5-string replacement PJ pups

[ChrisJaxon]

[color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]I have a decently-made PJ but it has hopeless Chinese pickups fitted, and I want to change them out for good but inexpensive replacements. There does not seem to be much choice, that I can find. I know Aguilar and EMG make them, but I cannot afford them. I am looking for passive, vintage sounding pups, not top-of-the-line. Does anyone have any good ideas? I think my P pickups may be a slightly odd configuration, not sure if this has a bearing on matters. Here is a photo of the existing pups.[/font][/color]

[Pete1967]

The only other companies I can think of that do 5 string P pickups are Delano and Seymour Duncan, but you're in the same price bracket as Aguilar and EMG - maybe slightly less for the Seymours.

[chris_b]

Bartolini, Nordstrand and Lindy Fralin make 5 string pickups. These are good makes but you'll have to check out prices. It's 30 years since I bought separate pickups.

[chris_b]

Have a look at the Bass Direct website for other makes and prices.

[Truckstop]

Anyone know why you couldn't buy a mixed pair?

[PlungerModerno]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1453050444' post='2955957']
Anyone know why you couldn't buy a mixed pair?
[/quote]

You can! the only thing is output can be hard to get just right (J pickups are typically a lot quieter). If you get a regular J bridge pickup high enough to sound almost as loud as an overwound P - in the P position - you can get weird sounds out of the J, or even affect intonation. IME it's better to lower the P a fair bit first to start, then try and get them roughly the same volume.

[BassBunny]

I have exactly the same bass and my pickups seem great. That said if I Were to change pickups I rapidly came to the conclusion that having the existing ones rebuilt was the way to go.
The size of the pickups is likely to be non standard anyway, so using the existing shells may be a given.
Having them rebuilt would mean you could specify what sort of sound you want and get them matched. Likely to be cheaper as well.

[ChrisJaxon]

In the end I bought a pair of pickups from Etienne Lauzon in Toronto. I sent him the dimensions of the P's and he made them to order, to his own 'P-strat' design. The J is twin coil. And the price was less than I would expect to pay for a set of 'boutique' pups. The tone is fantastic. P-bass on steroids, and the J just cuts in a lovely tone. I had basschatter KiOgon make me a new loom for it with new pots etc, and the result is outstanding. Fitted with Chromes it gives me everything I need. A great bespoke bass for around £250 all in!