Jazz Bass Pickups: EMG X VS Fender Noiseless (18V)

[@roadtonever]

With both pickups I noticed the EMG brought out some mids where the Fender noiseless were lacking. Interesting.

[@jaxonvictoria4345]

Simply, the EMG has more balls. Not a good or bad thing, just depends on your applications. Thanks for doing this!

[@peterbee88]

Very interesting and enjoyable to watch. I preferred the EMG’s personally. Thanks for posting 👍

[@xneurianx]

The EMGs are the right pickups for me. Fenders sound great too - good tone is all totally subjective and will vary based on the style you play as well. My Jazz bass with EMGs actually looks suspiciously like the one in this video!

[@thewetterbass]

I couldn’t agree more!

[@kolbola]

In my custom bass I switched from the original 30 years old EMG J set to the newer EMG X series and the result is brilliant. Cooperating with the Seymour Duncan 3band EQ, I can dial every useful tone variation with every pickup balance which fits for every sound mix. Lot of boutique bass has fancy electronics and scooped, signature sound which is only sounding well as itself. But will not fit in the final mix. No bottom end, no body, beefy bass sound, what is actually the main purpose of these instruments. However, the EMG X has this capabilty, but complety without noise.

[@thewetterbass]

Nice! Yes the owner of the bass with the new emg X is really happy with the sound. He also mentions how big yet refined the sound is and how well it fits in the mix. Do you run yours on 9 or 18V?

[@archiefromuno]

im typically a fender fan, but those emgs are very nice sounding

[@gp-lightstone6251]

Hello Jean Marc, great sounds! Thank you very much for supporting / using the Tube Bass 2

[@thewetterbass]

The merit is all yours for making such a good preamp! ♥️

[@TheMlvswoll]

I love EMG but prefer exposed pole peices. Silly but just my preference. I feel it retains a factory look while improving the sound. I know it’s an EMG thing. It’s why I loved my EMG gzr in my pbass.

[@eknight101]

Agreed! If you have a fender jazz bass then the pickup magnets need to be exposed. That's just the way it is and the way it should be.

[@dalrok]

There are EMGs with exposed pole pieces, they're called JVX (LJVX & SJVX if You have different Neck & Bridge PU sizes). They were developed in cooperation with Bobby Vega. I switched the EMG JJs from the 80s in my 1975 JB to the JVXes, after I met Bobby Vega in 2015 and never regretted it. They have the typical 'faded' attack of the dual pole pieces and sound a little more vintage. If You want the 'Jaco-Sound', go with the JVXes. My other JBs still have the standard EMG JJs from the 80s, they sound different, esp. the attack is more even/modern but nonetheless great.

[@simonsmith2642]

Its so subjective, and style dependent, I personally prefer the Fender noiseless, the EMGs seemed HOT compressed and less “dynamic”. But neither were bad. It just depends on the player. I personally like a PJ config in my jazz basses with flats, I can go from piano clean, to Motown thump convincingly. In studio though I have both P and Jazz with stock pickups. Live my PJ is the way to go for me, just my take on it. Thanks for the video!

[@thewetterbass]

PJ is a great combination for sure!!!

[@dalrok]

Interesting, I don't feel the EMGs are compressed, they have lots of dynamics. I'm co-owner of a small recording studio and we have a JB & PB, both equipped with EMGs, and the same with the stock Fender PUs in our studio. Even guys, who bring their own instrument often switch to the EMG equipped bass(es), because they often are much more present in the mix than the originals. It surely also depends largely on the bass.

[@thewetterbass]

Oh absolutely. When I talk about compression it’s about how well it sits in a mix. Of course EMGs have plenty of dynamics but the same could de said about passive pickups running through a good preamp, either onboard or external (rack or pedal). So yes, again, I do believe that active pickups instantly sit better in a mix but I definitely prefer passive when using pedals. It just “feels” better to me. 😉

[@bobs1540]

Great video. I would love to switch out my pick ups to try something new. Those EMGs have a really nice crunch, but yet retain the girth on the e string. However, between all the toys I have if I want to get a little extra crunch and clang I’ve already got a bunch of toys for that lmao. But it’s so cool to see people switch out pick ups.

[@wmdbassplayer]

Close, but to my ear the Fenders are smoother sounding. The EMGs have a slight bit more boom and growl to them. The neck pickups alone had me wondering if both sets are at the exact same height. The EMGs seemed to have a slightly higher, dare I say overdriven output. Overall the Fenders sound much smoother. Which is not a bad thing. It always comes down to personal preference. I would go with the EMGs. I have a Washburn 5 string jazz bass with some late 90's-early 2000's EMGs and I love their sound. EDIT: I meant to say the bridge pickups alone. But same would apply.

[@thewetterbass]

Hi! About the pickup height: emg recommends having the pickups closer to the strings than passive ones. This generally means a bit more compression sound wise. Also, I prefer having passive pickups somewhat separated from the stings, it “opens up” the sound and though there is a small drop in volume, the gain in dynamics is worth it.

[@jonathanchevallier7046]

Nicely recorded ! This emg's are very nice and suits perfectly this bass to me. Good job ;-)

[@thewetterbass]

Yeah they do sound really nice. Thanks!

[@billytai1096]

The EMGs sound more brittle to me whilst the Fender Noiseless pickups sound more warm and musical.

[@sayhuhhhh]

Great demo! I think the EMGs win for me; it seemed like like they were easier to play.

[@thewetterbass]

👍🏻

[@nafis6668]

I found it is hard to find EMG J pickup stock in of the shelf bass. The bass response is more consistent, the attack is brighter, lower noise floor for distortion, combine with active EQ = 🤯

[@Jihadbearzwithgunz]

And pair it with a emg active balance abcx and it's magic 2 of my basses have this paired with a darkglass tone capsule I prefer the bass low mid and high mid arrangement... Eventually gonna do the ABCx to my spector euro 5 lt as I'm not a fan of volume volume layouts myself also sounds unbalanced would rather run a three way switch or rotary switch for pickup selection

[@greyfoxzero]

Got EMG X j's on my jazz bass, wired VVT and their great. They just sound right is the best way to explain them. I considered adding different options to the preamp since its just drop in and plug in (solderless) but the more I played the more it became clear it just didnt need it.

[@thewetterbass]

Yep, they sound good enough on their own without on board eq. 👍🏻

[@Djole_NS246]

Now it's my turn to play smart. To my ears, on my speakers, Fender's sounds like a bass, when EMG's sound more like a guitar. Otherwise, I generally do not attach importance to these comparisons on KZbin, because many factors affect the differences in sound, and it is impossible to provide a completely objective view and absolutely identical settings. The pickup replacement itself requires removing the strings, resoldering, and that already makes a some (often big) difference in the sound. In this case, one can notice how much stronger the demonstrator pulls the strings in the illustration of EMG's than in the case of Fender (especially on the example of both pickups with a pick). So this is a nice video, it was fun to watch, and based upon this comparison and some others, I decided to buy and install pickups that I could find and can afford in my area, because they are all good enough, and all of them will sound as good as I am a good player. It always comes down to that.

[@thewetterbass]

So true in everything. Especially the last bit. I tried to keep the setting both of the recording signal chain and of the bass as close to each other as possible. 😉

[@Djole_NS246]

@@thewetterbass Absolutely. And I really appreciate the effort, it is very helpful. For me, at least :)

[@thewetterbass]

✌🏻

[@iamgribs]

fender noiseless sound real compressed and dark but good. emg super clear and really makes the highs pop

[@thewetterbass]

No signal loss due to capacitance with active pickups. Active booster or on board preamp can help compensate for the darker tone of the passive ones!

[@mattholveck6419]

I'm a big fan of the EMG's just for the simple fact of having noiseless, clean, consistent signal.

[@thewetterbass]

I agree. Very well summarized!

[@MotoMarios]

Beyond the tonal differences, I noticed that the Fender pickups are more even across the strings as regards gain, in comparison to the EMG ones. With the EMGs the E and G strings sound a bit more pronounced. A big bummer for me.

[@vicentedorileobarrosbass7037]

Qual a marca da corda que está nesse contrabaixo???? Like com inscrição.

[@thewetterbass]

Creo que eran d’Addario 🤔

[@Biaxident86]

Impressive mids on the EMG. The neck pickup soloed sounded more to me like a P than I've ever heard from a jazz style pickup before.

[@thewetterbass]

About the P pickup sound, it does mimic it quite well but the playing, and how you attack the string more towards the neck, has a lot to do with it.

[@andrezaycev]

Hi man. Thanks for video I have 5-string american deluxe with n3 noiseless with big noize. If i changed it to emg do i need change 18v preamp or possible connect to fender 3-band electronics. Thanks for answer

[@thewetterbass]

Yes, I believe you can not only connect the 9V battery of the fender electronics to the EMGs, but also run the audio signal of the EMGs into the Fender preamp. Although if you can afford it, get an EMG preamp too, for 100% compatibility reasons.

[@thewetterbass]

I installed once EMG active pickups with Aguilar preamp and it worked. I don’t remember if it ran on 9 or 18V though…

[@xp3214p]

Very wonderfull bass guitar!

[@ironbadger6988]

How do the EMGs perform in a metal setting?

[@thewetterbass]

For clarity and power, I think they would perform great!

[@stevenordstedt2535]

Thanks for the info. I've been playing bass since 1981. And have had several basses. I still have my first bass. I bought from a Jr. H.S. friend in 1981. a !978 Rickenbacker 4001 MapleGlow. Since Im a Geddy Lee Player and Singer. I changed as you did the not so good Bridge for a Bad Ass2 bridge. And had a guy I was playing in a band with, who also worked for G & L Guitars in L.A. Install it for me at G & L. While I was in the U.S. Air Force stationed in Hawaii. Changed the Bridge pick up to an Active Bartolini. What a difference. I still have the original Pick up. But it sounds so good I left it in. But I recently bought a 2022 Fender Players American Jazz bass. But dont care for the pick ups in it. Wondering if it would be worth it to change out to a passive EMG. Or have just the bridge pick up that I play over changed to an Active EMG X. What do you think?

[@thewetterbass]

First of all hello! I would change for passive EMGs. There are other brands like Lollar that make incredible passive pickups. If you do want EMGs with a sweet punchy and yet defined tone, Alnico active EMG is the way to go.

[@oldasrocks9121]

Fenders sound like they have a bad cold... (I have the EMGx's in my 5 string PJ with the EMG 2 band preamp, they're gorgeous.)

[@paultraynorbsc627]

Which fender ones are the vintage ultra ?

[@thewetterbass]

I don’t know! But if you look on the official Fender web site I’m sure you’ll find your answer. If not, ask on a forum such as talk bass.

[@Alexmayor007]

Me recomiendan cambiar mis pastillas originales de jazz bass player por unas ultra noiseless? Si hay mucha diferencia ?

[@thewetterbass]

Solo si necesitas cambiar porque las actuales meten ruido o no te convence el sonido. Si no, no veo porque cambiar por cambiar! 😉

[@paultraynorbsc627]

Thanks for posting

[@nsc217]

These are the 45JX pickups?

[@aodhanodonnell2148]

Would I be wasting my time modifying an sx jazz (sx jb75)with fender custom shop pick ups? I've played it through a focusrite scarlett DAW and the tone is a bit thin, I want a more robust tone, what do you think? anyone?

[@thewetterbass]

Perhaps try a preamp pedal? Even a cheap Behringer BDI21 might help thicken up the sound of your bass. There are soooo many options available today! Let us know.

[@aodhanodonnell2148]

@@thewetterbass thanks for your suggestion bro I'll keep it in mind👍

[@giquo]

Hi good sir! I'm wondering how to improve (in a mid+long time range project) my current Jazz bass. Is a Squier Jazz Bass Vintage 74 Mod, has a great passive tone with Seymour Duncan pickups, but I'm kinda interested into upgrading it to a active/passive set of pickups like the ones in the American Ultra. I mainly like to milk out slap technique (as expected in a Jazz Bass) what can you recommend me? ty ^^

[@thewetterbass]

Hello! I think you should install a good preamp inside your bass or get a clean preamp pedal. Make sure the onboard preamp allows you to select active or passive and you will have what you want. The pedal is also a great option because you can easily get another one if you don’t like it and the price is often lower than the onboard option (especially if you include the cost of installation by a Luthier). Check out the RC boost from Xotic, the sadowsky SPB-2, ews tri-logic, tc electronic spark or even something like a BBE sonic stomp (I will do very soon a review of a great sounding clone: the B85 maximizer II, look for it on Reverb.com).

[@thewetterbass]

Actually, you could even use a bass eq pedal to sculpt the sound you want for slapping…

[@giquo]

@@thewetterbass well, u're making me reconsider my view of the upgrade. I have some videos where you can hear the bass tone, is not a bad bass tone, is actually good for the price. With that being said, seems to be that is not that necesary to change the pickups, but to get some good pedals and I'll be more than done. I'm not a bassist but I like to have a decent tone (which I already have)

[@thewetterbass]

Understand that active pickups like EMGs are always active, and passive pickups are always passive. The preamp is what makes the bass active or passive with passive pickups only. That’s why a pedal is a good option if you want to change the sound on the go.

[@giquo]

@@thewetterbass aaahhhh, So i was living a myth xDDD. I mean, I thought that on stuff like the American Ultra there were a switch that changed the pickup on the go (something hybrid IDK) So it is a preamp that does the trick... aaooouummmmmm The more that you know. So (as the meme) are you telling me that the fender noiseless pickups are passive, but the American Ultra has a built preamp that makes it "active"? is that it?

[@gregorbien1719]

It`s a perfect YT chanel! Thanks!

[@thewetterbass]

Much obliged!

[@borysjelenski5919]

Great video! Which Fender Noiseless pickup were they? From what I can see, Fender currently sells 3 models of noiseless pickups for a 4-string J Bass: * Gen4 Noiseless * Vintage Noiseless * Ultra Noiseless Vintage I'm trying to decide between the 3 so knowing which Fender pickups you used here would be extremely helpful.

[@thewetterbass]

Vintage Noiseless 😉

[@borysjelenski5919]

@@thewetterbass Thank you so much! I think I'll probably order Vintage Noiseless and Gen4 and compare them.

[@thewetterbass]

@borysjelenski5919 let us know what you prefer!

[@borysjelenski5919]

@@thewetterbass I sure will! ;)

[@stevenordstedt2535]

Is there a noise cancelling pick up in EMG passive?

[@thewetterbass]

Ok, I think what you mean is noiseless, or humbucking. The solution with passive single type pickups is either to stack the bobbins one on top of the other or place them in line so that each bobbin covers half (4 poles) of the pickup. HOWEVER, to me the authentic Jazz Bass sound is passive and single coil. Further more, if you open the volume of both pickups you will end I up with a humbucking solution anyway!

[@drforjc]

EMGs are definitely "hot" but they seem to color the sound more. Fenders are closer to my stock J sound.

[@rmccain99]

What's the second bass from your right rear.

[@thewetterbass]

My right, viewers left, is my Fender Jazz US 1993 22 frets.

[@AgingEngineer]

Great video? Which version of the EMG X did you use? I have a 5 string American Jazz deluxe and have always found the tone of the N3's lacking compared to the tone of my old 40DC's on my Spector Rebop.

[@thewetterbass]

Hi! They’re the Alnico version, JAX set to be more precise. 😉

[@Nugmania1]

A better sound test would be how do they sound in a live mix. If you are running these directly in to an interface into the computer, you can always tweek the sound.

[@thewetterbass]

True! Live mix would have been ideal. However, no tweaking was done, expect for minor level retouch. Only preamp and cab sim pedals were used.

[@Nugmania1]

@@thewetterbass Also active EMG’s would be a better investment, my Schecter Cali came with them stock, from a live perspective, I never gave to worry about 60 hz hum. For recording it’s like the difference of driving a Cadillac as opposed to a Chevy Cruise

[@archiefromuno]

what would you think about doing one of each?

[@thewetterbass]

Hi Archie! One of each what? 😅

[@DimiLeventis]

Unless I was going for a very specific tone (like, let's say the Big 4 bands of American Thrash Metal), I usually hate active pickups. So, in 99,999% of times is Noiseless passives all day for me.

[@gomes-fonseca]

both are noiseless? tks

[@thewetterbass]

Fender, yes, as its name implies. And active EMGs are even quieter.

[@koonsickgreen6272]

So much output jump fir the emgs on the e string

[@terapedro]

Emg!! OmG

[@thewetterbass]

Got a bit of time to answer you: as I said in the video, being a long time user of ceramic active EMGs, I was pleasantly surprised by the X. They sound warm yet with presence.

[@bassworship50]

Fender has a focused sound

[@pruppek]

If it is just the Jx model than they are still ceramic. Only the EMG models with "A" in the name use alnico, like JA or JAX for example.

[@thewetterbass]

Yes you are right! However I can tell you that the EMGs I installed were Alnico ones. So I most likely made a mistake in the title of the video. Still, I will double check! Thanks for pointing it out. 😉

[@stevenordstedt2535]

P.S. Theres no room for an active Battery. Unlike my Rick. Theres no room under the control metal to grind one out. My Rick they just routed a little more out under the pick guard.?

[@thewetterbass]

Some preamps are so small that you could fit the battery inside the control plate of the Jazz bass.

[@klaymeister]

EMG JAX or JCSX would be the perfect middle ground.

[@thewetterbass]

JAX slightly sweeter sounding and JCSX classic EMG sound 🤍

[@liys540]

I choose emg

[@bassyey]

Differences easy to solve with EQ.

[@thewetterbass]

Hi! It would help yes, especially with a colored amp and effects. However, eq might not make up for the nuances of either (how they react, their harmonics and stuff like that…).

[@bassyey]

@@thewetterbass EQ is all I need in a real blind test, without eyes, which a lot of musicians use to listen.

[@zsujsk]

Almost the same~ EMG one is a little bit louder

[@thewetterbass]

True! A little bit louder and open sounding.

[@TheAudivisioner]

Take your hands off the strings and the hum comes. Put your hands on the strings/bridge/pickups, and the noise subsides. This is not 1970. I installed EMG Jazz pickups in my Carvin mid 90's LB75 bass. Volume for each pickup, BTS EQ. I may depend on now you set the notch switches on the EQ as well. No noise or buzz, which is why a lot of people install the EMG electronics. Even Fender and Gibson offer EMG, Bartolini, Duncan, Dimarzio and Fishman electronics as options. Schecter also offers EMG and Fishman electronics as an option. The EMGs gave a warmer sound with more tonal variations. Something of a limitation on the Fender electronics. The EMG will offer more variations as well. Depends on the performer as well.

[@thewetterbass]

Yep, EMG doesn’t need ground cable to bridge for the hand/strings/hum stuff. So great if you want to try, for example, nylon with metal core strings to broaden even more the sonic possibilities and tactile experience of your bass. Also I once installed graphtech piezoelectric bridge saddles + preamp and mixed it with EMG pickups. That was pretty interesting! I also had in my workshop quite a few guitars with one pickup active EMG and the other passive. It worked perfectly!

[@alahad]

amazing video but damn, it must have been a b to switch the pickups so many times...

[@thewetterbass]

Hi! No it wasn’t cause I recorded the audios first with one set of pickups and then the other. I edited the video clips in a different order, that’s all. 👍🏻

[@alahad]

@@thewetterbass hahaha I was trying to make a very obvious joke, geez I hope nobody is for reals dumb enough to think you swapped the pickups a hundred times lol, great video!!

[@thewetterbass]

😅ok… my bad! 😂

[@dxbass]

Fender Noiseless more nature

[@thewetterbass]

Perhaps more organic, yes. Tastes and colors… 😅

[@abderrahimkoch9293]

The Fender noiseless. Warm and "round". The EMG is too harsh for my taste.

[@DMKahn]

The fender pickup sounds like a fender, the EMG does not. Fender wins imho

[@DMKahn]

PS your playing is really rad

[@thewetterbass]

😊

[@tury986]

Solo = EMG Slap = Fender

[@PM-oq6ku]

Passive pu for me

[@thewetterbass]

☝🏻😉

[@sofienkesraouikhayel]

Emg over agressif fender ... gentil

[@thewetterbass]

EMGs can get sweet too and Fender aggressive. It depends on how hard you play! 👍🏻

[@moped975]

schnarrt

[@efrainlorenzana2455]

I don't like EMG pickups! 🥴

[@thewetterbass]

😅 well, tastes and colors…

[@stormbringer67]

What you play to demonstrate the pickups completely distracts from actually hearing and listening to the pickups. Why not play a nice, calm melodic bassline instead of something fast and messy?

[@thewetterbass]

I understand. However I do I think you can clearly hear the different tones and get a pretty good idea of how these two pickups types differ.

[@garyzito1860]

@@thewetterbass I think what you did was perfect. It was a fluid bass line that demos low and high notes.

[@thewetterbass]

Thanks buddy!!!

[@roadstercases]

Cow

[@TomDavids1]

Absolutely no difference at all.

[@ImJustStandingHere]

Untrue, listen harder

[@chriscockey7649]

The Fenders are warmer. You can't really warm up EMG pups. You CAN brighten the Fenders. Fender for the win.