How to Upgrade the Pickups on your Fender Bass Guitar | ELIXIR Strings 

So many personalities on RU-vid trying to explain how to properly modify fender basses... this is the first time I feel truly comfortable with an expert showing me the proper way to do maintenance. There is no substitute for experience and common sense. love this guy!

I could listen to this fellow talk for hours. But a very informative video

This is the only video you need to learn how to properly replace your pickup. Thanks, John.

This is the single most instructive video I've seen on the topic of replacing pickups.

Thanks John for a clear explanation. I purchased the Teach Yourself Guitar Repair & Maintenance book a few years ago and it has been a lifesaver. I feel comfortable doing my own set ups now and it saves me some cash.

Thank you! Why are you the only person that knows that the reason my J Bass is noisy with unbalanced volume knobs is because of the single coils... and that it's normal. I've been watching these videos all week with no answers to the only question that I had. "Is it normal?"

You look like the sweetest nices guy ever

Mr Carruthers, I have read articles by you for years and it was a real treat to see a true master at work. You make the soldering look so effortless. I've always had difficulties with the soldering of wires to the back of the pots. What iron do you use or more generally what temperature should the iron be operating at?

John, thank you very much for this excellent video..and sharing your many years of experience....Bravo!!!!

The hum is the whole business of having a jazz bass in a first place!!!!!!

Thanks. The video was extremely helpful especially because as a coincidence I have that same bass and ordered those exact pickups. I appreciated knowing in advance that there were two ground wires and the pickup height.

Very helpful , many thanks. what a great guy

This is very helpful. Thank you.

Well done! A suggestion for tutorial videos for items "under the hood" is to give a mention to pots and caps. Specifically, clarify for the volume and tone pots, 250k or 500k and audio taper or linear taper. Typically, for something like a PJ setup we use CTS 250k audio pots with a .047 cap. Enjoyed the video very much. Thank you!

That beard and mustache are plain beautiful, I want one like that in my old days

thank you for your service

I think if this video was to be made again, having the bass set on a workbench, and getting a couple of fixed cameras, that can really get in close so we can see clearly. Also, to clarify any bass terms. When you say pots for example, i don't even know what that is.

Terrific video. Thanks!

Perfect Video, thank you Sir!

I liked the video, presentation and info but... but... ya didn t play the thing for us to hear the new pickups dag burn' it. 🎸🎶👍🏽

This guy is awesome!

Solved an issue for me regarding the difference in length of the pickups.......Had mine mixed up.....

Nicely done, thank you!

Thanks friend! A very helpful video.

Is it possible to change it from a coil magnet pickup to an electric pickup ? 🤔

Great instruction here!

pls do try diff types of leads,,, pots,,, huge diff in sound

I wonder why people never twist signal cables for PUs. That would reduce the noise. And strange enough humbuckers that are hum canceling normally also use screened wire, but single coils does not.

This will give me away as a rookie, but do the grounds need to be soldered on the same pot and is it relevant which one?

Can you do a video on EMGX Installation. Theres one. But its so fast that I think I must have missed something. Because I did ever thing it said and they are'nt working.

You saved me a lot of money

JOHN RULES!

Do one for ibanez gsr 100 pick ups upgrade. What type of goods pick ups can I use. I have a passive bass

Genuine question. Why there are two black cables coming out of the new pickups? if they both end up going to the ground, why not have just a single cable ?

Fender makes a noiseless pickup too

Do you have sound tests of this change???

Instead of soldiering, can you strip the wires can you use wire nuts instead ?

Thanks!

If I had this bass broken down,...I would definitely ditch that stock import control plate with something more premium.

Is the jazz bass active?

Very Helpful, Thx Sir now I didn't go to luthier again :)

Thank you 🙏

Can you send a link where I can buy the pick ups you were talking about? When you said the brand name on the video it was hard to find out which ones they were need the correct spelling

sir how about if you tapped the screwdriver to the pick up to magnet..it will damage the pic up?

Cool video, lot of information and well explained. Do you know if MExican Fender JB can use the same Aguilar pickups? I mean in size, I dont know if the holes size are the same between the USA and Mexican version. Thanks!! Cheers!

hi i would like to know if it’s possible to simulate a humbucker of a bass guitar with the preamp or no and with a bass guitar PJ = pickups like P or J second, for the guitars you have with a humbucker i would like to know if a coil split does exist and if it can sound like a precision or jazz pickup (as single coils pickups) and or if a humbucker can sound like a P or J with the preamp

I want to become a lutheir one day.

Good 👍👍👍

What brand is the bridge pick up?

What pickups do you suggest for pbass

John, I purchased a Babicz replacement bridge for my fender 5 string bass put noticed its is 2-2.5mm wider from the B string saddle to the G string saddle than my original bridge. Would this push my B & G strings to close the the edge of my fret board? Also the bridge has 6 screws instead of 5 like the original and I may have to install the bridge closer to the base. What are the implications of lengthening my strings from nut to bridge?

Do u make custom necks for fender basses

Can i have the old pickups?

"We can actually pull the pickups out of the guitar".... If a large Italian man shows up at your doorstep don't anwser.

2:59 guitar?

I want to find the book he wrote.

Why are they not right from the factory for the high price ?????

Hi John. I have question. You were showing the pickup removal and said you had removed all the wires but I noticed another wire that is screwed to the bottom of the cavity with a screw but you never addressed that one. I am curious is that actually needed? What is it's purpose since it is not attached to the pickups but that wire does go back to the pots and is soldered to one of them? I have that same wire on a Squier Bass I am working on and am wondering if it is really needed . ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WUYTc6niEFo.html

But what about the tone difference? True single coils have a brighter, more articulate tone. Humbuckers = less treble, more mids.

Needs a better tone capacitor

hardly medium difficulty... I did my first pickup switch on my Fender Jazz bass in the 80's before internet tutorials and even for me as a kid it was dead simple

"Ag-wa-lar"

this man is great but he cant say solder for shit

Squier not a fender!

That's not a Fender. That's a frigging Squier VM Jazz. LOL