adding a humbucker bridge pickup to precision bass

[sky]

im thinking of adding some kind of passive humbucker (maybe the emg passive soapbar) as a bridge pickup in the back of my precision, as i just got a bass with 2 pickups are i really like having 2. anyone have any experience with this kind of setup? or suggestions of what kind of humbucker to go with.

thanks, leo

[Bassfinger]

I shoved a dirty great mudbucker onto my '54 transition shape Precision, albeit in the original pup position closer to the bridge. It sounds rather marvellous.

 

Another advantage of a mudbucker is that the top is wider than the coils beneath so it matters not if the hole you carve is a bit rough as the edges will be hidden.

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by Bassfinger
Typos

[bloke_zero]

Interesting idea. Feels a bit like the Sandberg California VM but with the emg instead of the MM pickup?

 

 I’d say go for it! I think you’d get a lot of twang and zing from that pickup there.

 

 If you want the measurements of the Sandberg I have them somewhere…

[Dan Dare]

Be aware that adding a bridge pickup to a P bass may lower its resale value (not everyone views it as an improvement) May be worth thinking about if it's an expensive or vintage instrument. A used Mexican Fender PJ is not outrageously expensive.

 

If you do decide to do it, have a professional rout the body cut out unless you're skilled. If you want to preserve the Fender look, go for a stacked humbucker to avoid hum/buzz. They look like single coil J bass bridge pickups.

[Paul S]

I had a MM Sterling 5er.  There was (just) enough room to fit a split P in the sweet spot, if reversed, and a new scratchplate to accomodate it.  I put the original back in place when reversed to sell it on.  Sounded lovely

[sky]

8 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

Be aware that adding a bridge pickup to a P bass may lower its resale value (not everyone views it as an improvement) May be worth thinking about if it's an expensive or vintage instrument. A used Mexican Fender PJ is not outrageously expensive.

 

If you do decide to do it, have a professional rout the body cut out unless you're skilled. If you want to preserve the Fender look, go for a stacked humbucker to avoid hum/buzz. They look like single coil J bass bridge pickups.

its a mid 2000s mexican standard so dont worry too much haha!

[Doctor J]

My old Hamer has an EMG humbucker in there. It growls. It growls good.

 

[bloke_zero]

23 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

My old Hamer has an EMG humbucker in there. It growls. It growls good.

 

Reverse P - nice! I'm building something very similar - MM in the sweetspot with reverse P, EA in the classic P position.

[Paul S]

21 hours ago, Paul S said:

I had a MM Sterling 5er.  There was (just) enough room to fit a split P in the sweet spot, if reversed, and a new scratchplate to accomodate it.  I put the original back in place when reversed to sell it on.  Sounded lovely

 

Found a picture.  Andyjr1515 did the work for me.

 

 

[sky]

8 hours ago, Doctor J said:

My old Hamer has an EMG humbucker in there. It growls. It growls good.

 

is that a guitar pickup?

[AndyTravis]

 

this kind of affair?

[Beedster]

Or this......

 

[AndyTravis]

1 minute ago, Beedster said:

Or this......

 

I like that. Does it still exist or have you parted it out?

[Beedster]

Believe it’s with @pbasspecial Andy 👍

[sky]

4 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

 

this kind of affair?

thats exactly the pickup i was looking for but cant seem to find one anywhere

[AndyTravis]

30 minutes ago, sky said:

thats exactly the pickup i was looking for but cant seem to find one anywhere

I have the neck pickup from the bass - think they’re different dimensions though.

[sky]

1 hour ago, AndyTravis said:

I have the neck pickup from the bass - think they’re different dimensions though.

ooh, well id be getting it routed. i dont suppose youre interested in selling the pickup?

[AndyTravis]

Just now, sky said:

ooh, well id be getting it routed. i dont suppose youre interested in selling the pickup?

Let me have a think overnight…

[PaulThePlug]

Would string spacing be different ala jazz pups?

Cheap ones on the bay @ £12...

No idea on quality.

Edited January 12, 2023 by PaulThePlug

[Dan Dare]

On 10/01/2023 at 21:51, sky said:

its a mid 2000s mexican standard so dont worry too much haha!

 

May be worth selling as is and getting a PJ. Could well be the cheaper option, once you take into account the cost of the pickup and having the work done.

[Baloney Balderdash]

On 12/01/2023 at 14:18, Dan Dare said:

 

May be worth selling as is and getting a PJ. Could well be the cheaper option, once you take into account the cost of the pickup and having the work done.

Where's the fun in that?

 

Also I am pretty sure that a standard PJ bass is not what OP have in mind.

 

Not to speak of the gamble if he loves how his current bass plays, especially considering the inconsistency between individual units of cheaper basses (due to lacking quality control, rather than consistently bad quality).

 

Edited January 15, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[sky]

18 hours ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Where's the fun in that?

 

Also I am pretty sure that a standard PJ bass is not what OP have in mind.

 

Not to speak of the gamble if he loves how his current bass plays, especially considering the inconsistency between individual units of cheaper basses (due to lacking quality control, rather than consistently bad quality).

 

im really not planning on ever getting rid off this bass, i got it with the money my nan gave me for my 18th birthday and i love the neck and feel, its on the light side as far as im aware although ive not weighed it. id just like the back pickup for a bit more versatility not that ill ever change the settings from the both pickups all the way on with tone halfway lol

[kwmlondon]

On 11/01/2023 at 11:13, Paul S said:

 

Found a picture.  Andyjr1515 did the work for me.

 

 

Droool….

[Beedster]

On 16/01/2023 at 01:57, sky said:

im really not planning on ever getting rid off this bass, i got it with the money my nan gave me for my 18th birthday and i love the neck and feel, its on the light side as far as im aware although ive not weighed it. id just like the back pickup for a bit more versatility not that ill ever change the settings from the both pickups all the way on with tone halfway lol

if you like the bass that much, don’t mod it. EQ & FX are more versatile ways of bringing, um, versatility. Let’s face it, all the truly great basses have one PUP only; Precision, SC Precision, ‘Ray, Modulus Flea, Ric 4000, I could go on (if I could think of any more single-PUP basses) 😀

 

But seriously, sentimental value AND a great bass is a rare thing 👍

[neepheid]

On 11/01/2023 at 17:50, sky said:

is that a guitar pickup?

 

It could be, or it could be an EMG-HB, which is a rail split P in a guitar humbucker sized casing.  I have two of them in my Epiphone Les Paul "Standard" bass.  They evolved from the EMG-SS which were designed for Steinberger basses (SS = Steinberger Sound).