P bass pickup recommendations

[notCardio]

What are your experiences with aftermarket P bass pickups?

What did you like or not like, and why? What did it bring to the table?

Thanks.

[noisedude]

Depends what you want. If you're after a modern sound, higher output and easy installation then the Seymour Duncan/Basslines Quarter Pound p-bass pickup is very very good. Really like the two I've put in a couple of my basses. But it's not 'vintage correct' in that sense .... if you need it to sound like ye olde p-bass then one of their others might be better.

[notCardio]

As far as what you're considering a 'modern' vs. 'vintage sound'?

And what do you mean by ease of installation? I would asssume that a P pup is a P pup installation-wise, unless you get into actives. No?

[noisedude]

Originally Posted by notCardio

As far as what you're considering a 'modern' vs. 'vintage sound'?

And what do you mean by ease of installation? I would asssume that a P pup is a P pup installation-wise, unless you get into actives. No?

Yeah, standard sizes.

Check the Seymour Duncan website, they have much better adjectives than me for this kinda thing. The Quarter Pound pickups (I have a jazz one too for a P-J bass I use) are higher output, have more of the frequencies that are going to bring out picking and slapping and have quite a bit more bass. Whether that's a scoop though, I dunno, because it doesn't sound like anything in between is 'missing'.

Sorry I can't help more!!!!

[notCardio]

Aren't all the aftermarket P pickups the same size?

[noisedude]

Originally Posted by notCardio

Aren't all the aftermarket P pickups the same size?

Yeah - I was agreeing!

If you want a very progressive tone and high output then you'd go for actives .... but who the hell would have a P-bass and want to get those sounds out of them??

[notCardio]

I always figured that a lot of the 'vintage' sound came from the fact that early on, most guys used flatwounds.

[Big Kenny]

grab these quick
http://cgi.ebay.com/1966-Vintage-Fen...QQcmdZViewItem

[IronFlippy]

I've got a Dimarzio Split P in my P bass. Each half is its own humbucker, which gives it a very unique tone. The bass strings are very deep, while the treble strings have a good punch to them. If you like slapping and popping, then these aren't the pups for you. However, if you like a rich, deep sound, then these are more than suitable. If you want a DI sample, let me know.

[Light]

If you want the classic P-bass sound, the Dimarzio Model P is it. If you want a more modern clean sound, Bartolini's are the best there is. I've never been at all fond of the Seymour Duncan bass pickups, but thier actives are very nice, for a high output pickup.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[notCardio]

How do they compare to a stock Fender?

I've got a couple of cheap P clones (and I'm going to get more) that I think I'm going to replace the pickups on. The question is whether to go with Fender or aftermarkets. So, having described the DMs, what's the difference between them and the Fenders? More bottom? More punch? Higher output?
More uniform?

I've got a short scale that I'll be using light guage on, more of a funky, bright upper mid sound. I've also got a long scale fretless that I'm going to be using heavier flatwounds on (possibly even tapewounds), not going for the J growl, but more the mid 60's relatively clean, yet sort of muted sound, no high end to speak of.

Later, I'll do a couple more, one the late 70s full range (but not overly bright) sound, and one the bright stainless steel bass piano string (think Boston) sound.

None of these are the tube distortion or gritty sounds. All clean, just different freqencies emphasized or de-emphasized.

[Light]

Originally Posted by notCardio

How do they compare to a stock Fender?

To be frank, stock Fender pickups are cheap, and they sound it. Thin, bland, and inconsistant. Particularly with the bass pickups, if you want a classic sound, stick to the Dimarzio's.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[notCardio]

Thanks for the recommendations.

[notCardio]

Originally Posted by IronFlippy

I've got a Dimarzio Split P in my P bass. Each half is its own humbucker, which gives it a very unique tone. The bass strings are very deep, while the treble strings have a good punch to them. If you like slapping and popping, then these aren't the pups for you. However, if you like a rich, deep sound, then these are more than suitable. If you want a DI sample, let me know.

If you've got a sample, I'd sure love to hear it.

Thanks!

[notCardio]

There are two kinds.

One has blade-type 'pole pieces' and the other has the regular hex screw type.

From your description, Iron, I'm assuming you have the blade type.

Light, is this the same one you were referring to, or did you mean the other one with regular pole pieces?

Thanks again.

[AGCurry]

Originally Posted by Light

To be frank, stock Fender pickups are cheap, and they sound it. Thin, bland, and inconsistant. Particularly with the bass pickups, if you want a classic sound, stick to the Dimarzio's.

It seems to me that if you want that "classic P-bass sound," you would use the stock pickups. It works for me, but then I've only ever played MIAs...

[Light]

Originally Posted by notCardio

There are two kinds.

One has blade-type 'pole pieces' and the other has the regular hex screw type.

From your description, Iron, I'm assuming you have the blade type.

Light, is this the same one you were referring to, or did you mean the other one with regular pole pieces?

Thanks again.

Not the Split P, but the Model P. It has allen screw pole pieces.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[Light]

Originally Posted by AGCurry

It seems to me that if you want that "classic P-bass sound," you would use the stock pickups. It works for me, but then I've only ever played MIAs...

If they still made decent pickups, I might go for that, but they haven't made good pickups in a long time.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[Adam P]

I'm in the market as well for a replacement P pickup. I play with a pick into a solidstate Ampeg with a SansAmp Bass Driver in the effects loop and an 8x10 cab (to give an idea of my other gear) and am looking for something that will work with what I've got to give a chunky, overdriven rock type of tone. No slapping or popping, don't want pristine clean either. Passive as opposed to active. I plan on wiring it to the volume pot and then straight to the jack with no tone pot. Hoping to stay under $75. I was considering the Quarter Pound. Would one of those DiMarzios be better? Thanks.

[noisedude]

Originally Posted by Adam P

I'm in the market as well for a replacement P pickup. I play with a pick into a solidstate Ampeg with a SansAmp Bass Driver in the effects loop and an 8x10 cab (to give an idea of my other gear) and am looking for something that will work with what I've got to give a chunky, overdriven rock type of tone. No slapping or popping, don't want pristine clean either. Passive as opposed to active. I plan on wiring it to the volume pot and then straight to the jack with no tone pot. Hoping to stay under $75. I was considering the Quarter Pound. Would one of those DiMarzios be better? Thanks.

I think the Seymour Duncan Basslines are great and I've never heard anyone say anything otherwise. They get used in Godin basses and Robert Godin is a known stickler for tone (even though he can't make a good-looking guitar to save his life).

I just pasted the 'players' list for the Quarter Pound P-Bass pickup and it's not too shabby:
Mark Hoppus / Blink 182, Ian Grushka / New Found Glory, Anthony Celestino / Box Car Racer, Jay Bentley / Bad Religion, Melissa auf der Maur / Smashing Pumpkins & Hole, Steve Harris / Iron Maiden

We sell loads of them, and the guys we sell them to really like them. To be honest, before Light's post further up I've not heard a less than enthusiastic word said about them!

My two pennies anyway.

Nik

[Light]

Originally Posted by noisedude

To be honest, before Light's post further up I've not heard a less than enthusiastic word said about them!

It's not that they are bad, it's just that I think the Dimarzio's are better. Which, by the way, is the complete oposite of how I feel about their guitar pickups. Either company has excellent workmanship, so in the end it is simply a matter of taste. When it comes to classic style bass pickups, I like Dimarzio's. To be frank though, other than a P-bass for Bob Babbit style stuff, I would never use either myself, being more than a bit of a fan of Bartolini bass pickups.

If you want a hot P-bass pickup, go for the Quarter-pounder. It's a fine pickup. It just isn't as "classic" sounding as the Model P.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[noisedude]

Originally Posted by Light

It's not that they are bad, it's just that I think the Dimarzio's are better. Which, by the way, is the complete oposite of how I feel about their guitar pickups. Either company has excellent workmanship, so in the end it is simply a matter of taste. When it comes to classic style bass pickups, I like Dimarzio's. To be frank though, other than a P-bass for Bob Babbit style stuff, I would never use either myself, being more than a bit of a fan of Bartolini bass pickups.

If you want a hot P-bass pickup, go for the Quarter-pounder. It's a fine pickup. It just isn't as "classic" sounding as the Model P.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

Hmm well it turns out we weren't even disagreeing then, because I'm pretty sure one of my first comments here was that the Quarter Pound wasn't a vintage/classic P-Bass sound in that sense. Lovely!

Seymour Duncan guitar pickups seem to be a little out of fashion round my way at the moment ... seems like everyone wants Bareknuckles and Kent Armstrongs, even though I haven't heard anything that suggests either of those are particularly special, let alone in a higher league than Seymours.