Precision Bass Pickup Recommendations

Schnozz

It's been a little while since I tried P Bass pickups.

I know I didn't like the Fender Original in my Tokai and I did like the original Seymour Duncan Antiquity, which was in my Bravewood.

My bass has a hot G&B Korean pickup to DMT specifications, which I do like.

What is everyone else's experiences? I was thinking Dimarzio Model P, but I have 250k and .47.

stickyfiddle

I will admit I have only played one P bass pickup in anger but the bog standard Lollar I have in my P is phenomenal. 

Bod

I recently bought a set of Dimarzio DP122s for my P-Bass - they're great.  I play punk and they're perfect.

Schnozz

Bod said:

I recently bought a set of Dimarzio DP122s for my P-Bass - they're great.  I play punk and they're perfect.

What pots and cap do you use?

I'd normally go Bartolini, but I think their P pickups are favoured for modern basses. 

I like the sound of the Lindy Fralins, but everything seems so expensive now. More than £100 for a P pickup

ICBM

Schnozz said:

I was thinking Dimarzio Model P, but I have 250k and .47.

Although those aren't the recommended values it should be fine. DiMarzio recommend a 500K volume and a 250K tone (with a .033uF cap), which I never like - in my opinion the tone control should not be a lower value than the volume, it just makes things muddy because essentially you can't turn the tone control up further than halfway. The other way round is good.

Bod

Schnozz said:

Bod said:

I recently bought a set of Dimarzio DP122s for my P-Bass - they're great.  I play punk and they're perfect.

What pots and cap do you use?

I'd normally go Bartolini, but I think their P pickups are favoured for modern basses. 

I like the sound of the Lindy Fralins, but everything seems so expensive now. More than £100 for a P pickup

I don't remember, sorry. It's a Squier VM PJ actually, and it's whatever came installed as standard.

theimageofall

I put some Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders in mine (which I’m selling in case you were interested in the pickups) and found them really good.

PhilKing

I have a BKP 58 P-bass in my 1966 Precision and it is perfect for the sound I want, lots of low end growl and still cuts through the band.

Funkfingers

11k with Alnico 5 rod magnets is the traditional formula. 

My poshest P Bass has a Duncan Antiquity. My 1978/79 P Bass has a Duncan Active EQ series pickup (the ones with little white DIP switches on them). 

DiMarzio Will Power Middle is nice for Rock music. Its replacement model - the Relentless M - should be just as good. 

Bartolini 8S is better after a series/parallel wiring mod. Parallel mode makes a nice volume balance with a 9J-L bridge position pickup.

It will not surprise forum regulars to learn that I am no fan of the Duncan Quarter-Pound P or J pickups. 

Finally, the Fishman Fluence Mike Inez signature bass pickup produces a great P Bass sound. Unfortunately, so far, it is only available in EMG35 soapbar format.

fretmeister

I still love my Aguilar AG-4P. 1960's recreation.

I also love the EMG P-X. The X series is a much better pickup than the regular one.

Whitecat

I put a Lollar in my American Standard. Exceptional. Seems more “defined” than the old pickup (mine predated the use of any so-called “custom shop” pickups) - still all the punch and rolled-off roundness that any good P-bass needs. 

GoFish

Anyone tried the Lindy Fralin?

They seem to be the other contenders at around the price of the Lollars (and the Fender 62 & 63 sets.)

Antiquities are now prohibitive imo and I don't think they'll be better than all the above. 

Edit: Just seen @Schnozz 's post - don't look at the Antiquities!!

Schnozz

I've been looking at the EMG GZR, SD SPB-1, Lindy Fralin and Creamery '58.

I can't afford a Bare Knuckle '58 and I used a meaty SPB-3 in my teens for Sk8er Rock/Indie etc, but fancy a good all-rounder, or something angry like Shuker's JJB. Creamery has a '74 but sod all for demos.

I'm not sure about Dimarzios due to the 500k and .33, otherwise I would have just gone for one of those.

Rocker

The standard factory fitted pickups on my Fender Precision bass sound absolutely fine to me. What amp are you (the OP) using as that outputs what you and your audience hear?

Neilybob

Does @OilCityPickups do a set? 

OilCityPickups

Neilybob said:

Does @OilCityPickups do a set? 

I do several ... from 1/4 magnet high output types to vintage varieties. 

Schnozz

OilCityPickups said:

Neilybob said:

Does @OilCityPickups do a set? 

I do several ... from 1/4 magnet high output types to vintage varieties. 

Ah - Didn't know you did bass too

OilCityPickups

Schnozz said:

OilCityPickups said:

Neilybob said:

Does @OilCityPickups do a set? 

I do several ... from 1/4 magnet high output types to vintage varieties. 

Ah - Didn't know you did bass too

Tim my business partner is a bass player ... I'd be lynched if I didn't :-) 

idiotwind

I've got the Creamery '65 in my fretless and have been very happy with that.

Funkfingers

Schnozz said:

I've been looking at the EMG GZR.

Good, solid sounding pickup. (I have one in a bitsabass.)

IMO, the frequency response of the EMG-GZR P pickup is tailored to plectrum and fingernail style playing. I find it consistently less trebly than, say, the DiMarzio Will Power M. 

The EMG Solderless™ wiring harness employs 250k pots but the value of the capacitor on the tone control pot's PCB is not specified.

guitarfishbay

Agree the GZR has less top end.  It's a nice pickup but I prefer the Duncan SPB1 I ended up using - it sounds exactly like how I imagine a P bass sounds