P/J into soapbars? Fat boys???

[wookie]

Okay everyone. I have an Elan with PJ pickups. Can I change them to soapbars or fatboys without putting something goofy around the pickups?

[tbrannon]

Well, you're gonna have to take the router to the top in order to enlarge the openings for the pickups if you have a PJ setup currently and want to switch over to the traditional Alembic shell.  That can be accomplished by someone who knows how to handle the router, but you're likely to end up needing to sand back the poly finish and then respray once you've enlarged the pickup openings.

[wookie]

Yea that's right, router for sure, doesn't bother me. I just wanted to know dimensions of either soapbars or (I'd prefer) the fatboys is larger than the pickups I have now.
 
Can anyone comment on the sound? I had soapbars in my spoiler, they were decent but I want more variable tone. I'm hoping the fatboys sound something like a musicman type pickup..,,anyone?

[wookie]

Yea that's right, router for sure, doesn't bother me. I just wanted to know dimensions of either soapbars or (I'd prefer) the fatboys is larger than the pickups I have now.
 
Can anyone comment on the sound? I had soapbars in my spoiler, they were decent but I want more variable tone. I'm hoping the fatboys sound something like a musicman type pickup..,,anyone?

[edwardofhuncote]

Not sure what the footprint is on the P/J set is wookie, but here's a thread from the FAQ section that lists the sizes on other pickups.
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/16271/26319.html?1142479303

[mica]

No, the P set is wider than the AXY. You can make matching rings to cover up the P gap on the top and bottom and then one around the J just to look pretty.

[wookie]

Do you have a picture of these rings you speak of???
Can I stick a couple of fatboys in this beast???
 
And follow up; is there neck and bridge versions of them?

[mica]

I will poke around for a picture with the rings around AXY pickups in a P retrofit. I know I have taken pictures of such a thing before.  
 
FatBoy and AXY are the same size, so there's no reason you can't do it.  
 
Neck and bridge are electrically the same, except we usually have a shorter wire on the bridge version so there isn't extra cable in the cavity.

[bigredbass]

MWT, IF he went to the 5/6 size shell FatBoys, would that cover the P/J routs?
 
Joey

[mikedm]

Wookie - For what it's worth, here's a recent thread where some members discuss their experience with FatBoys. Pretty sure there is an older thread out there, too.
 
Mike

[tncaveman]

Sell your Elan and get a bass that already has the fatboys.   Knowing what we the pickups would cost plus the routing of an Alembic bass would seem too much.  Or try a different amp.
 
Stephen

[wookie]

Thanks to everyone! My bass is a 5 string that I'm speaking of. I don't know if that means anything : /
 
Fingers crossed for a picture of these rings
I just wish I could route it out and have it look like nothing ever happened.

[wookie]

@ Stephen
This bass is sentimental to me. It took 5 years to find it, I save my allowance 20 years ago for this bass! This was my 2nd bass and my first expensive one, I played all of my shows when I was an aspiring rockstar (ha ha) with it, my singer broke the headstock off (I repaired it) I recorded my first CD with it and I had Jason Newsted sign it.  
It's pretty important to me.
I think pickups are about $200 per. That's not too bad. I already have another 'bic with p/j so I'm hoping to make this Elan sound different than the other Alembics I have.

[tncaveman]

That's more reasonable than I thought.  And you could sell the P- & J-style pickups.    Is it a painted bass or natural?    
 
Stephen

[mica]

I haven't found a ring-y picture yet specifically for the PJ to AXY deal, but there is this one of a Guild with rings:
 

 
I will keep looking for that photo.