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Post by ribbetingfrog on Aug 6, 2016 19:57:15 GMT
Has anyone else changed their pickup in a pb50? i ordered a Seymour Duncan quarter pounder to try but have some size issues. i assumed the Wilkinson pup would be standard size but the Seymour Duncan one is larger. it will need the body routing and the strings will not line up correctly with the pole pieces.
Has anyone else swapped the pickup, if so what did you do and how did it turn out?
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Post by kodiakblair on Aug 6, 2016 21:25:43 GMT
Subdude had the vintage SD in his PB-50. I sent him a spare Wilkinson and after soldering it in he found there was no real difference between the 2 tonewise. Though the Wilkinson has a higher output.
I know quite a few who dropped the SD idea after hearing that A/B. Basically you're swapping one vintage style single coil for another, not a whole lot of difference can be expected.
There is a fabled Peavey Super Ferrite in one of my PB-50s but that's because I'd fancied a Cabronita look but botched the job,snapped the wires at 10cm. The Ferrite was a handy saving grace. There was a fella put a Haussel in his but sadly his neck developed trouble before he could give a full report.
Looking at the 1/4 lb might be easier to trim the bobbin to make it fit and place spacers between the bridge saddles if the spacing is too narrow.Filing saddles if the string spacing is too wide. Alternatively swap the bridge,the Wilkinson bridge with the brass saddles is wider than the PB-50's,string spacing is 5mm wider overall.
When you get it fitted expect to spend time playing with your EQ,the SD is strong on highs & mids. An extra EQ pedal could benefit,also trying different strings may be an idea.
May sound like plenty work but it'll be worth it. I've a ton of basses in all shapes and forms and I stand by the PB-50,the stock one with nylon tapes and the other with La Bella flats and the Peavey pickup.
Give us an update how you get on or if you hit any snags.
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Post by JAC on Aug 7, 2016 16:42:30 GMT
Don't worry about the strings not lining up with the poles, that is the case on a lot of basses.
Having to route for the new p'up is more of a pain though.
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15 posts
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Post by ribbetingfrog on Aug 7, 2016 22:29:17 GMT
Thanks for the info, I'll ruminate on the matter and will update.
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Post by subdude on Aug 13, 2016 7:21:43 GMT
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Post by kodiakblair on Aug 21, 2016 12:32:47 GMT
subdudeHey brother. We know this seems to be the accepted course of action with cheap guitars but there's some very different rationales going on. Somebody who aspires to a £1000 Fender P but can only afford the £400 Squier has low expectations so the common thread "I bought a Squier and swapped the pickups,tuners,bridge,nut,neck,pickguard and tuners. Now it's a great bass" get posted. Nobody bats an eyelid and the moneymen at Squier know this happens so use cheaper parts. They're going to get replaced anyway so makes sense. Basses like the HB's and Rondo's SX are different,they're aimed at the first time buyer. Any posts like above would kill the brand dead in the water.Generally why we see SX posts going " I bought an SX,changed the strings.It sounds great" Better the lower profit margin/high sales than written off as junk.
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15 posts
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Post by ribbetingfrog on Sept 11, 2016 8:47:21 GMT
I decided to try the swap. I did record both in Garageband but unfortunately they sound exactly the same on that!
those Soundcloud clips are slightly different and are kinda what i found. soundwise: The Wilkinson has more character, a bit more mid, slightly more of the p bass split coil thing going on. The Seymour Duncan definitely has less character but it makes up for it in punch. the bass hits you more.
On balance, i don't think either is better, and the difference is not huge.
A couple of other points: I fitted a Wilkinson bridge which fits the original screw holes exactly. This makes the strings sit a little wider than the original and they line up with the Seymour Duncan pole pieces nicely. they also now line up better with the neck. i hadn't noticed before but with the original bridge the outer strings were slightly further in from the neck edge. the Wilkinson bridge makes them fit perfectly.
I had to cut the base plate of the Seymour Duncan pickup to fit the hole in the body of the pb50. easy to do with some wire cutters and a file but definitely means i can't sell the Seymour Duncan if i take it out.
The Seymour Duncan also looks chunkier aesthetically, the Wilkinson always looked kinda weedy.
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Post by kodiakblair on Sept 11, 2016 23:39:55 GMT
@ribbetinfrog Good on you for trying the swap. A string change could be the answer to the SD lack of character.Brother subdude reckons GHS boomers ? are great on the PB-50. Hey the SD's in,works and you prefer the look. That's a win in my book Stick with the SD. Another positive is every time you read folks raving about the huge changes adding a brand name pickup makes, you know different Some brands just win the marketing wars,like Levi over Wrangler. You've also done your bridge swap and it worked out grand. Another win. Round of applause. DefJefCertainly no Guru but you're correct using the auld fella with a stick
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