Best pickup for my bass rig?

[Mongeaux]

Btw I tried using search but didnt get what I was looking for. No doubt this gets asked a lot but....

My rig.

Fender P bass.

Ampeg B15

I use flatwound strings.

I play jazz and also love to sit in on blues gigs. In truth I am planning on looking for a full time blues gig. The blues guys in my area always seem to be working while the Jazz guys often have to play for free :/

Anyway I like fat round tone. I don't slap at all and tend to have the high end on my bass turned down pretty low.

My stock pickup is "ok" but I want more bottom and warmth.

My first thought was to get an SPB1 since I tend to like old school sounds but the desc says "This pickup delivers the distinctive smooth output, increased treble and full midrange of the original"

Hmm I'm not really looking for more treble.

Maybe a SPB2? "Just like the SPB-1, but with extra windings on the coils for musicians who want more output and greater low end response for a fuller sound"

Gah! I dunno. I wish I could just buy one of each and try em both but sadly I am poor as dirt.

I am sure there are jazz and blues folks that hang out around here. What did you guys end up going with?

 

[John Wymore]

Re: Best pickup for my bass rig?

For what you are looking for I'd suggest the P-Bass Hot. It has more output than a stock pickup and has a boosted low end for a very warm tone.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Best pickup for my bass rig?

That'd be nice (the P Bass Hot)...the 1/4 pounder P bass pickups seem to be the most popular in my neighborhood. They also seem to be what SD Pickups rcommends for most applications like you describe. Lew

 

[kill your scene]

Re: Best pickup for my bass rig?

I play Quarter Pound, but then again, I play rock almost exclusively. The thing with QPs is that they give you really strong, muscular tone, but they don't sound vintage or "bluesy"... at least not to my ears.

For your situation, I think you should go Vintage. If you're playing Jazz and Blues, then deep down inside you're probably looking for smooth, classic tone and the Vintage does that better than any other pickup I can think of. The Hot sounds a bit more modern (but with nice low end) and the QP sounds heavy, bouncy and rock-ready. The Vintage is the most sophisticated and most bass players long for the 60s Fender sound anyway. Personally, I'm longing for a '62 Precision reissue and if I can pony up the cash, I'm going to load it with Duncan Vintages.

Lew - You've recommended QPs before. I also definitely recommend them, but only for situations that they are appropriate for. I don't think their roundwond-favoring tone would be the best choice for this guy, but that's just my opinion. It's probably a bad idea to just assume that ALL bass players have the same needs and desires of your customers.

Mongeaux - Don't take the worded descriptions too seriously. Instead, go listen to recordings done by artists that use said pickups. Mark Hoppus from Blink-182 and Steve Harris from Iron Maiden both represent the QP tone. John Paul Jones and other lovers of classic Fenders represent the 60s Vintage tone. Worded descriptions can only tell you so much.

Also, you can simply return whatever pickup you buy if you don't like it. Duncan has a really liberal exchange policy. They want you to be happy, so just buy from a licensed dealer and use your warranty if you have to. If you don't like your pickup, there's no harm done as long as you ship it back within the allotted time.

 

[rabidrabbit2727]

Re: Best pickup for my bass rig?

I just ordered a SPB2 Hot from Blackrose the other day. I jam once a week with a group of acoustic guitarists at a local bar. Being the only bassist among 7-8 guitarists, I have to fill out all of the lower frequency range. I went with the Hot because I need a really deep low end, and I always keep the treble on 2-3 with my tone knob on 0.

However, for a blues/jazz guy, I might be more apt to suggest a SPB1 Vintage. But you did state that you just wanted more low end and warmth.

I say go for the SPB2 Hot, and if you find that it doesn't quite meet your needs, just bring it back and get a SPB1 Vintage.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Best pickup for my bass rig?

Thanks for the feedback.

You know, we all tend to suggest what WE like the tone of and I just like the tone of those 1/4 pounders. It's not like they're a rock pickup or won't get a smooth, deep, vintage Motown kind of tone...they will.

I just happen to like a little more growl and more "kiss" on top than a vintage P Bass or Jazz Bass pickup and it seems that many modern bass players are after that too because that's the tone many modern day bass heroes get: Victor Wooten for example.

Even Jaco wasn't playing his vintage Jazz bass exclusively at the end...he was experimenting with more modern pickups. (Of course, after his bass got stolen he didn't play it at all.)

I like that slight growl with slightly more presence and more extended highs than the tones 60's basses get...it reminds me a bit of an acoustic bass. I love Ron Carter's tone on upright bass and vintage P Bass and Jazz Bass pickups don't have that kind of "kiss" or presence.

But thanks for all the opinions...that's what a forum is: everybody gives thier opinion based on what they like to hear and whoever asks the question just has to sort through the responses and still decide which poster is hearing things the way the questioner does.

The 1/4 pounders have a little more output, a little more bass, a little more mids and little more highs than a vintage Fender pickup.

Take care, Lew

 

[kill your scene]

Re: Best pickup for my bass rig?

For the record, a lot of modern players who are going for modern tone use active pickups. You mentioned Victor Wooten. Vic uses EMGs. I don't think QPs give you Wooten tone at all, but I'm not a fan of active tone anyway. I think EMGs and other actives give you too much cleanliness and sterility. It sounds too "artificial" and "processed" for my liking.... almost as if a machine is making the sounds. Again, that's just my perspective.

It's true that QPs give you growlier low end and a bit more heft and "oomph" but they're not exactly the same as Vintages. You can get classic rock and Motown sounds out of them, but you can get classic rock and Motown sounds out of MANY different pickups, as long as you play with a certain style and EQ properly. Vintages are specifically voiced for 60s Fender tones, so if that's what you're going for, then get them. QPs add a more modern sensability.... it's not the same of course, but some people would consider it an improvement and some people would not.

Anyway, I love my QPs. I would never bash on them, but I recognize they are better for certain styles than others.

Just try out SOMEthing and if it suits you, go with it and if not, return them.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Best pickup for my bass rig?

For the record, a lot of modern players who are going for modern tone use active pickups. You mentioned Victor Wooten. Vic uses EMGs. I don't think QPs give you Wooten tone at all, but I'm not a fan of active tone anyway. I think EMGs and other actives give you too much cleanliness and sterility. It sounds too "artificial" and "processed" for my liking.... almost as if a machine is making the sounds. Again, that's just my perspective.

It's true that QPs give you growlier low end and a bit more heft and "oomph" but they're not exactly the same as Vintages. You can get classic rock and Motown sounds out of them, but you can get classic rock and Motown sounds out of MANY different pickups, as long as you play with a certain style and EQ properly. Vintages are specifically voiced for 60s Fender tones, so if that's what you're going for, then get them. QPs add a more modern sensability.... it's not the same of course, but some people would consider it an improvement and some people would not.

Anyway, I love my QPs. I would never bash on them, but I recognize they are better for certain styles than others.

Just try out SOMEthing and if it suits you, go with it and if not, return them.

There you go. That's what's nice about a democracy...everyone gets to express thier view. And no one view contains 100% of the truth...certainly my view doesn't...it's just a description of the world from my angle or perspective colored by my personal preferences and personal set of experiances. It's no more accurate than anyone elses...it's just another view. Lew

 

[kill your scene]

Re: Best pickup for my bass rig?

Lewguitar - It's all good.

Mongeaux - Post back and let us know what you get and how you like it!

 

[ithump]

Re: Best pickup for my bass rig?

Hey Mongeaux,
What did you end up using?

 

[dg27]

Re: Best pickup for my bass rig?

I'd be curious to know what you ended up with as well. Although I've currently got different SDs in four basses, I'm primarily a QP user.

With my latest QPs [thanks, Black Rose] for a Fender Squier Jazz I couldn't resist on ebay, I'm frankly kind of shocked at how 'vintagey' I can make them sound by rolling off the treble on the amp and the tone knob. So I would not necessarily rule out QPs because although inherently 'muscular' [good description, kill your scene], they're very adaptable.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Best pickup for my bass rig?

I'd be curious to know what you ended up with as well. Although I've currently got different SDs in four basses, I'm primarily a QP user.

With my latest QPs [thanks, Black Rose] for a Fender Squier Jazz I couldn't resist on ebay, I'm frankly kind of shocked at how 'vintagey' I can make them sound by rolling off the treble on the amp and the tone knob. So I would not necessarily rule out QPs because although inherently 'muscular' [good description, kill your scene], they're very adaptable.

Yep...that's why I suggest them so often. They'll do it all, IMO. Lew