Looper Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Hi, just wondering if anyone has any opinions on when pickups should be replaced? I have a 25 year old bass which still has its original pickups. The poles have a bit rust on them but they work fine. Do pickups suffer with age? Would it be worth replacing them? Any thoughts? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Apparently the magnets can lose strength over time, making the output a little less powerful. I'm sure if this were the case you'd already know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Mariner Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 (edited) Pickups do de-magnetise slightly over time, but that is usually considered to give them a sweeter, smoother tone (desirable for guitars, probably not significant for bass). The only reasons to replaces pickups are if they've stopped working or you want the instrument to sound different in some specific way. Some old pickups (like those from 50s and 60s Fenders and Gibsons) can be highly sought after. FWIW I have some old Gibson pickups from the 70s, and one of those is the sweetest, richest pickups I ever heard. Pickups don't wear out. Edited October 12, 2011 by Ancient Mariner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looper Posted October 12, 2011 Author Share Posted October 12, 2011 Thanks, that answers my question. I'll leave it be. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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