me :)
They arrived really fast as is always the case with Thomann who are a great company to deal with big big big thumbs up from me :)
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G
Brilliant pick-ups, crazily priced!
These sound great. Installed in a fretless and they are killer, live and recorded. Highly recommended.
Clarity and punch.
Clarity and punch.
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M
Tested on 4 string JP
Using it with an old Vester. The pickups are more expensive than the bass. But the result is a ligth bass with a massive sound...and I like the looks of the old Vester so...
Pros: Sound and looks
Cons:None
If you play hard rock/metal buy them...for the price, you wont get any better.
Pros: Sound and looks
Cons:None
If you play hard rock/metal buy them...for the price, you wont get any better.
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JJ
my god, the sound
the instalation is not as easy as some other brands for replacement, but it is totally worth it, my god, the sound it produces, it's like a P bass and a J bass, but better!
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Excellent pickups
i bought these pickups as to put in my Squier jag, the stock ones weren't bad but I wanted to have a go at modifying a bass. What an improvement! They were easy to install and included a wiring diagram. And they sound fantastic. Thomann service was excellent, as always.
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D
Your perfect replacement pickup for any PJ BASS
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