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Pickups for RD homebuild


andysleigh
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Howdy doody
i'm probably thinking to big here
I'v been mulling with the idea of putting my joinery skills to the test, and trying to do my own build of a Gibson RD standard/ artist bass.

I want some nice sounding pickups. of course, using real gibson pups would be expensive and hard to find!
So what are some good alternatives?
Preferably styled like the ones on the RD.

I'v spotted there on all-parts tho, what do you chaps think?
[url="http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/allparts-guitar-amp-parts/pickups/bass-pickups/humbucking-bridge-pickup-for-gibson-bass-p-2010.html"]http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/all...ass-p-2010.html[/url]
[url="http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/allparts-guitar-amp-parts/pickups/bass-pickups/humbucking-neck-pickup-for-gibson-bass-p-2011.html"]http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/all...ass-p-2011.html[/url]


many thanks

Andy

Edited by andysleigh
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Would be hard to comment on Allparts "own brand" as I doubt many people have knowingly heard them. I do know that when I buy pickups, I'm mostly interested in their sound, not their looks, so I'll only go for reviewed and well known pickups. It also depends of course on what sort of sound you are looking for.

Dimarzio still make "Model one" mudbucker neck pickups if you want a vintage gibson "dark" sound, and they have updated these with revised string spacing for the "Willpower" neck pickups. Kent Armstrong and Seymour Duncan both make a soapbar pickup that wouldn't look out of place on your guitar (a lot of the RD's I have seen have covered pole-pieces anyway). Here's a picture of the RD standard pickup.

[url="http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/parts/pickup/"]http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/parts/pickup/[/url]

and the Kent Armstrong soapbar to compare:

[url="http://www.wdmusic.com/kent_armstrong_bass_pickups.html"]http://www.wdmusic.com/kent_armstrong_bass_pickups.html[/url]

Note also the similarity in shape of the covered pole-piece Kent Armstrong Musicman pickup with the Gibsom RD Artist pickup.

If a budget vintage look is important though, I can't think of anything better than the ones you have found. As to the sound, you'd have to suck it and see. If they sound disappointing, you could always get them rewound:

[url="http://www.wizardpickups.co.uk/content.asp?cpage=Repairs"]http://www.wizardpickups.co.uk/content.asp?cpage=Repairs[/url]

If price really is a huge issue, then maybe just get the ones you chose for now and start saving.....

Edited by Max Normal
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You could check out the John Birch Hyperflux's on Ebay just now*; they'll cover the strings no matter what the spacing & have a very wide frequency range, he used them in guitars or bass.
I've got JB Magnums in an SG bass - and an SG Junior.
If you're interested check that they're the old style ones; P90 shape, not the newer PAF ones and that they have their rings/frames if you need them? They should look like this .....



* I have no connection with the seller or the auction.

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[quote name='Big_Stu' post='1083547' date='Jan 9 2011, 08:25 PM']You could check out the John Birch Hyperflux's on Ebay just now*; they'll cover the strings no matter what the spacing & have a very wide frequency range, he used them in guitars or bass.
I've got JB Magnums in an SG bass - and an SG Junior.
If you're interested check that they're the old style ones; P90 shape, not the newer PAF ones and that they have their rings/frames if you need them? They should look like this .....



* I have no connection with the seller or the auction.[/quote]


thanks for the headsup.
They look very nice. shall keep my eye on them

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[quote name='andysleigh' post='1083586' date='Jan 9 2011, 08:52 PM']thanks for the headsup.
They look very nice. shall keep my eye on them[/quote]

They're the new kind - PAF sized with hidden poles. I've heard they're good but haven't heard any myself. Not the old style P90 size that I pictured though. :)

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Email this ebay seller

[url="http://stores.ebay.com/Greatdealz1967"]http://stores.ebay.com/Greatdealz1967[/url]

For the last few years they have been selling NOS Gibson parts - from when the Kalamazoo factory closed. For at least a year they had loaded RD Standard scratchplates (2 pickups) for not too much money. They may still have some left. They don't list all of what they have got usually.

I bought one (for a rainy day), as did many others - so it might be worth asking around a few other (american) forums in case anybody bought one and now doesn't need it. I've seen at least one custom made RD using these pups.

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[quote name='evilLordJuju' post='1088843' date='Jan 14 2011, 02:24 AM']Email this ebay seller

[url="http://stores.ebay.com/Greatdealz1967"]http://stores.ebay.com/Greatdealz1967[/url]

For the last few years they have been selling NOS Gibson parts - from when the Kalamazoo factory closed. For at least a year they had loaded RD Standard scratchplates (2 pickups) for not too much money. They may still have some left. They don't list all of what they have got usually.

I bought one (for a rainy day), as did many others - so it might be worth asking around a few other (american) forums in case anybody bought one and now doesn't need it. I've seen at least one custom made RD using these pups.[/quote]
ohh, sounds interesting. thanks.

messgae sent

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