Question for the X2N users

So I am thinking about how exactly I'm going to layout my Yamaha BB414 (that is, once I actually get one), and I want to drop an X2N-7 into the P position for my distortion channel. I would prefer not to hack up the body and cover too badly, so I'm wondering about the possibility of splitting the coils of an X2N-7 to go into the stock P casings.

My question is this. Do you guys think that an X2N-7 can be split up? Does the pickup look like the two coils can be liberated from one another?

Hmm...that's an interesting idea, dude. I don't know how it'd work. By taking them apart, I think that you'd be destroying the way that you mount it to the body. I don't know how the leads are attached, but I don't think it'd work too well. It'd be more probable that you could take an X2N-7 apart than an X2N because the base of it is plastic and wax rather than metal.

I don't think it sounds like a good idea, although it does sound really cool.

I've read that the individual coils of an X2N are voiced very similarly to Strat pickups' coils. Really a testament to how much the coils of a humbucker benefit from one another. Doesn't surprise me from the coil cut sound of the X2N, either.

I wish that the X2N(7) had better midrange response. But then again, I do have them on a pretty beat-up bass with a really dead set of nickels on it.

The base is one piece, so no, it wouldn't work.

More importantly, each coil is much longer than a P coil anyway, so taking it apart, it still wouldn't fit the P case.



IMHO, you want an X2N-7 there, keep your neck off the bass you just took to pieces, ring Warmoth up for a body with no neck pocket, or pickup cavitys, or just buy a blank from StewMac, and cut a BB-414 shape yourself.

Or make yourself a "custom" pickup ring that covers the P pickup routes?

Chowderboots wrote:

Or make yourself a "custom" pickup ring that covers the P pickup routes?

But this way he still has to hack up the body, which it seems like he dosen't want to.

Mmh yeah true dat.

I would recommend, once you have BB414 and X2N-7 in hand to hover the pickup above the strings and test it out in all different positions, close to the neck, above the P, and as close to the Kahler as possible...see how the pickup reacts to the different placements before drilling into anything.

Well, I'm not totally against hacking the body. More to the point, I was hoping to split up an X2N-7 as I did with my first Model J when I placed the coils into the P housings.

But what the hey. If I end up having to dig out some wood and/or fashion a custom ring, I'm OK with that.

I'd say give it a try right below the P pickup...kinda sweet spot zone. Get a little chrome pickup ring from fretsonthenet...would look killer!

Yeah...but I'm kinda torn between running the MM sweet spot for my lows, or the old stand-by neck position.

I think I'm going to spend some time down in the shop today hacking some wood.

Sounds like a good idea! Tell me how that turns out. I'd like to hear some different ideas/impressions on this pickup placement stuff...