cheap MM pickups

[tdogg]

has anybody tried those cheap musicman style pckups that i keep seeing on ebay? brand names like mighty-mite and wilkinson come to mind. how do these things sound? alot of there pickups are like $15. just curious

[robert43]

I have tried Wilson waste of $ if you want cheap go to GFS much better

[kyral210]

Like anything in life, you get what you pay for. A cheep pickup will rob your bass of power and tone, don't do it.

I would recommend an SMB-4a pickup:



Link to info
http://www.seymourduncan.com/product...mb4a_5a_3coil/

You will pay 3 times as much, but the sound will be unbelievable!

[0175westwood29]

yeh dnt do it they worse than the stock pup that probs in your bass anyway!

price = quality

you wouldn't buy a car that cost £100 and expect it to be like a £6000 car would you.

[stEpzFleadoMe]

i've used mighty mite on my cort g65 sounds overall great..but try seymour duncan's or bartolini mmX series..sounds marvelous

[optikhog]

Originally Posted by robert43

I have tried Wilson waste of $ if you want cheap go to GFS much better

+1. http://store.guitarfetish.com/gfsmmproplal.html

[tdogg]

yeah i figured they'd be pretty bad, i think you guys just saved me $12.99. thanks!

[boonerstreet]

Originally Posted by optikhog

+1. http://store.guitarfetish.com/gfsmmproplal.html

hmmm.... that pickup looks interesting. Any personal experience?

[optikhog]

Originally Posted by boonerstreet

hmmm.... that pickup looks interesting. Any personal experience?

I have one in my EB clone and it's great. TONS of controlled low-end and super-high output. Highs are bright but glassy.

[boonerstreet]

When you say EB clone are you referring to an olp by any chance? Cause I'm thinking of installing a new pickup to my olp mm2 but I kind of like the sound of the stock one and I'm wondering how after market pickups compare.

[rickfan63]

I have a Bartolini MM replacement pick-up in my OLP/MM Sring Ray. Excellent sound and tone. Stay away from the cheapies unless you know what you are getting.

[optikhog]

Originally Posted by boonerstreet

When you say EB clone are you referring to an olp by any chance? Cause I'm thinking of installing a new pickup to my olp mm2 but I kind of like the sound of the stock one and I'm wondering how after market pickups compare.

Nope, I have the Douglas clone that came out around Thanksgiving. It actually came with the GFS pickup installed, so I can't speak to its power over other pickups. I know there are some very positive reviews here in the forums.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by kyral210

Like anything in life, you get what you pay for. A cheep pickup will rob your bass of power and tone, don't do it.

I would recommend an SMB-4a pickup:



Link to info
http://www.seymourduncan.com/product...mb4a_5a_3coil/

You will pay 3 times as much, but the sound will be unbelievable!

A pickup being cheap doesnt mean its bad. The vast majority of pickups are vastly overpriced. My favourite guitar pickups are made by a guy down south, and he makes them for £30 to £40 ish each (you can get them cheaper through his shop on ebay). He hand makes them, and they are amazingly good , i much prefer what he does to other makers.

You just need to know where to find good pickups at a decent price .

Unfortunatley i havent convinced him to make any bass ones yet

[boonerstreet]

Originally Posted by optikhog

Nope, I have the Douglas clone that came out around Thanksgiving. It actually came with the GFS pickup installed, so I can't speak to its power over other pickups. I know there are some very positive reviews here in the forums.

Okay cool, thanks for the info. I might look into this pickup.

[MrWalker]

Ok, just offering my two cents...
I know I'm resurrecting a "dead" thread, but I got a Wilkinson for $16 on eBay a while ago for a ultra-cheap Asian import bass I'm brushing up for a boy in the neighbourhood. The Wilkinson sounds really poor, it's a lot worse than the stock pickup that came with the bass. So that upgrade was definitely a downgrade, and I'm throwing it in the trash to be honest. Not worth the $15... which says a lot, IMO.

I'm discussing whether to upgrade the pickup at all. The stock one sounds decent but doesn't shine (but then, the bass doesn't "shine" either). But upgrading it to a Bart or SD seems like an overkill, unless one can be had for cheap.

[GeoffByrne]

Why not put a cheap Atrec Pre in it? Nearly as cheap.

[Bassslayer69]

anybody have experience with the Artec mm replacement pickup?
the coils can be split on these as well.

[BobXboB]

Originally Posted by tdogg

has anybody tried those cheap musicman style pckups that i keep seeing on ebay? brand names like mighty-mite and wilkinson come to mind. how do these things sound? alot of there pickups are like $15. just curious

The Wilkinson p bass ones sound killer. If a super cheap pre CBS Fender pickup with super sloppy tolerances can sound good these can too.

$ does not = tone.

Arthur C. Clarke once said "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." If you learn a little about what a pickup is the magic disappears and a $150 pickup starts to look like an $80 power cord sold to audiophiles.

[tdogg]

ive heard the MM pickups at guitarfetish.com are ok

[PilbaraBass]

ahhh the black art of pickup making...people think that a cheap pickup can't possibly sound good...

IF a pickup is magnetised properly, has the right amount of winds, and is potted to prevent it becoming microphonic, there's nothing to say that a cheap pickup cannot sound as good as a mass-produced name-brand pickup.

I dare say that the cheapie PU's cannot generally stand up to the boutiques like the Nordies and the Fralins, however, because much care is taken i the production process, but even THEN you can sometimes find a "good 'un" cheapie that can give the 'tique-ees a good run.

the difference between $20 pickup and $150 pickup is #1...construction quality, #2...consistancy in production, #3...and most important QC and service.