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SX Owners...

D

Dallas852

May 5, 2009
137
0
#1
Think my J pickup on my P/J passive SX just crapped out, had an incident where the bass fell flat on its face off a guitar stand. (Sad, I know.)
Now the J pickup makes a horribly loud whine when I try to use it, and if I just touch a string it gets higher and louder. I'm pretty sure something came loose?

So two questions: 1. I'm not able to fix this, anyone around Dallas that can help me out? 2. Should I just replace these pickups? And if you think i should go this route, which woudl you suggest?
 
#4
Find a decent repairperson in your area. I think Gio's probably right that a ground detached somewhere.

I doubt you'd actually need to replace the pickup but if you wanted to, there are dozens of good aftermarket pickups that would fit, as long as the pickup is a standard size (and I'm pretty sure it is).
DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan, Bartolini and many others make standard passive Jazz pickups for reasonable prices.
There are also seriously high-end makers like Nordstrand, Lollar and others but the drawback there is price. You'd have pickups that cost more than your bass!!

Also-while you have the repairperson looking at the bass, ask them what they would charge for a shielding job. Although these basses are a good value for the money, there is NO shielding on them whatsoever. This will help reduce noise, especially when you have the treble all the way up.
 
#5
I figured if I was going to get inside the bass and have to have someone fix it, I might as well look into upgrading the pickups while I'm at it. I'm searching for some good (and good price point) pickups. I don't have money to spend on a whole new bass just yet, but a little upgrades would be nice. If you have suggestions as to certain models, please let me know, I did see these right off the bat.

DiMarzio DP126 P+J Neck & Bridge Bass Pickup Set Creme
 
#8
Regarding replacement pickups....

There are LOTS of options, so first you have to decide what type of tone you are after, and then maybe we can make some recomendations.

The stock SX pickups do a pretty good 70's P bass impression, so if that's what you like, swapping them may just be spending money for the sake of spending money with no real gains.

Think long and hard about what type of change you want to hear before buying parts.
 
#10
PM sent.

I'm newish to bass so I'm still trying to figure out what sound I like. I love the sound of a gritty P bass, but have played around with learning to slap (not very good yet, but still working on it). My main musical influence is 70's style rock as well as Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and some Foo Fighters. Strange mix I know. I guess the sound I'm going for would lean me more to a growl-ish tone that cuts through the mix but that can still get funky. [Probably asking for the impossible.]
 
#11
Dallas852 said:
PM sent.

I'm newish to bass so I'm still trying to figure out what sound I like. I love the sound of a gritty P bass, but have played around with learning to slap (not very good yet, but still working on it). My main musical influence is 70's style rock as well as Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and some Foo Fighters. Strange mix I know. I guess the sound I'm going for would lean me more to a growl-ish tone that cuts through the mix but that can still get funky. [Probably asking for the impossible.]
Click to expand...

You can make what you describe happen with the bass/pickups you have, and the right amp.
 
#12
The beauty of the SX basses is they are a great platform to try mods ... ie different pickups, different bridges etc. So this is a great opportunity to put in a new pickup. All you need is a screw driver and a soldering iron.
 
#13
Just have to say how great meeting with Alan (Brokencode) was today. He looked over my bass, figured out nothing was wrong (I'm such a n00b) and I had a great time just picking his brain about bass in general. Love being part of this community, and am greatful for people like Brokencode who can lend a helping hand. Looking forward to meeting more people and figuring out how to play this dang instrument. :bassist:
 

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