Anybody recognize this pickup? It's on a mid-80s Vantage Avenger I just picked up. I can't find any pictures online of this model without a split-P pickup.

I bounced it off MIJ bass aficionado Ian Miller who suggested it might be an Aria pickup.

Nate Dort wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 2:05 pm Anybody recognize this pickup? It's on a mid-80s Vantage Avenger I just picked up. I can't find any pictures online of this model without a split-P pickup.

Looks sort of like some kind of Alembic clone. Is it active?

It's a big ol passive humbucker. Routing is factory though, so it shipped with this pickup or something sized exactly the same with the same mounting screw positions.

Nate Dort wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 5:25 pm It's a big ol passive humbucker. Routing is factory though, so it shipped with this pickup or something sized exactly the same with the same mounting screw positions.

While I can't recall the exact model, it feels like some older Ibanez models had a similar route/cover situation.

numberthirty wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 7:30 pm

Nate Dort wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 5:25 pm It's a big ol passive humbucker. Routing is factory though, so it shipped with this pickup or something sized exactly the same with the same mounting screw positions.

While I can't recall the exact model, it feels like some older Ibanez models had a similar route/cover situation.

Yeah, it looks very similar to the humbucker in my old Epiphone Ripper, but that one only had 1 screw on each side.

The Aria Pro II pickups do look similar, but they're basically split Ps in a bigger cover.


I found this shot of a headless Vantage X-99B that has the same "Omega" marking on the pickups, but with a different mounting scheme:



Also this fretless dude with light grey pickups, but same marking:



Not that it really matters, mostly just curious. I didn't have any reason to believe that the P/U wasn't stock. I was just curious if anybody had more info, like "yeah, those are rebranded DiMarzios" or something. It sounded fine at practice last night.

seems like a G&L humbucker might fit in there nicely.

Drummers, how often do you change your reso heads?

Garth wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:36 am Drummers, how often do you change your reso heads?

Admittedly for toms and kicks: almost never unless they're damaged or I want to go for something different. For snares I've gotten into the habit of changing more often. My Black Beauty tends to erode heads along the edge anyway, and even if not those 3 mil heads get stretched out fairly quickly. Twice a year is not crazy if it's a snare you play on a lot.