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For my ears, the same kind of pickup in the right spot will fool anyone who doesn't know what they're listening to. The Fernandes Axis a post or two above sounds like a Stingray to me. The preamp is only part of the tone if you boosted the preamp on the original. Without that it sounds like a passive MM and just like many of the clones. If the preamp boost is not part of the tone you want passive is fine. You can always add a preamp, or EQ with a pedal or in post.
From what I've read, I would say it's the combination of the pickup and preamp. Supposedly, Leo Fender wasn't trying to create a preamp that would cover all the angles, but rather building something with a very distinctive sound that stood apart from his earlier creations.
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From what I've read, I would say it's the combination of the pickup and preamp. Supposedly, Leo Fender wasn't trying to create a preamp that would cover all the angles, but rather building something with a very distinctive sound that stood apart from his earlier creations.
To that effect, I bought the aforementioned Retrovibe Stinger preamp, which is purportedly a direct copy of the Seventies-era StingRay circuitry, and a Seymour Duncan alnico MM-style pickup for a Warmoth "JazzRay Projekt" I'll eventually finish (...once I work up the courage to stain and finish the damn thing!
As far as what to buy, my Standard Operating Procedure, which you've probably heard me mention before, is to find something that feels "right" in my own, two hands first. After that, pickups, strings and electronics can usually be modified and cherry-picked to find the sound I'm looking for. For the latter part, I'll hit up YouTube for as many product demos as I can find. That's how I picked one, particular Bartolini product for Fender Dimension projekt I've been working on recently.
This one!
This one!
It's from a Fender Classic '70s reissue Jazz which, in my opinion, fits with the "birth of the StingRay era" groove I want to draw from. And like the Gotoh bridge, the knobs, end pins and output jack are all going to have a Cosmo Black/Smoked Chrome finish.
Also, if your wondering about the tilt on the E-string tuning peg, it's actually a Hipshot Drop-D tuner, thus the skewed angle.
Thanks, Beef! Ultimately, I'm aiming for a transparent red finish somewhere in the burgundy/mahogany-ish neighborhood. I've experimented with a few stains and color-blends, but I may have found a color I like that will only require one coat. Keep an eye on my "JazzRay Projekt" thread. If the weather is agreeable (for a number of reasons, I have to work on this stuff outside), I'm hoping to finish it by the end of summer or early fall.
