#AERO MUSICMASTER BASS PICKUP UPGRADE#
#AERO MUSICMASTER BASS PICKUP MODS#

Having said this, there are a lot worse guitars out there, and as well as being historically important, the 1820 bass can certainly provide the goods when required. Over the course of the 70s, the Japanese output improved dramatically, and in many ways these early 70s models are a low point for the brand. These new Epiphones were based on existing Matsumoku guitars, sharing body shapes, and hardware, but the Epiphone line was somewhat upgraded, with inlaid logos and a 2x2 peghead configuration.

The Matsumoku factory had been producing guitars for export for some time, but the 1820 bass (alongside a number of guitar models and the 5120 electric acoustic bass) were the first Epiphone models to be made there. I even think the RI Mustang Pu's were desinged by Seymour Duncan, but I'm not sure.By the end of the 1960s, a decision had been made to move Epiphone guitar production from the USA (at the Kalamazoo plant where Gibson guitars were made), to Matsumoto in Japan, creating a line of guitars and basses significantly less expensive than the USA-built models (actually less than half the price).

#AERO MUSICMASTER BASS PICKUP UPGRADE#

Though, I feel that a $ 125,- upgrade on a PU is quiet hefty, pricewise. So, I think in order to make the Aero replacement pu work propperly, a saddle upgrade to the desired 15mm would be a good idea as well, or go with a $ 20,-Misicmaster replacement bridge and have a string thru bridge like the original musicmasters. This makes some sence due to the 6 pole stock pu. The bronco with it's smaller bridge, but broader saddles, kind of sits in the middle. A long scale bass has a 17mm string spacing, where a Short scale is more 15mm. Upon comparing the stock bronco bridge and saddles to a Musicmaster bridge and saddles I came to the conclusion that the initial string spacing is the same, but there seam to be a broader two saddle (like those found on 34' scale two saddle bridge basses) thus making the string spacing apear wider.

#AERO MUSICMASTER BASS PICKUP MODS#

So, although this pickup sounds great, I am not so sure I want to spend $123.00 on a pickup for a bass that cost me $125.00!! I will do all of my other mods first (new tuners, nut, pts, caps, jack) and see how I feel about the sound at that point.

Spacing, so you have to measure it so Aero can produce a pickup.Īero does not have an audio clip of this pickup.' It brings a Musicmaster or Bronco to life. There's barely enough space for it to work, but boy does it work. In designing a more appropriate replacement, the idea came up of adding in extra poles to more closely mimic a P Bass or Jazz Bass design. Spacing, the Bronco basses appear not to have a consistent string Originally, these used a 6-string guitar pickup under the cover. Though the Musicmaster bass has a consistent string Only one issue, the string spacing = center of string to center ofĪdjacent string over the centerline of the pickup, and not at the We've found that using a Musicmasterer 4 pickup in a Bronco bass has New closed covers in white or black are $3.00 each. The pickup is available with unexposed (standard) or with exposed or radiused pole pieces, and also in Alnico 2 (Aero Type 3) This Aero pickup is a drop-in replacement. The original 'Musicmaster' pickup has 6 pole pieces and was designed for guitar, not bass. This pickup isĪ drop-in-replacement, and the original closed cover will fit Aero is the first company to manufacture a true 4 pole piece 'Musicmaster' pickup. These pickups are $120.00 each without cover. The pickup also has enough output that no pre-amp is String spacing will eliminate the distortion due to magnet Is a four pole piece pickup with the proper string spacing. Original was a 6 pole piece Strat pickup, but the Aero Musicmasterer 4

Musicmaster pickup that's an improvement over the original. I emailed Aero for some details and received the following reply:

Aero musicmaster bass pickup