DiMarzio Split P Adapter for Warwick Star Bass 5

If you own a Warwick Star Bass 5-string, you probably know the pain: the stock MEC single coil neck pickup sounds thin and nasal. The bass itself is fantastic — beautiful neck, semi-hollow resonance, great ergonomics — but that neck pickup lets the whole instrument down.

I spent weeks researching replacement options and hit a wall. The pickup cavity is 96.5 x 54.4 mm, which is a proprietary Warwick size. Most 5-string soapbars are EMG 40 format (102 mm) — too long. EMG 35 format (89 mm) fits physically, but almost nobody makes a passive 5-string pickup in that size. The MEC Vintage Humbucker is a drop-in, but doesn't deliver the tone I was after. Custom pickups from Nordstrand or Delano would work but cost $300+.

Then I tried something unconventional: a DiMarzio Split P (DP127). Yes, it's a 4-string pickup. But the magnetic field width (1.385") is wide enough to cover all five strings when positioned correctly.

The key insight was mounting it in reverse P orientation — with the bass-side half closer to the bridge. Why? String amplitude is greatest near the neck. The thicker strings (B and E) produce much more movement than the treble strings. By placing their half further from the nut, you reduce the amplitude hitting those magnets, which prevents the signal from getting muddy. The thinner strings handle the higher amplitude position just fine.

I designed a 3D-printed adapter frame in Fusion 360 that holds both Split P halves in position and mounts using the original pickup cavity screw holes. 

No routing, no permanent modifications — fully reversible.

The result: balanced output across all five strings, much more punch and definition than the stock MEC, and a total cost of one DiMarzio Split P plus some PETG filament.