Dating / IDing EMG pickups

[T Cee]

Hi all,

 

Seeking some advice on the above.

 

I recently picked up via auction a 1980 Antoria fretless P which I've really enjoyed playing with.

 

Now, this came fitted with an (I assume period) EMG pickup set.  Interestingly, it wasn't as peaky as I had expected and sounded really nice with a set of TI flats - so much so it's pretty much become my main squeeze.

 

I've been thinking about picking up another P with the wirey bits on, and so wondered if I could source a similar pickup.  However, I'm no expert on replacement pickups - so wondered if you guys could help.  No model number stamped on the pups, but each have black potting material with the treble side one labelled CAC and the bass side HIL.

 

Any ideas, good peoples?

 

Cheers!

[DGBass]

I think your pickup is a late 70s active EMG as I see the red battery wire on the CAC bar. These typically had the black epoxy resin backing. I have an early 80s one gathering dust in my parts bucket, it has the tan coloured epoxy backing. I know it was early 80s as I bought it in 1981 and it lived in a 1981 Ibanez Blazer 800 BS bass for twenty years until I sold the Ibanez with its original pickup. My EMG was always punchy, crisp and very clean. Always intended to refit it to a P-bass but my current USA Standard stock pickup does the job. I have most of the pickup parts except the original CTS pots. They were quite an unusual size at 25K if I recall.