Pickups wiring MOD to parallel/single coil

[Scott Pope]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

I have tried just about everything to simulate a Fender sound over the years with various Smith basses. The real dilemma is not in the pickups or wiring, it is in the actual construction of the bass. The Fender design has a naturally thinner signal from its woods and construction, period. Mod-up a Fender and you still have a Fender. Mod-up a Smith Bass and you still have a Smith Bass.

This is so underrated. Pickups and electronics are the last link in the chain. I've modded so many basses over the years for friends, and the inherent characteristics of the bass can be brought out or suppressed by the electronics, but you can't change the basic tone of any electric bass.
I routinely get the question: "If I put X manufacturer pickups in Y bass, will it sound like X?" The answer is invariably, "No. It will sound like Y with a Z influence on tone."

BTW: I do not care for going back to single coil due to noise. How are these mods to get a single coil tone from the bass work from an increased noise, either hum or electrostatic noise, perspective?