P-Bass Pickup Recommendation

[Sputnik]

The pickup on my Fender P-Bass has broken, only one coil works seems like an internal wire broken.

The lifetime warranty does not apply to the pickup so I have to buy a replacement.

 

So I am looking for suggestions (no active) I am playing R&B and Blues.

 

Presently I am thinking of the Seymore Duncan Quarter Pounder or Fender Original '62 P-Bass

 

Being as this just less than two year old Fender pup has died, I am a bit hesitant about another Fender. Though I did like the sound I am a bit worried about reliability now.

[Thumper]

Duncan Antiquity

 

Out of curiousity, what model of P? I've never heard of a P pup failing like that...

[Sputnik]

It is a Fender made in USA P-Bass

I don't know exactly what the model name would, I think American Precision Bass.

It is your standard P-Bass but with a maple fretboard

[T. Alan Smith]

I'm really tickled with my Bill Lawrence. I think it's a tremendous bang for buck pup.

[LanEvo]

 

Originally posted by T. Alan Smith I'm really tickled with my Bill Lawrence.

Agreed. Love the sound of the Bill Lawrence P.

 

Emre

[beam]

http://www.riograndepickups.com/5.html

 

 

Fingerstyle

Pick

[KeroseneTrewthe]

I tried the 62' Original and its weak compared to the one I finally settled on.

 

DiMarzio Model P. Really warm midrange pup. Nicely priced too. $60-70

 

Highly recommended.

[gbassman100]

The RioGrande Muy Grande is supposed to be really great. There's been a seller on ebay selling these for $65 to $69 one at a time. I bought one and am waiting for it to arrive. I'm going to try putting it in an '81 Fender Bullet Bass, make it into a short scale P bass. Easier on the back.

 

I have the Fender Original (62) in my P bass and I can recommend it highly. It really is a classic P tone, lots of bottom and mids, clear tone with a bit of bite to it.

[bassment zombie]

Can you describe the tone you're going for?

 

One thing I find is common is that folks will criticise or praise a particular pickup based upon it's output level. The thing is, you listen to one pickup, and if it's louder than another you compare it to, it simply sounds better to most folks.

 

However, I find it's much more useful to compare the tone of different pickups, rather than the output level. So when I compare pickups, I turn the amp or gain up to compensate for the differing output levels.

 

Case in point - I took my Fender '62 RI Precision to be set up by Jim Mouradian. He asked me if I had any setup requests, and I told him I trusted him to do a great job, and to please just set it up how he saw fit to sound best for a classic Precision strung with flats. I told him how I like my action, but that's about it. He then told me that he finds it best (on Precisions, at least, considering we were talking about my instrument) to set the pickup nearly as low as it can be set without diminishing too much. He said he learned this from Duck Dunn and his setups, and that he (Jim) finds that setting the pickup height lower gives a much woodier, natural and organic tone.

 

After the setup, the output was lower of course, but damn...after simply turning my gain up a bit more (using my amp for what it's for, eh? ) it sounded much better.

 

Anyhow...sorry for my rambling here. I guess my point is that while it's tempting to gauge/prefer one pickup over another due to its relative output (and it's hard to train our ears to NOT prefer the sound that is louder when comparing pickups), you might be best served by leveling out the effects of the output with your amp, and thereby going for more tonal differences and characterstics...

[Apendecto]

I really like my Quarter Pounders in both of my P's. Hot, fat and full.

 

Yo.

[T. Alan Smith]

Originally posted by bassment zombie Can you describe the tone you're going for? One thing I find is common is that folks will criticise or praise a particular pickup based upon it's output level. The thing is, you listen to one pickup, and if it's louder than another you compare it to, it simply sounds better to most folks. However, I find it's much more useful to compare the tone of different pickups, rather than the output level. So when I compare pickups, I turn the amp or gain up to compensate for the differing output levels. Case in point - I took my Fender '62 RI Precision to be set up by Jim Mouradian. He asked me if I had any setup requests, and I told him I trusted him to do a great job, and to please just set it up how he saw fit to sound best for a classic Precision strung with flats. I told him how I like my action, but that's about it. He then told me that he finds it best (on Precisions, at least, considering we were talking about my instrument) to set the pickup nearly as low as it can be set without diminishing too much. He said he learned this from Duck Dunn and his setups, and that he (Jim) finds that setting the pickup height lower gives a much woodier, natural and organic tone. After the setup, the output was lower of course, but damn...after simply turning my gain up a bit more (using my amp for what it's for, eh? ) it sounded much better. Anyhow...sorry for my rambling here. I guess my point is that while it's tempting to gauge/prefer one pickup over another due to its relative output (and it's hard to train our ears to NOT prefer the sound that is louder when comparing pickups), you might be best served by leveling out the effects of the output with your amp, and thereby going for more tonal differences and characterstics...

 

Excellent point. Most professional audio engineers prefer recording single pickup passive instruments strung with flats, BUT...they want low output pickups.

[Apendecto]

 

Originally posted by bassment zombie He then told me that he finds it best (on Precisions, at least, considering we were talking about my instrument) to set the pickup nearly as low as it can be set without diminishing too much. He said he learned this from Duck Dunn and his setups, and that he (Jim) finds that setting the pickup height lower gives a much woodier, natural and organic tone.

 

 

Lower ehh? Donald Duck Dunn ehh? I think I'll try this when I get home.

 

Yo.

[frunobulax]

Originally posted by beam http://www.riograndepickups.com/5.html Fingerstyle Pick

 

indeed. an excellent pickup. punchy as all hell.

[pbass_groovin]

 

Originally posted by Apendecto I really like my Quarter Pounders in both of my P's. Hot, fat and full. Yo.

 

 

+1 SP3s do it & do it well