Warmoth P5 rout?

[J-Building]

I emailed Warmoth today about their P5 routs, and apparently they only rout a hole big enough to accommodate a four-string pickup. Besides not being able to use pickups with pole pieces, wouldn't blades not be wide enough to cover the entire width of the string area?

 

[5string5fingers]

I emailed Warmoth today about their P5 routs, and apparently they only rout a hole big enough to accommodate a four-string pickup. Besides not being able to use pickups with pole pieces, wouldn't blades not be wide enough to cover the entire width of the string area?

makers like EMG make 5 string pups that are the same size as 4 string pickups but longer blades. With emg they put an L at the end to specify long.

 

[J-Building]

So that would limit me to EMG's then? Because I'd really rather not go the EMG route, seeing as how I'd like my next five to be sort of a fire-and-forget deal (pardon the missile analogy), where I can just as easily take it to a gig as a primary bass as much as I can rely on it to be a backup bass when my batteries fail.

 

[BuzzKing]

The Nordstrand NP5 pickup uses a standard 4 string P bass pickup route as well. It also has the Nordstrand signature angled double pole pieces. Great sounding pickup IMHO.

BK

 

[Mitchthebassplayer]

I actually JUST went through this with Warmoth. I had them build me a 5 string Jazz bass but I asked them to route a Nordy Big Single at the bridge and a Nordy NP5 (which fits a 4 string P route) and they said they couldn't do the P pickup route because it was a jazz bass body and I'd have to have it routed myself. I then had a huge issue with them over the pickguard saying they couldn't just give me a blank jazz pickguard with no route. I eventually convinced them to just send me a blank guard and the bass came out great, I just need somebody to route the body and pickguard now....

 

[J-Building]

I didn't know about the Nordstrand. That definitely opened up more options right now. However, what I really want to be able to use is the DiMarzio Split P, and I'm just worried that the blades will not be able to sense one or more strings.

 

[J-Building]

I just looked at the Nordstrand P5's and realized the magnet layout is twisted 45 degrees. Is this how they achieve a greater string-sensing area while keeping the housing the same size as a 4-string p-pickup?

 

[nukes_da_bass]

I spent a year going through this. i had Certainbass build me a 5 string P/J and it arrived with the shorter P installed wrong so the BEA coil missed the A string entirely.
For issues I dont have time or space to post here-I opted not to ship it back to St. Louis to have it corrected.
After extensive research, it turns out (other than proprietary pickups wound by several luthiers for their own product) there are only four long P5 pickups available to purchase-the first two by FMIC which are Fender American P5 and Fender American Deluxe P5-then Wilkinson, and Nordstrand makes the correct sized coils for a longer P5 with no housing.
I opted for the Fender American Deluxe and had Jim Mouradian do the route and install in Winchester, Ma.
FMIC has the longer length P5 design on lockdown- they wont let anyone who is Fender licensed (read Warmoth) route for it, they wont let any aftermarket pickup builder build one for widespread consumer sales- hence why the only other two long P5s you can get are Wilkinson (China doesnt have to worry about licensing agreements yet) and Nordstrand (can get the coils but not the shell).
If i wasn't over my head in my own micro businesses it would make me want to start a fourth business in order to rectify the issue. My wife would kill me!
And one last thing- don't expect to open a real dialogue regarding this on TB- I tried in the past and no one seems interested in pissing off the Evil Empire (FMIC). Just my 2 cents.

 

[nukes_da_bass]

I never offered you a solution. If you can ever get the correct route from someone on your body, you can go this direction by getting the shells from Wilkinson at about $30.00 for the whole pickup here
http://cgi.ebay.com/Wilkinson-Lic-V...321?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item230b32ed71
And the coils from bestbassgear here
http://www.bestbassgear.com/nordstrand-pickups.htm
scroll down to the heading that reads "Nordstrand NP5 Pickup for Fender 5 String" and you will see its the only boutique correct size P5 out there (still no shells).

Or you can go traditional which i did from this website a Fender parts reseller
Invalid Link Removed
American Deluxe P5 about halfway down the homepage.
Hope this helps- it still doesnt get you a correctly routed body tho. Good luck!

 

[topcat2069]

This thread is from a bit a go

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=652796

With picts of Nordstrand builds.

 

[J-Building]

Thanks everyone! I think I'm going to stick with the Nordstrand's in the 4 string shell, since it seems to be working well for Valenti.

 

[Nino Valenti]

Thanks everyone! I think I'm going to stick with the Nordstrand's in the 4 string shell, since it seems to be working well for Valenti.

I've used the Nordstrand NP5, Sadowsky P5 and there is a Custom P5 from BassLines that Lull Uses.

 

[Nino Valenti]

I actually JUST went through this with Warmoth. I had them build me a 5 string Jazz bass but I asked them to route a Nordy Big Single at the bridge and a Nordy NP5 (which fits a 4 string P route) and they said they couldn't do the P pickup route because it was a jazz bass body and I'd have to have it routed myself.

When I used to use Warmoth, they would do this for me all the time with no issues but I used to make my own pickguards for them.