Replacement pickups for PJ bass need to be 'matched'?

[alexmodell]

Hi guys

I have a Yamaha RBX170 PJ bass that has served me incredibly well, however recently, the pickups output has dropped significantly. So much so that I can't even get my amp to clip even at full gain (Ampeg PF350 if that's important).

Anyway, the bass used to sound great but now just sounds weak. Is this likely to be a problem with the pickups or pots?

I don't really want to buy a new bass as I don't have much money to spend so I was considering buying so Wilkinson pickups however they don't do a PJ set. Only individual P and J pickups. Can I just buy one of each and install them or will this cause problems as they're not 'matched'. Also, should I replace the pots too? Or, do you think it's another problem all together?

Thanks in advance for you help.

 

[line6man]

It is very very rare for pickups to fail. Most likely, you have a wiring problem that needs to be fixed.

 

[JustForSport]

What type of strings are you using, and when were they last changed?

 

[JustForSport]

It is very very rare for pickups to fail. Most likely, you have a wiring problem that needs to be fixed.

Agreed, and then, it's usually just one, not both,
and when they 'do' fail, usually, it's an open coil, so that one will go from 'working as supposed to' to not at all.

Usually, pots get 'scratchy' before losing much.

 

[alexmodell]

Thanks for your responses.

The strings are about 2 month old Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky's.

What do I need to look out for when inspecting the wiring?

 

[Camaro]

Th only reason I can think of that will make both pickups weaker would be if the pickup-magnets get demagnetised by a strong magnetic field.


To check, first wire the P-PU directly to the output jack and test how loud it is. Than the J-pu, too.
P bass straight to the jack (yes, this again) | TalkBass.com

 

[JustForSport]

As noted above, the first thing to do is to wire the pickups straight to the jack- that takes the pots out of the circuit, and you'll know how strong the pickups are on their own.
If they are alright, connect them to the balance or vol pots and run the signal wire straight to the jack. Then, put the tone pot back in. this will show the weak component (which may be just a cold ground solder joint).

 

[iiipopes]

The matching doesn't have to be the same manufacturer or model, but it does need to be matched in physical size (some J pickups are not standard physical size), magnet and coil polarity (every manufacturer has a different color-coding, so you have to look at which different color lead has the same magnet and coil alignment), and relative output so the bass sounds balanced as you roll from P to J. I also recommend a humcancelling J-bridge pickup, so it matches in noise reduction as well as everything else.

 

[walterw]

this is a simple passive P/J VVT bass, not much under the hood (+1 to @line6man, pickups themselves are rarely the problem).

so the bass still works, but it's now quieter? have you tried turning off each pickup to see if the other one still works?

if both the P and the J still work, but just with low output, there's a chance a pot or two has gotten loose and spun around inside to where the lugs are touching the black shielding paint on the walls of the control cavity, partially shorting out the sound.

 

[bass_case]

Before doing any bass surgery, have you tried plugging into another amp? If yes, then carry on...

 

[iiipopes]

Also, try raising the pickups. I can't tell you how many P pickups, ancient and modern, that I have seen that the foam support has deteriorated and the pickup has sunk into the body, too far from the strings to give good output, tone and articulation. If the pickups won't raise, take them out and put a piece of the grey or black foam under them that comes out of a pickup shipping box.