I put a Seymor Duncan SPB-3 Quater Pound P-Bass pickup in my 2004 MIM P-Bass and I have found it's output to be not that much hotter than the stock pickup. It's nowhere near as hot as the stock P-Bass style pickup in my Yamaha BB414! The P-Bass style BB414 pickup just about equals the output from my hottest active bass (Modulus M-92 with EMG soapbar).

I bypassed the pots with jumper cables just to make sure they weren't the problem; no increase in output.

Thoughts or similar experience?

I've been saying that for months. You're right. I don't know where the idea came from originally. I use the Quarter Pounder in my old P with a Raven Labs preamp. I was warned it would seriously overdrive the preamp. It doesn't. They seem a little hotter than the stock pickup but not hotter than a Dimarzio I tried, although less harsh and with a thicker bottom. I think they're a good, versatile replacement pickup. They have plenty of output for anything I could imagine needing. I think the idea that you must have super hot pickups comes from guitar players.

Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounds are indeed louder than most of Fender stock PUs but nothing that will clip or overdrive your amp input. I use it in one of my P-basses, it's a real nice replacement pickup.

Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounds are indeed louder than most of Fender stock PUs but nothing that will clip or overdrive your amp input. I use it in one of my P-basses, it's a real nice replacement pickup.

I found this to be true also. Use the SPB-3 and a bridge SJB-3 on my bass.

I found the Qtr pounder to be a bit hotter but not crazy hot I just did not like the more modern tone of it.

I have 1/4 lbs. in my Ibanez and EMG Selects in my SX, the SX is noticeably hotter.

Found the perfect combination:
SPB-3 P pickup and Classic Stack bridge pickup.

My QPs I put in my Geddy Lee (both neck and bridge) and wired them strait to the jack are SMOKING HOT, had to turn the volume down to about 1.5 from 3 on my Workingmans 10 combo as not to annoy the neighbors too much.

The QPs are much hotter than any of my stock Fender pickups. But nowhere near the output of my active G&L. I've never compared the G&L in passive mode to the QPs.