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Aguilar pickup replacement
- Thread starter DT916
- Start date
I’ve tried a few different sets in one of highway one j’s and i’m back to the stock set.
Take a look at a cable tip.
There will be 2 plastic rings on the shaft.
Output test at the tip and that section of shaft.
Doesn't matter for this purpose, but I always used the red on the tip and the ground on the shaft.
Pickup height is simple, take a 1/8" allen and set your pickup height.
If you hear warbling, lower the pickup until it's gone from your lowest string, then equalize height on highest string.
Continuity check is simple, touch the jack ground and go pot to pot, hear a tone you are good.
You can reflow your connections, often you need solder braid btw solder blobs to clean up any solder that touching.
That brownish fluid is conductive, drop the braid between solder joints to clean them up.
There were a lot of old guys that taught me these things while I was wrenching on gear, these are very old and simple concepts that stack problems. Straighten them out one by one. Amazing how many music repair guys had learned their trade in the service as radio techs.
A active preamp really brings a jazz bass alive.. just a little bit of bass boost on my Aguilar pre and instant booty!
Yeah, and if your pickups have even height poles you could just spin one around if they weren't installed with their leads coming out the same direction.
If pickups were somehow soldered backwards, I'd just flip them, then get on to the business of adding more stuff.
I go with dual battery boxes bc 18v headroom allows mid and low boost to really bloom.
If pickups were somehow soldered backwards, I'd just flip them, then get on to the business of adding more stuff.
I go with dual battery boxes bc 18v headroom allows mid and low boost to really bloom.
I agree. I have a set in my Valenti and lack of low end is not how I would describe them at all.
I would suggest that you not measure using a guitar cable because you will be measuring the resistance of the entire circuit on your bass, including the cable. It's best to unsolder it, and measure at the pickup wires.
Remember to always measure the resistance of pickups before installing. It's an easy test to see if the pickup is defective. And if it is, it's an easy call to Aguilar (and other pickup manufacturers as well) to get it resolved*.
I wouldn't describe the AG 60's pickups as overly bright with no low end, although I would agree it has more clarity on the high end than average. Perhaps you should post some sound clips of what you are describing so everyone can have a reference to description.
Download the wiring diagram and trace your wiring to see if there are any mistakes. The AGs should be reverse wound. There will be a marking to denote this such as a mark on the bottom of the pickup, or a separate wire color. Your bass should have had revese wound single coils from the factory. So it's likely you just solder a wire to the wrong location.
Look for cold solder joints and redo (hint here... use flux for best results; don't rely on the flux within the core of the solder).
Finally, the only fault I can give to Aguilar is that they don't provide enough information about their pickups. As an example, compare them to SD or Dimarizo.
*just remember to buy from an authorized dealer, whether it's at their brick&morter store, on Amazon, or ebay. It makes resolving defective issues so much easier.
Remember to always measure the resistance of pickups before installing. It's an easy test to see if the pickup is defective. And if it is, it's an easy call to Aguilar (and other pickup manufacturers as well) to get it resolved*.
I wouldn't describe the AG 60's pickups as overly bright with no low end, although I would agree it has more clarity on the high end than average. Perhaps you should post some sound clips of what you are describing so everyone can have a reference to description.
Download the wiring diagram and trace your wiring to see if there are any mistakes. The AGs should be reverse wound. There will be a marking to denote this such as a mark on the bottom of the pickup, or a separate wire color. Your bass should have had revese wound single coils from the factory. So it's likely you just solder a wire to the wrong location.
Look for cold solder joints and redo (hint here... use flux for best results; don't rely on the flux within the core of the solder).
Finally, the only fault I can give to Aguilar is that they don't provide enough information about their pickups. As an example, compare them to SD or Dimarizo.
*just remember to buy from an authorized dealer, whether it's at their brick&morter store, on Amazon, or ebay. It makes resolving defective issues so much easier.
