pickup setup & restoration

[bez967]

hi all.this is my bass:
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u205/bez967/DSC00302.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
it also has a bridge cover and it's from japan.so if someone can identify it...
now the main point is that i want to restore this bass and the pickups are dead.so i want you to tell me which pickups to use and how to put them(near the bridge e.t.c) and also if i have to use eq or active electronics ... to take highs and grawl and attack.i like the bass to sound like peter hook's for example(joy division) and other post punk bassist's(i will cut a new pickguard so feel free to tell me any possible setup).the bass is short scale and i also want to change the bridge (any recomendations?).
so can anyone help me(and i need some affordable solutions. . .)?
thanks
p.s so many questions . . .

[Pilgrim]

First, how about some decent photos showing details of the parts you're asking about?

Second, you don't have enough info to know if it's the pickups or the other electronics that are your problems. Have you pulled the pots, sprayed them with cleaner and exercised them to see if they're just dirty?

Chances are that both pickups aren't bad. Do some electronics cleanup and get some better photos. Once you've done your part, come back with more details.

[JimmyM]

Yeah, it's rare that pickups go dead for no reason. It's usually some other reason. Take it to a local repair shop and see what they think.

[bez967]

the electronics are very old so i will replace pots & wires and i will tell you if that made the sound better....

[#include <MK>]

Originally Posted by bez967

the electronics are very old so i will replace pots & wires and i will tell you if that made the sound better....

Didn't you mention earlier that the pickups were not working...anyway...

How old a component is may be irrelevant if it's working properly. You mentioned that you want an affordable solution, but you haven't stated that you performed appropriate testing to determine where the faults are before you throw money into it. You need to check components and wiring before you make a financial decision.

If you don't know what you're doing, then send it to a tech to give you a quote.

So, how do you know the pickups are not working? What tests did you do to reach this conclusion?

Originally Posted by bez967

so i want you to tell me which pickups to use and how to put them(near the bridge e.t.c) and also if i have to use eq or active electronics

Looks like you need to do some research.

[g4string]

I dont know why people bother responding to threads like this...........wait a minute.........what am I doing responding to this..............what a waste of time.

[#include <MK>]

Originally Posted by g4string

I dont know why people bother responding to threads like this...........wait a minute.........what am I doing responding to this..............what a waste of time.

Waste of time => Your comments offer nothing to the OP.

You misunderstand completely. In brief, just for you...

- hints to perform appropriate testing to determine where the faults are before spending money. Check the DC resistance of the pickups, pots and capacitance etc. Simple tests and a whole lot of fault tracking is pointed to in this forum. For example, the OP has not stated how he determined that the pickups were not working. Rather than throw them out or think they don't work just because there is no sound (hypothesising here), it's better to really test whether they actually work

- the age of a component may not have a bearing on it's funcationality. Do I need say more?

- the OP likes this bass enough to restore, so if he doesn't feel he has the skills to perform the restoration to his satisfaction, an option is to get a quote for some of the work at least. Maybe even to really determine what the issues are and what requires reparation

- a suggestion to do some research into pickups and electronics. Something that would be of benefit to him if he is to perform the restore. Anyone can make suggestions for any of the myriad pickups on the market, but it's much better for bez967 to read up on a few things which will undoubtably benefit him and then discuss

Now, this is where my line of questioning and suggestions were coming from. Also, comments from the other posts are reasonable and definitely not out of line.

[bez967]

Originally Posted by g4string

I dont know why people bother responding to threads like this...........wait a minute.........what am I doing responding to this..............what a waste of time.

ok i am comfused.what's your problem?thanks for the last post it helped..

[Deathblade Eric]

Greetings Bez,

Certainly looks like a classic 1960s Japanese product! Could you tell me what's stamped on the neckplate (if anything)?

It looks to me as if the bass has been repainted - most of this style seem to have been sunburst originally, which makes me wonder if it has already been "restored" by someone else & they've got the wiring wrong. The switching arrangements on instruments from this period can be really strange & are easy to mess up.

Another point to consider is that you can be fairly sure that little if any of the hardware will conform to today's standards, so finding upgrade parts that will fit could be difficult.

It would really help if you could post some clearer photographs, especially of the bridge & the back of the scratchplate and take a few measurements like the overall string spacing at the bridge, and the pickup dimensions.

Regards,

Pete.

[g4string]

Originally Posted by bez967

ok i am comfused.what's your problem?thanks for the last post it helped..

Sorry bro....I think my response was a little unwarranted. However, I do think that you need to do your own research about what will work in/on this bass before posting a thread like this. The search function on here at TB will yield you a ton of info. In the future, start your conquest with a good search. I think people might be a tad turned off by your thread when you say ".......I want you to tell me which pickups to use and how to put them(near the bridge e.t.c) and also if i have to use eq or active electronics". Thats a lot to ask when we know nothing about your bass, measurements, your skill level, etc. Why not figure out what you want to put in the bass and come back with a question like "will these xxx brand pickups work in my bass....or will this bridge work on my bass. Whats your budget? Have you thought about using the money you would use to restore/modify the bass to buy another bass that might already have the components on it that you would to put on this bass? Furthermore, will the final results of the work performed be worth what you are willing to put into it? I mean, if you dont like how the bass plays or sounds now, new pickups and a bridge might be more of a band-aid than a permanent solution to your problem. A bridge and pickups are just part of the equation when it comes to how a bass sounds. Wood selection, neck construction, and scale length are other factors to consider as well. Thats all..........sorry about the negativity..

[bez967]

i think you are right and i'm doing my reserch now.so when i decide what to do i will tell you.
thanks