Fender American Original/Vintage Precision Pickups?

[Linus27]

Has anyone replaced their standard precision pickups with the Fender Precision Original/Vintage design pickup. Would love to hear what peoples thought are and if this is a worthy upgrade from an American standard pickup.



[url="http://www.fender.com/en-GB/products/search.php?partno=0992046000"]http://www.fender.co...rtno=0992046000[/url]

[Fuzzbass2000]

They're fab - seem to be really influenced by where you play the note.

I bought then after trying some Quarter Pounders for a bit - they were good (thumpy), but just seem to be lacking a little "air" in the note... if that makes sense.

The Fender pups have more zing, and I'd use them again if I had to.

Edited March 14, 2012 by Fuzzbass2000

[Musicman20]

I'd love to try these:

http://www.aguilaramp.com/products_pickups_AG4p60.htm

[TomRichards]

I'm not sure if all of them are, but many of the original/vintage pickups were wound by the infamous Ms. Ybarra, who recently retired from Fender after working there since 1955. I think pickups have the makers name on them, I know her's do. If I were to find a set of her wound pickups, I'd put them in no matter what they sounded like, as they are the closest to the original you can ever find.

[Linus27]

Thanks for the comments so far. So why don't Fender stick these original/vintage sounding pickups in their US standard Precisions if these are closer to the original tone or is it a case of manufacturing to the original tone is more costly so the current standard pickups are a cost saving exercise whilst trying to stay as close as the original tone? Perhaps its a marketing exercise.

Either way I might try a set if they do sound better although I like the look of those Aguilar pickups also.

[Lozz196]

I installed them into a MIM Precision, and it made it sound very nice indeed. Seemed to just even things out, make the sound less angular, and smoother on the ears.

[Hutton]

When I put together a precision for my son I installed the Fender Original Pickup as I believe it is the same pickup that is in my 62 reissue and that sounds great. The pickup sounded marvellous in the 'bitsa' bass - very old school. Hope it helps Michael.

[Linus27]

Hi Hutton, thats great, thank you. Yes you are correct as I checked out the pickups in both the 62 re-issue and the 57 re-issue. The 62 has the original/vintage pickup and the 57 has its own 57 style pickup.

I think I will go for a set of these pickups after all the great feedback.

[One Drop]

[quote name='Linus27' timestamp='1331744817' post='1578194']
Thanks for the comments so far. So why don't Fender stick these original/vintage sounding pickups in their US standard Precisions if these are closer to the original tone or is it a case of manufacturing to the original tone is more costly so the current standard pickups are a cost saving exercise whilst trying to stay as close as the original tone? Perhaps its a marketing exercise.

Either way I might try a set if they do sound better although I like the look of those Aguilar pickups also.
[/quote]

As mentioned, they have the vintage tone covered in the AV series basses, the AS ones are a modern version, with some features designed to appeal to modern basses.

I like both PUPs but prefer the Originals, in the J and P versions both. BTW, they are also the same PUPs that fender put in the CS Time Machine basses. There are other good ones out there, but they offer slightly different versions of the vintage tones, with the differences mostly being the nature of the highs, at least to my ears.

I had an early '70s J black bottom neck pickup rewound by Wizard, BTW, and it sounds incredible, probably a bit nicer than the original!

[Linus27]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have ordered a set so once installed I will let you know what I think.