MFD Pickup on a P-Bass? Worked for Prince

[dtripoli]

....Apparently I have too much free time.

I love my 2 MFD pick ups on my G&L ASAT
95% of the time I use in passive mode but they are still hot.

Does it make any sense to modify a beater Squier P-bass with a MFD pickup?
I have a feeling the pickup will cost more than the bass did.
Bass was $60 + 20 hours labor and $40 in part to bring back to life.

BTW, was there anything this guy couldn't do musically.
I'm just sad I under appreciated his talent when he was alive.

 

[Snaxster]

....Apparently I have too much free time.

I love my 2 MFD pick ups on my G&L ASAT
95% of the time I use in passive mode but they are still hot.

Does it make any sense to modify a beater Squier P-bass with a MFD pickup?
I have a feeling the pickup will cost more than the bass did.
Bass was $60 + 20 hours labor and $40 in part to bring back to life.

BTW, was there anything this guy couldn't do musically.
I'm just sad I under appreciated his talent when he was alive.

Sure, why not? Anything goes. As for value, if after the modification you have a result you like, it was a bargain; but if not, then a small loss.

Thanks for that video. In it, I was impressed by Prince's voice and (albeit at much too fast a tempo) nearly verbatim rendition of the opening bass part in "Thank You for Talkin' to Me Africa" (from "There's A Riot Goin' On").

 

[kasbrey]

....Apparently I have too much free time.

I love my 2 MFD pick ups on my G&L ASAT
95% of the time I use in passive mode but they are still hot.

Does it make any sense to modify a beater Squier P-bass with a MFD pickup?
I have a feeling the pickup will cost more than the bass did.
Bass was $60 + 20 hours labor and $40 in part to bring back to life.
BTW, was there anything this guy couldn't do musically.
I'm just sad I under appreciated his talent when he was alive.

That video is Prince with Ida Nielson's Sandberg VM4 . It has an MM pickup nearer the bridge not an MFD.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

That video is Prince with Ida Nielson's Sandberg VM4 . It has an MM pickup nearer the bridge not an MFD.

Yep.
He seemed to favor Sanbergs...

 

[Clark Dark]

His slap style was
so damn tight !!!

 

[sikamikanico]

L-series type MFD, or SB-1/2 type MFD? I the latter, DiMarzio Model P is reportedly very similar, and can be had quite cheap used. That would probably fit the Squire quite well.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

Just get an MM pickup in the bridge...



Doesn't have to be Delano...SD pickups are mighty fine at a good price...

 

[Inky13]

What's that at the end of the neck?

 

[eastcoasteddie]

What's that at the end of the neck?

Probably some sort of string-muffling device like a hair-band thingy...

 

[DaveDeVille]

i installed an MFD on a home build Precision a few years ago , very punchy and deep .
an easy install , matched the pickguard perfectly .
i bought the used pickup for sale here on talkbass ...

 

[GroovinOnFunk]

Here's another good one:
You can really hear the bass tone and it's oh so good.
Got a Sandberg VM-5 headed my way just like that one (without the relic job... and with one extra string)

Soooooooo good! (Prince and Sandberg basses... Ida Nielsen's also a badass)

 

[TB24]

Probably some sort of string-muffling device like a hair-band thingy...

Yes, Ida likes a manual muffling technique. She usually uses a velcro strap.

 

[TB24]

Yep.
He seemed to favor Sanbergs...

Actually Prince liked a variety of basses, but Ida Nielsen brought her love of Sanderg Basses to him. She now has her own signature model released last month at the Winter NAMM.