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Fender Elite P Pup replacement; suggestions?


Misowaki
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Hi wise fellows,

I'm fixing to switch up the pups in my USA Elite. I don't like the active circuit and the passive circuit sounds dull.

I recently built a Jazz with DiMarzio Ultra Jazz and they sound great (1st time I've really dug a J bass sound) and am thinking about putting some Area or Model pups in it. I hear the Area are more vintage sounding which is what I think I want but the tone spec would suggest that Model might be closer to the Ultra Jazz.

Any ideas/feedback/suggestions?

Cheers

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On 15/10/2019 at 19:13, hooky_lowdown said:

I will be the first, others will no doubt follow in saying the best P bass pickup being a Fender custom shop 62. It will give you the perfect P bass tone. Team it with a @KiOgon loom and you'll have a great passive bass. 😎

No disrespect to @KiOgon but the wiring will have little effect on the sound. His pre-wired systems are very neat and easy to install but to claim anything else is misleading. 

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8 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

No disrespect to @KiOgon but the wiring will have little effect on the sound. His pre-wired systems are very neat and easy to install but to claim anything else is misleading. 

I know he does a decent, tidy job.  I also know I could do/have done a good enough albeit messier job, but what I'm trying to figure out is if bypassing the preamp will clear up the sound of the pups in the Elite or if I should change them completely.  

Can anyone speak to that?

Edited by Misowaki
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Just now, Misowaki said:

I know he does a decent, tidy job.  I also know I could/have done a good enough albeit messier job, but what I'm trying to figure out is if bypassing the preamp will clear up the sound of the pups in the Elite or if I should change them completely.  

Can anyone speak to that?

I can’t say as I don’t know what pups they’re fitted with. 

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Yes I did read your post but manufacturers change pups during production runs. Also some pickups are low impedance, some are high impedance, so m I are designed specifically for use with pre amp and do not work well passively. The only thing I can say is that you will not damage the pups running them passively. 

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Just now, Chienmortbb said:

Yes I did read your post but manufacturers change pups during production runs. Also some pickups are low impedance, some are high impedance, so m I are designed specifically for use with pre amp and do not work well passively. The only thing I can say is that you will not damage the pups running them passively. 

Fair enough but the Elite has only been out 3 years, can't imagine they've changed the pups yet but they're stock from first year of production.  I know it won't damage them but I want to know if it's going to affect the sound negatively as they're plug ins and I don't fancy cutting the wires to find I've screwed the pooch.  Hence my appeal to anyone with 1st hand experience of this particular issue.

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10 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

No disrespect to @KiOgon but the wiring will have little effect on the sound. His pre-wired systems are very neat and easy to install but to claim anything else is misleading. 

The choice of pots and cap does have an affect on the sound. If you don't know this, try different parts out - I have, so I know these do have an impact on your sound, if only small.

What claim have I made which is misleading?

Ki0gon makes well made looms from quality parts and are easy to install (which is why I made this suggestion), and my pickup choice is my opinion having tried many P bass pickups over the years.

Edited by hooky_lowdown
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2 hours ago, nilebodgers said:

On line it says the Jazz pickup is the latest noiseless one - is it that that sounds dull, or the P-pickup, or both?

The P has little balls and the J has little growl, or at least compared to what I've had in the past and currently have on separate basses.  I've only really felt this with active basses so I'm wondering if it's something about the pups or the preamp.

 

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5 hours ago, hooky_lowdown said:

The choice of pots and cap does have an affect on the sound. If you don't know this, try different parts out - I have, so I know these do have an impact on your sound, if only small.

What claim have I made which is misleading?

Ki0gon makes well made looms from quality parts and are easy to install (which is why I made this suggestion), and my pickup choice is my opinion having tried many P bass pickups over the years.

I have said that his work is first class from what I have seen. I would be proud to have one of his control plates on I any passive bass of mine. 

Yes pots and caps do affect the tone, BUT it is the value not the brand that matters. CTS pots sound no different to Bourns, Alpha, Piher or any  unbranded pot, as long as they are the same value and same law or taper. 

Similarly , a cap is a cap. Orange drop or oil filled paper are not magic in fact some of the older caps fitted to guitars and basses drift with time. It is the value that matters. 

Quality pots will last longer and, alongside the quality of KiOrgan’x workmanship, that is what you are paying for. 
 

Once again my posts do not criticise KiOrgan in any way but all the magic he imparts is down to his skill, there is no magic other than reliability in the components. 
 

 

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50 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

I have said that his work is first class from what I have seen. I would be proud to have one of his control plates on I any passive bass of mine. 

Yes pots and caps do affect the tone, BUT it is the value not the brand that matters. CTS pots sound no different to Bourns, Alpha, Piher or any  unbranded pot, as long as they are the same value and same law or taper. 

Similarly , a cap is a cap. Orange drop or oil filled paper are not magic in fact some of the older caps fitted to guitars and basses drift with time. It is the value that matters. 

Quality pots will last longer and, alongside the quality of KiOrgan’x workmanship, that is what you are paying for. 
 

Once again my posts do not criticise KiOrgan in any way but all the magic he imparts is down to his skill, there is no magic other than reliability in the components. 
 

 

What claim have I made which is misleading? You didn't answer this?

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3 hours ago, hooky_lowdown said:

What claim have I made which is misleading? You didn't answer this?

That different parts have an affect on the sound. There will be some tolerance (most pots and caps are +/- 20%). I thought you were implying that the rand of pot or cap influenced the sound. If you did not, I apologise.

 

 

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24 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

That different parts have an affect on the sound. There will be some tolerance (most pots and caps are +/- 20%). I thought you were implying that the rand of pot or cap influenced the sound. If you did not, I apologise.

 

 

I didn't mention anything about pots or caps in my original post. So still have no idea where you are coming from. 🤔

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48 minutes ago, hooky_lowdown said:

I didn't mention anything about pots or caps in my original post. So still have no idea where you are coming from. 🤔

You added the reference to the KiOgan loom adding it completed the perfect P bass. I assumed from your previous mention of the sound of the pickup that you felt the loom added to the sound. Re-reading it I realise that I could have misconstrued your post. 
 

I hope you will accept my apology. I am an Electronics  Engineer and hate it when people attribute magic to this or that component and clearly have a hair trigger when I see this. In this case I was wrong. 

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