Members zephyr Posted March 25, 2006 Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 I just bought some Dimarzio Model Js and they don't even come close to fitting in my fender Jazz bass. What Should I do?I sent an email to Dimarzio , but it'll take a few days to get a response I imagine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AntiStuff Posted March 25, 2006 Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 You got a router?Or maybe a chisel if your careful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bernard_beard Posted March 25, 2006 Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 pull out the little wires and magnets from your dimarzios and shove them in the housings of the original pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zephyr Posted March 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 I really want to avoid that.So much that I'd rather return or sell them instead.And It's bull crap if I have to do that.The installation instructions even say that these should fit without any modifications.This really makes me mad. I can't afford to throw around 90 bucks on somthing and have it not work. Plus, i don't even think I can return them, most retailers woun't accept returns on opened pickups, especially when they are not in factory pakcing anymore.Aaaaargh!!! The bridge pickup is too long to fit in the cavity. And the neck pickup does not have the same outline as the hole in the pickuard. Plus the mounting screw holes in the pickups dont line up with the mounting screw holes in the base.Aaaaargh!!!!I'm hoping Dimarzio will refund me if I can't return them to where I bought them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zephyr Posted March 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 Would that actually work?I don't know if they will fit in the old housings, and If i try it and it dosen't work, no way I'll be able to return them, or even sell them. Originally posted by bernard_beard pull out the little wires and magnets from your dimarzios and shove them in the housings of the original pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zephyr Posted March 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 Nope, won't work, pickups are different lengths, and the pole peices are aligned differently. Originally posted by bernard_beard pull out the little wires and magnets from your dimarzios and shove them in the housings of the original pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jazz Ad Posted March 25, 2006 Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 They're supposed to fit a MIA Jazz Bass and sold as so. Which is why the bridge PU is longer.Other Jazz Bass models such as Squiers and older MIM may not fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bernard_beard Posted March 25, 2006 Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 OK, buy an American fender and stick the pickups in there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zephyr Posted March 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 Is that an offer to buy me one? Originally posted by bernard_beard OK, buy an American fender and stick the pickups in there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bluescout Posted March 25, 2006 Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 Hammertime!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zephyr Posted March 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 Anyone know of some individually hum cancelling jazz pickups that will fit in an MIM Fender Jazz bass? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheGZeus,OnFire Posted March 25, 2006 Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 Hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HORSE Posted March 25, 2006 Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 if its an MIM jazz bass, go ahead and route or chisel the cavity to make the pickups fit. you can probably trim the pickguard with an x-acto knife to make it work. you can drill new mounting holes if you have to. you won't be 'screwing' with a vintage instrument, so my suggestion is just to do what you have to in order for the pickups to fit. Most j replacement pickups are built for MIA specs anyway, so no matter what you buy, you'll most likely run into problems all the same. you could try the trick of sticking the bridge PU in the neck and vice versa. sometimes the cavity under the pickguard is big enough to hold the bridge length PU so you only have to modify the pickguard itself. And the neck PU should fit (because it's shorter) in the cavity for the bridge PU. good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zephyr Posted March 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 I just sent an email to Dimarzio to see if they would allow me to exchange the bridge pickup for another neck pickup (which fits the bridge route).I guess I can just fill in the existing mounting screw holes with wood filler and make new holes. Then alter the route in the pickguard a little to accomodate the neck pickup. Does that make sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zephyr Posted March 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 That might work... My only concern with that is wether or not the pole peices will align with the strings properly. I'll have to check it out. Hopefully dimarzio will be willing to trade a bridge pickup for a neck pickup.(that would save some time as far as routing the pickguard to fit it too, as the neck pickup is closer to fitting, the only thing that is off are the "humps" where the mounting rings go throught.) Originally posted by HORSE if its an MIM jazz bass, go ahead and route or chisel the cavity to make the pickups fit. you can probably trim the pickguard with an x-acto knife to make it work. you can drill new mounting holes if you have to. you won't be 'screwing' with a vintage instrument, so my suggestion is just to do what you have to in order for the pickups to fit. Most j replacement pickups are built for MIA specs anyway, so no matter what you buy, you'll most likely run into problems all the same.you could try the trick of sticking the bridge PU in the neck and vice versa. sometimes the cavity under the pickguard is big enough to hold the bridge length PU so you only have to modify the pickguard itself. And the neck PU should fit (because it's shorter) in the cavity for the bridge PU.good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members J the D Posted March 25, 2006 Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 Originally posted by HORSE ... go ahead and route or chisel the cavity to make the pickups fit. Use a Dremel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrdak Posted March 25, 2006 Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 Choice # 12, Take that pickup set back, and exchange for EMG's You won't regret it. Best sounding pickups I've ever had the joy of using...............Your bass is too nice to have pickups that you can't adjust. Before they get any marks on them or whatever, return them... good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zephyr Posted March 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 I looked into the EMGs last night, but they are also sized for MIA basses.I'm hoping Dimarzio will be kind enough to exchange the bridge pickup for another neck pickup (that would be the easiest solution).If thats a no go, I'll try using the bridge pickup in the neck position and the neck in the bridge. Only issue with that is pole peice alignment. One of the strings won't pass through the middle of it's pair of pole peices (but will pass over one of them).Lastly I might try the idea of sanding the ends of the bridge pickup in a little (it is just barley too long). Originally posted by mrdak Choice # 12, Take that pickup set back, and exchange for EMG's You won't regret it. Best sounding pickups I've ever had the joy of using...............Your bass is too nice to have pickups that you can't adjust. Before they get any marks on them or whatever, return them... good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HORSE Posted March 25, 2006 Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 Originally posted by zephyr Only issue with that is pole peice alignment. One of the strings won't pass through the middle of it's pair of pole peices (but will pass over one of them). I don't know if that matters or not. As far as I understand, the pickups create a magnetic field that envelopes the strings regardless of whether or not they are directly above the pole pieces. I had a MIM jazz bass with the neck and bridge pickups swapped and it sounded great even though the pole pieces were directly under the strings. Actually, they were DiMarzio Ultra Jazz, so probably the same size as your model Js. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chris-dax Posted March 25, 2006 Members Share Posted March 25, 2006 Originally posted by J the D Use a Dremel. Yo Zeph - I installed the same pups in my 99 MIM jazz. Had to use a dremel to slightly enlarge and deepen one or both cavities. It wasn't that big of a deal and it worked out great. Then, I painted to the cavities after the dremel job to seal em off. Again, very quick and easy.... I've been gigging with the DiM for a couple of years and really think they get the job done. I'm sure you chose them for a reason so don't give up so easily. Really, it's something that will take you a couple of hours max or less and then you'll have a real nice set of pups....c-d Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zephyr Posted April 2, 2006 Author Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 Well, I took the plunge, and took a dremel to my bass. I deepened both routes and lengthened the bridge route.Worked out well. The pickups fit and the bass sounds much better now. Before, I had no problem with the tone, but the noise was so bad that it was virtually unusable (even clean).Now the tone has a little more punch, and is much less noisy. Yay! Now I just have to get a couple buzzy frets fixed and all will be well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garytees Posted April 2, 2006 Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 Good work! I was going to suggest you only do it, if it was a Squire but seeing as you plunged ahead...I messed up a Squire a bit once and it didn't bother me too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crescent Seven Posted April 2, 2006 Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 Originally posted by garytees Good work! I was going to suggest you only do it, if it was a Squire but seeing as you plunged ahead...I messed up a Squire a bit once and it didn't bother me too much. It's tough to do a clean job with a Dremel, iddnit? I had to do this to my SX Jazz, and it didn't come out as clean as I'd hoped. You really wouldn't notice unless you looked at it REAL close, so I'm OK with it. I wouldn't do it to my Spector, though. C7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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