The Aguilar AG 4J-HC and AG 5J-HC bass pickups are hum-canceling pickups designed for 4/5 string Jazz basses and other J-style basses.
These split-coil pickups provide you with a noiseless Jazz bass tone, and are meant as direct replacement pickups for Fender Jazz style bass guitars.
Traditional single-coil pickups give out some of the nicest tones, but there is a drawback – they are plagued by hum especially when the bridge and neck pickups are at different volume levels.
This unwanted hum is the reason why manufacturers have been making hum-canceling single-coils, to give you the single-coil tone while tackling the noise and hum issue. Purists however will contest that the tone that comes from these hybrid pickups are usually compromised – producing thinner lows, harsh mid-range and lack of dynamics.
According to the Aguilar, the new AG 4J-HC and AG 5J-HC pickups are meant to go beyond the split-coil stereotype. These new pickups will let you use any pickup level combination without the dreaded 60-cycle hum and they claim that the pickups will do this while retaining the natural and organic tone of your bass guitar. Aguilar further said “Now you can experience the deep, resonant low-end of the neck pickup or solo the bridge pickup for that sought-after midrange cut without annoying hum!”
These hum-canceling pickups are wound in Aguilar’s NYC factory, it utilizes 2 gauge Formvar wire and Alnico V magnets.
The AG 4J-HC bass pickup is being sold now with a list price of $249, while the 5-string version AG 5J-HC pickup is scheduled to be available shortly after with a price of $289.
For more information about these electric bass guitar pickups and to check their other products, you can head over to Aguilar Amplification.
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