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Modulus Flea Pickups


40hz
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Not wanting to derail a current for sale thread, I'm intrigued to know what year/s that logo-less Bartolini pickups were installed on Flea Basses. 

Of the 3 Fleas I've owned, 2 were Seymour Duncan pickups (which are unmarked and flat black in appearance) and the other was a Lane Poor (easily identifiable by having the circular logo). 

I thought that Barts were removed as standard fit option and replaced by the Seymour Duncan by the mid-late 00's?

Having done some research on them, Barts all appear to have the logo up until the early 00's (that I could find) and I've seen later ones from 06 (and indeed the one for sale from 07) that still have 'Bartolini' marked across the pickups.  Was there a point in-between this where they removed it? or did it come later?

Just wanting to know if anyone conclusively knew, or could shed any further light as I thought I had everything down about these wonderful basses!

Edited by 40hz
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Bumping again for anyone who has ever owned a Bart equipped Flea?

Having done further research I can't find a single image anywhere (secondhand pickups etc) that is listed as a Bart without the embossed logo.

Indeed the Bart original Musicman pickup sold today HAS the embossed logo on it too. I'm inclined to think that there has never been a Bart pickup without the name embossed on the casing and the ones that people think are, are in fact the Seymour Duncan pickup. 

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5 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Despite having owned two (I still have one), I can’t help.

@Chiliwailer might be able to assist though.

I’m not sure pal. i always thought (after the LP pups) they came in 2 options - Bart pup & Bart preamp or SD pup & Aguilar preamp. But then I saw a FU4 owners manual saying ‘SD pup & Bartolini preamp as standard, many combinations available, see website’. 

Do you still have the print out of the 2008 catalogue I gave you?

EDIT - see my post below 

Edited by Chiliwailer
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25 minutes ago, Chiliwailer said:

Just found this from a 2006 catalogue on Wayback website. Back then Bart & Bart was std on FB4 - & no sign of the SD pup (but page copyright says 2003)

yet if you google a 2005 FB4 the pup has no logo...

I give up!!! 🙄

CAD239B4-ED42-489A-B69F-19CA0BE146E7.png

Basslines MM pup is the Seymour - Bart is the $50 up charge. Or am i miss understanding you? 

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If you click on the custom blue Flea bass, there’s a low res pic. Seems like the Bart is missing the logo? https://web.archive.org/web/20060207085439/http://www.modulusguitars.com/v2/gallery/index.html

The other basses seem to have the LP logo. 

This question @40hz has asked has always bugged me too, but it’s time to get on with my day and stop geeking out ... 🤓

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3 hours ago, Chiliwailer said:

If you click on the custom blue Flea bass, there’s a low res pic. Seems like the Bart is missing the logo? https://web.archive.org/web/20060207085439/http://www.modulusguitars.com/v2/gallery/index.html

The other basses seem to have the LP logo. 

This question @40hz has asked has always bugged me too, but it’s time to get on with my day and stop geeking out ... 🤓

Or is it? 🤔 the logo is fainter on the later pickups.

I'm thinking given that I've seen 98' 99's 01's and 02's with the embossed logo, then 06's, 07's and the modern day ones also with the logo. The only timescale I can't account for is 03-06. So IF they ever existed without the Bart logo, it can only be this time frame?

I'm still going with they've not existed without it and the plain ones are in fact the SD. It could even be as simple as Modulus not listing it correctly on build sheets for customers and stating Bart, when a SD has been fitted?

Thanks for additional research guys!

Edited by 40hz
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31 minutes ago, 40hz said:

Or is it? 🤔 the logo is fainter on the later pickups.

Thanks for the additional research guys! 

I'm thinking given that I've seen 98' 99's 01's and 02's with the embossed logo, then 06's, 07's and the modern day ones also with the logo. The only timescale I can't account for is 03-06. So IF they ever existed without the Bart logo, it can only be this time frame?

I'm still going with they've not existed without it and the plain ones are in fact the SD. It could even be as simple as Modulus not listing it correctly on build sheets for customers and stating Bart, when a SD has been fitted?

Liking your thinking 👍

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50 minutes ago, 40hz said:

Or is it? 🤔 the logo is fainter on the later pickups.

Thanks for the additional research guys! 

I'm thinking given that I've seen 98' 99's 01's and 02's with the embossed logo, then 06's, 07's and the modern day ones also with the logo. The only timescale I can't account for is 03-06. So IF they ever existed without the Bart logo, it can only be this time frame?

I'm still going with they've not existed without it and the plain ones are in fact the SD. It could even be as simple as Modulus not listing it correctly on build sheets for customers and stating Bart, when a SD has been fitted?

aren't SD pickups quite sharp cornered on the edges, every bart I've ever seen has had a larger radius corner on. That could be another way to tell? 
Mind you I might be talking out my bottom  

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bartolini without a logo sounds like some other manufacturer. Their design is the logo, never seen a pickup without one.

A short correction: I think that Zon has had bartolinis with kind of "bp" logo (bartolini pickups?) in them, so at least two logos exist.

Edited by itu
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20 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

aren't SD pickups quite sharp cornered on the edges, every bart I've ever seen has had a larger radius corner on. That could be another way to tell? 
Mind you I might be talking out my bottom  

I'm pretty sure you are spot on there. All the Bart pickups I've seen have rounded off corners compared to the sharp and angular SD. 

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47 minutes ago, itu said:

bartolini without a logo sounds like some other manufacturer. Their design is the logo, never seen a pickup without one.

A short correction: I think that Zon has had bartolinis with kind of "bp" logo (bartolini pickups?) in them, so at least two logos exist.

I go along with this as well - I recall Lakland 55-01s etc had Bartolonis in the MM position at least, with the name embossed across the cover (although in some lights it was virtually invisible) - presumably the $50 uplift was for the embossed cover 😬 (Joking of course 👍😄). 

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7 minutes ago, drTStingray said:

I go along with this as well - I recall Lakland 55-01s etc had Bartolonis in the MM position at least, with the name embossed across the cover (although in some lights it was virtually invisible) - presumably the $50 uplift was for the embossed cover 😬 (Joking of course 👍😄). 

55-01  are skylines and have the foreign made Bartolini MK1 with a different embossed corner of the pickup
The 55-94 and other US made ones have the full embossed cover. 

So I agree with you... but possibly with a different model Lakland as an example! :D 

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Not sure if these are any use. They came with the Modulus Flea I bought from @Chiliwailer. These first two shots are from the owners manual, so I’m assuming it’s correct to the bass which is dated 2008, the last year of the Flea Bass before they became the Funk Unlimited.

 

 

B48AD7FB-39BA-45D2-8E6C-2ECB1753BAAA.jpeg

D945E568-184D-4C82-A67C-CDF485D8CAC2.jpeg

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1 hour ago, walshy said:

I have an 03 Flea with SD and Bartolini and an 08 with SD and Aguilar OBP-1

Interested to know what  you think about the pre’s? I imagine the Bart being more polite, and the Aguilar more ballsy?

Edited by Chiliwailer
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