Modifying a Squier Musicmaster (Mustang)

[BassApprentice]

Hi one and all

I want to change the pickup in my Squier Musicmaster. Currently it has one of the small vista tone single coils and I was planning on putting something with a bit more oomph. I've been reading a lot about Darkstar pickups but they appear to more rare than hens teeth so that's out the window.

Ideally I'm looking for a BIG single coil or humbucker to put in there. Possibly a Dimarzio model one or willpower?

I play a mixture of styles but I want this one to have a bit of old school grit about its tone

Any input on this would be great

[neepheid]

I guess the least intrusive way to (maybe) get more "oomph" would be a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound single coil P bass pickup: http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/bass/pbass/passive/scpb3_quarterpo/ - might need some pickguard modification to fit, easy to check - the dimensions are on the site. But I can't comment on how much more "oomph" it would provide over the stock Vista Tone pickup.

Anything else is going to require more extensive modifications, probably routing in the body and definitely pickguard rejigging. If you're going down this route then the world is your oyster basically - the pickguard will hide the work done to the body as long as you do a good job of the pickguard mods. You'll also probably end up screwing the pickup into the body unlike what I believe to be the current situation where it is attached to the pickguard.

There's going to be a big change in your sound going from a single coil to a humbucker. Might be worthwhile getting one that has all 4 coil ends available to you - you could then maybe rig up a coil tap on a push/pull pot or something. That way you could still get something approximating the previous sound of the bass, and then oomph it up when you want it.

[mike 110]

Wizard Pickups have just started selling a pickup for a Musicmaster , might be worth a shot ?

[Junkyard Rocket]

I don't know if they still stock them, but Brandoni used to sell a cool rails strat pickup in a plain enclosed cover that looks exactly like a 70s musicmaster bass pickup and drops in with no pickguard or routing modifications and giving the tone the solid punchiness lacking in the original. There's also a hotrails version which doesn't sound so good to me as I found it a bit clanky.

[MoonBassAlpha]

I think a lot of people use a rails-type guitar humbucker. That's what I'd do. Kent Armstrong do them too.

[Paul S]

I have recently bought a Fender Musicmaster and would say the output is a bit weak but tonally quite nice. I have also recently borrowed a Behringer BDI 21 pedal and am fairly blown away by how much this has beefed up the sound of this, and other, basses. But particularly this one - seems a very good match for some reason.

[Musky]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1365075969' post='2034868']
I have recently bought a Fender Musicmaster and would say the output is a bit weak but tonally quite nice. I have also recently borrowed a Behringer BDI 21 pedal and am fairly blown away by how much this has beefed up the sound of this, and other, basses. But particularly this one - seems a very good match for some reason.
[/quote]
The original Fender Musicmasters were quite known for their weedy output and the rails pickup change was a common cure for it. The Squiers had a much beefier output though, so I'm not sure that a similar size pickup would make such a difference (although the Wizard replacement sounds interesting ).

I've got to agree with Paul - if it's extra grit you're after getting a pedal might be a better route.