EMG Select SEJ Set

Select(designed by EMG) model SEJ are single-coil jazz bass pickups. I bought these pickups in 02/07/2005. They use a single blade magnet for each pickup. When both pickups are used together the pickups have a humcancelling affect, but when used individually have 60-cycle hum. These pickups are passive and DO NOT need a battery. The resistance of the pickups I have are about 6.5 - 7.1 k-ohms.

I am using these pickups in a Johnson(made by AXL) jazz bass. The original neck & bridge pickups on this bass were not humcancelling. I am replacing the original pickups with Select jazz bass pickups in both positions. I am using the pickups because they were inexpensive and I was very curious to how they would sound.

On 6/14/2009, four (4) years after the purchase of the Select SEJ pickups, I installed three(3) new mini 500 k-ohms pots for volume, volume and tone control pots on a different chrome plate to use in this bass. For these pickups, the 500 k-ohms pots sound much better than the 250 k-ohms pots I had been using for the past 4 years. These pickups are not as percussive as some of the other pickups I have heard, but they definitely sound warm, full and solid enough to use in many different types of music.

I like these pickups because they are good enough to use in many different types of music. They are not percussive, but they simple work. They sound much better when used with 500 k-ohms pots for the volume and tone controls.

The Select by EMG SEJ set consists of two single coil passive pickups for Jazz Bass.

The "Select" line of bass pickups are hard to find on the EMG site since they're listed under the Guitar section. Here's the page for the SEJ set:
http://www.emginc.com/products/index/157

The blurb:

"The SEJ model offers highs and lows available only from equalization. For fretted or fretless, the SEJ has a touch of the traditional tone but with improved clarity and power. The Select Pickup line designed by EMG has been developed to utilize the latest pickup technologies in winding, shielding, potting, and electro-magnetics."

RRP ??29.99 for the pair (er..bargain?!)

I installed the EMG SEJ set into a cheap left handed 60s Jazz Bass copy of unknown origin. It's a well-made instrument with a lovely finish but the original pickups were very poor. I play in a rock/indie band and play through a TurboRAT pedal most of the time. The original pickups had serious problems with microphonic feedback.

The SEJ set (bridge and neck) slotted straight into the holes vacated by the old pickups, no problem at all. They come with more cable than you'll ever need, but this is useful when you're wiring pickups into a lefty bass and the wire has a bit further to go.

The output level is absolutely fine, as far as I can tell. They aren't crazy-loud as you'd expect from EMG's normal active pickups. These are passive, remember.

The tone is nicely balanced, quite middy I think. Think of them as fairly neutral - a versatile blank canvas that would work well enough for most styles.

Using them with a TurboRAT sounds ace - especially on the neck pickup...deep, growly and snarly.

But the main reason to shout about these pickups is the fact they are completely vacuum sealed and practically noiseless. Such a contrast when compared to the original pickups I had. After soldering in the SEJs, I could stand right next to my amp with the gain nearly on full on my distortion pedal and amp, and there was zero microphonic feedback! That made me very happy.

If you're having trouble with a cheap pair of factory pickups, and need a budget near-noiseless replacement for your jazz bass, give these a try.

If my jazz bass copy were stolen, I wouldn't buy it again cos I wouldn't be able to find the same thing again. But if I had a Fender Squier or other cheap Jazz Bass, I'd definitely consider replacing the pickups for SEJs again.

Have been playing guitar for 10 years, bass for 6 months.

I love the quiet operation and lack of nasty microphonic feedback.

I love the price - ??30 for two pickups designed by EMG can't be bettered, IMHO.