Benedetti Vigier pickup Problem

[Geddys nose]

I've got a S2 Vigier Passion I'm refinishing at the moment, Got a John East Pre amp to go in but was going to use the Benedetti P/U's . 

They are resin filled and one of the wires has come off flush with the resin, Is it fixable ?  Could possible drill down and attempt to solder but it would be difficult.

Other than that I might have to get new P/U's which would not be a hardship seeing the Benedetti one are quite noisy being S/C.

 

[ped]

Not sure RE the pickups but I’d love to see some pics of the refin process!

[fleabag]

@ped  has a passion for Vigiers  ( sorry ) n

[fleabag]

Cancel that 

 

[Geddys nose]

1 hour ago, ped said:

Not sure RE the pickups but I’d love to see some pics of the refin process!

I'll take some tomorrow Ped, It was in a pretty bad way when I got it ,dinged everywhere and lacquer missing on the neck. Got the neck sorted out but left

the body until I had time on my hands (Like now!) 

I stripped the finish and like all Patrice's work it a lovely bit of flame maple under the paint. Be a pity to cover it up now really, might just leave it natural colour.

The P/U's had little wings to take the bolts but they had cracked around the holes so I've dremmeled new wings and stuck them on with superglue.

[ped]

Brilliant looking forward to seeing it. My own Vigier is a bit of a triggers broom as you might know but the magic of these basses is in the ‘chassis’ which works as an amazing platform for your chosen electronics. 

[Geddys nose]

Cookie just inspecting the flame maple.

[ped]

That’s a beauty. Was it difficult to strip down? Also cookie looks just delicious, there must be something in the fact we both have a Vigier and a pug style woofer. 

The pickup looks repairable but like you say, you might be better off putting something else in. The dimensions are a little awkward but perhaps a custom maker could use the same cases? Otherwise I think I found some Barts that are the right size. I believe they’re known as ‘Washburn’ sized. 

[Geddys nose]

Fairly easy to strip but I have access to a few sanders and polishers at work, The hardest part is the paint up to the wood/ graphite bit.

Thanks for the Barts tip I’ll look into them, It is a big pickup to find a replacement the only ones that came close are 5 string P/U’s. 
 

Pug type dogs are the Vigiers of the dog world 😆

[Hellzero]

I wouldn't put another pickup on this Vigier as the Benedetti's are terrific pickups. Amongst the best single coil pickups you can find and the originals you have were wired by the late Michel Benedetti himself.

I know that single coils are noisier, but with a good earthed shielding like you did, it will be better than any Jazz Bass...

The repair is quite easy to do. Take your soldering iron to the hottest position, and remove the compound material around the hole left until you find back the metal lug and solder the loose wire back.

Don't inhale the smoke, wear a mask (which everybody has home by these dark days) and do the job outside if possible.

[Geddys nose]

I'm certainly going to have a go at mending the wire and it will be in keeping with Vigier look if I use them and will be cheaper too (Always helps!)

I was pondering sending it off to be done but not many companies are working in these times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Geddys nose]

Got some crazy flaming going on the edges.
 

[ped]

God damn that’s a beauty. Really interesting to see where the neck stops on the back view too. I think that construction really gives the bass it’s warm sound. 

[Hellzero]

These are very well thought basses. And they do sound very well. I'm a huge fan of the Delta Metal fretless models by Vigier and owned 3 in the past that I stupidly sold, like a lot of other basses, that said... 

[p4ul]

Ahem..If for some wild reason you decide not to use the Benne's .. I would be interested in them 🙂

[too soon?]

[White Cloud]

Cracking bass and very interesting to see a pared back paintless view of the neck construction. That's also some wild flamed maple!

Great project; please update the pics as you progress.

[wright/watt]

Hi @Geddys nose Just wanting to ask..but did you ever finish of this beauty and use the Benedetti pickups?

 

Cheers 😃👍

[Geddys nose]

I sold it a while ago with the Benedetti P/U , in the end I waxed the finish like a Warwick. 
 

Still have  S2 Passion and Excess so still in the club 👍

[wright/watt]

Thanks for that..Great basses indeed!👍😃

[Meatbag]

Greetings all.

 

It was me what purchased the Vigier from Geddy's Nose all those years ago, back when the world was about to end (or so it felt).

 

I purchased a Hiscox case for it, and left it in the loft for another 2 years as things like grandchildren and early retirement got in the way.

 

Earlier this year I finally got around to taking it to JAck's Instruments in Manchester to see what he could do. The upshot is that the Benedettis could not be fixed ( by him at least) so the Seymour Duncans went back in. Likewise the original electronics board was too troublesome for them to fix. I get them to just put a dummy pickup selector swith in to make it look right, and took it back home. I've used it on a track in the studio and I was very impressed with the sound I got by messing with the EQ.....we did a Lizzy track and I got as near as I could likeness to Phil Lynott's PB / Yamaha type sound.

 

I've just purchased a Vigier Passion IV board from Ebay, so when that arrives I'll have a go at getting the bass closer to original again ( Trigger's Broom, eh?)

 

EDIT: I also had them make a rear control cavity cover becasue I managed to break the very fragile original one.

 

And here it is today.....

 

Edited September 10 by Meatbag
Wrong pic