I replaced the single coil PUs in a MIJ Squier Jazz with humbucking Bartolinis.
The change was...quite noticeable.
The change was...quite noticeable.
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Pickup swap that made the biggest difference in your tone?
- Thread starter faulknersj
- Start date
I'd have to go with Alembics into an obscure luthier made bass. Second to that, Barts into a Ric gave it the power and punch it was lacking.
Mexican jazz pickups to Seymour Duncan quarter pounder. Huge difference in sound.
- Jul 7, 2010
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- Endorsing Artist for: Duncan Pickups; Line6, Hipshot, GHS Strings, Somnium Guitars
Stock passive Ibanez PJ p'ups in a GSR200 for a set of active EMG PJ's, some slight modification to the jazz route was necessary. Transformed that cheap little bass into a thunder stick of doom.
Stock passive MEC J's in a Warwick Corvette for a set of single coil Barts, don't recall the exact model but they were a far cry better than the stockers, wired them with a homemade 6 position tone switch with 5 different caps and of course the last spot was no cap, wide open. Great bass, wish I still had it.
Every Spector bass that I have owned that came with EMG HZ's I swapped for the active versions and not regretted it once, HZ's are dull lifeless junk, IMHO.
EDIT: I didn't do the swap, but my current bass has a swapped set of p'ups in it, EMG's were removed and Delano's installed.
Stock passive MEC J's in a Warwick Corvette for a set of single coil Barts, don't recall the exact model but they were a far cry better than the stockers, wired them with a homemade 6 position tone switch with 5 different caps and of course the last spot was no cap, wide open. Great bass, wish I still had it.
Every Spector bass that I have owned that came with EMG HZ's I swapped for the active versions and not regretted it once, HZ's are dull lifeless junk, IMHO.
EDIT: I didn't do the swap, but my current bass has a swapped set of p'ups in it, EMG's were removed and Delano's installed.
Replaced the stock pickup in my first bass, a Korean "big Fender, little Squier" Precision, with a hot Reverend pickup that they blew out for like $20 on their website. Instant fatness!
VM Jaguar Duncan Designed (junk) replaced by Bill Lawrence pickups, big difference it now growls and sounds great.
Took the horrible, brittle sounding OEM Fender P pup out of a '76 and replaced it with a P pup I had from some other project. This was in 1978. I wish I could remember what kind of pup or where it was from because it sounds great.
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Swap pickup are less notify in tone different or improvement than string , amp or cab swap.
Sorry, I'm a little unclear about this. So Pure Vintage 58's out and Fender Originals in? Or or swapped the other way?
Correct, got rid of the '58s and replaced them with a pair of the '62 Originals.
Only one ive done....
The new guild bisonic to replace epi sidewinder in my epi eb0. Also changed from rounds to tapes.
Both helped in their own way.
The new guild bisonic to replace epi sidewinder in my epi eb0. Also changed from rounds to tapes.
Both helped in their own way.
i've never played any pickup (active or passive), at any price point, which made 'a life-changing' difference. i can't even say that the differences were a "big" or a "huge" change. IME: the differences have been more subtle...even when i'd say they were "better." i suppose that some of the original cheapies (came on the bass) weren't actually that bad. and i'm real sure that some of the pricier replacements weren't actually that good (per the hype!).
IME: if you change pickups as a tone-chasing exercise = you may find that practicing on what you have is more rewarding in the long run.
IME: if you change pickups as a tone-chasing exercise = you may find that practicing on what you have is more rewarding in the long run.
Yet, I had a stock '70 Telebass with single coil. Swapped pu for SD 1/4 pound added Badass bridge. It lost all of its original great sound. Learned my lesson.
Whoo mama that pickguard is giving me ideas on adulterating my 50s Classic honey blonde P.
On the two occasions where I swapped pickups in bass guitars, my intent wasn't to make a difference in "my tone", the intent was to enable me to get my tone out of a specific bass.
assuming passive to passive, David Allen P and David Allen J by a mile. they destroyed anything i have ever used.
