I’ll get around to posting a photo when I can but until then I’ve “rescued” what looks like a quarter pounder precision pickup retrofitted to a Honda II bass but the large pole pieces are sitting flush with the bobbins on both ends & the coils are covered with fabric tape The wires are plastic black-and-white and it seems well-made so is it an early Duncan or what..?
I had a late '80s ('87, if I recall) Fender Japan P-Bass whose pickup had large pole pieces, just like the Quarter Pound's. P.S. Hondo, not Honda.
Maybe they took Fenders and put them in the bridge of this thing as it looks like it’s from the same era and the previous owners went to a fair bit of trouble modding it with a switch; bridge rout & a DiMarzio ‘Bucker P.S:thanks re:Honda!
Could be anything, really. Even a Fender, though I'm not sure about that fabric tape around the coil windings... Any stamps or writings on the bobbins bottoms? Anyway, the pickup I was referring to is this; it was stock on mid-'80s Fender Japan PB551 (Boxer Series) basses like the one that I once had (it was my first bass):
I'd guess you have a current production Rio Grande Muy Grande. Their site specs it at 10K, just like yours. The early ones didn't have covers, and the bottom bobbin/flatwork was longer than the top. The bottom flatwork had holes for the mounting screws. Later they started making them with covers. You probably noticed they're taller than regular P-Bass pickups. The tape, coil height, lead wires, magnets, and 10K reading make me think it's a Muy Grande, not sure.
That’s very similar although I should add there was regular eight hole covers on the bass to screw it to the body and that’s why I didn’t realise how big the poles were until I took the covers off
Wow! I never thought that… I’m from Liverpool in England and we don’t see a lot of that brand but I’m back in Vegas and that’s where I picked up this bass I think you could be right and that the cover used is the original ones that the (presumably?) Hex bolts poked through
{} So, am I correct in saying that they originally would have little ‘ears’ with holes in them -for mounting direct to the body- on the bottom bobbin but later on they dispensed with these and just rely on pick up covers to hold the whole thing down? Basically they looked like The ones in the photo above but don’t anymore? Maybe it’s the way I took the original photographs, earlier but the bobbins are definitely the same dimensions…
{} {} P.S: I’ve been doing more research and I found these photos that make me think that if they were Muy Grande then they probably would have used the ones that came with them instead of the original covers and also these ones with the ‘ears’ seem to be at lease from 2014
I'm doubting it's a Muy Grande now because of the stock covers and the flush magnets. The magnets would have to stand proud of the top flatwork (which they don't) in order to be flush with the top of the cover. That, and the fact that there's no writing on the bottom. I'll guess that it's also missing the two holes in the bottom flatwork for the screws that secure the plate with steer head. I had an early one a few years ago, and iirc the mounting hole ears were integral with the bottom flatwork, not on a separate piece, but I could be wrong. It was a very good pickup, I do remember that. Might be a Schecter, don't know.
I looked closely at the bottom flat work and I’m convinced the wax goes all over the edges so I don’t think those ‘ears’ were lopped-off later on, I mean, why would anyone do that anyway! But after you mentioning Rio Grande I emailed them and I’ll let you know what they say, here I will say that it sounded good but it was located very close to the bridge on a plywood bodied Hondo2 so it’s difficult to compare like with like plus it certainly has a feel of being well-made
I suspect it originally had no-hole covers, just a hunch. Good luck sorting it out. It sounds good, and that's the main thing.
What matters is how they sound. They could be made from gold-pressed Latinum & have the best brand on Earth printed on them & might still not appeal to your ears.
EPILOGUE!! FWIW Rio Grande Got back to me -Great company BTW- And they reckon it’s a schecter too Be nice to know more about it but, @The end of the day, the ears decide
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