Fender VI Pickups

supersockmonkey · Post by **supersockmonkey** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:37 am

I have a 90s MIJ fender VI reissue and was wondering if anybody has experimented changing out the pickups and what the results where. I know they changed since the originals and reissues are described as "Middie sounding". I have never played a 60s one so I cant compare from a personal stand point. Mine seems like it needs a little something. Any recommendations on pickups or mods are greatly appreciated. Anyways, thanks in advance.

Cheers!!

supersockmonkey · Post by **supersockmonkey** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:37 am

I figured this would be a hard one.

kayagum · Post by **kayagum** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 9:01 am

If the Fender VI is the 6 string bass, consider wiring the pickups in serial (vs parallel).

Danelectros are often wired this way, and I think the serial wiring makes a big difference. All my Jerry Jones guitars (2 baritones and 1 bass) have this configuration, and I couldn't be happier.

Rodgre · Post by **Rodgre** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 9:01 am

I have one as well.

Me with mine as it was new, in 1996.

I potted the stock MIJ Fender Jaguar pickups it came with in wax to take care of how microphonic they were. That was a major help, but I have always toyed with swapping the MIJ ones for Seymour Duncan either Vintage or Hot Jaguar pickups. I have the Hots in my restored '63 Jag and they sure are hot. Very tough sounding. Maybe too tough?

That instrument isn't really meant to sound solid and round like a real 4-string long-scale bass, so you shouldn't expect it to sound that way. I find that it wants to live in the sort of ringy, piano-like area, and the Jag pickups are good for that. You might be able to put strat pickups in it, if they weren't triangular in the base (some are, sort of like Tele bridge pickups, but others are cylindrical, like the Jag pickups).

There is a man on the web who put Lace Sensors in his. It looks kind of neat and might have a unique tone. I wouldn't know.

Roger

Rodgre · Post by **Rodgre** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 9:05 am

kayagum wrote:If the Fender VI is the 6 string bass, consider wiring the pickups in serial (vs parallel).

That's a brilliant idea. I think I might mod mine to use that useless choke switch to put the middle pickup in series with the others. Let me think for a minute how to wire that up....

Roger

A-Barr · Post by **A-Barr** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:08 am

Rodgre wrote:
kayagum wrote:If the Fender VI is the 6 string bass, consider wiring the pickups in serial (vs parallel).
That's a brilliant idea. I think I might mod mine to use that useless choke switch to put the middle pickup in series with the others. Let me think for a minute how to wire that up....

Roger

Have fun with that, it is a real brain teaser to work out series/parallel switching on a 3-pickup guitar, I would tell you how I did it but it's out of my head at this point, except that I used 2 dpdt's one to put the neck p/u in series with the middle and one to put the bridge in series.

...mental gears slowly start turning, in need of oil. (coffee)

dain ryan · Post by **dain ryan** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:13 am

i've got a VI made out of 67 parts but the pickups are from a 64 jag and one pickup from a 65. i was really worried that it wouldn't have the low range that the bass is capable of (although i suspect that CBS used standard jag pickups by that time anyway) after getting it put together i was really surprised with the tone and fidelity of those old staggered polepiece jag PUs. i suspect that the american reissue or vintage seymores would be a huge step up from the japanese ones, but don't discount the original 60s ones either.

also be sure to check with curtis novak:

http://www.curtisnovak.com/pickups/jazzmaster.shtml
he's been making overwound jag pickups for a bunch of people's custom bass VIs that are supposed to be amazing. you can tell him the sound you're after and he'll dial it in for minimal cost.

BTW i got hired to do a bunch of wolfmother/zepplin ripoffs for a client and the bass VI has been perfect for overdriven shortscale bass tones!

supersockmonkey · Post by **supersockmonkey** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:15 am

Cool, thanks guys. Not allot of info out there on these guitars. I think ill look into the Lace Sensors or Seymours. I?m technically handicapped so I don?t think I would be able to rewire the pickups on my own

. It just needs a more rounded out sound as it has the microphonic sound you?re describing. Please forgive my ignorance, but how do you do the wax thing?

dain ryan · Post by **dain ryan** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:34 pm

also, be aware that string choice is REALLY important to bass VIs. labella makes the best ones i've found, and they're custom made for bass VIs. they're expensive but highly worth it. you can find them here:
http://juststrings.com/labellaelectricb ... assvi.html

if you're after the Cure bass VI sound get the rounds, but for EVERYTHING else get the flats. they are what the instrument was designed for. flats tend to tame many of the higher frequences and may give you the girth that you are lacking.

captain howdy · Post by **captain howdy** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 1:00 pm

Hi guys, does anyone else use the chokeswitch, because I think I actually like it. (Switching from a massive sound to a MASSIVE sound, with the right amount of reverb!) I have the 2PU version.
I haven't had it for too long, so I'll have to play it some more to find out how I want it to sound, but I love it already...

What is the advantage of serial wiring the PUs?

(btw. my first post, it's nice to meet you!)

kayagum · Post by **kayagum** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 1:14 pm

I'll let the wiring experts explain the guts....

... but from a tone perspective, think of serial as "additive" and parallel as a "blend". Or serial as the "sum" of the pickups, and parallel as the "average" of the pickups.

ashcat_lt · Post by **ashcat_lt** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 1:48 pm

Series wiring will give you a sound closer to that of a humbucker - a bit more output overall with more lows and mids and a bit of treble roll off. That's what a typical humbucker is, after all, 2 single coils wired in series.

For any schematics, theory, and answers to questions (from noob to advanced) I would refer you to the GuitarNutz Electronics and Wiring forum. Those guys are really great - some quite knowledgeable and all very friendly. Check the Schematics sub-board. It's got a mind-boggling array of wiring schemes for 3 pu guitars.

kayagum · Post by **kayagum** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 1:52 pm

ashcat_lt wrote:Series wiring will give you a sound closer to that of a humbucker - a bit more output overall with more lows and mids and a bit of treble roll off.

The only thing I would add is when you have 2 single coil pickups split apart (but wired serially)- you get plenty of high end from the bridge pickup, and the mellow lows from the neck pickup. Location does matter here.

Wiring- what ashcat said...

supersockmonkey · Post by **supersockmonkey** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:18 pm

Damn, i should have asked about this a long time ago. Thanks again to everyone for your help and thanks dain ryan for the links and info. Ill write back with the results when i get it set up.

Cheers!!

roscoenyc · Post by **roscoenyc** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:12 pm

Lindy Fralin will rewind any pickups and pretty much do it for you till you are satisfied.

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