How to obtain De Cola pickups

[ajkula66]

A long shot as usual, but...does anyone know where I could obtain a set of DeCola humbuckers as seen in 2013/17 EB basses and some others? Gibson is not selling them directly and the only set that I see on Reverb would run me ~$400 shipped from France which is not an option that I'm excited about...

All and any wisdom that you're willing to share will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[amptech]

The ones with large polepieces? I bought a few of these years ago. I might still have one left, but as I'm moving the workshop it might take a couple of weeks to find it

[ajkula66]

The ones with large polepieces?

Yessir.

I bought a few of these years ago. I might still have one left, but as I'm moving the workshop it might take a couple of weeks to find it

No rush on my end, if and when you get to it...it will be appreciated.

[Basvarken]

The pickup used on the LP Jr DC model is the same pickup, but flipped upside down.

[ajkula66]

The pickup used on the LP Jr DC model is the same pickup, but flipped upside down.

I know. Haven't seen one of these for sale around here either.

[uwe]

Those things are rare. For two of them plus pots in very good condition from France to Pennsylvania 400 bucks does not seem unreasonable to me. The EURO asking price of EUR 250 is nothing to moan about, but perfectly fair, actually on the low side. Unless you need two, you could always sell one. And if you need two, why haven't you ordered yet? Temptations are meant to be succumbed to!

[ajkula66]

Those things are rare. For two of them plus pots in very good condition from France to Pennsylvania 400 bucks does not seem unreasonable to me. The EURO asking price of EUR 250 is nothing to moan about, but perfectly fair, actually on the low side. Unless you need two, you could always sell one. And if you need two, why haven't you ordered yet? Temptations are meant to be succumbed to!

Given the proven ability of the USPS to lose/destroy stuff I'm not keen on ordering anything from overseas.

[Basvarken]

Then use UPS or FedEx

[ajkula66]

Then use UPS or FedEx

That would be up to the seller...but...

It cost me $150 to get an envelope to Europe by UPS at the start of the pandemic.

Not to mention that they managed to destroy a (non-Gibson) bass I sold on Reverb about a month ago. FedEx is neither less expensive nor more trustworthy in my experience.

[amptech]

Given the proven ability of the USPS to lose/destroy stuff I'm not keen on ordering anything from overseas.

Don't get me started! I'm waiting for speakeres ordered early March from a big arizona company shipped with USPS

That would be up to the seller...but...

It cost me $150 to get an envelope to Europe by UPS at the start of the pandemic.

I have the same experience with UPS and fedex, too expensive. Actually, DHL is the only company that I don't have negative experience with. I'd love to say something nice about Norway Post, but they recently broke the cabinet of an SVT amp I'd just retubed for a customer.

[uwe]

You Yank isolationists! 



No one in this forum has seen more overseas shipments of basses and parts than I have (hundreds!). My negative experiences were few and far between - whether it was UPS, USPS, DHL, FedEx or TNT. Let your local UPS employees feel your support!!!



In 20 years it wasn't more than a handful of incidents, all of them of minor nature, soldering rattled loose etc. Global shipping works surprisingly well almost all the time. The vast majority of sellers strenuously overpack rather than underpack.

If I needed those pups I would have snapped them up in a heartbeat under the same conditions. They sound great on a TBird (where they stem from) btw, more refined than my beloved TB Plus soapies (treble and presence are more transparent), but still with sufficient ooomph and not clinical. If your TBird is equipped with those, people at a session will say: "Oh, I didn't even know a TBird could sound like that too!"

Globalist regards! 

[ajkula66]

You Yank isolationists! 

LOL from a transplanted European...

No one in this forum has seen more overseas shipments of basses and parts than I have (hundreds!). My negative experiences were few and far between - whether it was UPS, USPS, DHL, FedEx or TNT. Let your local UPS employees feel your support!!!

You do realize that the vast majority of damage occurs within "the last mile", right ? I've shipped breakable stuff of a different nature (laptops) all over the world, and whenever something got lost or damaged during an international shipment it was a bloody migraine.

If I needed those pups I would have snapped them up in a heartbeat under the same conditions. They sound great on a TBird (where they stem from) btw, more refined than my beloved TB Plus soapies (treble and presence are more transparent), but still with sufficient ooomph and not clinical.

Globalist regards! 

I'll be in Europe in a couple of months and may end up buying them then if they're still around. My intention is to try them out in my Bass IV, which is sort of an "extra" right now since I've got the Bass V that I originally wanted.

[uwe]

I think that would make an excellent fit!

Shall I buy them for you and you pick them up when you're here? I live 10 minutes from Frankfurt Airport.

[ajkula66]

I think that would make an excellent fit!

Coming from you, it's one heck of a recommendation....

Shall I buy them for you and you pick them up when you're here? I live 10 minutes from Frankfurt Airport.

Thanks for the offer, but I have no plans to stop in Germany. Flying direct to my old neck of the woods which is ~1050km from Frankfurt so...

Very kind of you to offer, nevertheless. Really appreciated.

[uwe]

I could send it from Germany to there ...