Neptune J85 FC

A Studio Standard, with Hands Still on the Strings

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The sound of a great Jazz Bass has been defined for decades in recording rooms, not on spec sheets.

Clear articulation. Immediate response. A low end that sits exactly where it should.

The Neptune J85 FC begins there—but it doesn’t stop at clarity.

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Our goal was simple: keep the definition modern bassists rely on, while restoring the subtle behavior that made early hand-wound pickups feel alive under the fingers. Not nostalgia. Not coloration. Just a more human response.

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The Voice

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The J85 FC is tuned for real-world use—recording sessions, live stages, and long nights of playing.

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Midrange
Focused and present, with the familiar Jazz Bass authority that lets lines speak without forcing them forward. Notes feel solid, not sharp; defined, not stiff.

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Low End
Deep and controlled, with weight you can lean into. It stays tight under fast passages and heavy right-hand attack, keeping grooves clear and grounded instead of spreading out.

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High End
Open and detailed, but carefully shaped. You hear finger noise, touch, and articulation without the brittle edge that modern pickups often introduce in the studio.

The overall curve is balanced to sit naturally in a mix—no exaggerated lows, no hyped highs, no fighting the engineer.

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FSSW: Hand-Wound Feel, Modern Control

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The role of FSSW in the J85 FC is not to chase inconsistency, but to recover feel.

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By shaping the internal winding path, we reintroduce the slight complexity and harmonic movement found in early hand-wound pickups—without sacrificing repeatability or noise control. The result is a pickup that responds to touch in a way many modern designs smooth out.

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You notice it immediately:

Notes bloom instead of snapping flat

Harmonics form naturally around the fundamental

Right-hand dynamics translate directly into tone, not just volume

It feels less like a sensor, and more like part of the instrument.

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Built for Modern Bassists

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The Neptune J85 FC is made for players who need their sound to work everywhere.

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Tracks cleanly in the studio without heavy EQ

Holds its shape through compression

Translates consistently from stage to monitors

Rewards nuanced technique instead of masking it

It carries the spirit of older hand-wound Jazz Bass pickups, but with a frequency response refined for today’s playing environments.

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The Neptune J85 FC doesn’t try to sound vintage.
It plays like one—while working like a modern tool.