Pickups for a P-Lyte or Zone

JimmyM · #1 10-20-2007, 04:29 PM

Got a friend with a P-Lyte. Love the way it feels and looking to buy one. Hate the pickups, though. Really seems to be the only thing to hold it back from nailing the good P tone.

If you're not familiar with the P-Lyte or Zone, it's active Fender PJ pickups with a 4-knob control panel. Now I have a couple basses with active electronics, but I know nothing about Fender active electronics, or electronics in general for that matter. So if I were to replace the actives with passive pickups, would I have to replace the pots as well and just completely gut the thing? I can't remember now but it seems to me that if I ever wanted to go back to passive in my EMG-equipped basses, I was told I'd have to replace the pots, so is it the same for Fender actives?

I'm not looking to completely gut the thing. I'm not good with electronics and soldering, but I can at least change out pickups in a passive system. Putting in all new wiring, eh, not what I do best. So if you all could recommend some active alternatives for passive pickups that look and sound passive (not EMG or Bart) and wouldn't require a complete overhaul, please do so as I'm not up on the latest and greatest in the active world.

A9X · #2 10-20-2007, 07:06 PM

Unless the pickups themselves are active, ie they have a pre inside the p/u casing a la EMG then it'll probably be OK as is. Unless these were an expensive bass, the pre is probably something like the generic Mighty Mite ones which are serviceable but nothing special. These are often wired like a passive with a V/V or a V/P pot setup passively before it actually enters the pre.

Post some pics of the pre and electronics cavity (when you get the bass) and I'll be able to give more definitive answers.

62bass · #3 10-21-2007, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Got a friend with a P-Lyte. Love the way it feels and looking to buy one. Hate the pickups, though. Really seems to be the only thing to hold it back from nailing the good P tone.

I've played the P Lyte and while it was a very nice bass to play the stock pickups were the weak point for me too. I'm not sure if they are active pickups with the preamp or passive pickups. I think they may be active, but once you get the bass it should be easy to tell.

Carol Kaye used to play that bass for a number of years (she had two of them) before switching to an Ibanez SRX 700. She felt the same way about the pickups and had them changed out to Seymour Duncans, but I'm not sure which ones exactly, but they weren't the usual SPB1 or 2 or 3. She had the guys at Seymour Duncan pick out the pickups for her and had a tech guy install them for her. While he was at it, he rewired the bass-not because of the pickup change, I don't think, but because the guy said the wiring inside was a "rat's nest" with leads way longer than needed and impossible to get at anything. He left the bass active without changing out the preamp. She's not technically inclined but she does know the model numbers of the pickups they switched to. It's probably somewhere back in postings on her forum-that's where I read it. You might want to log on there and look it up. If I have time, I'll try to find it too but I can't promise. You also might want to e mail her and ask. As I said, she's not into the tech end of things but does know which pickups were used.

I know she very much liked the sound of the Lyte when it was finished and only stopped playing them because she had problems with the necks on them and rather than mess about trying to keep them playable, started looking for a different bass that was comfortable to play like the Lyte is and got as good a sound as her modified versions.

jgbass · #4 10-31-2007, 03:06 PM

Jimmy,

I think I remember this correctly, going back several years. Carol decided to not use the P-Lyte anymore because they started developing neck problems that were rather extensive. You might want to do some future research on that topic before investing in fixing up a P-Lyte.

I actually have a P-Lyte deluxe. Don't play it much as I play mainly upright, but its a great bass.

Showdown · #5 10-31-2007, 10:04 PM

I have owned both. The P-Lyte I put Barts in, and it sounded good, but the typical Bart sound. I sold it and later bought a Zone. In the Zone I have Nordstrand pickups with a Bart NTMB preamp, and it is one of the best sounding basses I own.

I would recommend the Nordstrand.

Showdown · #6 10-31-2007, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgbass

Jimmy,

I think I remember this correctly, going back several years. Carol decided to not use the P-Lyte anymore because they started developing neck problems that were rather extensive. You might want to do some future research on that topic before investing in fixing up a P-Lyte.

I actually have a P-Lyte deluxe. Don't play it much as I play mainly upright, but its a great bass.

The neck on my P-Lyte was pretty unstable. It needed regular truss rod adjustments. I flew to Japan with it for a tour and when I got there the strings were on the frets, a backbow. I made the mistake of forgetting to bring allen wrenches and had to make an emergency run to a music store in Yokohama to find some.

The Zone I have has a very stable neck. It is like an improved P-Lyte, all the good things from the P-Lyte, but improvements on the neck and hardware.

62bass · #7 11-01-2007, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Showdown

The neck on my P-Lyte was pretty unstable. It needed regular truss rod adjustments. I flew to Japan with it for a tour and when I got there the strings were on the frets, a backbow. I made the mistake of forgetting to bring allen wrenches and had to make an emergency run to a music store in Yokohama to find some.

The Zone I have has a very stable neck. It is like an improved P-Lyte, all the good things from the P-Lyte, but improvements on the neck and hardware.

Yes, that was another problem with the Lyte-it had a soft brass bridge and the height adjustment screws could strip easily.

NickyBass · #8 11-01-2007, 08:17 AM

There are a few places that will sell pre wired assemblies. I've gone that route a few times. Then you just have to worry about soldering the pickup wires. Of course, you could use heat shrink tubing and not have any soldering to muck up.

kevmc28 · #9 10-11-2011, 05:57 AM

I have Seymour Duncan basslines in mine. They sound great. I took out the electronics and wired it passive recently. Sounds really good to me.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to wire the electronics from that into my SR-305dx Ibanez... I'm failing at the moment. I'll try it and then take a few days off so I don't get too angry at it. Eventually I'll get it right. The stock Ibanez preamp is the worst I've ever heard.

NKBassman · #10 10-11-2011, 07:48 AM

Zombie!!!

jibreel · #11 10-11-2011, 10:01 AM

Dimarzio Model P in mine, no bridge pickup, passive. Black nylon flats.

Love it !!