“The perfect magnetic combination to unlock the full tonal potential of your Jazz Bass”: Fender’s Cobalt Chrome bass pickups might just be the answer to your 60-cycle hum woes
Fender has expanded its arsenal of bass pickups by introducing a trio of Tim Shaw-voiced Cobalt Chrome pups compatible with its Precision Bass and Jazz Bass models.
As was the case with the Big F’s Cobalt Chrome electric guitar pickups from last year – which were designed for Telecasters and Jazzmasters – this collection of bass guitar electronics sets its sights on being the savior to your 60-cycle hum woes, comprising a magnetic combination that may “help eliminate” those pesky unwanted noises.
Using a proprietary blend of a FeCrCo magnet, the pickups not only help reduce hum, but also promise to “bring a new voice and attitude to your instrument”. Namely, they hope to provide “added punch, hi-fi clarity and dynamic range” while retaining the models’ traditional tones.
That means the Cobalt Chrome P Bass set looks to harness the “sweet low-end thump” produced by original Precision instruments, while the Cobalt Chrome Jazz Bass set is tasked with maintaining the platform’s classic “transparency and midrange growl”.
The two standalone Precision and Jazz sets are joined by a third offering, which combines both the split-coil of the P Bass with the single-coil of the J Bass.
Despite the differing sizes, the construction of each pickup remains fairly consistent across the board. In each case, a Chrome Ring with Black Insert design – as well as Formvar-coated wire – is utilized.
On the surface, it looks like a fairly humble drop, but the Cobalt Chrome bass pickups could have a pretty sizable impact for bassists. After all, the guitar equivalents were met with a warm reception from anyone pitted against 60-cycle hum troubles, and the demos that dropped with their release sounded really, really good.
Alas, no audio examples of the bass versions have been released yet, but given the fact they were voiced by tone guru Shaw – who also worked on the wildly popular CuNiFe humbucker, as well as a whole load of other popular pickups – it’s safe to assume they’ll sound pretty darn great.
Price-wise, the Jazz Bass and P Bass sets will be available for $299 and $249, respectively. The P/J Bass, meanwhile, will list for $349. All will be officially released in March.
To find out more, head over to Fender.
In other Fender news, the brand recently introduced its Switchboard Effects Operator, which brings RJM’s sought-after switching magic to the masses.
