I need the BIGGEST pickup EVER.

[Lobster11]

Still looking for more ideas, but YES. WOW the prices do seem pretty great.
Pickup Rings
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I do really like MM pickups, but I'm a 'thumb rest on the pickup guy' I don't like them for that. but I suppose I'm just being a brat now.

How about thinking of this as an opportunity to learn some other right-hand techniques that don't involve anchoring your thumb on the pickup? I'll bet you could master the floating thumb or moveable anchor in half the time it will take you to turn this thing into a nice bass.

 

[ihaveaquestion]

Maybe a fender wide range

 

[ctmullins]

The Invalid Link Removed would fit, at 4” by 1.935”. The fact that it’s sold as a five-string pickup doesn’t matter. Others might make something similar with a closed cover too.

 

[DanAdams]

Some are bigger than others...

View attachment 3219658

What is that? it looks expensive.

How about thinking of this as an opportunity to learn some other right-hand techniques that don't involve anchoring your thumb on the pickup? I'll bet you could master the floating thumb or moveable anchor in half the time it will take you to turn this thing into a nice bass.

However great my technique could become, I'll still want pickups that look good and sound great on this bass.
The time spent "turning this into a nice bass" is not a concern, it's my fun hobby.

Maybe a fender wide range

View attachment 3219732

Thanks, Fender Wide Range is my new homework assignment.

 

[CalBuzz51]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Lobster11]

However great my technique could become, I'll still want pickups that look good and sound great on this bass.
The time spent "turning this into a nice bass" is not a concern, it's my fun hobby.

Yes, of course you should get what will look and sound good to you. My point was simply that you shouldn't limit your choices based on your current right-hand technique, because that can be changed (and for the better!)

 

[electrichead]

Clean up the cavity nice and square then fill with an ebony block. Then you can rout for the pickup of your choice and the ebony will be a nice accent border around the pickup.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I bought a really nice bass (83 Ibanez Musician) that was unfortunately owned by a demented madman.
The original pickups had been removed and a hack job happened to fit other things poorly.

my overall area I need to cover is 4" by 2 1/8"
The biggest pickups I can remember are the Ibanez ATK (too small)
Ibanez P4 (too small, that is what was there originally)
Dizmarzio DP120 (too small)
Thunderbird with ring (too close for comfort as the ring would fall within the hole, and it's not quite 4" long, but perhaps my top option now.
Peavey T40 with rings maybe??? I'm just not a t40 fan, I tried.

Any other ideas aside from adding a pickguard? That would look real dopey on a Musician.
Pickups with bezels / rings are welcome
It is a 4 string bass

Email Nordstrand. They make custom builds for a small surcharge. They'd probably love the project also. Probably something like a double J in a custom case. Or a nice big humbucker.

 

[two fingers]

Email Nordstrand. They make custom builds for a small surcharge. They'd probably love the project also. Probably something like a double J in a custom case. Or a nice big humbucker.

As does Duncan.

 

[Pilgrim]

My suggestion is to choose pickups and put a small ring around them, large enough to cover the holes.

If you want a spiffy look, make the rings out of 1/8" walnut stained to match the body.

 

[DanAdams]

hmm, thanks for the thought. My local arts non profit has a team of kids running 3d printers. perhaps I will hit them up

My suggestion is to choose pickups and put a small ring around them, large enough to cover the holes.

If you want a spiffy look, make the rings out of 1/8" walnut stained to match the body.

I like this too. Although it is an Ash bass with a dark brown coloring in the finish (the brown chips right off with the finish) Are you suggesting a stripe against the pickups that matches the body sides? I never would have thought that.
I'm thinking of doing a red stain like the old Aria SB.

 

[DanAdams]

I'm also afraid I could never get a good color match with a separate new piece of Ash. Japanese Ash is quite different.
On this other project I intended to match new Ash with old. I gave up after the original attempt to match the new control cover with the bass looked SO BAD, the control cover just wouldn't take the stain, but the T40 body just ate it up, so I made the cover black instead. It's also all Ash

Here is that thread if anyone cares. I guess I should finish this one before I dig into the musician. Yeah, going full frankenstein on CHEAP broken early 80s basses is my thing, so spending hundreds on a custom boutique pickup build is not fitting my theme.
the T-40 / ATK Frankenbuild... excitement building

 

[BassPlayinJas]

Ahh. A great project. Use the imagination. Get the pick up that you like and make, find, get something cool to fill the gap. Can be wood, plastic, metal, 3D printed, routed, CNC machined, paper mache, whatever. Make it yours!!

 

[jamro217]

Break out the tort loaf.

 

[Passinwind]

+1 Ebony Ramp between pickups.

Or a big 'ol monoblock assembly comprised of both pickups and the ramp. Since the OP likes thumb anchoring, more is MOAR.

 

[Eminor3rd]

Dark Star?

 

[songwriter21]

These are some pretty massive pickups.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[honeyiscool]

The Invalid Link Removed would fit, at 4” by 1.935”. The fact that it’s sold as a five-string pickup doesn’t matter. Others might make something similar with a closed cover too.

Yeah I mean, one of the original MM prototypes (Google “Old Smoothie”) had 10 pole pieces with the strings in between, didn’t they? So if anything you’re going vintage by using a five string pickup in a four.

 

[honeyiscool]

That said, it seems a EBMM 5 route is 2” by 4.5”. Still not wide enough.

 

[ctmullins]

That said, it seems a EBMM 5 route is 2” by 4.5”. Still not wide enough.

True. But pretty close. That would only leave 1/16” on either side. I could live with that (and have, in another life). Maybe @DanAdams could too?