Misowaki

The P has little balls and the J has little growl, or at least compared to what I've had in the past and currently have on separate basses. I've only really felt this with active basses so I'm wondering if it's something about the pups or the preamp.

Fair enough but the Elite has only been out 3 years, can't imagine they've changed the pups yet but they're stock from first year of production. I know it won't damage them but I want to know if it's going to affect the sound negatively as they're plug ins and I don't fancy cutting the wires to find I've screwed the pooch. Hence my appeal to anyone with 1st hand experience of this particular issue.

I see you've not read any of my original post then... 😬 Or the title, or any of the bits where I've mentioned it's a Fender Elite 😅

I know he does a decent, tidy job. I also know I could do/have done a good enough albeit messier job, but what I'm trying to figure out is if bypassing the preamp will clear up the sound of the pups in the Elite or if I should change them completely. Can anyone speak to that?

Nice one, then that's what I'll look to do. New passive controls, same pups, see how we go! Only thing is the plugs... do Kiogon's solderless looms use the same plugs do you know? I've got a soldered one on another bass and don't fancy cutting the plugs off the pup wires should it not work for me for whatever reason =S

Ah, I meant by removing the preamp batteries so it kills the sound! =D Perhaps mute switch would have been a better way of phrasing it... But any idea on the pup sound with preamp removed? Will it sound different? When the batteries go in this, it starts squealing and popping and that's in passive mode! I figured if it affects it in passive, perhaps the preamp is also muddying it up some.

So I have an Elite P and I only ever use the active switch as a kill switch but passive mode sounds pretty muddy to me. Am thinking about changing everything out but did you find the same pups with the preamp removed sounded different to passive mode through the pre? Am wondering if I can get around it all without spending loads by just going around the pre and using the same pups.

See now, I just watched a video where a guy replaced his CS PJ set (I'm looking to do both, can see how it looks like I just meant the P pup) with Aguilars and they sounded better to my ear, but that was over laptop speakers tbh...

Alternatively... should I maybe try removing the preamp first and running them passive? Would that make a difference? And anyone that can vouch for the Aguilar PJ set?

Hi wise fellows, I'm fixing to switch up the pups in my USA Elite. I don't like the active circuit and the passive circuit sounds dull. I recently built a Jazz with DiMarzio Ultra Jazz and they sound great (1st time I've really dug a J bass sound) and am thinking about putting some Area or Model pups in it. I hear the Area are more vintage sounding which is what I think I want but the tone spec would suggest that Model might be closer to the Ultra Jazz. Any ideas/feedback/suggestions? Cheers

I think that's one of the later export models actually. It's the only one listed on the Fender website.

Okay, so I've owned two Jazz Aeros; red about 10 odd years ago and white which I sold a year or two ago for £700. At the time I was kinda surprised it went for that much but that seems to be more or less what I've seen a rarer one go for. Kinda regretted selling both though. I saw a lad selling one of these Ps about a year or so ago and was asking about the same, think it was the orange. This blue one is the first Aerodyne I ever saw, think it was at Wunjo maybe, around 15 years ago. To look at, it's pretty stunning and I'm not normally a fan of fancy looking basses but it is a beauty in the flesh/wood. My two Aeros played really nice and sounded great. I prefer the sound of the Aero to my Elite P (which I never use in active). The only fault I could find in an Aero is the lack of contour in the lower bout where you'd rest a forearm. Literally, that's it. Otherwise they're great basses and those Ps are gorgeous, pics don't do justice. Would I buy another Aerodyne? Yeah, happily. Would I pay £600? Maybe... although I'd be happier paying £500 because that would be a steal. It's the 100 mile round trip I don't like. You'll end up paying an extra £50 on top of it. If you've never played one it may not be worth it but it's every bit as playable as a low end USA bass or high end MIM bass. I personally love an MIJ.

ha, fair play =D

Is this still about?

Just noticed the knobs too, got a couple of them kicking around already. It's a sign!

I've started sanding down my 425X with a view to staining it and hopefully end up with this colour...