Bartolini J-1 Jazz PUs Reviews 
4 / 5 based on 1 reviewsBlack, with hidden [covered] pole slugs. These are the 4-string set and I have them in a passive mahogany FL4 and in an active bubinga FL4, for olde skool fingerstyle play in small venues, not a loud band ... so I actually *hear* my PU's, strings, etc.
Both pairs arrived pre-installed cuz I bought used custom/hotrod basses.
Two cool things are that they are side-by-side humbuckers in jazz form, and that they have covered poles so if I do hit one with a string there's no huge noise. The best thing is that they sound cool. They are wound hotter for the neck position, so choosing to favor one or the other PU [PU balance] to alter harmonic content, or to get some bridge growl, isn't as much of a tone or EQ issue as it is with identical-twin PU's, where the neck gets muddy and the bridge gets hot. Also, they are very loud. The set in the passive bass is much louder than most active basses !
No dislikes. If I could change anything it would be to have even more compensation designed into them as concerns the neck vs bridge tone [as described in previous section].
Hard to say. Bartolini does have a good reputation.
I have the Dimarzio Ultra Jazz side-by-side humbucker jazz PU's in another passive bass, and these Bartolinis are much better for my taste. I like an olde skool tone. These really deliver it. I'm rating them a '4' cuz they're better than the Dimarzios, but not going to a '5' cuz it's hard to imagine what would be so special about a PU to rate a '5'. So I call it a '4' but I really dig them and have no complaints. Maybe someone else calls that '5' ?
Golem rated this unit
on
2010-08-10.
