Seymour Duncan Apollo Jazz Bass Pickup 4-string Set Reviews

Installed these in a Fender mim jazz bass. Had to do a little fitting on the bridge pup but, really not a big deal, if you have a Dremel tool it's quite easy. The improvement in sound is superb and, no more buzzing! Installation was pretty easy. Did have a few minor questions and the tech at SD was very helpful and we had a nice short chat, Great customer service! Highly recommended and, very satisfied with these pup's.

Put these in my Fender Jazz Elite yesterday…WOW!

Since I've already commented on how GREAT it is to shop at Sweetwater and how terrific these pickups sound, I'll focus this review on installation into a MIM Fender (not Squire) Jazz Bass.

First, be prepared to do some work on the body; these are NOT drop-in pickups or, at least they weren't on MY Bass. But, understand that the little extra work is well worth the reward! Start with a clean work surface (a good soft towel works great)!

After removing the strings (BTW, it IS possible to work with loosened strings but you need to be very careful), carefully remove the pick guard, pickups and the Vol, Vol, Tone (VVT) control plate. Look and remember where the original pickups are soldered before cutting them or de-soldering them.

Examine the bottom of the pickup cutouts in the guitar body. As nicely as the face of the guitar is finished, the bottom of the pickup cavity on my bass looked as if it were the surface of the moon. I don't think the finisher bothered to blow out the sawdust but just painted over it.

Examine the Seymour Duncan (SD) pickups and compare them dimensionally to the original pickups. Chances are you might find that the SD pickups are about a 1/4" taller than the originals. If your guitars pickup pocket is deep enough to handle it, then fine. Otherwise, you'll need a Dremel with a 1/8" routing bit and a steady hand. If need be, rout the bottom of the cavity to accommodate the extra depth of the taller SD pickups. Also pay attention to the corners of the pockets. The corners of the SD pickups were a little sharper than the originals which which created a very tight fit. This required that all pocket corners needed to be routed also. This has to be done carefully especially for the bridge pickup pocket as you are now dealing with the cavity with the exposed outer finish and you DON'T want to screw it up. Start with the router bit all the way down in the corner cavity and rout carefully using only an up stroke; not up and down. Remove just enough so that the pickups will fit.

You know you've reached the right depth when you can lower the pickup to give you a 1/8th inch string-to-pickup clearance when the strings are depressed at the 12th fret. Once you determine this, do the electrical installation as directed by the SD instructions, re-check your work and reassemble the guitar. You should be ready to go.

GOOD LUCK!

Sweetwater got the pickups to me post haste and the pickups are free of noise and are clear as a bell. I am very pleased with Sweetwater and Seymour Duncan.

These pickups are just what the Doctor ordered, very happy with them
Thanks

I ordered this set for a Fender J bass project. I started with a MIM Jazz but had just ordered and received a new 60's reissue body and wanted to replace the Fender RI pickups I had installed years ago. I'm a guitar player but need a bass for my home recording studio. I wanted more punch and less noise.

First off ordering and quick delivery from Sweetwater is always a pleasure. Top notch. Seymour Duncan's enclosed instructions are idiot proof, lucky me. I've been swapping pickups since the 70's but the clarity of instructions is always welcome when it may not be a like-for-like installation. Nothing peculiar about the installation of this set but I started with some wiring foolishness under the hood that had to be undone.

The neck pickup of this set did not fit the rout or pickguard opening for the Fender 60's reissue body I had bought, nor would it have fit the body and pickguard of the original MIM neck cavity. It is too long by several mils. I assume this set would have no issues fitting a Fender Am Std J Bass. A few careful minutes with dremel and file and the neck pickup was installed. The height of the pickups is also taller than the Fender Reissues I had installed in there, but posed no problem for me getting them set to specification once everything was buckled up.

These pickups sound pretty much exactly as I had hoped. Round and punchy with a top end clarity I was previously lacking. No noise.

There you have it. I wouldn't recommend this set to anyone who wants new pickups but has never had to shave some wood and plastic. You may or may not have to, just be forewarned.

Thank you Sweetwater and Seymour Duncan!

They do what Seymour Duncan says.... they are very quiet. These pickups make any bass sound like its worth a professional price. I would recommend them anytime.
The highs are crisp and the lows are very defined. Seymour Duncan has developed a pickup set that will be around for a long time.
A++.