ACINONYX
Bass Pickups & Preamps
Guitar Pickups & Pedals
Accessories & Swag
Are Big Singles Really That Good?
November 14, 2025 1 min read
If you’re looking for open sounding pickups with great character, texture, expressiveness and dynamic response, the answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’ Our in-house Tone Concierge Stew McKinsey tells us why!
Consider that the jazz pickup is an industry staple since its introduction because of its ability to blend into the mix and still support a song, but also pop with just a slight increase in one’s attack, the Big Single builds on that platform without losing any of what makes the J so great.
So while the design is more muscular with added low end, it is still tight sounding. There is some of the famous midrange scoop in the design, making the Big Single great for slappers and metal players, but the rotated poles pull more information from the strings adding complexity and dimension to the midrange. If all this isn’t enough, the additional wire on the coil with the traditional jazz pickup magnet load produces an extremely musical top end that is wonderful for harmonics, chordal playing/melodic work or soloing.
And if you’re someone who uses pedals, the Big Singles will give you all you need to push them with authority!
In short, there are a lot of reasons this has been the Nordstrand flagship pickup for so long. You will find them in boutique and high end factory built instruments as well as under the hands of great live and studio musicians. You can check them out online in any number of places if you’re looking for sound samples, including our SoundCloud page.
*Instrument photos credit: Public Peace
*Instrument photos credit: Public Peace
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Also in Articles
The Big Single Story – a shift that made everything else possible
November 07, 2025 5 min read
The history of the Nordstrand Audio Big Single pickup
About The Blog
Our blog features conversations with Nordstrand Artists, new product release information, interviews and more. If there is a topic that you'd like to read about, please drop us a line.
Categories
- alnico 3
- alnico III
- Alnico V
- Anthony Jackson
- Bass Pickups
- Big Blades
- Big J-Blades
- Big Single
- Big Singles
- bigrig 6
- Dual Coil
- Dual Coils
- Dug Pinnick
- factors in tone
- Fat Stacks
- Flea
- Geddy Lee
- Jack Bruce
- Jaco Pastorius
- Les Claypool
- Marcus Miller
- NJ5F
- NJ5FS
- noise
- NPJA5
- Pino Palladino
- pj bass
- PJ Blades
- PJ pups
- shielding
- Stanley Clarke
- stew mckinsey
- tone
- tone hunter
- Victor Wooten
- wood
- zen blade
Recent Articles
- Are Big Singles Really That Good?
- The Big Single Story – a shift that made everything else possible
- Why Does My P/J Setup Sound Unbalanced? by Stew McKinsey
- Variety is the Spice of Musical Life by Stew McKinsey
- What The Heck Is That Noise?
- We Are a Manufacturer
- There is No "Best"
- Combining Pickups: the Ins and Outs
- I Want THAT Sound – A realistic take on tone hunting
- Factors in Tone: YOU
Subscribe to Nordstrand News
Sign up to get the latest on new releases, artists and more …