'51 P-BASS PICKUP

​DONNY C - Specs:

* Flatpole as pictured above or with A and D rods raised slightly above the surface.  PRICE:  $130 Regular Wind, $180 Pure Handwound

* 7.3k/A5

* .205" A5 rods
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* Twine color of your choice

DONNY D - Specs:

* Same as Donny C but with larger 1/4" diameter rods, as pictured above.  PRICE:  $135 Regular Wind, $195 Pure Handwound

 DONNY F - Specs:

* You tell me, Mister '51 P-Bass Aficionado.  Alnico 2?  9k wind or more?  Got a 5-string or 6-string version of the '51?  Maybe a calibrated set if you have a '51 reissue but with 2 pickups as pictured above?    I'm also pondering the possibility of a hum-cancelling model.  E-mail me at [email protected] or call (818) 762-2623.

BASS PICKUP(S) PLURAL?

Yes, the title of this page says Bass Pickups with an "s" at the end of "Pickup" but for now, there's just one I have to offer -- the '51 P-Bass pickup.  (Some sharp looking photos, huh?  A dead giveaway that I was not the photographer...)

I got a request a few months back from a guy in the UK for one of these.  I told him, hey, I just don't make bass pickups and if memory serves, I sent him a link or two to some reputable bass pickup winders.  I do play a LOT of bass (and have for decades), at church and elsewhere so it's not as if I'm a complete novice about the bass guitar. I just haven't spent nearly as much time under the hood of basses as guitars so I was (and still am) humble about my abilities to produce a high-quality bass pickup.  (In keeping with the UK theme in here, to quote Churchill:  "He has much to be humble about...")

He heard all that but said pish-tosh and insisted I give it a shot, and he was even willing to be the guinea pig regardless of the results.  I looked at the pickup, it's a very simple and (obviously) Fendery design, and thought, well, how hard can one of these really be?  Finally I said what-the-hey and threw my hat in the ring.  

My British friend really dug the results and suggested I put it up on the site, so here it is.  And so, because he gave me a few well-needed kicks in the arse to give this design a try, in his honor, I am calling the first model the Donny C.

Now I know I said there's just one pickup so far, but as with all of my other designs, there is a wide range of potential variations on this simple design, which will then be called the Donny D, Donny E, Donny F, etc. And also as with all my other pickups, feel free to suggest some mix-n-match of the specs for each -- or even something with specs you don't see.  It might be worth a shot, especially if you're willing to be the next guinea pig...

And, of course, should this venture fail, I'll just blame Donny.  It was his idea anyway.