This thread is overdue, but I just wanted to post something about the updates I did to my Ibanez BTB. The bass in question:
A while back, I posted about being dissatisfied with the stock setup (Bartolinis + Bart preamp). I tried upping the pre to 18v, which was an improvement, but still not what I was looking for.
So I gutted the bass and started over.
I decided to go passive, and had Pete Biltoft at vintagevibeguitars.com wind me a set of jazz pickups for it. After a fair amount of discussion on the matter, Pete and I decided the best option for what I was looking for was a straight vintage J-bass wind, with alnico V magnets -- no overwinding or underwinding, or magnet-swapping. They're a RWRP set, so with both pickups on full, they're hum-canceling, and I also specified shielded leads, just for an extra nudge in the "quiet department." I also opted to go with plain covers without exposed polepieces, to maintain the original look of the bass.
I sent him off a money order, and I had my pickups within a week. His service is fast!
I wired the bass up in Volume/Volume/Tone configuration, with 250K-ohm linear taper volume pots and a 250K-ohm audio taper tone pot, which I modified to be no-load. It's a simple mod to do, which essentially takes the tone control out of the circuit entirely when it's turned up all the way. The bass already had conductive paint shielding in the control cavity, but not in the pickup cavities; I did not add any additional shielding (other than the shielded leads).
I strung it with a set of Rotosound Swing Bass 66's that I've played for quite a while now; I periodically give them a denatured alcohol bath to liven them up again, and they're good to go (I think they've been rejuvenated 4 or 5 times now, and they're still great strings).
So... I've played it a lot over the last few months. I've played it solo, in a 3-piece power trio setting, and a 4-piece as well. I've gigged with it a few times as well as just in the garage. My overall sonic evaluation? Wow! This bass has been transformed!
I'm really impressed by the way this bass responds to my touch now. With the stock electronics, it sounded kind of compressed, but now it's extremely touch-sensitive. If I pluck it softly, it purrs and sings. If I dig in, it snarls and growls. With Pete's pickups in it, it's probably the most expressive bass I've ever played.
The neck pickup is full and round, with that classic Fender-esque single-coil "thing" going on (you know... that "thing"...). The bridge pickup is bright and crisp, with a little bite to it, but with gobs of bottom end. Both pickups on full yields a great slightly nasal "quack" that sounds super with sharply plucked or slapped tones. My favorite tone on it is with the neck on full, and the bridge at about 75-80%. It's full and rich, but with a little sizzle on top -- a very appealing tone. It's also dead quiet -- not a hint of buzz, even under fluorescent lamps and such. That's a real plus for me.
I liked the bass before the mods -- it's light and really comfortable to play. But now, wired passive, and with Pete's pickups in it, it's an absolute monster, and it's my favorite bass. I love my other ones, but I always come back to that one.
I apologize for the wall of text here, but I just have to add that if anyone is contemplating a set of custom wound pickups, I'd highly recommend zapping off an email to Pete and inquiring about his work. He's a real genius in the pickup design department, and he's great to work with, to boot. His pickups, as well as his customer service, are top drawer. I know I'll be contacting him for future projects, without a doubt.
