Why exactly do we have so many models? Why are there multiple versions of them? Why is it we ask for all the information we do before we can recommend anything when people ask for help finding replacement pickups? Believe it or not, there are reasons for this!
We have the incredible variety we do because players’ needs can’t be reduced to just one thing. And let’s face facts: there are a lot of different specs for the instruments we use. If all musicians wanted one version of each pickup type, it would simplify our lives.
But think about this in real terms. Looking at just the 4-string J pickup, we could absolutely just make one version of a single coil. One wind. One magnet material. One string spacing. Unfortunately, taste among bassists is all over the map and the number of requests we get is kind of amazing. The single coil is the “classic” version of the pickup, but more than half our customers want hum canceling pickups. Of the players who want a hum canceling set, many want something that is decidedly less traditional in sound and character. Even those who want single coil pickups can’t agree on the sound they want, so we offer two different winds. And there are players who aren’t fans of AlNiCo V (A5), our primary magnet material. Still others want something that is more modern and smooth sounding, so we have a set with ceramic magnets, also available in two different winds. And what about builders who want to mount their pickups in different locations, meaning they require different placement for the poles? Or individuals who want two bridge pickups wound RWRP (reverse wind, reverse polarity) so they can replicate Berry Oakley’s “Tractor” pickup? And builders who want single coil pickups in sets of three so they can set up basses on Stratocaster switching? If we only offered one version of the pickup, these wouldn’t be possible.
Let’s look at another example of something that’s very popular at the moment, fanned fret basses. While a blade style pickup will take care of most considerations with this kind of design, and we’ve found both our Big Blade and
Zen Blade models work beautifully in this type of instrument, not all players want that kind of modern character in terms of sound. This is why we have some designs that can be modified for the rotated pickup mounting and the fact that the string spacing figures mean something slightly differently in this sort of a build. In fact we have single coils, split coils, stack coils and twin coil models that mean we have things to offer that will deliver the kinds of tone that Nordstrand is known for, as well as accommodating many different tastes and needs.
Every model we have released was created with a different kind of player and sound in mind. Some designs are for traditionalists, some are for people who like more modern tone and still other things are designed for studio musicians or players who need more than one sound from the instrument they use. At the same time, you may not realize just how many people contact us simply because they want something unique. Being able to offer the
NP4,
NP4a and
NP4v with two different grades of AlNiCo was not a frivolous decision, and neither was adding the
Power Blade to our lineup.
We have developed our pickups because the needs and wants of players as well as builders are not just one thing. We do not make pickups to suit every taste, but we offer a wide variety so that people have choices. We are proud of our flexibility and open-mindedness when it comes to what we make, and we will continue to offer things that appeal to a broad spectrum of artists.
