If you've ever spent time diving deep into the world of boutique pickups, or just admiring the specs on some truly high-end custom bass builds, you've probably come across the legendary reputation surrounding this company from Tacoma, Washington.

For this article, we’ll define modern bass tone as any pickup that does not have as its main design objective to copy or reproduce the tone of a vintage design. Also, we won’t be including pickups that are like vintage ones, but bettereither. 

For bassists, the quest for perfect tone often leads to the vibrant world of effects pedals. These sonic sculptors transform your sound, adding depth, grit, modulation, and unique character. Few brands stand out with the distinct artistry and commitment to analog excellence as JAM Pedals. 

Recognizing the evolving needs of bassists, Seymour Duncan expanded into the bass market, applying the same meticulous attention to detail and tonal philosophy. By the 1980s, Seymour Duncan was actively producing pickups for bass guitars, steadily building their reputation among the low-end community.

In this article, we'll trace the fascinating journey of its founder, Lindy Fralin, from his early days of curiosity and dissatisfaction to becoming a revered pioneer in the pickup industry.

What we found is that yes, with the right upgrades, a very affordable bass can definitely be improved significantly in terms of sound quality as well as playability. Check out the sound clips...

First, we’ll tackle upgrading the bridge. The biggest issue? Intonation was impossible to set properly. String height adjustability was also limited, and it’s developed a bit of a rust problem.

What if we started with the absolute bottom of the barrel? I'm talking about the kind of bass you might find gathering dust in a pawn shop, or maybe that first starter bass you bought way back when and haven't touched in decades

We made this decision in an effort to help players and techs install harnesses without the need to solder.  Installation should go much quicker and smoother for anyone who is installing one of these units.   We use solderless connections in the harnesses of our basses used in our pickup demo videos to aid us in quick pickup changes.  

From the start, Nordstrand wasn't about mass production or following trends. It was about meticulous craftsmanship, pushing boundaries, and, most importantly, listening to bassists.

...Flash forward to today, and we’ll find a huge amount of basses that have the now classic P/J pickup configuration. From entry-level basses by brands like Ibanez, all the way to hand-built high-end basses from builders like Spector and Sadowsky, they’ve all embraced the P/J...

I recently gave my 5-string Deluxe Jazz Bass a major makeover. I swapped the original pickups for Nordstrand Big J Blades (warm & wooly wind), added an Aguilar OBP-3 preamp, replaced the old bridge with a Hipshot KickAss, and even threw on some cool black metal knobs.