Fender Jazz Bass Pickup Poles Setup

This is a quick video on how to set up pickup poles height...
So you can prevent strings from touching the poles
This is a very personal matter of taste and style of playing
It may or may not appeal to you
I want the poles to sit down inside the pickup cover
...just like this
But first, here's my take on the subject
And how I perform this modification
Long ago
my very first bass had pickups like this
DiMarzio style
whit adjustable polepieces
So when I got it and start playing
my first tought was to raise the poles
...I tought it would perform better...
...but in reality, this facilitates
the string to touch the pole...
... causing that annoying clipping 'thud' sound
Plus, it hurts my fingers so bad...
...That I decided to try the opposite...
I got better results on sound and playability...
...by setting the poles slightly under the covers.
That way I actually keep them closer to the strings..
.
...since there's no need to set the pickup height too low
And so on, from that necessity
I figured out a quite simple and effective way
to set non-adjustable polepieces
down into the cover...
And I did this to all my basses over the years...
Including my G&L L2000
and my Music Man Sting Ray 5
Here's how, but first note that...
...you'll need to remove the pickup cover to do this.
So be VERY careful, as some covers may be glued,
and do not touch the coil underneath.
...even an invisible scratch on the tiny coil's wire can damage your pickup.
...oh, and speaking of that...
This is a non functional pickup,
it has a broken coil already...
so it's just to show how to.
(no pun intended)
ok, maybe...
We'll need some stripes of cardboard
A bass string package seems perfect...
I just cut some stripes of this cardboard
that will fit beside the poles under the cover of the pickup...
stack and hold them with adhesive tape
...check the length
...check the height...
three layers did fine here.
Maybe you'll need one or two more
depending on the pickup
repeat the process for the other side
and that's it folks
it's also a good idea
to wrap the stripes with duct tape:
Now back to the Fender
...as these poles are taller,
I used more layers of cardboard...
I was out of duct tape that day
and end up using masking tape
to wrap the stripes...
Before: neck pickup
After: neck pickup
After: both pickups

[@AndyVanBass]

My quick fix to this is electrical tape on the neck pickup so it's not metal touching metal.
But thanks for posting, I may try this!

[@joerobot32]

Electrical Tape is not a fix, if you have to do that, your pickups are way too close. Assuming the bass is properly setup, those pickups should never be touching the strings. Hold the string down at the last fret and measure the gap between the top of the pole piece and the bottom of the string. For a Jazz Bass the E string should be 2.8mm from the pole piece, and the G should be 2mm. If the Pickups are too close they can actually pull strings out of intonation and have a weird chorusing effect, that sounds like your string is out of tune with itself.

[@AndyVanBass]

@@joerobot32 - I've always played aggressively & have always had this problem w/ open-pole basses, no matter the setup. I agree that a good setup will solve many problems, but everybody plays differently, maybe I shouldn't dig so deep when I play, but it's been 20 years, so doubt that'll change soon. Electrical tape isn't the best fix, but it is a quick easy fix.

[@joerobot32]

@@AndyVanBass I dig in quite a bit, and I just dont have that problem. Anyway, thats How I've been avoiding it for a good 15 years, don't see why it couldn't work for you.

[@U2BROTHR]

This absolutely worked and got sorted. Thank you. Nice playing by the way....

[@darrelljesonis8860]

This is exactly what I was looking for

[@ivannestorov8137]

Good one! I was just wondering why don't Fender do that?

[@coreybrown7541]

What kind of strings on your bass

[@RicardoStrani]

Those are D'Addarios .045

[@pleximanic]

@@RicardoStrani Steel or nickel?

[@RicardoStrani]

pleximanic nickel!

[@mouthmw]

Been doing this for years on all my Stingrays. I actually cut the last one in the shape of the pickup coils, cutting the holes for the pole pieces lol. Definitely a great trick to make playing over a pickup more comfortable.

[@bernardbobson7338]

Nice fat dark low and growly sound😀🥰 Nice swing in background :)
Thanx for instruction i have thuds and its teribbe.

[@RicardoStrani]

You're welcome!

[@amrsalahmahmoud3034]

Very nice video bu the way I like very much, I bought a new fender arrived yesterday it sound very good because the magnetic are down like what you did here now I think this make a very big difference in sound

[@MacySpitfire]

YOU ARE LIFE SAVER MAN!!!!!!

[@gutbucket260]

I'm going to use two strips of felt under my jazz bass covers. Thanks

[@rustyshackelford2071]

Omg I thought I was the only one. I've done this since like 2006

[@1thess523]

I'm glad i saw the P Bass pick up height adjustment video because I believe this is what my Jazz needs 👍

[@stephenson6530]

Your strings are new?

[@RicardoStrani]

Not fresh but not old strings at that moment

[@amrsalahmahmoud3034]

Are these pickups custom shop 60’s or standard & what strings you are using fender ?

[@RicardoStrani]

Hi, thank you, stock pickups and Daddario strings.

[@janikzvaleny]

Thanks bro :)

[@RicardoStrani]

you're welcome :^)