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New Pro II V mod American Precision bass pickup question.

Hello fellow bassists growler 571 here. Do you think the newer PRO II V mod II pickups in the pro II precision are darker with less treble than the American standard pickups with the 62 custom shop pickups and the American standard and American series pickups that came before that? Which Fender bass Pickup is the best all.around Fender P bass pickup to get the brighter modern P bass tones but yet get the vintage deep fat tones 2 like Jameson , Peter cetera , ACDC-s cliff Williams etc for the vintage p bass tone. But I also need it to get bright with enough kids to get modern tones like Rachel Nolan from skid row , mike dirnt green day, foo fighters etc and all that more modern bright round wound tone. Which P bass pickup out of the 3 mentioned about would cover the most ground and get me close to all those tones modern and vintage? Please give me your thoughts , info sincerely growler571
 
The vmod II is actually brighter than the Am Standard or the CS62 pickups. I have no problems getting the more modern tones you listed with the vmod II pickups. Rolling back the tone control I get an approximation of old school tone but I feel the CS62 does that better. Some of that old school tone is derived from using flats, some from flats and a pick, plus the amps that were used are a factor. The pickups are just a single variable.

I love the vmod II pickup but to me, the American Standard or CS62 pickups are more versatile.

I’m sure others will chime in with their experiences so you get more data.
 
Very interesting moving pictures. I think what I'm gonna do is wait till I can find a performer precision neck for my American standard precision cuz I want the brighter snappier maple fretboard for both a lol bit more brightness and the look of it also compared to the rosewood fretboard currently on my 2000 American series precision. Whatever they were using for pickups in the American standards from 95-99 then from 2000 on to I'm bot sure exactly began they briefly changed to the American series Fender Precision and jazz . I think the pickups are the same all the way up til they started using the 62 custom shops in 2012 I think. Anyways whatever P pickup they are using in the 95 American standard and American series all the way up til they changed to the custom shop 62 vintage P pickups. I like those original P pickups . I think they are a good go between of a 70s P bass but with enough bottom end to. I am looking to get that Rachel blown type bright yet perfectly fat enough tone with perfect mids yet be able to get close to the warmth and depth of the 62 vintage P pickup too. I'm thinking the V mods sound like they have a bit more low mods and depth going by what you were saying and my P pickup in my 2000 American Fender P might be a perfect all-around go between. That's a hard one . I've heard a couple samples of the v mod II in the pro II precision but they were thru small fender rumbles online and didn't give me a real good idea of how they would sound over like a big among act or in a mix . I think I will try to find a maple performer precision neck first and if I can't find one I may pull the trigger on a new pro II precision. I'm liking your description of the V mod II Fender P pickups. So we will see
 
I think there was a pickup change in 2008 but I'm not 100% sure. The maple neck will get you that snap. Two of my Precisions have maple fretboards and I really like it when playing modern tunes. I also have them strung with Hi Beams and that has been effective for me. The VMod II pickups have been well received by sound crew when I have used my Pro II. As for neck swapping, the Performer neck is nice but you could alo try to source an Am Std neck with maple fretboard.

Good luck with the quest.
 
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Where can I find an American Standard Neck Moving Pictures? I can't deem to find anyone online that sells them. They just have the ultra , pro II, performer , and player series necks on the stratosphere. The American Standard necks are hard to find. Do you know of any places to find them and in maple fretboard ?
 
Where can I find an American Standard Neck Moving Pictures? I can't deem to find anyone online that sells them. They just have the ultra , pro II, performer , and player series necks on the stratosphere. The American Standard necks are hard to find. Do you know of any places to find them and in maple fretboard ?
I don’t know a specific place but I would check Stratosphere on eBay. That makes a good starting point. The Performer neck is comfortable and should work. I put one on a Pro I and it worked well.
 
Thanks I been watching stratosphere like a hawk. They just sold a maple fretboard performer precision neck the otherday right as I was starting to click on it to buy it. All the sudden it said error something went wrong. I went back to the stratosphere page and the neck was no longer on thecpage. So I looked it up just by typing that particular neck on eBay and it came up again a picture of it and sold. I was pissed . but I'm gonna keep trying til I find one.
 
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If you seriously need a bright sounding P pickup without lot money spend , Alnico V 9.0-9.5K underwound P pickups are good start.

Check the neck P pickup sound. it is 9.5K P. ( EB Cobalt flatwound bass string )
 
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Yea,over a good set of headphones these samples seem to sound like the V mod II pickups are fuller in the low mids and a bit warmer on the bottom end than my 2000 American Precision. To me they sound a lol more low mid bottom heavy and less of that trebly edge when you turn up the tone control all the way up to the treble side. In my opinion these pro it's sound more like a vintage 60s P bass than the 70s and up P basses. It would be interesting to try one of these with the maple board with a set of fotos kind swing bass or dean markley blue steels. I have a feeling string choice would make these pro IIs get that modern Rachel.Bolan Skid Row or Steve Harris Iron Maiden slot closer than what I'm hearing in the samples. The samples sound good for older rock and blues stuff I play but I have a feeling I would be satisfied with the more modern tones the pro II P basses can produce also with the right stainless steel bright strings.
 
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Yea,over a good set of headphones these samples seem to sound like the V mod II pickups are fuller in the low mids and a bit warmer on the bottom end than my 2000 American Precision. To me they sound a lol more low mid bottom heavy and less of that trebly edge when you turn up the tone control all the way up to the treble side. In my opinion these pro it's sound more like a vintage 60s P bass than the 70s and up P basses. It would be interesting to try one of these with the maple board with a set of fotos kind swing bass or dean markley blue steels. I have a feeling string choice would make these pro IIs get that modern Rachel.Bolan Skid Row or Steve Harris Iron Maiden slot closer than what I'm hearing in the samples. The samples sound good for older rock and blues stuff I play but I have a feeling I would be satisfied with the more modern tones the pro II P basses can produce also with the right stainless steel bright strings.
I agree, the VMod II’s are pretty bottom heavy on the E-A strings (and B for the fiver), and string choices make a huge difference. I bought a used P5 Pro II, which came with Labella DTF’s, and thought I hated the pickup until I put on some DR Nickel Lo-Riders.
 
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I agree, the VMod II’s are pretty bottom heavy on the E-A strings (and B for the fiver), and string choices make a huge difference. I bought a used P5 Pro II, which came with Labella DTF’s, and thought I hated the pickup until I put on some DR Nickel Lo-Riders.
I agree. Different strings on certain pickups can make a huge difference And DR Nickel Lo-Riders are great strings!!
 
Literally just got one fiver today... But not that impressed by the vmod ii Pickups. It sounds pretty dull to me :( Is it a fiver problem or its just the pickups?

Is it worth swapping it out a boutique-y pickup? That being said, after I run that into the caveman pre it already sounds way better at least to me.
 

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