Squier P Special Toneriders upgrade results

[Twangster]

HI all, I just did some upgrades to my Squier P Special and though you might be interested. It's an Indonesian 98 model, P and J pickups obviously. Completely stock, so first I swapped the steel bridge pieces for brass ones - not expecting any change in sound, and I was right. I did A/B recordings, and there's no discernible difference whatsoever. However it [i]looks [/i]great which was the main thing. I just love a bit of brass...

Then onto the pickups. I looked at SDs or Di Marzios, but it just seemed a lot of dosh for some wire and a few magnets. Equally super cheap Chinese ones seemed no real change from what is (probably) in there already, so I settled on Toneriders after a bit of research. There are forums who insist Toneriders are Artics from the same factory etc etc. I don't know. But I talked to Andrew at Toneriders who is reassuringly human and in the UK, and also emailed, and he assured me they build them in the Far East to keep costs down but it's their own factory, doesn't make for anyone else though TR do provide white label pickups themselves for Fender, Levinson etc. So....he could be telling porkies...but he'd be laying himself open to misrepresentation charges putting it in writing, - I mean, he doesn't know who I am...I could be a freelance journo looking for a quick column story. So I decided to let the pickups speak for themselves, so to speak.

Fitting was a doddle. Out with the old Squier ones - sealed plastic units - then in with the TRs which are coils with separate covers. Solder solder....the J was very slightly too big so out came the chisel but we're talking a few mil off each end. Took 40 mins max.

I recorded a pretty crap bass part beforehand with the old pickups (I'm really a guitarist) - the P, then the J, then again with the new ones and then also the P+J together. No eq or other processing - straight into the interface into Reaper.

The difference is dramatic. The TRs are much clearer and more transparent, and the P+J is a beast of a tone which was useless with the old pickups. To be honest I still quite like the old P sound - kinda 70s muffled thud....nothing wrong with that. I never used the old J and you'll see why - it's weedy and useless. Overall I'm really pleased at the cost and the end result.

So to the clips - here they are - Soundcloud permitting....

https://soundcloud.com/twangothan/old-j-1
https://soundcloud.com/twangothan/new-j
https://soundcloud.com/twangothan/old-p
https://soundcloud.com/twangothan/new-p
https://soundcloud.com/twangothan/new-both

Edited November 12, 2014 by Twangster

[Norris]

I've got one of these (Squier Indonesian P-bass Special). I used the standard pups for a while - they are actually not that bad. However a couple of weeks ago I swapped then out for a P/J set of SD QPs. 10 minute job with the soldering iron, straight swap, no fettling required and the sound is now HUGE. The output on the SD pups is so hot, I've had to lower them a fair bit to get them somewhere close to the output of my other basses.

It's a gorgeous bass that still only stands me at about £250 all in

[hamfist]

I have found that folks tend not to believe quite how good the tonerider pickups are when I tell them. Seems like a lot of people don't feel like they have bought something good unless they pay a lot for it.

[Grassie]

I put a TR P pup in my Squier VMP, added a TR J pup then got our man KiOgon to make me a stack knob wiring loom (solderless too). The result is so far removed from the original bass soundwise. Vintage warmth. Toneriders are the nuts.