Z-mode preamp for Jazz Style Basses

The JZ5D and JZ6D preamp series have been upgraded to the Pro JZ6D Preamps.

Our Jazz preamps will make your bass feel and sound like a high end custom bass.

The JZ6D has been upgraded from a standard JZ3 by adding a rotary 6 way Z-Mode switch in the 4th hole.

The Audere JZ models shown on this page are designed to replace a standard Fender type jazz plate where the output jack is located on the side of the body. You should also consider a JZ3D Preamp which features a passive tone control in the 4th hole of the jazz plate. If your bass has a standard plate mounted jack then select a JZ3 Preamp.

Easy installation allows for players to install their own preamp

Our jazz preamps are complete units, including knobs and control plate, making installation very simple. Over 95% of these units are installed by the player. If you have access to and can use screwdrivers and wire cutter & stripper then you can install your own preamp which will save you a lot of money. If you have an external battery box which is common for a bass with a side mounted jack then you will need to solder your existing red wire from the battery to the red wire from the preamp and the black wire from the battery to the black wire coming from the output jack. Audere JZ Install PDF

3 different configurations

Volume, Z-Mode switch, Mid/Balance stack, Treble/Bass stack, LED Battery Meter, 6 Way Z-Mode switch, & Output Jack.
The most popular configuration is the 3 band tone control with the stacked mid/balance control (shown in photo below).
Volume, Z-Mode switch, Balance, Treble/Bass stack, LED Battery Meter, 6 Way Z-Mode switch, & External Output Jack.
The volume and balance setup is selected by players who want a balance control but like a simpler 2 band tone control.
Volume, Z-Mode switch, Volume, Treble/Bass stack, LED Battery Meter, 6 Way Z-Mode switch, & Output Jack.
The two volume setup is preferred by traditional players who like the passive bass setup and by those who favor playing on one pickup.

Audere Audio JZ6D-VB-3B Bass Preamp with Vol, Mid/Balance, Treble/Bass, 6 Way Z-Mode Rotary Switch

Can't decide? Hard to lose in this tradeoff but if you don't know which one is right for you, then I'd recommend the vol, mid/bal and treble/bass.

Z-Mode Switch creates multiple voices

Our JZ6D preamps feature our unique Z-Mode control. It delivers 6 organic bass voices with clarity and definition. The Z-Mode switch reconfigures the preamp to change the loading applied to the pickups. Pickups interact with the vibrating strings differently in the modes and this changes the voice of the instrument. For the 6 way Z-Mode switch the pickups offer different combinations of loading on the pickups.

Mid Z-Mode - is the sound of your passive bass. You will not lose your passive goodness and you will gain more responsiveness and better pickup mixing. Typically players spend the majority of their time in this mode.
High Z-Mode - is a bright aggressive sound. This mode is often used for slap playing.
Low Z-Mode - is a deeper fuller sound response. The unique aspect of this mode is it features very good note timing location and is never muddy. Lots of bass players have been looking for this sound and attempting to get it with tone controls on other preamps but that does not work.

In the JZ6D preamp the pickups are loaded independently. The following combinations of loading are available listed in clockwise order - Neck, Bridge pickup:

Low, Low
Low, Mid
Low, High
Mid, Mid
Mid, High
High, High

The switch gives you 6 organic starting points from which you can tweak pickup balance and add tone control.

Our Z-Mode switch makes the Audere preamps not only the best sounding preamps but also the most versatile option in the preamp market.

Easy to get a good tone

All of the Jazz models sound the same when the tone controls are flat - they sound like your true bass, and as players find out, that is generally a great sound. The sound is natural - in all tone control combinations.

Precision pickup mixing

The pickup signals are buffered from each other. After the buffer they are mixed together by a balance control or dual volume controls. This design provides a broader range of usable sounds as you mix the 2 pickups together and works especially nice for a PJ configuration.

Tone Controls

In the JZx products you get either a 2 or 3 band tone control depending on configuration
Tone control pots are centered de-tented where the response is flat.

Battery power

The JZ6D preamps will run about 250 hours on a premium 9 volt battery. The preamp will also work good with an 18 volt system which will get you very long battery life. For the JZ6D the battery is normally located in an unique battery cavity but it can also be placed below the preamp in the jazz cavity.

Battery meter

When you first insert your cable the preamp will power up and show you the battery strength by modulating the intensity of the Blue LED for 3 seconds. When your battery is really low it will start a different faster sequence for 5 seconds. At this point you still have 10+ hours of playing life so it will not die on you at a gig. Audere LED Battery Meter Video

Setup to play great out of the box

Preamps are shipped pre-optimized for a US Fender Jazz bass. This optimization works well for most pickups and basses but you can customize it if you want to. There is more information on these adjustments on the links below:

Low Z gain adjustment with single turn pots
High Z Capacitors that are socketed so that you have the option of optimizing the Frequency peak location.

Audere Audio JZ6D-VB-2B back side

Fits most Jazz basses

The current American Fender Jazz Bass has a cavity that measures approximately: 1.19" wide at the top (some cavity narrow slightly at the jack end), 1.27" deep, and 5.17" long.

Most jazz style basses including current Fenders made in Mexico and Japan have the standard cavity size. A few other bands may be different and some older Fender basses, especially vintage models, may vary from these dimensions. Normally the limiting factor on the cavity size is the width required to fit the battery in.

When you check the size of your cavity, our preamp needs cavity dimensions of: 1.1" wide, 1.2" deep and 4.8" long.

Already Changed Out Your Pickups?

Common customer replacement pickups we see include Nordstrand, Bartolini, Fralin, Basslines, DiMarzio and various forms of the Fender custom shop pickups.

Important Restriction if you have Active Pickups

To use our Z-Mode technology, you must have PASSIVE PICKUPS, meaning that the pickup does NOT have a semiconductor component in it. The vast majority of basses have passive pickups. EMGs are the most common active pickups. If you are uncertain about your pickups, google them (fastest), check with the manufacturer, or send Sales an email.