Fender Pure Vintage 63 Precision Bass Pickups

[sspear]

I recently replaced the stock pickups in a 1980s Tokai PB-64 with the Fender PV 63’s and it sounds absolutely killer now. The low end is round but not boomy and the top end doesn’t get brittle or crispy no matter how hard you dig at it. I use nickel wound steels on this 8.2 lb alder/rosewood plek’d beauty. This bass sounds as close to a Pre-CBS P as I’ll ever need - unless I suddenly become stupid rich.
I’ve had the opportunity to try a number of PCBS Precisions and this pickup fits the mid-60’s P vibe like a glove. One last digression - IMHO, playing at band speed on a passive P with a super stable plek’d maple neck/Brazilian rosewood board without the graphite rods must be just what heaven feels like.
Just sayin’

Both the Fender 63’s and the Klein Epic 62’s are easily my favorite P pickups. The Fender PV-63’s have a little more low end presence and the Kleins are slightly more transparent, which allows for more complex mids. I put the Kleins in a 7.75 lb 69 P bass and it absolutely sings now. It’s so transparent and allows for a ton of room to manipulate the mids with your fingers.

That’s my buck and a quarter.

IB

View attachment 3456091 View attachment 3456094

Is that a Tokai Hardpuncher? How is the build quality compared to say a MIM P bass?

 

[InnerBass]

Thanks for asking @sspear -

It's not a HardPuncher - it's a Tokai TPB-64, which is a direct copy of a '64 P bass. Probably a 1983 or so since it's got the slightly altered headstock, as opposed to the late 70's early 80's models with the direct Fender cloned headstock.



I bought this one locally from the original owner on CL last Christmas Eve - it had literally been under a bed since 1983 or so. When I took it out of the case it still had some of the plastic packaging stuck to the back of the neck. But when I played it acoustically, it felt freaking "alive". So I took it to Mike Lull, like I always do, and had it plek'd, put the Fender PV 63 in and replaced the pots. Mike also suggested having easy truss access added too - great call (Now I can also use his pickguards - cool).

Some poeple love these basses and some people hate them - all for different reasons. My only experience with Tokai prior to this was when I took my go to J bass in for repair back in the day and the shop owner gave me a HardPuncher to keep me working until I could get mine back. I remember being really knocked out by it, but once I got mine back I never gave it much thought - until I saw this TPB-64 on CL and took a flyer. When I got the bass back from Mike, I couldn't believe what a gem of an instrument it was. In fact, I loved it so much I went out and found a early 80's Tokai J and a 50's P clone.
I will also add that I owned both 1983 Fullerton 62 J and P reissues and had them both plek'd and gone over by Mike.
After Mike restored both the Tokai J and P for me, I sold both of the Fender Fullerton reissues - it wasn't even a close call. The Fullertons felt and sounded lifeless and dull - but they looked perfect.




Meet the Tokais

The one on the right is labeled a HardPuncher, but it's a limited edition 50's model with a slab body/maple top and a maple neck/rosewood board, as opposed to the normal HardPuncher with the transition era looking logo and a 60's/70's P body, maple neck. I picked this one up locally in Seattle in a consignment store and the only thing I changed was the pickup - it's now a Klein Epic '59 and it's perfect. This one is a low and deep tone monster. I put TIJF's on it and it's now 50's tone perfection - but it looks bad ass! The one on the left is a 1980 Jazz Sound and it's my go to J bass now. But this one was a project and I practically ended up paying for Mike Lull's son to go to college to have it restored. But seriously - just freaking wow - it's such an amazing instrument now. In fact all three of them are. But this Jass Sound really is special.

I'm not a collector - I'm a player. So I don't mind sinking money into an instrument I know is going to be a lifer - like the Jazz Sound and the TPB-64. I'll never get back what I put into them, but that doesn't matter to me - they're a part of me. When I start playing them I have to force myself to put them down. I have 2 "vintage" Fenders ('69 and '75) that I feel this way about. I have 3 very early US Laklands (JO,BG,HB 1998-2001) I feel this way about. I love passive Fenders and Fender clone/boutique basses. They all have certain personalities and you can tell which ones are born from the universal human heart’s love for building an amazing instrument - that’s the secret ingredient/magic.

The main reason I go all “woo woo” over this is because IMHO basses made during a certain "era" have a vibe to them that feels sonically and physically real to me but can’t really be put into words - ie. pre-CBS Fenders, late 60's early 70's Fenders, the passive Fender clones that came from Lakland in the early late 1990's / 2000's (Glaub, Dunn, Osborn) - and IMHO, the early to mid 80's MIJ Tokais. There are others, but these examples pertain to my personal experience.

Fender was going down hard in the late 70's early 80's and Tokai wanted to prove they could beat Fender at their own game. They obviously succeeded because in 1985, Fender moved all production to Japan for a year while they moved their factory to Corona. All I know is that for 5 years or so, Tokai made some instruments that are timeless, IMHO. They weren't cheap knockoffs. They were pricey at the time, but the quality was top notch. I can't speak to the current Tokais - although their recent domestic market basses look sharp.

We have 3 consignment stores in Seattle that always have a rotating stock of pre-CBS basses you can sit down and try out on a regular basis - and I avail myself of this opportunity as much as I possibly can. A big citiy with lots of Amazon/Google money buzzing around has its advantages - this is one of them : ) What I can tell you is that these particular Tokais hold their own against any of the vintage Fenders I've had the honor of playing. They feel "alive" in my hands. The Brazilian board on my Jazz Sound is almost ebony dark. The striping on the other two Brazilian boards is redonkulous. The P's weigh just over 8 lbs and the J is 8.5 - ish. The tone wood choices were awesome and they're now working on being close to 40 yrs old instruments. And I just have a thing for older tone wood. I have yet to find one that's a "boat anchor".
But here's the deal - one of these in great condition can be over $1k these days. But if you find an inexpensive one that needs some work, it just might be your thing.

The P necks are usually U shaped but really comfy - I like that a lot better than wide and shallow.
The Jazz neck is more like a '64 / Fullerton 62 RI - not at all like the really thin 62's/ Joe Osborns.

These are some live shots with the Tokai TPB-64 and the Jazz Sound.
No photos, it never happened -- right?
Oh, it definitely happened



IB

 

[sspear]

Thanks for asking @sspear -

It's not a HardPuncher - it's a Tokai TPB-64, which is a direct copy of a '64 P bass. Probably a 1983 or so since it's got the slightly altered headstock, as opposed to the late 70's early 80's models with the direct Fender cloned headstock.

View attachment 3456829

I bought this one locally from the original owner on CL last Christmas Eve - it had literally been under a bed since 1983 or so. When I took it out of the case it still had some of the plastic packaging stuck to the back of the neck. But when I played it acoustically, it felt freaking "alive". So I took it to Mike Lull, like I always do, and had it plek'd, put the Fender PV 63 in and replaced the pots. Mike also suggested having easy truss access added too - great call (Now I can also use his pickguards - cool).

Some poeple love these basses and some people hate them - all for different reasons. My only experience with Tokai prior to this was when I took my go to J bass in for repair back in the day and the shop owner gave me a HardPuncher to keep me working until I could get mine back. I remember being really knocked out by it, but once I got mine back I never gave it much thought - until I saw this TPB-64 on CL and took a flyer. When I got the bass back from Mike, I couldn't believe what a gem of an instrument it was. In fact, I loved it so much I went out and found a early 80's Tokai J and a 50's P clone.
I will also add that I owned both 1983 Fullerton 62 J and P reissues and had them both plek'd and gone over by Mike.
After Mike restored both the Tokai J and P for me, I sold both of the Fender Fullerton reissues - it wasn't even a close call. The Fullertons felt and sounded lifeless and dull - but they looked perfect.



View attachment 3456833
Meet the Tokais

The one on the right is labeled a HardPuncher, but it's a limited edition 50's model with a slab body/maple top and a maple neck/rosewood board, as opposed to the normal HardPuncher with the transition era looking logo and a 60's/70's P body, maple neck. I picked this one up locally in Seattle in a consignment store and the only thing I changed was the pickup - it's now a Klein Epic '59 and it's perfect. This one is a low and deep tone monster. I put TIJF's on it and it's now 50's tone perfection - but it looks bad ass! The one on the left is a 1980 Jazz Sound and it's my go to J bass now. But this one was a project and I practically ended up paying for Mike Lull's son to go to college to have it restored. But seriously - just freaking wow - it's such an amazing instrument now. In fact all three of them are. But this Jass Sound really is special.

I'm not a collector - I'm a player. So I don't mind sinking money into an instrument I know is going to be a lifer - like the Jazz Sound and the TPB-64. I'll never get back what I put into them, but that doesn't matter to me - they're a part of me. When I start playing them I have to force myself to put them down. I have 2 "vintage" Fenders ('69 and '75) that I feel this way about. I have 3 very early US Laklands (JO,BG,HB 1998-2001) I feel this way about. I love passive Fenders and Fender clone/boutique basses. They all have certain personalities and you can tell which ones are born from the universal human heart’s love for building an amazing instrument - that’s the secret ingredient/magic.

The main reason I go all “woo woo” over this is because IMHO basses made during a certain "era" have a vibe to them that feels sonically and physically real to me but can’t really be put into words - ie. pre-CBS Fenders, late 60's early 70's Fenders, the passive Fender clones that came from Lakland in the early late 1990's / 2000's (Glaub, Dunn, Osborn) - and IMHO, the early to mid 80's MIJ Tokais. There are others, but these examples pertain to my personal experience.

Fender was going down hard in the late 70's early 80's and Tokai wanted to prove they could beat Fender at their own game. They obviously succeeded because in 1985, Fender moved all production to Japan for a year while they moved their factory to Corona. All I know is that for 5 years or so, Tokai made some instruments that are timeless, IMHO. They weren't cheap knockoffs. They were pricey at the time, but the quality was top notch. I can't speak to the current Tokais - although their recent domestic market basses look sharp.

We have 3 consignment stores in Seattle that always have a rotating stock of pre-CBS basses you can sit down and try out on a regular basis - and I avail myself of this opportunity as much as I possibly can. A big citiy with lots of Amazon/Google money buzzing around has its advantages - this is one of them : ) What I can tell you is that these particular Tokais hold their own against any of the vintage Fenders I've had the honor of playing. They feel "alive" in my hands. The Brazilian board on my Jazz Sound is almost ebony dark. The striping on the other two Brazilian boards is redonkulous. The P's weigh just over 8 lbs and the J is 8.5 - ish. The tone wood choices were awesome and they're now working on being close to 40 yrs old instruments. And I just have a thing for older tone wood. I have yet to find one that's a "boat anchor".
But here's the deal - one of these in great condition can be over $1k these days. But if you find an inexpensive one that needs some work, it just might be your thing.

The P necks are usually U shaped but really comfy - I like that a lot better than wide and shallow.
The Jazz neck is more like a '64 / Fullerton 62 RI - not at all like the really thin 62's/ Joe Osborns.

These are some live shots with the Tokai TPB-64 and the Jazz Sound.
No photos, it never happened -- right?
Oh, it definitely happened

View attachment 3456947 View attachment 3456946 View attachment 3456945

IB

Man what a lucky find. And by the way how do you get access to Michael Lull? So my story is I have played fenders most of my life. And I have a let some go. However in 1980 when I was 30 years old by the way I never would’ve thought of buying a Japanese bass. I would love to find one of those. I hear the Chinese ones are hit or miss quality wise. I agree that old wood just has something about it. I don’t know why I took a flyer on this precision player bass except I don’t like to take my 59 out of the house a lot. So anyway I decided that instead of trying to replicate how my 59 sounds I would go the other direction and put a EMG X pickup in it. If it doesn’t breathe some life into it maybe I’ll just turn around and sell it. By the way I had a Lull Duck Dunn model. Beautiful but it was too heavy for me. I put together a J bass out of a Mighty Mite body, an American standard Jazz neck, a Schaller bridge I had lying around the house and Lollar pickups. My bass tech shielded the poopie out of the cavities and put it all together. With good round wounds it sounds great. But wait I’m about to commit sacrilege and put a Noll preamp in it. I believe the J and my stingray will be my main basses. But I’ll keep looking around. It would be great to score an old Tokai.

 

[InnerBass]

Mike Lull has his shop here in the Seattle area. He makes world class bass and guitars and also does repairs and restorations as well.
It would be like having Roger Sadowsky work on your bass.
Mike has a plek machine and is a world class builder/luthier.
He ain't cheap, but he is the best - IMHO.
The Jazz sound and the TPB-64 were both plek'd and restored by Mike and they are now world class instruments, as far as I'm concerned.
I'm still saving up some $ to take in the '59 clone and have it plek'd by Mike as well.

If you go onto Reverb, you'll see some for 400-600 bucks. They will more than likely need some work and may be almost unplayable. I got my Jazz Sound really cheap off of Reverb from a shop in Japan. When I got it, the action was stupid high and it still buzzed. But it had great bones and one of the darkest Brazilian boards I've ever seen, so I took the plunge. Like I said, it wasn't a cheap or practical decision to have Mike restore it, but I knew this bass was special. Now it's the J-bass I reach for first because it feels and sounds like Jazz bass perfection.

BTW - please step away from the preamp. Batteries don't belong in a P bass!

 

[sspear]

Mike Lull has his shop here in the Seattle area. He makes world class bass and guitars and also does repairs and restorations as well.
It would be like having Roger Sadowsky work on your bass.
Mike has a plek machine and is a world class builder/luthier.
He ain't cheap, but he is the best - IMHO.
The Jazz sound and the TPB-64 were both plek'd and restored by Mike and they are now world class instruments, as far as I'm concerned.
I'm still saving up some $ to take in the '59 clone and have it plek'd by Mike as well.

If you go onto Reverb, you'll see some for 400-600 bucks. They will more than likely need some work and may be almost unplayable. I got my Jazz Sound really cheap off of Reverb from a shop in Japan. When I got it, the action was stupid high and it still buzzed. But it had great bones and one of the darkest Brazilian boards I've ever seen, so I took the plunge. Like I said, it wasn't a cheap or practical decision to have Mike restore it, but I knew this bass was special. Now it's the J-bass I reach for first because it feels and sounds like Jazz bass perfection.

BTW - please step away from the preamp. Batteries don't belong in a P bass!

Ha ha I hear you brother. And about plek. I had never heard of that until recently. I understand a computer can be very precise but there is a lot to be said for human artistry and craftsmanship. I grew up in the day that you recorded to tape and editing was done with a razor blade. No pitch correction or Protools correcting the time. That takes all the humanness out of the groove. But I know I’m preaching to the choir. Lemme know if you see a Tokai you aren’t going to buy.

 

[sspear]

Mike Lull has his shop here in the Seattle area. He makes world class bass and guitars and also does repairs and restorations as well.
It would be like having Roger Sadowsky work on your bass.
Mike has a plek machine and is a world class builder/luthier.
He ain't cheap, but he is the best - IMHO.
The Jazz sound and the TPB-64 were both plek'd and restored by Mike and they are now world class instruments, as far as I'm concerned.
I'm still saving up some $ to take in the '59 clone and have it plek'd by Mike as well.

If you go onto Reverb, you'll see some for 400-600 bucks. They will more than likely need some work and may be almost unplayable. I got my Jazz Sound really cheap off of Reverb from a shop in Japan. When I got it, the action was stupid high and it still buzzed. But it had great bones and one of the darkest Brazilian boards I've ever seen, so I took the plunge. Like I said, it wasn't a cheap or practical decision to have Mike restore it, but I knew this bass was special. Now it's the J-bass I reach for first because it feels and sounds like Jazz bass perfection.

BTW - please step away from the preamp. Batteries don't belong in a P bass!

I saw some on there this morning

 

[InnerBass]

I saw some on there this morning

I saw them too. Most of the inexpensive ones will have truss issues, so be aware of that.

BTW - if Mike Lull swears by a plek’d neck, that’s enough for me - he’s all about old school but says he can’t outperform a plekking machine. I must confess - a Lull plek'd / set up neck or re-fret is the lowest action with no buzz I’ve ever experienced. It makes playing absolutely blissful.

 

[The Chuck]

This is my 2015 Fender ADE Precision.

When I ordered it, the PV 63 were one of three options. I selected those and have absolutely loved them (and the bass) ever since. Lake Placid Blue isn't so bad either.

 

[InnerBass]

That bass is absolutely stunning. What were the other pickup choices? The string thru is an awesome choice.
I think you chose the right pickup - IMHO, the PV 63's are the best Fender branded P pickup I've had the pleasure of installing in one of my keepers.
My other faves are the Klein Epic series pickups - sweet, sweet tone those have.

 

[The Chuck]

That bass is absolutely stunning. What were the other pickup choices? The string thru is an awesome choice.
I think you chose the right pickup - IMHO, the PV 63's are the best Fender branded P pickup I've had the pleasure of installing in one of my keepers.
My other faves are the Klein Epic series pickups - sweet, sweet tone those have.

Thank you! The PV58 and something else. I can't remember what it was now.

 

[InnerBass]

I had no idea Fender made a PV-58 pickup. That's awesome.
I love the Klein Epic '59's. Would love to compare them.

 

[sspear]

Thanks for asking @sspear -

It's not a HardPuncher - it's a Tokai TPB-64, which is a direct copy of a '64 P bass. Probably a 1983 or so since it's got the slightly altered headstock, as opposed to the late 70's early 80's models with the direct Fender cloned headstock.

View attachment 3456829

I bought this one locally from the original owner on CL last Christmas Eve - it had literally been under a bed since 1983 or so. When I took it out of the case it still had some of the plastic packaging stuck to the back of the neck. But when I played it acoustically, it felt freaking "alive". So I took it to Mike Lull, like I always do, and had it plek'd, put the Fender PV 63 in and replaced the pots. Mike also suggested having easy truss access added too - great call (Now I can also use his pickguards - cool).

Some poeple love these basses and some people hate them - all for different reasons. My only experience with Tokai prior to this was when I took my go to J bass in for repair back in the day and the shop owner gave me a HardPuncher to keep me working until I could get mine back. I remember being really knocked out by it, but once I got mine back I never gave it much thought - until I saw this TPB-64 on CL and took a flyer. When I got the bass back from Mike, I couldn't believe what a gem of an instrument it was. In fact, I loved it so much I went out and found a early 80's Tokai J and a 50's P clone.
I will also add that I owned both 1983 Fullerton 62 J and P reissues and had them both plek'd and gone over by Mike.
After Mike restored both the Tokai J and P for me, I sold both of the Fender Fullerton reissues - it wasn't even a close call. The Fullertons felt and sounded lifeless and dull - but they looked perfect.



View attachment 3456833
Meet the Tokais

The one on the right is labeled a HardPuncher, but it's a limited edition 50's model with a slab body/maple top and a maple neck/rosewood board, as opposed to the normal HardPuncher with the transition era looking logo and a 60's/70's P body, maple neck. I picked this one up locally in Seattle in a consignment store and the only thing I changed was the pickup - it's now a Klein Epic '59 and it's perfect. This one is a low and deep tone monster. I put TIJF's on it and it's now 50's tone perfection - but it looks bad ass! The one on the left is a 1980 Jazz Sound and it's my go to J bass now. But this one was a project and I practically ended up paying for Mike Lull's son to go to college to have it restored. But seriously - just freaking wow - it's such an amazing instrument now. In fact all three of them are. But this Jass Sound really is special.

I'm not a collector - I'm a player. So I don't mind sinking money into an instrument I know is going to be a lifer - like the Jazz Sound and the TPB-64. I'll never get back what I put into them, but that doesn't matter to me - they're a part of me. When I start playing them I have to force myself to put them down. I have 2 "vintage" Fenders ('69 and '75) that I feel this way about. I have 3 very early US Laklands (JO,BG,HB 1998-2001) I feel this way about. I love passive Fenders and Fender clone/boutique basses. They all have certain personalities and you can tell which ones are born from the universal human heart’s love for building an amazing instrument - that’s the secret ingredient/magic.

The main reason I go all “woo woo” over this is because IMHO basses made during a certain "era" have a vibe to them that feels sonically and physically real to me but can’t really be put into words - ie. pre-CBS Fenders, late 60's early 70's Fenders, the passive Fender clones that came from Lakland in the early late 1990's / 2000's (Glaub, Dunn, Osborn) - and IMHO, the early to mid 80's MIJ Tokais. There are others, but these examples pertain to my personal experience.

Fender was going down hard in the late 70's early 80's and Tokai wanted to prove they could beat Fender at their own game. They obviously succeeded because in 1985, Fender moved all production to Japan for a year while they moved their factory to Corona. All I know is that for 5 years or so, Tokai made some instruments that are timeless, IMHO. They weren't cheap knockoffs. They were pricey at the time, but the quality was top notch. I can't speak to the current Tokais - although their recent domestic market basses look sharp.

We have 3 consignment stores in Seattle that always have a rotating stock of pre-CBS basses you can sit down and try out on a regular basis - and I avail myself of this opportunity as much as I possibly can. A big citiy with lots of Amazon/Google money buzzing around has its advantages - this is one of them : ) What I can tell you is that these particular Tokais hold their own against any of the vintage Fenders I've had the honor of playing. They feel "alive" in my hands. The Brazilian board on my Jazz Sound is almost ebony dark. The striping on the other two Brazilian boards is redonkulous. The P's weigh just over 8 lbs and the J is 8.5 - ish. The tone wood choices were awesome and they're now working on being close to 40 yrs old instruments. And I just have a thing for older tone wood. I have yet to find one that's a "boat anchor".
But here's the deal - one of these in great condition can be over $1k these days. But if you find an inexpensive one that needs some work, it just might be your thing.

The P necks are usually U shaped but really comfy - I like that a lot better than wide and shallow.
The Jazz neck is more like a '64 / Fullerton 62 RI - not at all like the really thin 62's/ Joe Osborns.

These are some live shots with the Tokai TPB-64 and the Jazz Sound.
No photos, it never happened -- right?
Oh, it definitely happened

View attachment 3456947 View attachment 3456946 View attachment 3456945

IB

I’m considering cancelling the backordered EMG and getting a Klein ‘59. Did you change the pickups in the Jazz Sound?

 

[InnerBass]

Yep - I put in a set of Klein Epic 62 Jazz pickups. They aren't the most powerful pickup, but they are the sweetest I've tried.
Lindys are too aggressive for me - same with the Aggies. Duncans and EMG's are just too generic sounding for me.
I don't use an onboard pre and I let the amp do the work. The Kleins just seem to hit the sweet spot every time.

The Epic 59 output is 10.6 and the Epic 62 J pickups are around 7.5 - which is less powerful than most pickups.
But for me, if gives me more room to manipulate the mids using my fingers - and I really like that.

 

[sspear]

Yep - I put in a set of Klein Epic 62 Jazz pickups. They aren't the most powerful pickup, but they are the sweetest I've tried.
Lindys are too aggressive for me - same with the Aggies. Duncans and EMG's are just too generic sounding for me.
I don't use an onboard pre and I let the amp do the work. The Kleins just seem to hit the sweet spot every time.

The Epic 59 output is 10.6 and the Epic 62 J pickups are around 7.5 - which is less powerful than most pickups.
But for me, if gives me more room to manipulate the mids using my fingers - and I really like that.

After I went to their website and read the descriptions I’m thinking the ‘62 model. Anyway I’ll talk to them and see what they say.

 

[SoundCityBass]

I replaced the Quarterpounder in my Nate Mendel P-Bass with the PV63 and like it pretty much so far. One thing I struggle with is adjusting the pickup-height, couldn‘t find my favorite setting yet and I‘m changing it once a while...how much space do you set between the PV63 and the strings?

 

[sspear]

Yep - I put in a set of Klein Epic 62 Jazz pickups. They aren't the most powerful pickup, but they are the sweetest I've tried.
Lindys are too aggressive for me - same with the Aggies. Duncans and EMG's are just too generic sounding for me.
I don't use an onboard pre and I let the amp do the work. The Kleins just seem to hit the sweet spot every time.

The Epic 59 output is 10.6 and the Epic 62 J pickups are around 7.5 - which is less powerful than most pickups.
But for me, if gives me more room to manipulate the mids using my fingers - and I really like that.

Well I wanted to buy a Klein but no one answers the phone and the dealers I looked up had only guitar pickups.

 

[InnerBass]

Well I wanted to buy a Klein but no one answers the phone and the dealers I looked up had only guitar pickups.

I ordered a set a week ago off of the website. I’ll post when I get them.
That will give us a timeframe.

 

[SickAura]

I replaced the Quarterpounder in my Nate Mendel P-Bass with the PV63 and like it pretty much so far. One thing I struggle with is adjusting the pickup-height, couldn‘t find my favorite setting yet and I‘m changing it once a while...how much space do you set between the PV63 and the strings?

I usually start with the Fender setup guidelines and tweak from there.

Invalid Link Removed

I can measure tonight if you want

 

[SoundCityBass]

I usually start with the Fender setup guidelines and tweak from there.

Invalid Link Removed

I can measure tonight if you want

Hey, that would be great!

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Lots of love for this pickup but I'm a huge P-bass fan and I didn't like the PV63 at all.

First the frequency response:

The mids were just wrong to me. It's the kind of mids that make most roundwound strings sound hollow and clanky IMO. It felt like the lower mids were focused too high (boomy, hollow) and the upper mids focused too low ('clank' rather than 'zing'). I could have lived with this if worked great the mix but it didn't. It's very undefined in the lower mids/upper bass frequencies where I normally want a good P-bass to 'sit'. I tried many different rounds but the PV63 always just sounded clanky and hollow to me. I kinda liked it with Pyramid flats but then I like just about ANY bass with Pyramid flats so that's hardly a ringing endorsement for the PV63.

Secondly the dynamic response:

It doesn't compress/saturate like I want a vintage style P-bass pickup to do when I dig in. Saturation-wise it's very 'clean' and open. But it also creates HUGE spikes when I dig in! I actually have to hold back to avoid clipping when recording. Very nasty spikes, none of my other P-bass pickups behave like this. These spikes severly reduce the input level before digital clipping when recording, especially when going direct (unless I use a very fast clipper/limiter before AD-conversion, which is something I would rather avoid). Awful pickup for recording IMO.

I've seen lots of people saying Fender nailed the early 60s P-bass sound with this one but I strongly disagree. I absolutely LOVE the early 60s P-bass sound but this ain't it. Maybe mine is faulty/out of spec, it's Fender after all so QC is expected to be rubbish.

I guess Fender has designed yet another pickup to add to the rest of their completely different sounding 'accurate reproductions' of the early P-bass pickup, lol. For what it's worth I actually like the Custom'62 and the Original a lot.

But like I said, lots of love for the PV63 so maybe mine is out of spec. Or maybe we just have different taste in pickups and different views on 'the early 60s P-bass sound'.