Players who are looking for a jazz bass tone that gives them "a little more" tend to gravitate toward the SE set. Because SEs are wound differently, they feature a slight "bump" in the midrange that the other two sets do not prominently feature. Where the NJ4 and NJ4SV arrive at a tone that is very traditional in nature, the SE goes beyond the "classic" jazz bass tone. The NJ4SE pickup is the stand-out of the three. This pickup set deliveres what jazz bass fans have come to look for in a boutique pickup but without any of the noise or hum associated with true single coil pickups. Like the NJ4, the SV pickup is very balanced from top to bottom, delivers a classic, bell-like jazz bass tone, and is fat, detailed, and articulate. Nevertheless, the SV set has been a huge success since its creation. Carey spent a lot of time developing the SV to sound as close to the NJ4 as possible, given the fact that the two pickups could never be "exactly" the same due to the differences in design.single coil vs. For players who do a lot of gigging and recording, a quite pickup is essential. The SV set was designed based on feedback from players who loved the TONE of the NJ4 but wanted a pickup that was impervious to interference. The NJ4SV (split vintage) is a split coil hum-canceling jazz bass pickup that is designed to sound just like the NJ4 while eliminating noise and 60 cycle hum. The NJ4 pickup is the one that launched the entire Nordstrand Pickups line and has livened up the tone of many budget and overseas basses that come loaded with inexpensive pickups. It is also the least expensive ($150 for the set), so if you are budget-conscious, the NJ4 set might be the way to go. This is the "reference" for jazz bass pickups and is the most traditional sounding of the bunch. While the NJ4 is a very quiet pickup, any true single coil design will always be potentially vulnerable to interference. Of course, because they are a true single coil pickup, they are also susceptible to noise and 60 cycle hum. The NJ4 set has a very clean, clear, bell-like tone, is balanced from top to bottom, and delivers a true vintage jazz bass tone. This is a true single coil pickup and sounds closest to the pickups that were used 40 or 50 years ago. The original Nordstrand jazz pickup was the NJ4. The differences between the models are subtle, but are still very important to many players. All three models deliver that classic tone that so many of us love and crave. If you like Nordstrand pickups and are looking for improved performance and tone from your current pickups, then the chances are good that you will be perfectly fine with any one of the three models. One of the most important points to make right at the top is that the differences are subtle. Other than being asked if Nordstrand pickups come with covers, the most common question I get about Nordstrand pickups involves the differences between the NJ4, NJ4SV, and NJ4SE pickup sets. As promised in an earlier post, this installment of the BHB Blog will address some of the differences between the three models of Nordstrand jazz bass pickups.