Direct drop in pickup replacements for SX 5 string jazz bass?

[Kronos]

Hey folks...

Only a week into the new SX that I love, and already I'm ready for modding.

I'm sure you're wondering why I want to replace the pickups since most of you say that the pickups are good. Well, I'm used to playing with active pickups that forgive when your string slightly hits the pickup. Not these. These give direct contact with the pole pieces (since they stick up about 1/8" out of the pickup cover) and cause a clipping noise. I lowered the neck pickup so low that it's almost level with the pickguard. NOT a good thumbrest. Now, I realize that I'm going to need a set of pickups that have a bar magnet inside instead of individual pole pieces, since they'd be out of alignment. That is why I come to all of you for suggestions on what may be best.

I've looked at Bartolinis, and according to the dimensions, they have a 5 string set AND a 4 string set that are direct drop ins for the size. Since they're both bar magnets, how does that affect the sound? What other P/U manufacturers have direct drop ins for SX basses? Also, I will eventually be adding active electronics to it, so pickups that work good with active EQ and passive would be beneficial.

Thanks in advance for the help!

[luknfur]

FWIW:

number of things here strike me as contradictions.

You shouldn't need to lower the pups that much to keep the strings from striking the polls even if you slap. Dropping the pup shouldn't change pole alignment. In my experience it doesn't matter anyway cause the pup will read strings fine as long as the strings are within the magnetic field - poles lined up or not. They won't read them if they're dropped too far from the strings. In my experience bars/blades read strings no better than slugs.

You could try shimming between the top bobbin and pup cover so the string strike the cover not the poles or just throw a piece of electrical tape across the poles.

To select pups see select pups below:

There’s a bass mod link in the first paragraph of this thread that may be useful

DIMENTO'S BASIC TROUBLE-SHOOTING GUIDE

Active EMG's are the only pups I've had that seem to respond noticeably more to my liking used with a preamp than without. They still sound fine through a passive harness. But that's personal taste only the player can answer.

[Kronos]

The polepieces are out of alignment from the factory. All 5 string SX basses are like that. It's the bridge PU that is the most out of alignment. It lines up properly with the low B, but by the time you get to the G, it's almost at the outside of the last polepiece.

As far as shimming the pickup cover goes, the pickup is potted to the pickup cover. Since I have absolutely no experience with repotting pickups, I'm not going to chance it.

Now, with the pickups as low as they are, the polepieces are basically level with the fretboard. In other words, damn high.


Here's pics:


Here's how high the polepieces are:



And here's the alignment of the polepieces:

[luknfur]

The pole to string alignment looks good enough to me but only playing will tell. You’ve got about another 3/16 inch of coil beyond the perimeter poles on each end. All that matters is does volume drop when you bend the strings? If not, it’s fine.

Potted how? I’ve never seen a pair of standard looking covers like that epoxy potted and I’ve never seen any bass pup factory wax dipped. What I have seen is a couple tacks of hot gun glue used to hold the cover on. If so the covers are easily popped off cause it’s a weak bond and not potted at all. Easy enough to tell by simply looking at the bottom of the pup.

Pic is not very clear but the pole exposure does appear a bit over the top. Have you tried the electrical tape route? Personally, for starters, I’d just want a fix that works so the bass is playable since it’s useless otherwise.

Hard to tell from the pic but looks like those poles may be as much as a ¼ inch from the strings which is too far. It’d practically take a hammer to drive the strings into them at that distance - unless the action is high enough on the bass so that distance is cut in half by fretting. Also at that distance otherwise you’d need pups with some serious output to get any volume. Every time you double the distance from the strings you cut output by more than half.

[Kronos]

I'll have to look again at the bottom of the pickups.

As far as the action goes, I'm a heavy hitter when I play, so I need a bit of high action so that I don't get any buzz. I guess I probably could adjust the truss rod to straighten the neck and then drop the action a bit for more playability, but I just did a quick setup when I got it home so that I could play it out of the box. I should've done the full monty when I shielded the cavities.

[jondog]

I used tape, but I didn't hit the poles much, I just thought they were ugly. Yes pole alignment is irrelevant as long as the string is in the field, mine sound great. My only complaint is a little click when I come off the B onto the pup cover, I wonder if wax potting would deaden that.

[vlad335]

Originally Posted by luknfur

Pic is not very clear but the pole exposure does appear a bit over the top. Have you tried the electrical tape route? Personally, for starters, I’d just want a fix that works so the bass is playable since it’s useless otherwise.

What do you mean by this?

[luknfur]

Guys have stuck a strip of electrical tape across the poles and some have said it's helped to been a fix. I've personally never had it be an issue of consequence. Regardless, simple enough to find out whether the tape would help.

You appear to like the tone as it is, otherwise you'd be looking to change pups anyway so it wouldn't matter.