Help Needed Replacing a Pickup...

[BQFS]

Hi -

I just bought a 60s hollow body with a single pickup. The pickup windings are open.

It is one of those pickups that sits in a surround. It looks like a JB pickup with 2 poles per string The top of the bobbin is rounded but the bottom is rectangular.

The rectangular surround is 4 3/16 by 1 3/4 inches. There is 3/8" between the short side holes and 3 13/16" between the long side holes.

The rectangular base of the pickup itself is 3.71" long and .67" wide. The ears on the base are 1" from each end.

I have attached a picture.

Although it looks like a JB pickup, the mounting dimensions are all wrong. The mounting ring is way bigger than anything I am finding on Amazon or any other place I have looked.

I would like to replace the entire assembly but obviously not having any luck. The other option is to find someone who could rewind the pickup for me.

If anyone has any suggestions, I am all ears....

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Hi -

I just bought a 60s hollow body with a single pickup. The pickup windings are open.

It is one of those pickups that sits in a surround. It looks like a JB pickup with 2 poles per string The top of the bobbin is rounded but the bottom is rectangular.

The rectangular surround is 4 3/16 by 1 3/4 inches. There is 3/8" between the short side holes and 3 13/16" between the long side holes.

The rectangular base of the pickup itself is 3.71" long and .67" wide. The ears on the base are 1" from each end.

I have attached a picture.

Although it looks like a JB pickup, the mounting dimensions are all wrong. The mounting ring is way bigger than anything I am finding on Amazon or any other place I have looked.

I would like to replace the entire assembly but obviously not having any luck. The other option is to find someone who could rewind the pickup for me.

If anyone has any suggestions, I am all ears....

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

View attachment 5449697

Well, this is going to require some custom work. It's not likely that you can find anything off-the-shelf that will bolt into that surround, or bolt onto the body. That's obviously not the original pickup. I don't recognize what it's from, but probably some '60's import bass. The original pickup was more rectangular, probably with only 4 poles. There's a chance you could find an original pickup and mounting ring somewhere, but it could be a long search.

The simple thing would be to decide on a pickup that will fit into the opening in the body. Probably a 4-pole single coil of the right string spacing and width. A humbucker might fit.

Then make up a new mounting plate of the same size and screw pattern as the original, with the opening cut to fit the new pickup. The mounting plate could be made from black plastic, or brass or aluminum. Depending on the theme of the bass. A simple enough part to make.

 

[ardgedee]

For curiosity's sake can you post a photo of the pickup cavity in the body? And if possible let us know what the brand of the bass is?

Like Bruce says it's obviously not an original pickup, but depending on whether the mounting ring was original or yet something else bodged together it might be possible to suggest a replacement closer to the original than the weird pickup that you show. that is, assuming you want that and not a drop-in replacement for the pickup you show.

There are pickup builders who can replicate the various odd-sized pickups used in non-Fender basses of that era, so it can help you spec something in that respect too.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Please put a couple of rulers, or graph paper, or something like that in the photo next to the pickup opening for scale purposes. If graph paper, either still have one ruler or tell us the cell size. And get the photo as straight-on as possible.

 

[BQFS]

I have absolutely NO idea of the brand. The seller took his guess - "We believe the body to be a 1960's Bruno Conqueror or Maxitone Bass. The neck is not stock. It is however vintage." I looked up both the Bruno and the Maxitone but could not find anything that looked remotely like the one I have. Here's a shot of the opening including a ruler to show the size.

 

[BQFS]

Another shot

 

[BQFS]

I have absolutely NO idea of the brand. The seller took his guess - "We believe the body to be a 1960's Bruno Conqueror or Maxitone Bass. The neck is not stock. It is however vintage." I looked up both the Bruno and the Maxitone but could not find anything that looked remotely like the one I have. Here's a shot of the opening including a ruler to show the size.

View attachment 5450046

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I have absolutely NO idea of the brand. The seller took his guess - "We believe the body to be a 1960's Bruno Conqueror or Maxitone Bass. The neck is not stock. It is however vintage." I looked up both the Bruno and the Maxitone but could not find anything that looked remotely like the one I have. Here's a shot of the opening including a ruler to show the size.

View attachment 5450046

It’s utterly unfixable. You’ll need to ship it to me for proper disposal.

You don’t show your headstock but something like this?

Someone may make newer versions of those pickups but you may have to lurk around eBay or Reverb. If the repro Hofner bass style pickups would fit the opening I’d probably make a pickup ring that covers the rest and play the snot out of it until I turned up the right pickup.

Also while looking, don’t worry about the Bruno brand name. Almost any pickup out of a 60s Japanese bass that looks the same is probably the same pickup.

 

[BQFS]

You don’t show your headstock but something like this?

View attachment 5450060

If the repro Hofner bass style pickups would fit the opening I’d probably make a pickup ring that covers the rest and play the snot out of it until I turned up the right pickup.

Yes, the bass in the picture looks very similar to the one I have. What pickup is that in your picture? Seems like that would one deserves investigation.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Weird 1960's Japanese Basses? Paging @JIO

 

[JIO]

Looks pretty much like Matt's Conqueror (above) with a different bridge & tail-piece and his bass has a bound neck. If you want to return it to original, vintage Japanese pu's show-up now and then on eBay & Reverb but it's basically a waiting game. Otherwise, your replacement pu needs to align with the strings if it has poles and follow Bruce's advice.

 

[Beej]

Nice score! There are plenty of old lo-fi pickups that would fit that and probably both look and sound the part. Guitar Parts Factory carry a few import pickups that are inexpensive and could be made to work. If it were mine, I'd probably try one of these and if the ring didn't fit, you could cut a new ring out of pickguard material (or have someone local to you do it for you). Here are some nifty options:
Gibson EB bridge style: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Artec Hofner style: MVBA4-C Artec 4-String Neck Humbucker Pickup for Hofner Bass

Vox with polepieces: PU-6423-025 Vox Style White Cover Bass Single Coil Pickup (My favorite)

Vox without polepieces: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Burns Trisonic Bass Bridge: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Burns Trisonic Bass Neck: PU-TS-BNC Tri-Sonic Chrome Bass Pickup Neck Position Single Coil Alnico 5

 

[iiipopes]

It is regrettable that the person who owed the bass before the OP modified the pickup ring. If this were mine, I would check the dimensions of the cutout and see if a bridge mini humbucker pickup and new ring in the style of a Gibby/Epi EB3 would fit.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Yes, the bass in the picture looks very similar to the one I have. What pickup is that in your picture? Seems like that would one deserves investigation.

It’s a picture I found online. Probably the stock pickup. I had a two pickup sunburst Conrad that was similar. I think it had metal covered “humbuckers” which were probably actually single coils.

Like Jio said, you can find original pickups but may have to look for a while. Check the measurements of the Burns and Vox pickups that Beej posted above. If one of those works use it and make a pickup ring to fit until an original shows up.

 

[JIO]

It’s a picture I found online. Probably the stock pickup. I had a two pickup sunburst Conrad that was similar. I think it had metal covered “humbuckers” which were probably actually single coils.

Like Jio said, you can find original pickups but may have to look for a while. Check the measurements of the Burns and Vox pickups that Beej posted above. If one of those works use it and make a pickup ring to fit until an original shows up.

It's a cool bass - the bound neck & hs seals the deal

I have a short-scale Conrad I bought about 9yrs ago with a similar "Barney Kessel" body shape. When I got it the original pu was replaced with a generic single-coil that actually sounds really good. I made the pg to reflect Soviet-era Russian basses I've seen. It's a nice sounding little thumper.

What it looked like when I got it - crude but effective. It just depends on how far you want to go to make it a playable bass.

 

[BQFS]

Don't know how this skipped my mind, but a few weeks back I upgraded a short scale Gretsch and replaced the crummy single coil (dual bridge singles if you can believe it) with Artec humbuckers, which sound great, like most Artec products do. Anyway, it looks like the pickup with surround will fit just fine into the opening. Hardly an original, but it looks like it will work. I changed the controls and jacks to new high quality ones. About to wire it up and give it a road test...

The pickup I used for the Gretsch is actually the Artec that was recommended to try for this bass. Can't go wrong with Artec, in my experience.

Thank you to everyone who responded. I will probably keep looking for a better pickup but at least I have the one to be going on with in the meantime.

Bud

 

[Matt Liebenau]

It's a cool bass - the bound neck & hs seals the deal

I have a short-scale Conrad I bought about 9yrs ago with a similar "Barney Kessel" body shape. When I got it the original pu was replaced with a generic single-coil that actually sounds really good. I made the pg to reflect Soviet-era Russian basses I've seen. It's a nice sounding little thumper.

View attachment 5450274
What it looked like when I got it - crude but effective. It just depends on how far you want to go to make it a playable bass.
View attachment 5450279

That’s what my Conrad looked like although I remember mine having 2 pickups and what I think of as a “finger” tailpiece like this. Kinda wish I hadn’t sold it especially since I now have the guitar that matches.

 

[JIO]

That’s what my Conrad looked like although I remember mine having 2 pickups and what I think of as a “finger” tailpiece like this. Kinda wish I hadn’t sold it especially since I now have the guitar that matches.

View attachment 5450355

I've seen bridges like that selling on eBay - pretty cool. Type in "vintage Japanese bass guitar parts" and hope something you need will appear. Sometimes complete... sometimes in parts... Vintage Teisco Sekova Vulcan Bass Guitar Tailpiece Part for Project | eBay

 

[mdogs]

No idea if this fits in your application, but it is period correct, looks very cool, sits on top of the bass so easy to mount and sounds awesome.

H22 Goldfoil

 

[JIO]

I feel sorry for those wanting to resurrect a '60s Japanese made bass - prices have skyrocketed for parts. What I used to pay (not that long ago) considering what the asking price is now for the same parts... crazy.