Suggestions for Modifiying my MIA P5

[PastorofMuppets]

Hello.

I recently purchased a new Fender American Precision 5 string.

The first thing I had to do when I got this bass was to raise up the pickup under the B string. It sounds much better now. The problem is with that raise my right hand technique needs to be much lighter touch than I am used to. I have primarily played a SR5 and I have gotten used to digging in alot.

I have fallen in love with the sound of the p-bass with flats in the mix. To me its nothing special alone but in a mix is superb and fat. Quite a contrast indeed from the Stingray.

I was thinking about swapping out pickups to an active model in the bass so the pickup could be lower and yet still with that fatness I love. I was also thinking about adding in a nice bridge pickup someday.

I dont know if thats a stupid idea or not. Maybe I should just modify my technique to suite the bass.
The band I am in was happy with the tone just not the output. I had to crank my amp up much more than normal and I kept getting hey you need to play harder comments, which I am totally not used to. But like I said unless I moved my right hand to the bridge I would bottom out on the PU.

I would appreciate any thoughts you all might have.
I do not buy basses on a whim. I love the sound and If I have to ill mod the whole thing to get a bass ill love and play forever.

thanks TB love ya.

[CapnSev]

I did the exact same thing as you, moved from an SR5 to the P5.

At first I was really not digging the bass that much at all, because I was not used to it. I had to learn to adjust my playing technique a bit because I wasn't playing next to the bridge anymore, and playing on a passive bass. I was getting a ton of clicking and clacking from my playing because of how I played on my SR5, and because of the pickup (which I'll get to later). Now I really love it, and I've gotten used to it for sure.

As for making it active, I wouldn't see the need to go that route personally. It does a great job passively for me. I considered adding a bridge pickup at one time as well, but now I don't think I need it at all, I like the simplicity and tone of the single P pickup.

I did however, do a bunch of other mods to it, which I listed in summary here: No more Fender Precision V?. I really hated the pickup at first, until I realized that Fender never potted the pickup, which contributed a lot to the clacking and excess noise and sensitivity of the pickup. After potting it sounds great.

As for the output- Yeah, it's going to be a lot less than your SR5. You came from an active bass with a huge humbucker to a passive P bass. You most likely will have to push the amp more with the P. If you feel like you are hitting the pickup when you dig in, lower the pickup a little and cover the pole pieces in clear nail polish, it will help a lot. If it still seems too sensitive for you, pot the pickup in wax like I did and that will eliminate a lot of the popping and feedback.