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Did I just stumble upon hidden treasure? Warlock. Dimarzio, p-bass

T

Tigerclaw_x

Apr 25, 2016
188
103
48
#1
I just picked up B.C. Rich Warlock NJ series (at least that's what it said on headstock) P-Bass
For $40 out the door. Frankly I bought it because I needed the neck for a B.C. Rich Warlock P/J build. I noticed something the pickup looks a LOT like DiMarsio pickups. The magnets are vertical "tubes" rather than rods. Just like on the Dimarsio that I put into my Jackson C20. But there are no markings on pickup. Not on top not on the bottom. So, is it a DiMarzio? Did I just by accident bought a bass with a pickup that costs more than the bass?
 
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#3
Eagle & Bich basses came with cream shaded DiMarzios:

8c3bee58dc2353b8bb55af8e85b84adc.jpg
 
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#4
Mine look EXACTLY like that but black. Hey, Kilmister, if you are Chicago Music Exchange I bought stuff from you on Reverb:-)....
I will take a pic of it when I get home. If it is... holy crap. Dimarsio P-bass pickup for $40. And now I have Warlock NJ body to sell too... (The neck is going onto a PJ warlock Platinum bass, along with Fender 98 Pickups)
 
#6
NJs (which stands for Nagoya, Japan) were the Japanese imports from the early to mid 80s. Well made instruments for sure.
I wonder about the pickup, it could very well be a Dimarzio, as BC Rich used them a lot. It also looks just like the Ibanez P4**, which looked just like an unmarked Dimarzio Model P but was made by Gotoh of Japan. Gotoh pickups were used in other Japanese made basses of the era, like Hondo, Aria and Electra/Westone. Look at the bottom of the pickup, if it looks like circuit board with circular solder pads, reads from 9-11K and has three wires (usually black, white and blue/some other color), it's Gotoh. If the bottom is sealed up with epoxy/hot glue, meters around 11.5K and has red (hot), green (ground), black & white (series connection) wires, it's a Dimarzio.

**The P4 (YE180) was used in the early to mid 80s Ibanez Blazers and Roadstars and sounds great. The P4 measures about 10.6K, which is pretty much the standard for P pickups. Many people mistake this for a Dimarzio. Gotoh also copied the Dimarzio Super Distortion with dual creme bobbins and the dual row of adjustable hex head poles.
 
#8
bigtone23 said:
NJs (which stands for Nagoya, Japan) were the Japanese imports from the early to mid 80s. Well made instruments for sure.
I wonder about the pickup, it could very well be a Dimarzio, as BC Rich used them a lot. It also looks just like the Ibanez P4**, which looked just like an unmarked Dimarzio Model P but was made by Gotoh of Japan. Gotoh pickups were used in other Japanese made basses of the era, like Hondo, Aria and Electra/Westone. Look at the bottom of the pickup, if it looks like circuit board with circular solder pads, reads from 9-11K and has three wires (usually black, white and blue/some other color), it's Gotoh. If the bottom is sealed up with epoxy/hot glue, meters around 11.5K and has red (hot), green (ground), black & white (series connection) wires, it's a Dimarzio.

**The P4 (YE180) was used in the early to mid 80s Ibanez Blazers and Roadstars and sounds great. The P4 measures about 10.6K, which is pretty much the standard for P pickups. Many people mistake this for a Dimarzio. Gotoh also copied the Dimarzio Super Distortion with dual creme bobbins and the dual row of adjustable hex head poles.
Click to expand...

It only has TWO wires. White and black. Reeds 11.4K.
 
#10
Those pickups look very similar to Schaller PBX I've got on my bass. Basically the same thing as Dimarzio. I think there was some sort of deal between them, but could be wrong. Those were used in Kramer basses back in the day. Anyway, you got one steal of a bass! Congrats!
 

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