Stock Geddy Pickups in Am. Deluxe Precision - Crazy idea?

[SlowpokeJoe]

So, I have an American Deluxe Precision from 2008 and I also happen to have a set of stock Geddy Lee Sig pickups laying around...

Is it a daft idea getting this big ol' humbucker out and getting the neck and bridge Geddy pups under the HB pickup cover, and then maybe even wire them with a parallel/series switch?

Has such an abomination been tried before?

I'm not exactly in love with the sound of the Bridge HB in this Precision, and I think it would be an interesting experiment.

[Spirit of Ox]

That's a good idea. I've never liked that humbucker. You could also wire the two Jazz pups to separate pots or selector switch.

[SlowpokeJoe]

I'm also considering buying a new pick guard and pulling the active electronics out in one piece, so I can go back to stock in the future, possibly also using quick disconnects to avoid having to solder/desolder too much.

[FunkMetalBass]

Can't you already split the coils in that humbucker?

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

Can't you already split the coils in that humbucker?

I think it's wired in parallel. Everyone seems to complain about it being thin sounding. I started making a replacement, but my cover has the mounting tabs spacing slightly different.

@SlowpokeJoe, keep in mind that with a set of Jazz pickups the neck pickup is shorter, so the poles wont line up with the holes in the cover for that one coil.

[SlowpokeJoe]

Originally Posted by SGD Lutherie

I think it's wired in parallel. Everyone seems to complain about it being thin sounding. I started making a replacement, but my cover has the mounting tabs spacing slightly different.

@SlowpokeJoe, keep in mind that with a set of Jazz pickups the neck pickup is shorter, so the poles wont line up with the holes in the cover for that one coil.

There's only one set of wires coming from the Humbucker, so no coil splitting.

@SGD I didn't think about the size difference of the pickups , I'd probably have to source a second Jazz bridge pickup.

Thin and bright is a good way of describing this humbucker, this whole bass is very bright sounding.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by SlowpokeJoe

There's only one set of wires coming from the Humbucker, so no coil splitting.

@SGD I didn't think about the size difference of the pickups , I'd probably have to source a second Jazz bridge pickup.

Thin and bright is a good way of describing this humbucker, this whole bass is very bright sounding.

If you get a second bridge pickup, the magnets have to be reverse polarity so that it works like a humbucker.

Can you even get that stock pickup out of the case?

[SlowpokeJoe]

I haven't pulled the humbucker out yet, so I'm not sure if it separates from the cover or not.

I'll figure it out once I get some tinkering time.

[SlowpokeJoe]

David, I just put two and two together and realized that you are from THE SGD haha!

I saw your ND3-TB model, is that the right p/n to go into this particular application?

If it's a fit then I'll be picking one up!

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by SlowpokeJoe

David, I just put two and two together and realized that you are from THE SGD haha!

I saw your ND3-TB model, is that the right p/n to go into this particular application?

If it's a fit then I'll be picking one up!

Yeah, that would be me.

That's actually the DLX, not the TB. That was a mistake on the page which I just fixed.

I got those cases as a replacement for the Deluxe P bass. However I have discovered it's not an exact fit. But its very close. The stock pickup's mounting screws are 40mm apart, My cover is 36.7mm, so they are 3.3mm different. My cover is also 1.3mm wider. When you split the difference that's less than a mm on each side.

The guy that bought the first one wrote to me and said:

The pickup is so close. I was able to push it down into the bass. It is just the tabs that are a hair off. They're too close together.

He also said my pickup is taller than the stock pickup, so he had to remove the ground tab under the pickup, and didn't need all the foam under there. He said he shimmed it up on some business cards. He used some bamboo screws with glue to plug up the old screw holes and drilled new ones.

So it fits, but you will have to drill new holes.

Having said that, I can take two of my J bridge covers and glue them together and build an exact fit pickup in that. I might start doing that for all of them until I can find new covers.

It's sometimes a real nuisance finding covers. You would think the companies that make these things would stick to standard dimensions.

[SlowpokeJoe]

As long as the pickup fits on the stock pocket, that's my main concern, particularly the spot for the tabs.

I'm sure that I could sand some material from your pickup cover to help with the fit.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by SlowpokeJoe

As long as the pickup fits on the stock pocket, that's my main concern, particularly the spot for the tabs.

I'm sure that I could sand some material from your pickup cover to help with the fit.

The cover I have fits, but the tabs are very slightly closer together. But the guy got it to fit in the bass.

If I make one from two bridge size Jazz covers than it will be an exact drop in replacement. That's probably the way to go.

[SlowpokeJoe]

I'll be your guinea pig! Make me one and I'll buy it!

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by SlowpokeJoe

I'll be your guinea pig! Make me one and I'll buy it!

Well you order one and I'll make it. It's same pickups I make in a different case, so no guinea pig needed.

Just order the DLX and I'll know what to make.

[SlowpokeJoe]

ND3-DLX, Bridge (Wide) is this the right item?

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by SlowpokeJoe

ND3-DLX, Bridge (Wide) is this the right item?

Yes, that's the one.

[SlowpokeJoe]

Order placed!

[SGD Lutherie]

That's Joe! It's much appreciated.