Single coil P type (TeleBass/51) adjustable polepieces needed?

[Bassman Rich]

I have a Pink Paisley 68 Japan Reissue P bass, it plays fantastically well, but the stock pickup is a bit lacking compared to my other split coil 'standard' P basses, also, as the strings are 'curved' to match the curve of the frets and ensure a low and equal action across the neck (I think its a 9 inch radius but not certain), and the single coil is esentially flat from the E polepiece to the G one, the E and G strings are much louder than the A or D strings. I have tried a Seymore Duncan SCPB-3, and it has a slightly fuller sound, but is even worse in terms of even string volume as the polepieces are not even compensated like the stock Japan pup. Help!!!???

Ps I was just about to go to Wizard for a custom one, and he's gone and retired.

[brensabre79]

I think this is why the design changed to the split P.

Are they the same size as a strat pickup? Maybe one of those blade pickups for guitar would work? - they usually have a bit of a curve to them.

[Bassman Rich]

[indent=1]Thanks for the input, but I can't see a 6 string guitar pup working too well for a 4 string bass, looks like I will have to get my tools out and adjust the pole pieces myself, now wheres that big hammer [/indent]

[Cat Burrito]

It's a problem that is more common on Jazz basses. I've come across it twice and got rid of both basses in the end (one was resolved with a new pup & the other I cut my losses, taking a massive hit getting rid of it). I had a blue flower bass like this and the volume across the strings was perfect so this thread has certainly come as a surprise. My gut feeling is if you have switched the pup then the setup or the strings would be the next thing to look at. Something as simple as a deader couple of string could be the issue? Pickup wise I appreciate you can't keep buying them but Seymour Duncan's Antiquity range is really well balanced and I've used those on tele basses before. Good luck sorting it out.

[brensabre79]

The [url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Belcat-BHS-94-Single-Blade-Humbucker-Pickup/B7D?origin=product-ads&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_campaign=PLA+General&utm_content=fvtyqjpD|dc_pcrid_35303405719_plid__kword__match__"]BLADE[/url] type ones don't have pole pieces. They are continuous strip so string number and spacing is not an issue - hence the suggestion...

It might be of interest that some of the R#ck*nb@cker basses had guitar pickups in, complete with 6 pole pieces...

You could try [url="http://www.armstrongpickups.co.uk/"]Aaron Armstrong[/url]
or [url="https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/pickups.php?cat=bass&sub=vintage&pickup=52_stagger&series=p_bass"]BareKnuckle - they do a staggared pole version[/url]

Edited October 22, 2013 by brensabre79

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='Bassman Rich' timestamp='1382458124' post='2252401']
[indent=1]Thanks for the input, but I can't see a 6 string guitar pup working too well for a 4 string bass, looks like I will have to get my tools out and adjust the pole pieces myself, now wheres that big hammer [/indent]
[/quote]

Might I suggest not doing that? The coil on old style Fenderish pickups is wound straight on the pole pieces, and while you might get away with it, you could also break the windings on the inside of the coil, killing the pickup.

[Bassman Rich]

Thanks again to all for their input, its again a heartwarming thing there are lots of people out there who a) know more than me about this subject (not hard) and take the time and effort with suggestions.

@Beerofthebass, Good, wise words, I guess i'll just sell it rather than butcher it, rendering it useless, ta.

@Brensabre79, I'd not even heard of those type of pickups, so if all the 'traditional' routes fail, might go that way, thanks fot the Bareknuckle suggestion though, again good ideas...

@BurrittoBass I'm surprised about your blueflower one, maybe I just need different guage strings, I tend to go for Ernie Ball power slinkies 55-75-90-110, might try some old ones just to experiment, and re fit the original compensated/staggered polepiece pickup which at least was more even. and go from there.

Thanks again all.

Edited October 23, 2013 by Bassman Rich

[Jazzneck]

As per Brensabre, a Bare Knuckles '52 Precision pickup is the answer - solved my similar problem.

[url="https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/pickups.php?cat=bass&sub=vintage&pickup=52_stagger&series=p_bass"]https://bareknucklep...r&series=p_bass[/url]

Edited October 27, 2013 by Jazzneck

[Bassman Rich]

Thanks for that, i'm a bit worried that it looks to boost the treble and cut the bass, but if it worked for you, I guess I can always eq that to my taste, which is usually a hunk of bass and low mids and cutting the top a bit. IE Gut rattling boomabooma sounding bass ;-) Bare Knuckles here I come

[brensabre79]

You could always ask them about a custom winding, get it overwound so it's darker and booomier

[Thebassman75]

Hi

I'm having the exact opposite issue on my 68 tele bass, whereas the E and the G are much quieter. The pole-peices are staggered so that the A and D are higher but in this case, too high so as to produce louder strings. Is there any way to remedy this wihtout swapping the pup out?