pickup covers on fender jazz bass

Danzig111 · #1 04-24-2009, 01:14 PM

Hello there, im looking to buy black replacement pickup covers for my Fender mim standard 1998 jazz bass. The serial number is MN8156220. I need exact replacements because i have bought a pair of official fender pickup covers and they didnt fit! so any help is appreciated thanks in advance.

anomalybass · #2 04-25-2009, 06:04 PM

have you tried email or calling fender? -joep

SGD Lutherie · #3 04-25-2009, 09:50 PM

Some of the MiM basses used two neck pickups, the shorter ones.

walterw · #4 04-25-2009, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SGD Lutherie

Some of the MiM basses used two neck pickups, the shorter ones.

actually, in the early days the mex jazz basses had the opposite problem, they used two bridge pickups. not only did they not hum-cancel or line up with the strings, but replacement pickguards wouldn't fit (the worst of all worlds). the newer ones corrected these issues, except the bridge itself is still too narrow so the poles don't line up right.

Danzig111 · #5 04-27-2009, 12:07 AM

here are the measurements neck width is 3 ^5/8 , bridge width is 3 ^5/8. When i have both pickups turned up all the way, they don't hum cancel if that helps. Emailing Fender is a good idea which I'm gonna do.

SGD Lutherie · #6 04-27-2009, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danzig111

here are the measurements neck width is 3 ^5/8 , bridge width is 3 ^5/8.

That's pretty much the size of the neck Jazz pickup, which is 3.6"

Does the neck cover from the standard set fit one of your pickups?

Danzig111 · #7 04-27-2009, 12:29 PM

Actually I haven't tried fitting the neck pickup but I've tried to fit the neck pickup on the bridge and it didnt fit it was a bit too small. Maybe my bridge is 3.6 inches. I did sand down my old pickups to paint them so that might have knocked off a few cm

impactwrench · #8 04-27-2009, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

actually, in the early days the mex jazz basses had the opposite problem, they used two bridge pickups. not only did they not hum-cancel or line up with the strings, but replacement pickguards wouldn't fit (the worst of all worlds). the newer ones corrected these issues, except the bridge itself is still too narrow so the poles don't line up right.

dude, you're the man! you know everything! what an asset to TB.

to the OP, get new pups in black. If they dont hum cancel especially. you can find a newer set of MIM pups on the classifieds for $30 or less. if the neck slot is wider then a traditional neck/bridge pair should fit fine I presume. and you can get a new PG if there is a gap around the neck pup.

walterw · #9 04-27-2009, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SGD Lutherie

That's pretty much the size of the neck Jazz pickup, which is 3.6"

ok, now i'm losing my mind, 'cause i've had to work on dozens if not hundreds of those basses over the years, and they had two identical pickups, the neck one of which would not fit in a replacement pickguard (which would have a normal neck-sized hole).

a little digging found me a reference to the emg "mj" set, which was sized specifically for the early mex j-basses, and sure enough, it describes both pickups as "3.6 inches long".

a little more digging found me a picture of the bass, clearly showing the too-narrow mexican bass bridge lining right up with the "bridge" pickup poles, which it won't do with an actual jazz bass bridge pickup. i guess the pickguards didn't fit because the shape of the pickup was just wrong, not because it was a bridge pickup.

Danzig111 · #10 04-27-2009, 11:09 PM

well i would only change my pickups if it was my only option because i like the tone of mine. Here are some pics to help you guys out. Wow you guys at TB are much more of help then those at the ultimate guitar forums. My questions always seem to be too tough for them.

walterw · #11 04-27-2009, 11:43 PM

if you like the tone of those, i'll bet you a nickel that you'd be blown away by some actually good pickups!

plus, they'd be the last piece of the puzzle for that bass, since the bridge has been upgraded, and the mex basses already have a decent neck and body.

you'd need to get the bridge saddles slotted so the string spacing matches the new pickups, which would be spaced differently (that is, correctly), and a little dremeling of the pickup holes might be needed, but it would be so worth it.

TimmyP · #12 04-28-2009, 12:20 AM

Just get some of that Krylon paint that's specifically for plastics.

Danzig111 · #13 04-28-2009, 12:46 AM

Haha quite possibly im little bit scared to change pickups it seems like a gamble to me. so what year of fender pickups should i be looking for?

**TheMutt** · #14 04-28-2009, 02:41 AM

I have a MIM J that I replaced with Stan Hinsley pickups a few years back. Totally transformed my bass from just "okay" into something that I'd never get rid of. If you're on the fence about changing out pickups, go try another J with stock or aftermarket pickups alongside your bass and decide the tone that is right for you. Personally, I am very satisfied with my bass as it is currently.

Edit: Also, I can see why you want to replace the pickup covers. White covers on a sunburst body with a black pickguard is definitely ugly. I'd also heavily advise against using spray paint on the covers as they usually take a good beating from the strings and your fingers. In the best case scenario, the paint would chip or rub off and you would have to repaint them. In the worst case scenario, the paint would get into the pickup windings and cause damage.

SGD Lutherie · #15 04-28-2009, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

ok, now i'm losing my mind, 'cause i've had to work on dozens if not hundreds of those basses over the years, and they had two identical pickups, the neck one of which would not fit in a replacement pickguard (which would have a normal neck-sized hole).

a little digging found me a reference to the emg "mj" set, which was sized specifically for the early mex j-basses, and sure enough, it describes both pickups as "3.6 inches long".

a little more digging found me a picture of the bass, clearly showing the too-narrow mexican bass bridge lining right up with the "bridge" pickup poles, which it won't do with an actual jazz bass bridge pickup. i guess the pickguards didn't fit because the shape of the pickup was just wrong, not because it was a bridge pickup.

I haven't had much contact with the MiM basses, but I've read here and elsewhere that they used two short pickups.

But they probably aren't the stock short pickup size either.

I just went by my notes that list the standard neck as 3.6" and the bridge as 3.7", and he said the pickups were 3.625, while a real neck is about 3.6102. So it's longer than a standard neck, but shorter than a bridge.

walterw · #16 04-28-2009, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danzig111

Haha quite possibly im little bit scared to change pickups it seems like a gamble to me. so what year of fender pickups should i be looking for?

nah, it's not a gamble at all. anything you get would be an improvement. (besides, if for some bizarre reason you just couldn't part with the sound of those cheapies, you could always put them back in and sell off the others.)

they don't need to be from fender; read through that "jazz pickups" sticky at the top to see just how vast the options are.

"vintage-style" pickups will sound like all the old records (and a lot of the new ones), boosted-up types like duncan quarter-pounders will give you a louder, grindy rock sound, hum-canceling types will sound more "modern" while being noiseless in all settings. (all of them, even the vintage types, will hum-cancel when both volumes are set the same.) any of then will kick your bass up to the next level.

SGD Lutherie · #17 04-28-2009, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

"vintage-style" pickups will sound like all the old records...

I agree, but do you mean all the old records that weren't done on a P bass...

That old Jazz sound can also range from Zep to Greg Lake.

But EMG's it aint!

Foamy · #18 04-28-2009, 06:41 PM

Yup - I used it. It's called Fusion.
I am redoing a Mark Hoppus in Seafoam Green. If you can picture the p'ups with white covers!
They look killer!
And that paint does a great job. No runs, and looks very professional.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimmyP

Just get some of that Krylon paint that's specifically for plastics.

Danzig111 · #19 04-28-2009, 10:55 PM

well i guess i could always change pickups i have been thinking about it. Im looking for something that is very versatile since i do play every kind of music. Something that will sound almost piano like sort of. I have came across this on ebay : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=190303595132 That would save me soo much money im pretty sure it wont get too expensive.

walterw · #20 04-28-2009, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danzig111

well i guess i could always change pickups i have been thinking about it. Im looking for something that is very versatile since i do play every kind of music. Something that will sound almost piano like sort of. I have came across this on ebay : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=190303595132 That would save me soo much money im pretty sure it wont get too expensive.

um, that's the same thing you have now.