Carvin LB76 J-style pickup replacement

[Tmh2oson]

I’m entertaining the idea of upgrading the pickups and preamp in my 90’s Carvin LB76. It’s a great bass but I feel like it’s missing something. Has anyone swapped out the pickups in one of these? I took some measurements and they seem to be the size of standard 4 string j-style pickups.

I’m sure this will be a real shocker but I’m a big Primus fan so I think I need something with some more mids(also why I’m thinking about upgrading the preamp). Thanks!

 

[Toptube]

I’m entertaining the idea of upgrading the pickups and preamp in my 90’s Carvin LB76. It’s a great bass but I feel like it’s missing something. Has anyone swapped out the pickups in one of these? I took some measurements and they seem to be the size of standard 4 string j-style pickups.

I’m sure this will be a real shocker but I’m a big Primus fan so I think I need something with some more mids(also why I’m thinking about upgrading the preamp). Thanks!

Carvin J pickups are usually both the same size. Whereas Fender J bridge and neck pickups are a bit different.

Carvins are usually close to a Fender bridge pickup size.
If the pickups you are set on have a different wind for the bridge and neck, you may need a custom set, both bridge sized----if you want the exact sound they market.
If you can't get a custom set or don't want to deal with extra costs: you could still just buy two bridge pickups. Its not the end of the world, to do such a thing!

If the wind is the same in both pickups----buy two bridge pickups.

And you also may still need a little fine tuning on the routes.

 

[sunbeast]

I’m entertaining the idea of upgrading the pickups and preamp in my 90’s Carvin LB76. It’s a great bass but I feel like it’s missing something. Has anyone swapped out the pickups in one of these? I took some measurements and they seem to be the size of standard 4 string j-style pickups.

I’m sure this will be a real shocker but I’m a big Primus fan so I think I need something with some more mids(also why I’m thinking about upgrading the preamp). Thanks!

All the old Carvin's with Js used 2 of the same-sized J pickups instead of the common short neck/long bridge- IIRC they use two of the shorter neck pickup sizes (I could be misremembering this), and I've replaced them with other Js in every one I've owned (I've had at least 4 with J pickups IIRC- 2 4-strings and 2 5-strings).

Finding an off-the-shelf traditional 4-string size J pickup (with exposed magnet polepieces) that will fit the 6-string string-spacing is probably a no-go, but you could certainly find someone that could make you a custom set if you want a traditional single-coil type of J tone. The Wilde J45s would probably work since they just use evenly-spaced poles and are something of a hybrid between traditional and modern tone and are also humbucking- I'd measure the lengths of your pickups and the maximum string spacing and email Becky at Wilde to see if you could get a set with two identical sized pickups and to make sure the string-spacing of the poles is wide enough for your outer strings ( J-45 ).

Outside of that if you don't want to go custom you will probably be limited to other pickups that use bar magnets like the original pickups to fit your string spacing- Bartolini, active EMGs, active Duncans, some Delanos, etc. Then you'll have to get a customized set with two identical lengths, or (what I have done on two of my Carvins in the past), just do a little routing of one of the two pickup cavities so it'll fit a standard J set.

 

[Toptube]

Oh by the way:

Carvin/Kiesel has changed their J style pickup a couple of times, over the years.

To hear the current one, called the "JVA", check out videos of the Carvin/Kiesel JB bass.

Like these:





They use the same exact pickup in all string configs. There is no difference in the pickup internals. And there is no difference between neck and bridge.

 

[sunbeast]

Oh by the way:

Carvin/Kiesel has changed their J style pickup a couple of times, over the years.

To hear the current one, called the "JVA", check out videos of the Carvin/Kiesel JB bass.

Like these:





They use the same exact pickup in all string configs. There is no difference in the pickup internals. And there is no difference between neck and bridge.

Yeah I think I had three different versions of Carvin J pickups over the years (two different humbucker versions and one single coil) and didn't care for any of them. I'm curious how the Kiesels compare.

 

[tubedude]

I routed out the.slots a little to get a Nordstrand quad coil and a Bartolini in my '96 LB76F. I.also removed.the.preamp. passive pickups sound so much better.