Bass VI pickups

[Mofo-Kang]

What pickups would you guys suggest for a USA Custom Guitars replica of the Fender Bass VI? If I understand right, they essentially use stratocaster pickups... well, that doesn't really help narrow things down, LOL. What sort of characteristics would you look for in a guitar pickup that's going to be used on a bass? What pickups fit the bill?

 

[Mofo-Kang]

no one has any thoughts?

 

[GeneralElectric]

If you email Fender they might just tell you what pups are in the thing.

Or contact Lindy Fralin or someone else who specializes in reproducing old pickups.

 

[musicelectronix]

I don't know if I understand correctly, but you are trying to install a guitar pickup to a bass? Or you are talking about a baritone guitar?

 

[James Hart]

I don't know if I understand correctly, but you are trying to install a guitar pickup to a bass? Or you are talking about a baritone guitar?

a Bass VI... it's a bass... like Jack Bruce used some during the Cream days

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-11/1227628/Cream0001.jpg

 

[James Hart]

Glen Campbell used one for a bass solo on Wichita Lineman

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4qoymGCDYzU
(solo at around 2:00)

They are strung E to E in the same octave as a bass

 

[Mofo-Kang]

I don't know if I understand correctly, but you are trying to install a guitar pickup to a bass? Or you are talking about a baritone guitar?

It's a 30" scale 6-string bass, tuned like a guitar but one octave down. There's a huge array of single-coil stratocaster pickups out there, and I'm asking for advice about ones that people think would be best for this instrument. I'm not necessarily looking to make one that sounds exactly like the real thing, though I'm not necessarily opposed to that, either. What do people think? Lace sensor Hot Gold? Dimarzio SDS-1? Duncan strat Quarter-Pounders? Seymour Duncan also makes lipstick tube single-coils that might look nice, but would they sound right?

 

[Dead Horse]

The pickups are not single coil strat but some
Custom Jaguar Single-Coil Pickups (Middle Pickup is Reverse Wound/Reverse Polarity).
Take a look on Seymour Duncan Pickups for Jaguar, you must find some.

 

[GlennW]

I've tried many Strat pickups in basses. IIRC my favorite was a pickup had alnico rods and had been rewound to 6.3K with 43 awg wire. I think Texas Specials might be close, not sure. That particular pickup sounded very good in every bass I tried it, much better than the MIJ '51 P PI pickup (to me).

Edit: http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Texas-Sp...ryZ22670QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Mofo-Kang]

The Texas Specials seem to be one of the more popular choices with these projects. Thanks, that's the sort of feedback I was looking for. Is it better to go with hotter pickups or no? Would that give a clearer bottom-end, or the opposite?

 

[GlennW]

"Hot" pickups tend to sound muddy with a bass IME, so I would avoid them, and also avoid Strat pickups with ceramic bar magnets.

I tried and took notes on alnico rod Strat pickups with the following specs in a short scale solid body bass :
A) 4.80K (wire unknown, probably 42)
B) 6.38K, 43 awg
C) 7.70K, (about 5+K of 42 with about 2.5K of 43 added)
D) 10.79K, 43 awg

Short reviews:

Switching pickups A and B, I prefered A at the bridge and B at the neck to A at the neck and B at the bridge

B at the neck and C at the bridge was my favorite, it sounded real good

D sounded muddy, less defined

It would also be worth your trouble to try different caps with and without pots.

You should also consider the rw/rp deal, for example, with the Texas Special set you'd need to use the middle pickup with either one of the others so it won't sound bad when both are on. I think I've read they're wound with 43, but can't say for sure.

You could also try various cheap Strat pickups from ebay.

What's the deal with 43? I don't know, but the Fender SCPB pickups are wound with 42 and very similar to Strat pickups and people are changing those left and right...and some still aren't happy.

Edit: I've never used Texas Specials in anything, so that's just a guess on my part.

 

[WahmBoomAh]

Just got a Bass VI ... reviving an old thread since I`m looking at the same situation ...thanks

 

[mjmeche]

JBE Pickups (Barden) JAG-Style for Jaguar & Fender Bass VI Models SET of 3 WHITE
JBE (Barden) JAG-Style Pickups for Jaguar & Fender Bass VI Models SET of 3 BLACK

 

[khutch]

This information is coming quite late to help the original posters and the first zombie poster. But they look like interesting pickups for a VI for someone who comes along later with the same question. Of course they cost $100 more than my entire Squier VI cost!!

 

[Callan]

I put Vintage Noiseless Strat pickups in mine. They have worked great so far...but then again, I know nothing about guitar pickups.

 

[bigtone23]

Late info for sure.
I kept the stock Jag style alnico pickups in my Squier Bass VI as they sound pretty good and have the RW/RP thing going on. I made sure that the metal comb has the shorter 2 poles on the low E and A, as called for in factory spec. I'm sure those original Squier pickups pop up now and again with people changing out the stock pickups. I did add a Seymour Duncan concentric Bass/Treble preamp in the thing, so the Bass VI gets all the tones and them some anyway.
I hear good things about the Duncan Jag pickups in a Bass VI. Not a bad idea to have them wind them for your spec in terms of the RW/RP as the Jag has only neck and bridge pickups. I tend to use the neck pickup, neck and middle and middle only, so the factory RW/RP middle pickup works great for me.

 

[Blaargh]

I know a lot of people use Lace guitar pickups in basses. Never tried it myself, but I've only heard good things.