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Installing a Bridge jazz pickup in a Precision Bass

A

adz2795

Jun 26, 2005
25
0
49
Orange, Australia
#1
Hi,
Love the forum guys.
I have a question about pickups, I hope it hasn't already been covered, but if it has hopefully someone can push me in the right direction.
Okay I just recently got a P'bass, and I love the feel of it, it plays really well, and feels great onstage, but I'm not happy with the tone ( I have a Jazz that sounds unreal), the original pickups were weak and had a horrible thin woody mid sound, not enough bottom end, or top.
Anyway I replaced the pickups with some emgs, and made it an 18 volt system, which improved the sound level and frequencies an unbelievable amount, the bass and treble are awesome now. But I'm still not happy with the mid sound out of it, its kind of a bit thin and woody in the mid, I'm looking for a much richer thicker mid sound, my jazz has it, and I want it out of my P'bass.
So what I was wondering is will installing a jazz pickup in the bridge do the trick, or whether I should get rid of the emg's and try something else.
I run through a Ampeg Svt2, and Lab systems 6x10 (Australian made bass speakers).
The reason why I want to mod it a nd not replace it is I am left handed.
Thanks in advance.
Adz
 
#2
adz2795 said:
Hi,
Love the forum guys.
I have a question about pickups, I hope it hasn't already been covered, but if it has hopefully someone can push me in the right direction.
Okay I just recently got a P'bass, and I love the feel of it, it plays really well, and feels great onstage, but I'm not happy with the tone ( I have a Jazz that sounds unreal), the original pickups were weak and had a horrible thin woody mid sound, not enough bottom end, or top.
Anyway I replaced the pickups with some emgs, and made it an 18 volt system, which improved the sound level and frequencies an unbelievable amount, the bass and treble are awesome now. But I'm still not happy with the mid sound out of it, its kind of a bit thin and woody in the mid, I'm looking for a much richer thicker mid sound, my jazz has it, and I want it out of my P'bass.
So what I was wondering is will installing a jazz pickup in the bridge do the trick, or whether I should get rid of the emg's and try something else.
I run through a Ampeg Svt2, and Lab systems 6x10 (Australian made bass speakers).
The reason why I want to mod it a nd not replace it is I am left handed.
Thanks in advance.
Adz
Click to expand...

FWIW:

Sounds like you have the basic criteria for a adding a J. Actually an EMG LJ5 would probably be a good start. It's a very versatile pup. I like a good P tone but I'm basically a single J tone and bridge pup guy at heart. I have yet to find a P pup alone that was all I felt I needed - including the EMG although, it was among the more preferred.

Personally, if I liked the bass, the bass was not something that was rare or expensive, and I was not up for shopping around for a PJ bass, I'd route. I can't remember what a P pickgaurd looks like off-hand but seems it just surrounds the P pup - if it would cover the J routing then the appearance wouldn't change on a resale. Of course if that were the case you'd have to make a new pickgaurd (or carve up the existing one).
 
#3
6-year old zombie thread bump.

I'm considering throwing a Jazz PU in the bridge of my Squier, and installing a three-way switch. How easy of a project is this? Could a noob like myself do it? The patient is my beloved Squier Affinity P. Thoughts are appreciated.
 
#6
Id recomend new strings and a proper set up before you take on something as extreme as this... I admit I did it on an mim fender j bass and routed the neck pickup to fit a p pickup and it wasnt a failure but i dont really play the bass anymore due to the fact the bass is heavy and my 89 p bass is lighter and sound better on its own to me. before you commit to it id say get a potentiometer and the pickup and wire it up but dont solder it and use some modeling clay to hold the pickup over the strings on the outside just so you see if you like the tone before routing your bass.
 

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