Peavey Foundation

[Bob Trier]

Hello,
I picked up a '94 Peavey Foundation bass and it was pretty banged up.... I refinished it and reinstalled the Dimarzio(?) pickups it came with, a Babicz bridge and flat wounds. I was able to intonate it fine and it plays pretty sweet, nice thin neck... My question is this. The neck pickup is nice and loud but the bridge is about 1/2 the volume. They are both about the same distance from the strings.. Any ideas? MAybe this is normal?

 

[And I]

The bridge pickup is quite close to the bridge on this bass. The strings vibrate less there, so the pickup has less to pick up. Seems normal to me, though I haven't played this bass before...

 

[Bob Trier]

The bridge pickup is quite close to the bridge on this bass. The strings vibrate less there, so the pickup has less to pick up. Seems normal to me, though I haven't played this bass before...

Thanks for replying!... I actually thought that could be the problem but that thought, like so many since I retired, passed through the brain as quick as it went in! HA! Thanks!!

 

[And I]

I mean... it might be the cause of the lower output, it might not... It's a general rule but I'd wait to hear from someone else who has this bass to be sure that it's normal. Also, with aftermarket pickups that you recently removed and replaced, no offense to your soldering skills but is it possible that you did something incorrectly?

 

[Inara]

My question is this. The neck pickup is nice and loud but the bridge is about 1/2 the volume. They are both about the same distance from the strings.. Any ideas? MAybe this is normal?

In general I find that to get even volume, the bridge pickup will need to be closer to the strings than the neck pickup. It had to do with how much the string vibrates at the two positions of the pickups, as has already been mentioned. When I'm setting up a bass, I adjust the pickup heights until I get equal volume, not equal height.

 

[Bob Trier]

In general I find that to get even volume, the bridge pickup will need to be closer to the strings than the neck pickup. It had to do with how much the string vibrates at the two positions of the pickups, as has already been mentioned. When I'm setting up a bass, I adjust the pickup heights until I get equal volume, not equal height.

Thanks, I'll try that. It's one of my suspicions...

 

[Bob Trier]

I mean... it might be the cause of the lower output, it might not... It's a general rule but I'd wait to hear from someone else who has this bass to be sure that it's normal. Also, with aftermarket pickups that you recently removed and replaced, no offense to your soldering skills but is it possible that you did something incorrectly?

Actually, I'm really very good with a soldering iron... better with a Acetylene welding torch but that would be just a little "overkill"!..HA!...Thanks.

 

[kodiakblair]

@Bob Trier

I've owned several Foundations. When you say DiMarzios do you mean it's a PJ ?

If that's the case it's a Foundation-S and those were discontinued by 1990.
Standard Foundation on the left, Foundation-S on the right.



@Inara is correct regarding equal pickup volume as opposed to equal height. The normally companies fit a hotter bridge pickup to compensate. If , like Peavey, they don't you'll have a juggling match to even out the volume.

If you have the Foundation -S you can further refine the pickup volume. The pickups come wired in series so changing the neck (split-P) to parallel will drop the output slightly.

 

[Bob Trier]

@Bob Trier

I've owned several Foundations. When you say DiMarzios do you mean it's a PJ ?

If that's the case it's a Foundation-S and those were discontinued by 1990.
Standard Foundation on the left, Foundation-S on the right.

View attachment 3924646

@Inara is correct regarding equal pickup volume as opposed to equal height. The normally companies fit a hotter bridge pickup to compensate. If , like Peavey, they don't you'll have a juggling match to even out the volume.

If you have the Foundation -S you can further refine the pickup volume. The pickups come wired in series so changing the neck (split-P) to parallel will drop the output slightly.

Thanks for the reply... The original PUs were "soap bar" type and there was a hole next to the replacement that the previous owner installed. I made a block of maple to fit and did the refinish job... no more soap bar...These PUs look like Jazz bass PUs (no markings). I'll "tinker" with it and see how I make out....Thanks...