'51 Fender RI P-Bass pickups...

[JohnnyCrash]

As found in the Fender 1951 reissue Precision Basses... you know, the single coil pickup.

Good? Bad?

What do you like/dislike about them?

Would you replace it with an aftermarket "upgrade" or leave it in as-is? Why, or, why not?

How's it's mids?

[Relic]

I just picked up a Sting bass which I'm assuming has the same p/u as the 51 RI. I'd call it "good". Maybe not excellent or anything but it sounds halfway decent to me. With the older strings I have on the bass, I get a nice solid 'woody" sound. Heavy on the mids but not too much highs or lows.
They are noisy as an sob though.
I'm planning on replacing it with a aftermarket as I'm looking for more range of highs and lows.

[Chef]

I think the stock pup is nice, if you dig it's flavor. It's open, woody, solid, but not overpowering. Mine wasn't overly noisy except "in bad environments."
I prelaced mine with an sd scpb3, very hot, very grindy, very awesome.

[lpdeluxe]

With the roundwounds that came with the bass, the pickup was so-so. I put a set of LaBella nylon-tape wounds on it, and it became an evil monster! It was like playing a bass drum with strings. Very percussive, not much sustain, a lot of "snap." It now has GHS Brite Flats, which are somewhere in between.

It's a lot of fun to play. Not very versatile, but if I pick up the 51 P first I don't put it down again...if I pick up the Tribute L2K first (VERY versatile bass) I still trade off between it and the 51.

I'm quite tempted to get a Seymour Duncan QP for it. I have a Squier II P with a split-coil QP in it and I love it...however, I haven't yet tried the single-coil and it may be quite different.

Chef, what sort of pickup is on your retro 5?

[shooter_mi]

A little off topic but maybe not really worth a new thread...Since my E string got caught under the top of the pickup on my 51 RI and popped it off the pole pieces, I'm looking for a replacement. I'm also interested in getting a plastic pickup cover (not an ashtray, but a fitted cover like those on j basses, split coils and strats) to safeguard against havingthis problem again (I'll also lower the pickup a bit, and maybe not play right over it). Any word on aftermarket SCPB pups that come with covers, or where I can get one seperately?

[Relic]

Yeah I've thought the same thing, shooter. Maybe strat p/u covers with no holes? Not sure if they're the same size though, I guess if wouldn't be too hard to drill out the holes if necessary. Long shot, but maybe?

http://www.dguitarparts.com/Merchant...ct_Code=PC-447

[shooter_mi]

Originally Posted by Relic

Yeah I've thought the same thing, shooter. Maybe strat p/u covers with no holes? Not sure if they're the same size though, I guess if wouldn't be too hard to drill out the holes if necessary. Long shot, but maybe?

http://www.dguitarparts.com/Merchant...ct_Code=PC-447

A good shot, but probably long, yeah. My guitarist leaves a strat in my basement and by my measurements, the strat pickups are a little shorter in all three dimensions than the SCPB pup. You mentioned in another thread you've got a new duncan. Some dealers (bass emporium, musicians friend) indicate those may come with a cover. That wasn't the case with the one you got?

I called MF and asked if "includes logo cover" might just be a reference to the logo being printed on the pup and I couldn't get a definitive answer.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by shooter_mi

A good shot, but probably long, yeah. My guitarist leaves a strat in my basement and by my measurements, the strat pickups are a little shorter in all three dimensions than the SCPB pup. You mentioned in another thread you've got a new duncan. Some dealers (bass emporium, musicians friend) indicate those may come with a cover. That wasn't the case with the one you got?
I called MF and asked if "includes logo cover" might just be a reference to the logo being printed on the pup and I couldn't get a definitive answer.

Really? rats, oh well.
No, no separate cover on my SD pup. I assume they were referring to the logo on the pup itself.
I've heard it said that the '51 chrome cover may help prevent it from happening, I may give that a shot.

[azzyrazzy]

Originally Posted by Relic

I just picked up a Sting bass which I'm assuming has the same p/u as the 51 RI. I'd call it "good". Maybe not excellent or anything but it sounds halfway decent to me. With the older strings I have on the bass, I get a nice solid 'woody" sound. Heavy on the mids but not too much highs or lows.
They are noisy as an sob though.
I'm planning on replacing it with a aftermarket as I'm looking for more range of highs and lows.

Sting : "Danny maintains Sting's two touring basses: a '57 Fender Precision, sans pickguard, and a '55 Fender Precision. Sting has had the '57 P-Bass for 15 years, and according to Danny, "It's the only bass that he wants to play." Sting uses the '55 P-Bass as a backup. Both are equipped with Basslines Single Coil Stack pickups and strung with DR Hi Beams (.040-.100). Danny sets the action on the P-Basses "higher than I would like it to be," but he is reluctant to do extensive work on the vintage necks. "
Link

[BottleRocket]

Originally Posted by Relic

Really? rats, oh well.
No, no separate cover on my SD pup. I assume they were referring to the logo on the pup itself.
I've heard it said that the '51 chrome cover may help prevent it from happening, I may give that a shot.

relic / shooter ...

Not being a fan of the ashtrays myself, but having almost destroyed my pickup twice in the way described, I came up with something that works.

I wound black self-amalgamating tape around and around, over the black cord wrapping, keeping going until it was flush with the "lip" formed by the top cover at either end of the pickup. I trimmed any tape that had strayed onto the top cover with a craft knife and now I could only replicate the accident with a considerable amount of effort.

The beauty of this tape is that it's the black, rubbery, non-sticky type that only binds to itself. Adding a small strip of black insulating tape -again, suitably trimmed - over the top curve of the pickup means I can use the p/u as a thumbrest with confidence if I really have to (always end up doing it during Roadhouse Blues for example!).

Wouldn't work aesthetically for everyone but thought I'd share!

[main_sale]

I added a Jason Lollar pickup, CTS pots, Wilkinson compensated brass bridge saddles, flat wound strings and a Hovelend Tonecap to my '51. It was a very worth while upgrade.