1986 EBMM Stingray PU and strings tension question

[SBlue]

Hi there!
New guy here, and already with a couple of questions!
I've got a December 1986 Stingray, strings through body, maple neck, larger bridge with mutes, chunky(50's P Bass style) maple neck and three band eq..
The bass looks 100% stock and it plays great! I've actually got it as a partial payment for an amp that I've sold. After playing for a little bit I've realized the bass is too good to be sold. So I've decided to keep it.
The only issue it has is the pickup is too microphonic. I cannot use it with an amp. It sounds great when recording direct, but you cannot tap the PU cover even with the tip of your fingers, because you hear a loud and sustaining high pitch note.
I wanted to verify f the PU is original, so I would like to ask if anyone has a picture of the original pickup from that era so I can compare it with mine.
Last, but not least, I was planning to use the lower 4 strings, from a five strings set, on this bass(wich is a four strings) and tune them as D > A > E > B. Would the neck support all the extra tension?
Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
SBlue

 

[Aussie Mark]

I can't help you on the alt tuning question, but you can find pics of pickups and preamps from different eras at http://musicmanbass.org/

 

[strummer]

With normal gauge strings I think you would get a very strange difference in percieved tension tuning 5:ths. I mean tuning the B string up to D is just 3 semitones, but E to a is 5, A to E is 7 and D to B is 9!
I think the neck will probably handle the tension, but the whole affair will feel real strange and veery high tension.

Or are you just reversing the strings, so that you actually mean from thickest to thinnest: B-E-A-D? In that case, there will be no extra tension at all and the bass will be perfect, the only thing you might possibly have to do is recut the nut for the thicker strings.