NBD: Fender AVII reissue '54 P

[Mike Marshall]

Hey y'all,

Got this new bass today. Strange but true: I've never owned a P with the single-coil pickup...earliest P I own is a '66. Anyway, I like it...and I'm pleased to say it's a very good one. Excellent fretwork, nut, materials, and overall fit and finish. If anyone has one of these, I have a few questions:

- What's the preferred replacement pickup if one wants more output and a bit of a "brawnier" tone while still staying true to the OG tonal signature? I also notice that the A and D are a little quieter, perhaps because of the pole pieces not matching the radius.
- I'm not a fan of the volume reduction w/ tone reduction. What's the move? Is there just a resistor to bring out of the circuit?
- What about the tone cap? Anyone have a rec for what's ideal?
- Lastly: strings. I'm thinking LaBella super polished, I want something great between flats & rounds

I appreciate your thoughts in advance!

Cheers,
JMJ

For a pickup I suggest a Lindy Fralin split coil it has much more tonal variety than a Seymour Duncan stack and no alterations to the bass.

 

[porterbass]

If you are considering the S. Duncan "Stinger", beware that the pickup cavity might need to be routed down deeper.

An old TB post.

• Apr 6, 2010
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• #23

Well, I received the Seymour Duncan Stack for Single Coil pickup and, unfortunately, it does not fit in my Fender Sting bass. I have attached a photograph of both pickups side by side from the rear and, as you can see, the new pickup is slightly taller, which is enough for it not to fit into the cavity (left is the original, right is the new Stack).

I am currently investigating my options moving ahead. Please feel free to post any advice you have and I appreciate your help!

Thanks,
Mike

Attachments​

• https://www.talkbass.com/attachment...for-single-coil-rear-view-640x480-jpg.162960/

Just putting my experience here for others. I believe this was an issue with the Sting bass and some of the MIJ/CIJ '54 reissue P basses. The SD '51 P-Bass Stack pickup fit perfectly in my CIJ Fender '54 Reissue Blue Flower P-Bass. I've used this pickup in multiple bodies and have never had this problem, though the spec can be checked ahead of time measuring any existing body for potential fit.

 

[T McClure]

I appreciate your thoughts in advance!

It took me a moment to realize the string saddles are reflecting the wood floor because I was about to ask what they were made of.

 

[andare]

It took me a moment to realize the string saddles are reflecting the wood floor because I was about to ask what they were made of.

They're made of wood or pressed fiber IIRC

Btw it took me a while to realize who OP is

 

[T McClure]

They're made of wood or pressed fiber IIRC

You're right. I had no idea.

 

[smatanovic]

Hey y'all,

Got this new bass today. Strange but true: I've never owned a P with the single-coil pickup...earliest P I own is a '66. Anyway, I like it...and I'm pleased to say it's a very good one. Excellent fretwork, nut, materials, and overall fit and finish. If anyone has one of these, I have a few questions:

- What's the preferred replacement pickup if one wants more output and a bit of a "brawnier" tone while still staying true to the OG tonal signature? I also notice that the A and D are a little quieter, perhaps because of the pole pieces not matching the radius.
- I'm not a fan of the volume reduction w/ tone reduction. What's the move? Is there just a resistor to bring out of the circuit?
- What about the tone cap? Anyone have a rec for what's ideal?
- Lastly: strings. I'm thinking LaBella super polished, I want something great between flats & rounds

I appreciate your thoughts in advance!

Cheers,
JMJ

GORGEOUS.

 

[Budbear]

- Lastly: strings. I'm thinking LaBella super polished, I want something great between flats & rounds

I have been using Ken Smith Compressors for that in-between tone and am very pleased with the results.

- What about the tone cap? Anyone have a rec for what's ideal?

.047µf is the standard in most basses today, but I have had good response by using a .068µf replacement. Not as extreme a rolloff as a .1µf but when you want to go dub, it's there.

 

[Gunga Din]

Hey y'all,

Got this new bass today. Strange but true: I've never owned a P with the single-coil pickup...earliest P I own is a '66. Anyway, I like it...and I'm pleased to say it's a very good one. Excellent fretwork, nut, materials, and overall fit and finish. If anyone has one of these, I have a few questions:

- What's the preferred replacement pickup if one wants more output and a bit of a "brawnier" tone while still staying true to the OG tonal signature? I also notice that the A and D are a little quieter, perhaps because of the pole pieces not matching the radius.
- I'm not a fan of the volume reduction w/ tone reduction. What's the move? Is there just a resistor to bring out of the circuit?
- What about the tone cap? Anyone have a rec for what's ideal?
- Lastly: strings. I'm thinking LaBella super polished, I want something great between flats & rounds

I appreciate your thoughts in advance!

Cheers,
JMJ

Zhangbucker Donny C. I have one, and it's even across the strings.

The loss of tone issue could be solved by a treble bleed circuit.

 

[RevOgre]

If you are considering the S. Duncan "Stinger", beware that the pickup cavity might need to be routed down deeper.

An old TB post.

• Apr 6, 2010
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• Add bookmark
• #23

I have one installed and had to have it routed in an AVRI II 54 fwiw

 

[andare]

Zhangbucker Donny C. I have one, and it's even across the strings.

The loss of tone issue could be solved by a treble bleed circuit.

Those basses have a resistor in the tone circuit so the volume goes down when the tone is rolled back. Probably made sense back in the day so as not to blow up speakers.

A treble bleed would just add components when all that's needed is getting rid of the resistor.

Here's a video about it

 

[Gunga Din]

Those basses have a resistor in the tone circuit so the volume goes down when the tone is rolled back. Probably made sense back in the day so as not to blow up speakers.

A treble bleed would just add components when all that's needed is getting rid of the resistor.

Here's a video about it

What about Gibson '50s wiring?

 

[andare]

What about Gibson '50s wiring?

Unnecessary. As I said Removing the resistor turns it into a standard P bass with no unexpected behaviors. That's all there is to it, no need for unusual wiring.

 

[mikeswals]

Those basses have a resistor in the tone circuit so the volume goes down when the tone is rolled back. Probably made sense back in the day so as not to blow up speakers.

A treble bleed would just add components when all that's needed is getting rid of the resistor.

Here's a video about it

The Custom Shop basses had this lame 2nd resistor and I hated that it lowered the volume when you rolled off the tone, and I removed it. I didn't know if the Am Vintage 54 had it too, but yeah it would be gone in a heartbeat.

 

[jmjbassplayer]

Great knowledge from all, thanks much. Gonna pull the resistor and consider a different tone pot. For pickups, I'm first gonna try the Fralin '51 Split Coil with 5% overwind. I like the idea that it appears to fit with no routing, and I dig most of the sound examples I've heard including some generously provided on this thread.

Strings wise I'm gonna probably go one of two ways: for a deliberately dark sound, maybe I'll go with GHS Precision Flats first since I have some laying around and I have subjective experience with them working well through-body. For a brighter sound I'm not sure. I wanna try D'Addario Half Rounds maybe, or something else in that zone. Never been super stoked on those strings, so I'm going to explore more of the groundwound/pressurewound/halfround zone to see what's hitting these days. Might even try the GHS Pressurewounds that I have on my Wal fretless. They're kind of cool, actually.

Thanks a lot,
JMJ

 

[mikeswals]

I had Precision Flats on my old Custom Shop 55 P for like 6 years. They worked fine for me strung thru

 

[porterbass]

If anyone is interested, I just posted a listing on TB for a brand new Seymour Duncan Custom Shop '51 P bass Stack pickup.

https://www.talkbass.com/classified...op-51-p-bass-stacked-coil-pickup-new.1667213/

 

[jmjbassplayer]

Hey,

Got the bass back from my guy. Fralin Split Coil with 5% overwind. 1.5k tone cap. Resistor delete. GHS Pressurewounds. The bass now does everything I had hoped for, I love it.
Thanks again,
JMJ

 

[T McClure]

Did you record any before and after sound for comparison?

 

[jmjbassplayer]

Did you record any before and after sound for comparison?

I wish I had time to do so, but alas no.

 

[JTNuney]

Got the bass back from my guy. Fralin Split Coil with 5% overwind. 1.5k tone cap. Resistor delete. GHS Pressurewounds. The bass now does everything I had hoped for, I love it.

Now *that’s* what I’m talkin’ about! Thumbs up from the single-coil p-bass p-nut gallery.

I’m sure that extra resistor was the bee’s knees back when bassists had to get by with 1950s glorified-guitar-speaker technology, but in 2025, I consider “too punchy” to be a feature, not a bug.