Good pickups for a punk-rockish tone?

dwagner · #1 02-26-2013, 03:08 PM

I have a Squier VM Jazz and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on pickups to get a more Mark Hoppus/Mike Dirnt bass tone. Would Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders be a good solution or are there not really any better solutions ie am I better off with the pickups I already have?

39-Bassist · #2 02-26-2013, 03:15 PM

1/4 pounders are safe bet for that....but not always....I use the STK 2's in mine (hotter output) and they sound great.....good luck

goldenglory18 · #3 02-26-2013, 03:15 PM

yeah, SPB-3 pickups and a tube preamp with scooped mids.

tangentmusic · #4 02-26-2013, 03:20 PM

So I see you pulled the trigger on that lefty VM Jazz you were considering in your other thread.. good choice.

I would, if I were you, play around with the knobs on both bass & amp. You should be able to get a nice array of tones without modding the bass just yet. I know that mods were a concern in your other thread too. With a decent amp you should be OK.

You do have an amp, right?
Without a decent amp, you'll never get the sound you want with or without replacing p'ups in the bass.

This should be your starting point.

Also too, before replacing pick ups, or going out and upgrading to a bigger and better amp, a simple stomp box may help you somewhat get the nice punky tone you're after

dwagner · #5 02-26-2013, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangentmusic

You do have an amp, right?
Without a decent amp, you'll never get the sound you want with or without replacing p'ups in the bass.

I do not at the moment. I do have a little PA system at the moment though. Will a bass head and this PA work for now?

sbpark · #6 02-26-2013, 04:32 PM

If it's punk rock it doesn't matter what pickup is in there. Just use what you got! You think Sid Vicious, Paul Simonon, etc. gave a crap about what pickups were in their basses?! It's punk, so just plug it in, turn it up and play. Plugging your bass into a PA or home stereo is pretty puck rock in my opinion!

spaz21387 · #7 02-26-2013, 04:38 PM

I play bass in a punkrock band. The bigger the amp the better the stock pickups will sound. I used to be into modding basses swapping pickups and stuff but that was when all i had was a little ampeg ba115 combo... Now I have an swr 6x10 and a hartke lh500 and it makes any bass sound good even cheap affinity squiers... save your money for an amp dont worry about pickups the vm series pickups arent that bad if you ask me.

bolg55 · #8 02-26-2013, 04:38 PM

Not about pickups, but Hoppus has actually stated that he uses more mids, not less. But to the OP the 1/4 pounders work great for what you're trying to achieve. I have 'em and I love 'em

mpdd · #9 02-26-2013, 04:39 PM

used a gibson grabber, now use g&ls: sb-2 bright, L2k - deep

tangentmusic · #10 02-26-2013, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwagner

I do not at the moment. I do have a little PA system at the moment though. Will a bass head and this PA work for now?

It'll work as a stopgap for now.
Don't be putting the cart before the horse here.

1) Bass - which you just purchased. I think you will be happy with it stock - they're really nice basses. The Duncan Designed pick ups are fine. Acutally they are quite good.
2) Amp - you will need a good amp soon.
3) Effects - if any- to get you closer to the sound you want.
4) Mods - Changing out p'ups should be your last step in acheiving a tone you're not happy with, but many players still find that tone in their head elusive. Swapping out pickguards and hardware is nice for a different look, but is mostly cosmetic -

rubbadubdub · #11 02-26-2013, 05:09 PM

Pickups are only a small part of the signal chain. A 4x12 and some attitude will go a long way. If you really must change your pickups then di marzio or quarter pounders would be a good place to start. A band I sessioned for hired a rig said to have belonged to Glenn Mattocks. I sounded like doggy doo through it so it's definately how you approach the thing. I'm no punk that's for certain.

dwagner · #12 02-26-2013, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangentmusic

It'll work as a stopgap for now.
Don't be putting the cart before the horse here.
2) Amp - you will need a good amp soon.

What would you suggest for a good amp?
I really wouldn't like to spend more on an amp than I did the actual bass for the time being, so I suppose my budget is 0-350 USD. Can I get anything good for that much? I am only playing one very small venue right now (for the time being), so I am hoping that budget will be enough.

ctmullins · #13 02-26-2013, 06:15 PM

Not really my area of expertise, but - if I were you, I'd get a good stompbox preamp pedal, like a SansAmp, and run that through the PA you're already using.

walterw · #14 02-26-2013, 07:02 PM

+1 to all this being irrelevant until you get an amp. a powerful amp will make any pickup sound better.

Andii Syckz · #15 02-27-2013, 05:49 AM

Punk rock is made to just be played fast. no mods nothing. over time you could. but heck, i play a precision copy and i only changed the pickups to fender originals cause the other ones were lacking output.

rubbadubdub · #16 02-27-2013, 06:00 AM

Punk is or was about attitude more than anything else. Just like the way the old blues players made do with what they had. Those old dudes you see playing 'blues' through boutique amps with fancy guitars didn't usually start out that way. In my opinion they sound over produced and the lyrics have much of the pain and gravitas that made it interesting in the first place long gone. Some of the blues around now is so bland and safe that it misses the point entirely. It was born out of suffering. The music was a cry of anguish.
Punk was much the same. If not anguish, then protest. It is not about wether you have designer footwear, pickups or fancy anything in fact it's about the opposite!
If you don't believe me then ask Malcolm Mc Laren.

johnson79 · #17 02-27-2013, 06:10 AM

I agree with some of the other guys: get an amp first. That bass is just fine as is. Find a used GK or Ampeg head and a 410.

dwagner · #18 02-27-2013, 09:28 AM

Alright, thanks everyone.
For the time being, I also have a guitar amp, which I could also use along with my bass too, if you think that'd be a better makeshift bass amp than a PA would.

Mushroo · #19 02-27-2013, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwagner

Mark Hoppus/Mike Dirnt bass tone.

Both of these guys play P basses. You will not be able to get that exact sound from your J bass. Just get to know your equipment and focus on the awesome punk rock sounds that you can get!

dwagner · #20 02-27-2013, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mushroo

Both of these guys play P basses. You will not be able to get that exact sound from your J bass. Just get to know your equipment and focus on the awesome punk rock sounds that you can get!

Yeah, I do realize that. :P
The issue I had was that there are no left handed P basses under $1000 (ala American Standard). That is not really in my price range. If there was a Squier or MIM P that was lefty, I would have gotten that, but sadly there wasn't. I suppose we should quit focusing on getting other people's tones and develop one for ourselves.