Advice wanted! Pickup upgrade for a 5string Ibanez (16,5mm string spacing) currently equiped with Bartolini MKI´s??

[Bassdude BE]

Hi,

I´m doing a complete upgrade (pickups, pre-amp, tuners,...) on a good friend´s favorite bass,

but I´m having trouble finding a good set of pickups that match the Ibby´s tight string spacing (16,5mm), so I´m hoping someone here can give me some advice on where to look.

 

We´ve been looking at Aguilar (seems to  be sold out everywhere) and Nordstrand drop in replacements for the Bartolini MKI pickups that are currently in there,

but even though I was able to find those in the right size (P2) the string spacing seems to be set at 19mm for all the options I could find online, whilst the Ibby only has a 16,5mm spacing.

 

At this point we´re kinda bummed as he uses this bass a lot and right now it´s in pieces on my desk waiting for a new set of pickups that I seem unable to find,

so any help/advice on this topic will be very much appreciated...

 

Thanks in advance!!

Don

Edited May 20, 2022 by Bassdude BE

[ezbass]

Nordy will do 16.5mm as a custom set.

[A.G.E.N.T.E.]

I have a set of Aguilars DCB G4 on my Japanese Ibanez and I love them. 

[Bassdude BE]

22 hours ago, A.G.E.N.T.E. said:

I have a set of Aguilars DCB G4 on my Japanese Ibanez and I love them. 

Were they a drop in replacement, or did you have to do some rerouting to make them fit? 

[Bassdude BE]

23 hours ago, ezbass said:

Nordy will do 16.5mm as a custom set.

I figured a custom order was an option, but I´m afraid that would take too long...

Edited May 21, 2022 by Bassdude BE

[franzbassist]

I dropped a set of Barts in my Cort SCMS, which also has 16.5mm string spacing - they sound great!

[rmorris]

Out of interest - what is it about the Barts that your friend dislikes ?

[Bassdude BE]

6 hours ago, rmorris said:

Out of interest - what is it about the Barts that your friend dislikes ?

They are MKI´s (the cheap made in China copy of the USA made Bartolinis) and they lack some definition overall. 

[simisker]

As an owner of an MK1-equipped Cort 5er that came with a proper Bartolini NTMB-F preamp, I'd suggest trying the MK1s with a preamp upgrade first. They're not as "cheap made in China copy" as you may be led to believe

 

If new pickups are definitely going to happen no matter what, then I'd consider Delano SBC 5 HE/S Drivers or Times Squares: https://www.delano.de/pickup_overview/sbc_5/sbc_5_listing.html

 

Not only are they top class drop-in replacements that are string-spacing agnostic, but their German origin means you'll probably be able to get your hands on them much more quickly than most US pickups in the current supply climate.

 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by simisker