jeremy_crockett's Music Gear Setup
I need to thank Fender for using White Pearloid as the OEM pickguard. It is my absolute favorite.
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This rig
~$1,136
Fender Player II Modified Active Jazz Bass
Avg price: $1,135.71
Another Example of Fender Excellence
I've always fancied myself a Fender "Passive Only" kind of guy, and for quite some time now, I have been looking for a Jazz bass to replace the Vintera '70s I came to regret selling.
The Player II Active Modified with 18-volt electronics and noiseless pickups was quite the unexpected instrument for me. Sweetwater had an open-box bass listed at $260 below "Street Price", and I jumped on it.
This color is what Fender calls "Dusk", which is the deepest metallic purple that "reads" as black 99% of the time. It's subtle, and I think it's amazing.
Given the number of fiddly knobs, it definitely has a "learning curve", but that's okay. It also comes with Fender's high-mass bridge. A nice touch, I think.
18-volt active electronics. I don't know what that means exactly, other than I've doubled my battery costs. It does have a mini-toggle for active/passive modes. So, that's cool as well.
I've never had a bass with "Noisless" pickups before. There is no single-coil hum out of the box.
Everything feels top-notch; the fretwork polished and perfect. It plays very smoothly and is extremely versatile in the sounds it produces.
About this setup
This gear photo by jeremy_crockett features 1 piece of gear, including Fender Player II Modified Active Jazz Bass.
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How good do the pickups sound? Like they’re “vintage” noiseless so are they lower output or something else
7007
They do have lower output.
It is interesting to note that when engaging the active circuit, there is NO appreciable increase in volume. It has been explained to me that the 18-volt preamp's purpose is not to "boost signal" but to "keep the signal clean and stable under all playing conditions, giving a high-headroom tone that never overloads the amp."
At least that's what I was told by Copilot when I asked about the preamp myself.
7007
Since I cannot edit my previous response, I need to address your first question: "Do they sound good?"
Yes - they sound good and they have less hum than other J basses I've owned.