Help With Fender Pickup

[Derrick]

Hello, I just posted his in the bass section too:

I just purchased a beautiful vintage Fender Bass. I need a pickup for it and to know about the original one that would have come with it. It's a '78 Musicmaster bass but it has a vintage strat staggered pole pickup installed. This cannot be original right? I keep seeing things on the net that conflict with what I would believe so I figured I'd come to the place that would know. What is the original type of pickup a '78 Musicmaster should have and does anyone know where I could find one (except the 'Bay ).

[Kap'n]

The original pickup for that instrument was the same pickup as the Mustang/DuoSonic II/MusicMaster/Bronco. A six flat-pole pickup with a black, no-hole cover. People sometimes harvest them to repair the guitars, as they're more sought-after than the basses.

You're going to get a better sound, IMHO, with a rail-type pickup. One of the favored ones is a Duncan Cool-Rails. Chuck-O and I have both used Lawerence L250-types with some success.

[Derrick]

Wow, I would have never guessed that they used 6 pole guitar pickups in there! Well, what's in there now is a older staggered pole "strat" pickup. Yeay... looks like I wone. I would still like to find an original. Do you know where I might get one other then eBay?
Thanks.

[Kap'n]

Do you know where I might get one other then eBay?

Well, they haven't made them in 25 years. If you want an original, you need to go to Ebay or a Vintage Dealer. Some established guitar stores might have one in their junk box, as a lot of people replaced them in their Mustangs, etc. with hotter pickups back in the 80's, but I'm sure most are hip to the value.

[Derrick]

Alright thanks!