The J Bass Project (Part 4 - The Final Review)

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.

Now the question is: was all that work worth it? Did upgrading my old bass with high-end components make a real difference?

Well...I'm thrilled with the results. This bass now sounds exactly how I've always wanted it to sound. But is upgrading the right choice for you? Should you try a similar project with your own bass, or would you be better off buying a new one?

In this article, we'll explore the pros and cons of upgrading versus buying new to help you decide what's best for your needs.  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.

~ JJ Monzon

Let's Hear It in Action: My Favorite Tones

To get a better idea of what we've achieved, let's hear how this bass sounds in its final form. I'll share a series of clips showcasing some of my favorite tones in different musical contexts.

Remember, the goal was to create a versatile "do-it-all" Jazz Bass® in the context of playing in a pop/rock type of situation. These tones represent the main sounds I gravitate towards and cover the majority of musical situations I find myself in.

These recordings are simple mixes with drums, guitars, and bass to give you a better idea of how the bass sounds in a band context. They only eq on them is a low cut on the bass to get rid of some mud in the mix, reverb, and some light compression on the entire mix to keep everything under control. The same studio-style preamp I used on the previous sound samples was also used on these clips so that there’s minimal amp coloration.

In this first recording, you’ll hear the upgraded bass in a reggae/dub kind of context. To get this tone, I played fingerstyle near the neck pickup, turned the balance knob to the neck pickup, turned down all of the treble, bumped up the bass about a ⅓ of the way and gave a slight nudge on the mids with the switch in the 800hz position.

For the second recording, I wanted a clean and clear tone with some compression. Here, I slightly increased the treble, bass, and mids with the switch at 800hz. I added some multiband compression to give the tone some extra bounce and clarity. This was also played fingerstyle but with my hand closer to the bridge pickup. The balance knob is centered, so both pickups are on.

And on the third recording, I wanted to go for a gritty, but deep-sounding, overdriven bass tone. Here I used both pickups, a slight bump to the bass, a slight bump to the mids with the switch on the 400hz position, and the treble centered. I added some overdrive with a pedal that had a high pass filter at around 140hz, so that the low end remains clean, but everything else is distorted. I played this with a pick to get some extra attack.

As you can hear, these tones are very mix-friendly in a typical guitar-driven rock context. For my specific needs, this bass now nails it.

The bass tone that will get you hired

These sound clips are a good representation of what you can do in a studio situation. Having said that, there’s a lot of leeway on what works when recording, and there’s a lot less of it when playing live, which is what I use this bass the most for.

So after taking it out to several rehearsals, playing it through different live rigs, and gigging it in a full rock band situation, I’m happy to report that this bass kills it for that job.

The challenge I’ve always had with my Jazz Bass® (before the upgrades) was that its high mids would clash with the guitar, and the lows would be eaten up by the Keys. This meant that I always had to do a fair bit of EQ for the tone to sit well in a mix. If I didn’t EQ, then I would be asked by my guitarists and singer to “turn it down” a bit, which would make it hard to hear myself and I would just disappear in the mix. Keep in mind this is in a musical context where the bass is expected to groove and hold the low end to provide the foundation for the songs.

But with these upgrades, everything changed. This bass now sits perfectly in the mix. No more clashing with the guitars or keys, and the vocals sit beautifully on top. Nobody asks me to turn it down anymore! In fact, I don't even have to play as loud as I used to. I can hear myself clearly at lower volumes, which is a huge plus.

It's obvious that the folks at Nordstrand and Aguilar are gigging bassists because these pickups and preamp are perfect for live use.

The Nordstrand Big J Blades (warm & wooly wind) are voiced for band situations. They have just the right amount of low-mids for fullness, tight lows that don't muddy the mix, and a high-mid/treble response that doesn't clash with guitars or vocals. This bass cuts through effortlessly by bringing forward all the frequencies you need to do your job as a bass player. It's live-tone perfection.

The Aguilar OBP-3 bass preamp is a game-changer. It's also clearly designed for gigging bassists. Boosting the lows adds weight without getting flabby, and the mid-switch is pure magic. The 400Hz setting is perfect for grooving and holding down the low end – it's like rolling back the tone knob on a passive bass, but better. The 800Hz setting adds presence and gives you a more aggressive high mid-attack. The treble knob adds sparkle and definition without getting harsh, and rolling it back gives you a big, old-school tone, almost like using flat wound strings.

As a bonus, the Big J Blades are much quieter than my old single coils. And by favoring the neck pickup, I can even get close to a P-Bass tone.

During gigs, I found myself only using the mid-switch to toggle between a warm, groovy tone and a more aggressive, upfront sound. It's all I need!

Even our sound guy was impressed. He said he could easily turn the bass up in the mix and get a balanced sound out front.

This bass has gone from a decent instrument to a true workhorse that excels in live settings.

This bass has the tone that will get you hired.

Scenario 3: Bare Minimum Budget

If I had an even tighter budget, I might have just upgraded the bridge and added the passive harness. This would still have been a big improvement, making the bass more playable and most importantly, fixing the sound of the B string, which noticeably improved when installing the Hipshot Kickass bridge. It wouldn't be as good as it is now with the Nordstrand and OBP3 combo, but it would still be a solid J bass.

Single Coils vs. Humbuckers

The Nordstrand Big J Blades are single coils, so there's some 60-cycle hum, especially in my noisy home environment. However, most gigs I play aren't problematic, and an external noise gate can help if your situation needs one. I use the pickups in the noise-canceling middle position a lot of the time, so noise isn’t really an issue for me.

Some single coil noise isn't a deal-breaker for me and I love the single coil sound. But if you absolutely need a hum-free bass, go for humbuckers. The Delano JMVC5 and various Bartolini pickups would be great alternatives and would’ve been my picks if I hadn’t settled on the Nordstrands.

Budget Considerations: Time and Money

First off, I really enjoyed this project! It was a lot of fun, and I'd definitely do it again. I like tinkering and personalizing my instruments, especially one that's been with me for so long.

Of course, not everyone enjoys DIY projects. You might need to factor in the cost of a bass tech if you're not comfortable doing the work yourself. But swapping pickups, installing a pre-wired preamp, and even replacing a bridge (including plugging and drilling holes) isn't super difficult. I watched a few YouTube tutorials on soldering and the installation diagrams provided by Fat Bass Tone are easy to follow. And that’s all I needed to get the project completed.

Time Investment

The pickup swap took about 45 minutes, the preamp installation took around 35 minutes, and the bridge replacement was the most time-consuming, taking a couple of hours over a couple of days.

Being my first upgrade project, I went through the steps slowly to make sure everything was wired correctly. But I’m confident that when I do a similar project again, I could do it faster.

Budget Breakdown

• Nordstrand Big J Blades (Warm & Wooly): $236
• Aguilar OBP-3 Preamp (pre-wired): $236
• Hipshot Kickass 5-string bridge: $110
• Total: $582

If I had to buy the same bass, a used Fender Jazz Bass Deluxe 24 V, it would cost around $500-$700, bringing the total project cost to $1082-$1282. While there are some great playing basses in that price range, I'd still want to upgrade the pickups and preamp as the OEM pickups and preamps in sub $2500 basses are usually sub-par. So, that $1200 bass would end up costing closer to $1700.

Is it Worth It?

From a budget perspective, upgrading a bass you already own makes a lot of sense if you love how it plays and feels.

Based on my research, I'd probably need to spend $2500-$3500 to find a new bass that comes close to the performance of my upgraded Fender Jazz Bass Deluxe 24V. And that’s because you won’t find this quality of components on any bass under $2500 because manufacturers simply can’t afford to use them due to the economics of making and selling basses.

On the other hand, you’ll find that these exact same components are used on high-end or boutique basses that are sold for three or four times (or even much more) the total cost of this Deluxe Jazz Bass project.

In Conclusion

I absolutely love how this bass turned out. I love the tones, how it plays, and it sounds like a brand-new instrument after these three upgrades. If you're hesitant to try a project like this on a bass you already love, it's probably because you're unsure of the final outcome. And I understand that—it's impossible to predict exactly how all the components you choose to install will interact with each other.

However, Fat Bass Tone's demo videos provide an amazing resource for you to start finding what tones you gravitate towards. And since the pickups you choose are a major factor in your tone, using these reference videos as a guide will make sure you land in the ballpark of what you’re looking for tone-wise. The pickup demos were a big reason why I chose the Big J Blades and why I was confident I'd like them.

If you're still unsure about which direction to take, don't hesitate to contact the folks at Fat Bass Tone. They're bass players who have helped countless musicians build their dream instruments. They can provide expert advice and guidance based on their extensive experience with these kinds of projects.

So, if you have a bass you love and want to take it to the next level, don't be afraid to give it a try. With a bit of research and the right guidance, you can create an instrument that you'll fall in love with all over again and enjoy for years to come.