Sounds like the Big J Blades have a ton more of the fundamental note with a carefully rounded off highs but no mud, while the 60's have that zippier top and gentle fundamental, and are more harmonics-focused.
The Big J Blades sound great. I ordered a 5-string set for a Squire Affinity bass today from Stew. The plan is to keep it passive, but I'll replace the pots and cap and do some shielding. It should be dynamite.
Sounds like they transfer a bit more of the percussive thump of your fingers with a thicker sound thrown in. I like them. I like the sweetness in the upper mids and highs too. Good job.
J Blades sound great. I like the fat and more defined sound you can get from them. With tone on the sound is nice and full. tone off and 100% neck pickup - it resembles a p bass kinda sound. Bridge pickup has nice midrange, but also has some low end going on that NJ4 does not have.
@Nordstrand Audio, I really want to hear how the Clean & Clear J Blades compare to the traditional NJs. Also, is there potential for a noiseless version of the J Blades at some point?
Fantastic comparison! I have Custom EMG-sized “Big Singles” in 5 of my 6 Spector Euro Bolt-On/“ReBop” 4 & 5 DLX FM/EXs, my “Main Basses” along with my Mike Lull M4, M5 & PJ/J5-24 “Modern” J-Basses, and the Big Singles go along perfectly with the wood choices, bolt-on attack, and Aguilar OBP-3SK/PP Preamps making an awesome mix of the classic Spector growly midrange-heavy tone and fingerstyle attack & punchiness of a great Jazz Bass. I’ve been wondering, however, whether the ”Big Blade” Soapbars would be good to install in my “Legend Classic 6-string” (a step down in terms of Spector’s lineup, but they do not make a 6-string Euro Bolt-On) - hearing now that they are warmer and more focused on the fundamental compared to the standard Big Singles allowing more of the harmonic tone through, the former sounds like what I would the high-C of a Six-String to be amplified through and creating a warmer, “bigger” tone from the thinner (from a Bass perspective) Tone from that string. ...However, whichever I end up going through, they will most certainly be Nordstrands: they are easily an extremely large part and the first step of my largely modified 4, 5 fretted, fretless & ‘98-‘08 Precision/Dual Coil-equipped “Fender American Deluxe Precision V”-esque Basses, the only Precision-type Bass I was a fan of the Tone... until I equipped a downsized “Fender Deluxe Zone P/J” w/ EMGs “Geezer Butler Sig. P/J Set, an amazing midrange-full Precision & Jazz combo). I also know they can custom-make an EMG 6-string, “45”-sized Spector string-spacing Pickup as they’ve done so for all three of my EMG “40”-sized 5-string Basses. Wonderful Pickups, and great people to work with on a Custom project! 👍🏼 (...also, the Genzler Magellan 800 Amplifier & two BA-210 Speaker Cabinet set-up is now at the top of my “Amplifier Upgrade” list! What an utterly fantastic tone from *that* end! 😱)
I'm wondering what these pups would make out of my Fender jazz.Fender noiseless pups are great but I've got the feeling Nordy NJ4 or Blades would take the bass to the next level
The J Blade, makes it sound like the bass has flats or semi's on it. kinda looses the "bite" (to my ears)..possibly limits the tonal ranges that the jazz basses are known for.
Sounds like the Big J Blades have a ton more of the fundamental note with a carefully rounded off highs but no mud, while the 60's have that zippier top and gentle fundamental, and are more harmonics-focused.
The Big J Blades sound great. I ordered a 5-string set for a Squire Affinity bass today from Stew. The plan is to keep it passive, but I'll replace the pots and cap and do some shielding. It should be dynamite.
Sounds like they transfer a bit more of the percussive thump of your fingers with a thicker sound thrown in. I like them. I like the sweetness in the upper mids and highs too. Good job.
Have them on my precision and what a HUGE difference.
J Blades sound great. I like the fat and more defined sound you can get from them. With tone on the sound is nice and full. tone off and 100% neck pickup - it resembles a p bass kinda sound. Bridge pickup has nice midrange, but also has some low end going on that NJ4 does not have.
In my opinion; if you are recording NJ4 60's brings the authentic jazzbass sound you want but in the live situations J Blade set helps you more...
@Nordstrand Audio, I really want to hear how the Clean & Clear J Blades compare to the traditional NJs.
Also, is there potential for a noiseless version of the J Blades at some point?
His Zen Blades are humless
Nj4s all day long, just full punchy pickups with nice clarity
Just installed a j blade warm & wooly set in my JB-2.
amazing sound & tone !!
i am with the nj4 tone for my taste !!
what is your settings for the height of the pickups for 5 string bass???
Which version are these J Blades? Warm&Wooly? Or Clean&Clear?
Let me guess, these are the warm&wooly ones, arn´t they? ;-)
yep! Warm and Wooly!
Fantastic comparison! I have Custom EMG-sized “Big Singles” in 5 of my 6 Spector Euro Bolt-On/“ReBop” 4 & 5 DLX FM/EXs, my “Main Basses” along with my Mike Lull M4, M5 & PJ/J5-24 “Modern” J-Basses, and the Big Singles go along perfectly with the wood choices, bolt-on attack, and Aguilar OBP-3SK/PP Preamps making an awesome mix of the classic Spector growly midrange-heavy tone and fingerstyle attack & punchiness of a great Jazz Bass.
I’ve been wondering, however, whether the ”Big Blade” Soapbars would be good to install in my “Legend Classic 6-string” (a step down in terms of Spector’s lineup, but they do not make a 6-string Euro Bolt-On) - hearing now that they are warmer and more focused on the fundamental compared to the standard Big Singles allowing more of the harmonic tone through, the former sounds like what I would the high-C of a Six-String to be amplified through and creating a warmer, “bigger” tone from the thinner (from a Bass perspective) Tone from that string.
...However, whichever I end up going through, they will most certainly be Nordstrands: they are easily an extremely large part and the first step of my largely modified 4, 5 fretted, fretless & ‘98-‘08 Precision/Dual Coil-equipped “Fender American Deluxe Precision V”-esque Basses, the only Precision-type Bass I was a fan of the Tone... until I equipped a downsized “Fender Deluxe Zone P/J” w/ EMGs “Geezer Butler Sig. P/J Set, an amazing midrange-full Precision & Jazz combo). I also know they can custom-make an EMG 6-string, “45”-sized Spector string-spacing Pickup as they’ve done so for all three of my EMG “40”-sized 5-string Basses. Wonderful Pickups, and great people to work with on a Custom project! 👍🏼
(...also, the Genzler Magellan 800 Amplifier & two BA-210 Speaker Cabinet set-up is now at the top of my “Amplifier Upgrade” list! What an utterly fantastic tone from *that* end! 😱)
Nice!!!
60´s all the way...
I'm wondering what these pups would make out of my Fender jazz.Fender noiseless pups are great but I've got the feeling Nordy NJ4 or Blades would take the bass to the next level
The J Blade, makes it sound like the bass has flats or semi's on it. kinda looses the "bite" (to my ears)..possibly limits the tonal ranges that the jazz basses are known for.
Possibly limits, or expands into new territory. Depends on your mindset.
But with MUCH deeper tones like a P bass. I'm all for it.
@RODSLINGER Exactly! J basses are usually lousy with a pick.
nj4's are brighter and bigger sounding
Much prefer the 60's. Classic J tone with growl.
NJ4 60's. Oh yeah.
Are these the warm & wooly or clean & clear j blades?
Honestly I thought the vintage sounded bigger and the blades more focused in the mids
The J Blade sounds like the NJ4 but with the tone rolled off.
J Blades for me. It sounds much more like a “bass” to me. Warm but not with much loss to the high end,
J blades warm & wooly on a fretless. NJ4 on a fretted for me
Are those the "Warm and Woolly" or the "Clean and Clear" JBlades?
Big blades need some alnico loving.
Are these new Jblades noiseless ?
I think I'm partial to the NJ4's, but the blades are sexy as all get out.
Is there a demo of the clean and clear blades available?
Here is a great one by Andy Irvine. facebook.com/bassistandy/videos/10213565644592689/?permPage=1
ua-cam.com/video/wLx6j63Mt0Q/v-deo.html
60's wind for me, a tad of overdrive away from a solid Geddy Lee tone
nice
hmm bridge nj 60's neck Big J Blade
i think, i just don't like sound of big j blade bridge pickup =(
Tokai !!!!
Nj4 sound better to me