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Post subject: Re: '51 Precision Bass pickups
Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:42 pm
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I once had a CRT monitor in my studio and it made every bass I played sound like frying bacon. Get a modern monitor, and your problems are at an end. They are not very expensive.

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Post subject: Re: '51 Precision Bass pickups
Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:24 pm
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lpdeluxe wrote:
I once had a CRT monitor in my studio and it made every bass I played sound like frying bacon. Get a modern monitor, and your problems are at an end. They are not very expensive.


Well I just had a birthday and thought I might get one but nope. lol


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Post subject: Re: '51 Precision Bass pickups
Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2017 11:34 am
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Hi guys,

I would like to replace pickup in my Fender '51 P-Bass and I'm thinking about Lindy Fralin Split '51 P-Bass pickup. This pickup is available in three option: +5% overwind, -5% underwind and Stock 9400 Turns.

Could you explain me (shortly and in simple way) what is the difference between above three options ?
Is these three parameters have any influence on sound ? If yes, what the influence would be ?


thanks in advance for your help,
Lucas


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Post subject: Re: '51 Precision Bass pickups
Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2017 1:30 pm
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Location: Albemarle, NC
Lukbasse wrote:
Hi guys,

I would like to replace pickup in my Fender '51 P-Bass and I'm thinking about Lindy Fralin Split '51 P-Bass pickup. This pickup is available in three option: +5% overwind, -5% underwind and Stock 9400 Turns.

Could you explain me (shortly and in simple way) what is the difference between above three options ?
Is these three parameters have any influence on sound ? If yes, what the influence would be ?


thanks in advance for your help,
Lucas


Lucas,

The more OVERWOUND a pickup is the stronger the output and the less upper mids or treble it will have. The output increases by about the same percentage as the overwinding. Overwind a pickup enough and you will find the tone control nearly useless. Even using a lower capacitance tone cap will make no difference because the tone is not there in the first place. Overwound pickups make more sense for pick players as they eliminate a lot of pick-click.

Underwinding a pickup delivers more upper mids or treble tone and sometimes a player unaccustomed to the extra highs from an underwound pickup will opt for a higher capacitance tone cap to tame it some. Underwinding will reduce the output of the pickup a tad, usually by about the same amount as the percentage of underwinding.

The more I have used my Fender 51 RI with the Fralin split-coil standard wound pickup, the more I have grown to dislike it. Might as well be playing a second gen P-Bass as a split coil in a first gen P-Bass. I would not do that custom split coil mod again myself. I would not even consider trying an underwound one. The Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder SCPB3 and SCPB2 are aces.

The reason I have had so many first gen P-Basses is the TONE of the single coil pickup. I can see overwinding one to 68 Tele specs under certain circumstances, which is why I like the SCPB2.

Properly done copper foil shielding to ground of the control cavity and pickup cavity along with installing a pickup cover and grounding it also will do ALMOST as much to mitigate RFI and hum as using a custom made split coil.

I think the best tone is a single coil P-Bass tone. The Telecaster in 68 was strong yet still remarkably full range tonally. Get one like that and shield it well, install and ground the pickup cover. Done. It honestly to me was the best sounding and most versatile bass tone Fender EVER made.

Fralin sells a lot of split coil pickups because people are too lazy or too ignorant to do the shielding and add the pickup cover. Pickup cover is also a safety device for this pickup as it is easily destroyed. I know I will not buy a custom split coil again.

The whole overwinding thing was started by Fender as a way to sell newer models to people who had perfectly good basses already. "Hey this 82 P-bass is way louder than my 63 P-Bass. I obviously need the new one," is sort of what they hoped for when they started overwinding more and more progressively each model year. Back then 100 watt amps were considered powerful, plus nobody but nobody was using a full range computer designed high fidelity cab! Now we have 1000 watt amps even 5,000 watt ones, with cabs capable of incredibly full range tone, therefore overwinding is no longer at all relevant nor desirable to me. I would be more apt to go underwound than overwound just as an experiment.

That is 49 years of my experience with these pickups right there. It was not a brief answer but it is thorough and as concise as I could make it.


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Post subject: Re: '51 Precision Bass pickups
Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 3:31 am
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Many thanks for quick reply. Your feedback is very valuable for me.


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Post subject: Re: '51 Precision Bass pickups
Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:28 pm
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Location: France
brotherdave wrote:
Fralin sells a lot of split coil pickups because people are too lazy or too ignorant to do the shielding and add the pickup cover. Pickup cover is also a safety device for this pickup as it is easily destroyed. I know I will not buy a custom split coil again.


Hello,

I'm the very (very very) happy owner of a Japanese 51RI.
I also own a New American Standard Jazz and Precision, but i nearly keep them because they are iconic instruments, and use exclusively the 51 Ri.
For the pleasure to own a legend I'd love to have a US Custom Shop P51 (but I'm very far to be rich enough), but the Japanese P51 is a fantastic instrument, i love everything, especially the neck. The NAS Precision with it's split pickup sounds more "Precision", but the sound of the single is really in a league apart for those who like vintage sounds (I play jazz/blues and I've had regular positive comments about my sound).

I have a bridge cover (I had the original bridge replaced by a Badass III) and I tried the pickup cover.
It is very large, too large for me and limits too much the available zone to my right hand (likely more a psychological thing than a real physical thing because my right hand doesn't move so much back and forth but I prefer the sensation of freedom without pickup cover).

These fragile 51 pickups are a fantastic reason to learn to use the right hand without the thumb on the pickup. It took me a month or too , but now, even when I use my more usual Jazz or Precision I don't use the pickup as a thumb holder anymore, this allows a much more free and precise approach with the right hand.

For European guys, a French pickups maker make by hand incredible products (it's some kind of French version of Fralin) with everything customizable : http://hepcatpickups.com/produit/precision-bass-51/

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2007 Precision 51 RI CIJ (prefered)
2009 New American Standard Precision Bass / OW
2010 New American Standard Jazz Bass / Sunburst
1996 USA Vintage Reissue 57 Stratocaster


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Post subject: Re: '51 Precision Bass pickups
Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 5:02 am
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lstelie wrote:
Hello,

I'm the very (very very) happy owner of a Japanese 51RI.
...I tried the pickup cover.
It is very large, too large for me and limits too much the available zone to my right hand (likely more a psychological thing than a real physical thing because my right hand doesn't move so much back and forth but I prefer the sensation of freedom without pickup cover).

These fragile 51 pickups are a fantastic reason to learn to use the right hand without the thumb on the pickup. It took me a month or too , but now, even when I use my more usual Jazz or Precision I don't use the pickup as a thumb holder anymore, this allows a much more free and precise approach with the right hand.

For European guys, a French pickups maker make by hand incredible products (it's some kind of French version of Fralin) with everything customizable : http://hepcatpickups.com/produit/precision-bass-51/


I should have left the original bridge on there. Not a fan of Leo Quan products as they do not support their products after the sale. Yes the 51 RI is the bomb. I can not afford the Custom Shop version either.

I'm using covers for the reasons I already outlined. It is also possible to destroy one with the cover on if you catch the string under the top flatwork. There is a reason Leo Fender put them on there. Once you get used to them they are no problem. You obviously like playing over the pickup as some good tones live there. I would not let anyone touch it. Do not even think of loaning it out. Some slap player will destroy the pickup.


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Post subject: Re: '51 Precision Bass pickups
Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:00 am
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Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:46 pm
Posts: 51
Location: France
brotherdave wrote:
lstelie wrote:
Do not even think of loaning it out. Some slap player will destroy the pickup.


oh I would no loan it , I've quite affective, sensual relationship this this instrument :-)

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2007 Precision 51 RI CIJ (prefered)
2009 New American Standard Precision Bass / OW
2010 New American Standard Jazz Bass / Sunburst
1996 USA Vintage Reissue 57 Stratocaster


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