Anyone have any love for Duncan Antiquity ll split coil P pickups?

[Pbassmanca]

Well, as always I'm constantly thinking about the various qualities of bass pickups, particularly split coil P pickups at this moment. Seymour Duncan models the Antiquity II after a 68' Precision bass pickup which is something I might be interested in....(Bob Babbitt tribute build? ) Anyways, just thought I'd see if anyone was using a set of these Pup's and how they liked them. Peace ya'll!

 

[Zoobiedood]

Well, I am sort of biased, but I really like the 60's sound better than the 50's. These are actually more of an early 60's sound rather than late 60's, though.

 

[Pbassmanca]

Well, I am sort of biased, but I really like the 60's sound better than the 50's. These are actually more of an early 60's sound rather than late 60's, though.

So I'm after the Bob Babbitt sound. He apparently was using mainly a 68' Precision. Could SD do a custom wind for me closely replicating a 68' P?

 

[Pbassmanca]

I've played a couple stock 69' Precisions and they have a complex sound with good mids and no shortage of treble, (although nothing too crazy on the treble side). I sometimes wonder, was there many changes to split coil P pickups between 1957 - 1969? Any and all wisdom needed!

 

[Frenchy-Lefty]

Indeed, from the late sixties to the late 70's Fender Precision and Jazz pickups featured less winding hence a lower output and a brighter (punchier?) sound.

 

[Zoobiedood]

So I'm after the Bob Babbitt sound. He apparently was using mainly a 68' Precision. Could SD do a custom wind for me closely replicating a 68' P?

Absolutely. It would go their Custom Shop, but they are real magicians there. Send them an email and explain exactly what you want, leave them a way to get a hold of you for further questions, and they will give a quote.

 

[Pbassmanca]

Absolutely. It would go their Custom Shop, but they are real magicians there. Send them an email and explain exactly what you want, leave them a way to get a hold of you for further questions, and they will give a quote.

Ok that's awesome! I wonder how they would go about reproducing an approximation of a 68' Precision pickup?

 

[Slater]

I wonder how they would go about reproducing an approximation of a 68' Precision pickup?

They will probably recommend the Antiquity II.

 

[two fingers]

Doesn't one of the ladies who WOUND those pickups for Fender work for Seymour?

 

[Linnin]

Doesn't one of the ladies who WOUND those pickups for Fender work for Seymour?

No. Abby Ybarra has been retired from Fender for 10 years or so. At the end she was winding for Fender Custom Shop only and signed & dated all her work. I think she started in 1957 or thereabouts.

 

[Pbassmanca]

No. Abby Ybarra has been retired from Fender for 10 years or so. At the end she was winding for Fender Custom Shop only and signed & dated all her work. I think she started in 1957 or thereabouts.

I heard a rumor that she still does custom orders but I'm not sure if that's actually true or if that's just wishful thinking...

 

[Linnin]

These are actually more of an early 60's sound rather than late 60's, though.

Striving for that pre-CBS '60 - '64 sound. Fender also makes a very popular set called 'The Original' used on the 1962 set in their AVRI '62 Precision. Fender also has a Custom Shop '62 set used in their 2012-16 American Standards, and also a special set used in todays '63 AVRI.
Electric Bass Pickups | Fender Parts

 

[Linnin]

 

[Linnin]

So I'm after the Bob Babbitt sound. He apparently was using mainly a 68' Precision.

Can you afford a vintage 1968 Fender Precision? Or a Fender Custom Shop reissue? Are any of Bob Babbitt's Precisions for sale?

 

[Pbassmanca]

Can you afford a vintage 1968 Fender Precision? Or a Fender Custom Shop reissue? Are any of Bob Babbitt's Precisions for sale?

Unfortunately I can't afford a 68' at this time and while it would be great to own Bob's main studio bass, I'm thinking that the way to go here, is to get as close as possible on the body, neck and fingerboard, (we're pretty much talking tort with flats here...), but to really nail things in the pickup department in order to achieve a nice approximation of the tone of a 68' alder/rosewood P bass. Of all the Motown bass tones, I think that Bob Babbitt's is my favorite.

 

[Pbassmanca]

Have any of you guys heard of Leddin Vintage Guitar pickups out of Australia? They have a set for P bass which they make according to their understanding of late sixties specs. Here's a link, but be fore warned it took a while for it to load into my browser for some reason, but they seem very interesting.

http://www.leddinvintageguitars.com...-set-no-grounding-plate-real-vintage-60s-tone

 

[Linnin]

I'm thinking that the way to go here, is to get as close as possible on the body, neck and fingerboard,

so a 7 1/4" neck radius then

 

[Pbassmanca]

so a 7 1/4" neck radius then

I don't know, was that the approximate neck radius of a 1968 Precision? Do they count that at the heel or is that at the nut? I'm not overly concerned with the shape of the neck, what I meant was that it would have a rosewood fretboard.

 

[Linnin]

I don't know, was that the approximate neck radius of a 1968 Precision?

That is the exact radius of the curve of the playing surface of the neck & fretboard. All Fenders were 7 1/4" radius until F.M.I.C. changed it to 9 1/2". The smaller the number the more curve. You need to know if a vintage radius is comfortable to you. Also nut width. Most Precisions were 1 3/4", but you could order 1 5/8" or even 1 1/2".

 

[Linnin]