Upgrading P lyte

[Fender2015]

I changed the battery and played it through my mark bass last night. Sounded great. Actually sounded a lot better than my American Jazz bass (and I just swapped out the stock pickups on that with Fralins). Think I might sell the jazz bass and keep the lyte. Scary!

 

[Showdown]

I've been down this road before, and the only pickups I've tried that have worked are very hot ones. Any sort of vintage style or actives without much output suck in a P Lyte. But the hot passives I've tried aren't bright enough for my tastes, so now I have EMG PJ's and a BQC preamp in it. And I'd never ever replace that bridge. The P Lyte bridge is one of the best they've ever made.

Years ago I put a Bartolini P pickup in mine and it sounded pretty good to me. Barts aren't a hot pickup (not much treble either though) but for the music I was playing then it worked well.

 

[JimmyM]

That's cool. There's always an exception. But I haven't had much luck with moderate output pickups. Glad you did, though.

 

[popgadget]

I agree that the stock bridge is excellent. I've got two Lytes,both Deluxes. One fretted and one fretless. The fretted one has the stock pickups (the deluxe has the hum buckler in the bridge position),but I replaced the arguably lame electronics with the Audere Classic four band. The Fretless got an EMG P-J set with the BQS electronics. I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite between them.

 

[nik max]

View attachment 2280612

The best upgrade i've done is Bartolini Classic Bass P/J and Sadowsky onboard preamp with 1 Meg Volume pot... the picture was taken with the Aguilar OBP3 (was also very nice... but i preferred the Sadowsky 2 band with passive tone).

Keep the bridge... if it aint broke dont change it...

Just bought the same pick-ups and the Bartolini 2 Band NTBT Preamp, 4 Pots – HR-4.5 - HR-4.5AP/918 (the one with the active / passive switch) for my Fender Lyte. I am looking very much forward to putting them into mine.