NoldBD

JezWynd

After selling my Jazz Bass on arrival of the Hofner, I realised I liked playing long scale occasionally and as I hadn't had a P bass for a very long time decided to look for one. The older Japanese Squier Precision's are now v expensive but I found a good looking Japanese Fender Bullet Bass from 84. A bit skanky on arrival but after dismantling, giving it a good clean and soaking the rusted bridge in WD40, it came back to life. Now strung up with half wounds -



Pickup (from the Mustang?) is quite low output but sounds nice and my SoldGoldFx optical comp absolutely shines through it for some reason. The necks on these are really easy to play.

ICBM

Those are pretty rare now, and actually very nice as you've found. I'm not sure if the pickup is identical to the Mustang Bass one or not, but it's certainly similar.

There was the 'Strat' guitar version from this series in the shop recently, with similar plain-top pickups, it was one of the best-sounding 'Strats' I've ever played.

JezWynd

ICBM said:

Those are pretty rare now, and actually very nice as you've found. I'm not sure if the pickup is identical to the Mustang Bass one or not, but it's certainly similar.

There was the 'Strat' guitar version from this series in the shop recently, with similar plain-top pickups, it was one of the best-sounding 'Strats' I've ever played.

I'm very impressed by it. Though it looks like a P bass, it actually has a lighter, more delicate sound. (It's years since I played a P bass, I originally had one of the very first Japanese Squiers I bought new in the early 80's).

I've strung it with half wounds, the first time I've used them and they're ideal for a finger picker as they add a bit of zing to the sound. Together with the FT-2 that I scored recently from @yorkio , I can now mimic a pick player quite convincingly (well, sort of).

If anything, it reminds me of a Tele, maybe the headstock was a nod in that direction; it has a similar sound to a 6 string Tele moved down an octave.

The only fault I can detect is that the E string is nudged over too far. The bridge is lined up correctly and the string anchor point is in the right place, it's just that the saddle wants to drift inwards and as its a notched affair there's little room for correction. I've ordered up some threaded saddles which I'm hoping will cure it. The neck is a little too wide at the top end but that's a grief I have with most basses ('cept the Hofner, that's perfect!).

Here's a pic of the pickup underside, perhaps it helps identify it -

ICBM

Yes, they're very similar, at least in construction. Can't tell anything about the winding without metering and comparing to a Mustang one.

JezWynd

ICBM said:

Yes, they're very similar, at least in construction. Can't tell anything about the winding without metering and comparing to a Mustang one.

How would I measure output on a split pickup, would a multimeter on black and yellow do it? It will have to wait a while, too busy enjoying playing it to disassemble again.

Funkfingers

JezWynd said:
would a multimeter on black and yellow do it?

Affirmative. 

According to the Klaus Blasquiz book, the Bullet Bass pickup is 11,500 turns of 42GA Polysol wire per coil, 4.8K per coil. Expect a reading between the black and yellow conductor connections of approximately 9K Ohms.

A typical Precision Bass is 11K.

Winny_Pooh

I've got one too, although it was defretted ages ago. Fun bass although I do wonder about having a louder pickup in there

JezWynd

Funkfingers said:

JezWynd said:
would a multimeter on black and yellow do it?

Affirmative. 

According to the Klaus Blasquiz book, the Bullet Bass pickup is 11,500 turns of 42GA Polysol wire per coil, 4.8K per coil. Expect a reading between the black and yellow conductor connections of approximately 9K Ohms.

A typical Precision Bass is 11K.

Thanks for info. Wis awarded. 

Winny_Pooh said:

I've got one too, although it was defretted ages ago. Fun bass although I do wonder about having a louder pickup in there

A lot of the ones I’ve seen do seem to have been upgraded with a P bass pickup. As I don’t play in a band I’ve no need for the additional thump and I quite like the lighter tone. Plus, it seems a shame to alter one of the few to have made it unscathed.

ICBM

JezWynd said:

A lot of the ones I’ve seen do seem to have been upgraded with a P bass pickup. As I don’t play in a band I’ve no need for the additional thump and I quite like the lighter tone. Plus, it seems a shame to alter one of the few to have made it unscathed.

Nordstrand do a nice aftermarket Mustang Bass pickup - designed to solve exactly that problem.

https://nordstrandaudio.com/products/nm4-mustang-replacement

JezWynd

ICBM said:

JezWynd said:

A lot of the ones I’ve seen do seem to have been upgraded with a P bass pickup. As I don’t play in a band I’ve no need for the additional thump and I quite like the lighter tone. Plus, it seems a shame to alter one of the few to have made it unscathed.

Nordstrand do a nice aftermarket Mustang Bass pickup - designed to solve exactly that problem.

https://nordstrandaudio.com/products/nm4-mustang-replacement

  I’m not sure they sound like something I’d like. - an added dimension of darkened mids and an aggressive grind.  I’m trying to visualise (auralise?) darkened mids.

Thanks for the link, I’ll bookmark it in case the present one doesn’t work out, though I have to say I really like the way it sounds atm.

Winny_Pooh

Norstrand does nice stuff, although that's half the cost of what I paid for it.

Funkfingers

How generous is the Bullet Bass pickup cavity?

I like the approach on the Squier Mikey Way signature Mustang Bass - an EMG35-sized soapbar pickup. The sound of the instrument could easily be changed by installing any other pickup of the same dimensions.

JezWynd

Funkfingers said:

How generous is the Bullet Bass pickup cavity?

I like the approach on the Squier Mikey Way signature Mustang Bass - an EMG35-sized soapbar pickup. The sound of the instrument could easily be changed by installing any other pickup of the same dimensions.

It's a modest cut out, it would need some carpentry to get anything to fit I imagine -


It's a moot point; I like the sound it currently has and don't feel the need to change it for anything else.

BTW. When the bass arrived, it shipped in an old Hofner bass case, the exact model case for my other recent acquisition, the Hofner 185. It must be fate.

Funkfingers

I concur. No wood removal. 

The wise option would be to commission either a pickup rewind or the building of a one-off custom wound pickup. For example, Ash at Oil City Pickups could probably devise something using Neodymium magnets.

The smartest option of all is probably to do nowt. I would not be surprised if the output from the stock Bullet pickup is in the same ballpark as your belovēd Höfner. Your amp control settings can remain the same.

Bridgehouse

I’d also go to Ash and have a custom sized set done if you wanted to replace - I’d keep the original intact tho and have a new one done..