Pickup for American Precision bass deluxe

[Gunnerhea86]

Hey TBers I need your help!

I play an American fender precision deluxe and would like to upgrade the p-style pickup in it! I am hoping to get a more modern sound out of it.Think Warwick, Ibanez, Spector sort of tone. i love the look and feel of this bass but require a bit more punch and low end oomph! I know i will not get a perfect warwick/spector sound but would like to get pretty close. I have already settled on an aguilar obp-3 preamp with a mid selector switch. unfortunatly the descriptions offered with pickups are vague and subjective! PLEASE HELP!!!!

Lastly, it must fit the p slyle hole in my bass and it must be passive!

Thanks!

[Gunnerhea86]

anyone?

[iguigd]

I used Lindy Fralin, it brought back life to my 1969 "P" Bass.

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by Gunnerhea86

anyone?

Personally I wouldn't do this unless you just want an educational project on pickups. If you want an Ibanez tone, I'd just buy an Ibanez to go with your 'old school' P-bass.

However, if you REALLY are moving on from "old school" and want a more modern sound but love the feel and look of your current instrument, then, first off you are going to need two pickups not just one. You'll need the bridge pickup to mix in some "punch". And you'll probably need some active electronics as well.

The problem is that trying to get a good "characteristic" sound out of a bass is a rather tricky business. Picking pickups and preamps at random will give you a sound fer sure, but it's hard to predict just WHAT kind of sound it'll be.

Thus, if this project were mine, I'd start with the rule that effect of things like the wood, body shape, bridge, etc. is minimal and the effect on tone of the pickups, their distance from the bridge, and the electronics is the major effect. Therefore, what I'd do is find a bass that I really liked the tone of and then buy (if I could) the pickups and electronics that go in that bass and mount the pickups the same distance from the bridge as found on that bass. That would greatly increase your chances of getting a bass that sounds much like the one you are using for a model.

[irishpride28]

The Deluxe already has a bridge pickup... just saying

[Gunnerhea86]

Originally Posted by bassbenj

Personally I wouldn't do this unless you just want an educational project on pickups. If you want an Ibanez tone, I'd just buy an Ibanez to go with your 'old school' P-bass.

However, if you REALLY are moving on from "old school" and want a more modern sound but love the feel and look of your current instrument, then, first off you are going to need two pickups not just one. You'll need the bridge pickup to mix in some "punch". And you'll probably need some active electronics as well.

The problem is that trying to get a good "characteristic" sound out of a bass is a rather tricky business. Picking pickups and preamps at random will give you a sound fer sure, but it's hard to predict just WHAT kind of sound it'll be.

Thus, if this project were mine, I'd start with the rule that effect of things like the wood, body shape, bridge, etc. is minimal and the effect on tone of the pickups, their distance from the bridge, and the electronics is the major effect. Therefore, what I'd do is find a bass that I really liked the tone of and then buy (if I could) the pickups and electronics that go in that bass and mount the pickups the same distance from the bridge as found on that bass. That would greatly increase your chances of getting a bass that sounds much like the one you are using for a model.

thanks for the response! my precision is the one with the humbucker at the bridge position. i am pleased w/ the way the bridge pickup sounds. the standard fender p-style pickup at the neck position is leaving a bit to be desired.