Pickup upgrades

[horseguards]

How does one determine whether specific pickups (and other upgrades) are compatible with one's bass? I'm a beginner with a Squier Affinity.

Is it the case, generally, that the more expensive, the higher quality and better result? For example, the Phat Staple for Bass at for $225.

For my specific bass, what would be the ultimate, extensive upgrade?

Thank you in anticipation.

Grant (England).

 

[BlueTalon]

Re: Pickup upgrades

You said you have a Squier Affinity, but you didn't say what. A Jazz? A Precision? I'm assuming you want a direct replacement for your pickup(s)?

In general, with pickups, you get what you pay for. But that doesn't mean more expensive is better, especially in your situation. There are two reasons for this. One, upgrading a Squier Affinity will only get you so far. For example, no matter how much money you put into a Ford, it will never be a Bentley. Spending more money than the bass itself is worth just on pickups seems foolish to me, you'd be better off doing a modest upgrade with your pickups and saving the rest of the money for a better bass later on. And two, you might not like the sound a very expensive pickup is designed to produce. It might give you super clear tones, crisp highs and balanced lows & mids, when what you are looking for is grit. It would be very disappointing for you to spend all that money and then not like the result.

If you have an Affinity Jazz bass, I would recommend getting a set of split-coil hum canceling pickups. If it's a Precision, any of the Seymour Duncan higher output replacements should do fine (SPB2, SPB3, SPB4).

 

[dg27]

Re: Pickup upgrades

I agree with BlueTalon: I certainly wouldn't go overboard, but a moderate investment can pay off. I bought my '87 MIJ Squier Jazz on eBay in 2004 for $250. I replaced the bridge with a Gotoh 201B, the very blah white pickguard for tort, and the stock pickups for SD QP for Jazz. It's one of my favorite basses.

For example, no matter how much money you put into a Ford, it will never be a Bentley.

Don't forget that Ford spelled backwards stands for Driver Returned On Foot.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Pickup upgrades

As far as I'm concerned, no upgrade gets more bang for the buck on a cheap instrument than new pickups. Not to mention, if you save the stock ones, you can always move them to your next, nicer bass.

Which Squier bass and what style do you play?

Depending on the answers, I'd say some variety of Duncan Vintage, Hot or Quarter Pounder in Jazz or Precision size.

 

[dg27]

Re: Pickup upgrades

As far as I'm concerned, no upgrade gets more bang for the buck on a cheap instrument than new pickups. Not to mention, if you save the stock ones, you can always move them to your next, nicer bass.

I'm puzzled by this: Why would one think of moving the stock pickups from a cheap instrument to a "nicer" bass?

I kept the stock pickup from my '76 Precision only so that after I'm gone (in the final sense) someone could restore it if they wanted to. I'm not worried about resale value because I never sell basses. But I didn't even hang on to the (cheap) stock pickups in some of my other basses. (They sounded crappy, which was why I replaced them in the first place.)

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Pickup upgrades

Let me rephrase.

If you save the Stock Pickups, you can return those to the original bass and move the new, aftermarket pickups to your newer, nicer bass.

 

[horseguards]

Re: Pickup upgrades

Thank you for your reply. I can't argue with your logic.

"It would be very disappointing for you to spend all that money and then not like the result." That's a major problem,isn't it? Without recourse to some way of determining the result (for a specific model), choice is reduced to an expensive "lucky dip" - buy it and hope for the best.

I'll look into the SPB2, SPB3, SPB4.

 

[horseguards]

Re: Pickup upgrades

Thank you for the recommendations. I'll look at the Gotoh 201B.

 

[horseguards]

Re: Pickup upgrades

It's a precision bass.

Being a beginner "Style" is probably premature. However, my ideal sound would that of the bass, here (please use headphones to appreciate):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENxe4_D4gPQ

 

[dg27]

Re: Pickup upgrades

Let me rephrase.

If you save the Stock Pickups, you can return those to the original bass and move the new, aftermarket pickups to your newer, nicer bass.

OK--that makes perfect sense.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Pickup upgrades

In my opinion, a beginner could get a good deal of mileage from upgrading the PJ model with a single Precision style pickup. The three hole scratchplate would facilitate the adding of active EQ without altering the appearance of the instrument.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup upgrades

Well, the ultimate upgrade would be a new bass, huh? But really, a pickup can make substantial gains in the sound of a bass, but it won't help with the way it feels. Pretty much any bass pickup we make would be a great upgrade for a Squier bass. I just ordered Quarter Pounds for my J-bass.

 

[dg27]

Re: Pickup upgrades

I just ordered Quarter Pounds for my J-bass.

I love the QPs in my Squier Jazz.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Pickup upgrades

Yeah, QPs are awesome for a distinct upgrade/difference from vintage style Jazz pickups. (Really awesome for pick style rock and punk) Can't wait for your impressions Mincer.

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Pickup upgrades

I put a Quarter Pound in my Squier Affinity PBass and the difference was night and day. It makes yourb@lls rattle thats for sure!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Pickup upgrades

Somebody was asking about that Ace Kefford (or Roy Wood) recorded bass guitar sound in another recent thread. Was that you, horseguards?

Now, as then, the answer is that you are unlikely to match a highly produced recorded bass guitar track using just a budget bass guitar with a pickup upgrade. You would be similarly unlikely to match that sound using a hyper-expensive custom instrument.

If you simply wish to make a Squier Affinity bass sound acceptable, pretty much any MIA or MIJ pickup would be an improvement.

By the most amazing coinsidence, I happen to have MIJ Fender and Charvel pickups languishing in a parts drawer.

 

[horseguards]

Re: Pickup upgrades

Funkfingers, Yes, I was asking about Roy Wood.

The bass used in the Roy Wood/The Move track is my ideal sound - I certainly don't expect to get it from a cheap bass/Squier. Prior to recording the track the bassist (Rick Price) quit and Roy Wood Roy Wood did all the bass lines.

Thank you for the recommendations.

Grant.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Pickup upgrades

Is it the case, generally, that the more expensive, the higher quality and better result?

No. You can buy an expensive PU that could make your guitar/bass sound worse than it does now. The important thing is to get a PU appropriate for what you play, and that does what you want it to.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup upgrades

Ideally, whatever you spend on a pickup should result in a sound that makes you want to pick that thing up and rock it like there's no tomorrow. Great pickups don't have to be expensive, they just have to be great for your bass and your ears.