Bart CB vs SD Phase II

[Rando McNally]

Hello!

I am trying to decide between two replacement pickups: Bartolini CF5CB vs. Seymour Duncan Phase II SSB5.

Barts: http://www.bestbassgear.com/bartolini-cf5-pickups.htm

Duncan: http://www.seymourduncan.com/product...b45_passive_p/

The Duncans can be had for about $115 a set, the Barts go for $210 a set, so if they're even close the Duncans will win.

I haven't demoed either of these, or A/B'd them at all. I won't be able to do that at all before I buy, so I'm looking to you, Talkbass, to lend me your experience.

OR, set me straight on something else to consider. The current pickups are 39mm x 105mm. We can wiggle a few mm smaller, or I can put something bigger in there, as I would rate my woodworking skillz somewhere between mad and sick, BUT, I'd rather just drop in some replacements and go.

If anybody has a set they'd like to sell me, lemme know.

Tonally, I'm going for a setup that give FOH (bass DI to board) a good balanced bass tone with plenty of tight focused low end, and on stage I keep the lows out and need plenty of good clean midrange with some high end sparkle to cut through my heavy handed drummer.

Okay, hit me!!

[blueacid4l]

I too would be interested on some input

[maurilio]

Originally Posted by Rando McNally

Hello!

I am trying to decide between two replacement pickups: Bartolini CF5CB vs. Seymour Duncan Phase II SSB5.

Barts: http://www.bestbassgear.com/bartolini-cf5-pickups.htm

Duncan: http://www.seymourduncan.com/product...b45_passive_p/

The Duncans can be had for about $115 a set, the Barts go for $210 a set, so if they're even close the Duncans will win.

I haven't demoed either of these, or A/B'd them at all. I won't be able to do that at all before I buy, so I'm looking to you, Talkbass, to lend me your experience.

OR, set me straight on something else to consider. The current pickups are 39mm x 105mm. We can wiggle a few mm smaller, or I can put something bigger in there, as I would rate my woodworking skillz somewhere between mad and sick, BUT, I'd rather just drop in some replacements and go.

If anybody has a set they'd like to sell me, lemme know.

Tonally, I'm going for a setup that give FOH (bass DI to board) a good balanced bass tone with plenty of tight focused low end, and on stage I keep the lows out and need plenty of good clean midrange with some high end sparkle to cut through my heavy handed drummer.

Okay, hit me!!

You know these two models don't have the same shape?

[~ignited~wings~]

From my experience bartolini pickups are worth the extra cash, but my opinion of good tone may not be the same as yours.

[Rando McNally]

Originally Posted by maurilio

You know these two models don't have the same shape?

Well, I sure do. But they're pretty close. This size is almost impossible to find. Really, the barts are the only one that really fit, the Basslines are, eh, a little small, but they're seriously the only other pair I could find that was close.

So, I've been looking at some larger ones as well, that I'd have to route out my bass to install.

[mrufino1]

I had the seymour duncan's in my gecko bass, awesome pickups. I am pretty sure that they are the same as the sadowsky humbuckers, or were when I bought them (they had just come out at that time). Very big sound, nice in the highs, not clanky at all- I had them in series running just through a volume knob.

[Rando McNally]

Cool, thanks for the feedback! Keep it coming TB!