Pbass lyte club?

[RickOShay]

I've read more than once that they were first made in 1989, but Fender lists my serial number as a 1985-1986 Japan production. The research I did when I bought mine showed it to be 1985, but I've since lost the link to the site I found that on. I'll post if I find it again.

Back then, Fender would buy serial number stickers in batches and not re-order until they used up what they had on hand. So an '89 build could get a "86" serial number if they were still using that lot of stickers.

 

[RickOShay]

Bumpity bump. Can't allow this thread to become a zombie.

I'm in. Here's my '89 defretted MIJ. Passive, with SD QP's. Recently refinished and fretboard epoxy coated.

I've been searching for original bridge and knobs for months, but no luck. Oh, well. She looks pretty good as she is.

View attachment 839173 View attachment 839174

Oriiginal knobs (and neck-bolt plate) came from Fender HM Strat guitars. You might check and see if the recent re-issue used the same style of knobs. They were a 3 piece knob in black plastic with a fricition ring around the outer circumference and a "cap" that had the Fender F logo that popped onto the top of the knob. This part is often missing.

 

[ejschultz]

Back then, Fender would buy serial number stickers in batches and not re-order until they used up what they had on hand. So an '89 build could get a "86" serial number if they were still using that lot of stickers.

My P Lyte Deluxe has a neck stamp of late 97 and early 98 (the body has one and the neck has the other and I can’t remember which is which). The serial says it’s an 85/86.

 

[Water buffalo]

My P Lyte Deluxe.

It's been played a bit.

 

[pandoble]

hi! i'm interested in getting a P Lyte after recently trying a very beat-up one at GC. this one had the double J pup at the bridge. i loved the feel and sound of it. but i'm used to passive basses. what can you tell me about the stock pups and preamp? thank you!

 

[ejschultz]

I still have the stock pickups in my Deluxe. I did swap the preamp to an Aguilar OBP-3 and configured it to have a passive mode and passive tone control. I wasn’t a huge fan of the overall tone it provided and swapped back to the original preamp. A few months later, the original preamp died on me. I threw a Darkglass preamp in it and have been happy with it. No passive mode, no passive tone, just the stock pups and the preamp. I don’t play it as much as my other basses, but it’s not a bass I plan on selling anytime soon.

 

[pandoble]

I still have the stock pickups in my Deluxe. I did swap the preamp to an Aguilar OBP-3 and configured it to have a passive mode and passive tone control. I wasn’t a huge fan of the overall tone it provided and swapped back to the original preamp. A few months later, the original preamp died on me. I threw a Darkglass preamp in it and have been happy with it. No passive mode, no passive tone, just the stock pups and the preamp. I don’t play it as much as my other basses, but it’s not a bass I plan on selling anytime soon.

thanks for the reply. i worry about the headache of having to swap a new 9V battery for every gig just be safe... so would love to have the "switch to passive" option... also, i understand the pups themselves are passive overwound fender classics, so they shold be fine. though the preamp was custom built to give this bass its distinctive "modern" sound, whereas bypassing it would presumably make it more woody... in theory, not a bad thing...

 

[OnlyFlats]

I ripped out the pre in mine and turned it passive. I put in a new P pickup too. I never liked the pickups or pre in mine, ever since I got it in the early 00s.

Just hunt for one that feels nice in your hands and change everything else on it to suit you. It's just a bass.

 

[ejschultz]

I did not like the pickups when I had the passive option with the OBP-3. The passive tone was nice to have (I wired it so it worked in both passive and active), but the pickups really sound like they’re designed to be used with a preamp.

 

[NotColinGrigson]

Iirc the battery will last towards a 1000 hours of plugged in time, so no real need to change the cell for every show

thanks for the reply. i worry about the headache of having to swap a new 9V battery for every gig just be safe... so would love to have the "switch to passive" option... also, i understand the pups themselves are passive overwound fender classics, so they shold be fine. though the preamp was custom built to give this bass its distinctive "modern" sound, whereas bypassing it would presumably make it more woody... in theory, not a bad thing...

I love my p lyte. The neck feels great in the hand, and it plays beautifully

 

[lavender27]

Hi all!

I have a p bass lyte that I've owned for many years now. Unfortunately recently the tone knob has stopped working, I've already soldered the electronics together several times, and cannot seem to figure out what is loose that is causing the tone knob not to work.

Anyway, while I love the feel of the bass, I've never truly fallen in love with the tone. I have a squire p bass with seymour designed pickups and like the sound of that overall more than the p bass lyte, but like the versatility of the p bass lyte overall more.

I'm thinking of taking the pre amp out and switching it to something else. Any tips? I have a friend that can help me swap the electronics out. I play mostly rock music.

Thanks!

 

[Metal Sombreros]

I had a pink one it actually sounded and played great got it for 70 bucks