PJ Pickup Set-Sweet-Deep-Mellow-Not Harsh

joegeezer · #1 03-14-2007, 09:30 PM

What do you guys find as the sweetest, deepest, mellow sounding P-J set to be? I have tried EMG actives, and found them to be too harsh sounding. I bought a used set of Bartolini's, and the guy burnt me, cause only the J pickup works, so I couldn't test them out. I was hoping they sounded as good as the Bartolini soapbars do. Do they?? I like to know before I drop another 100 bucks on a new 8S for it. What others may be what I'm looking for? I'd like to stay passive. I hate having to unplug my damn bass everytime I set it aside. How are those Basslines? How about the EMG Selects? What is it I'm looking for that sounds alot like Bartolini soapbars?? Help me out here. Thanks

m.oreilly · #2 03-14-2007, 09:42 PM

i have a set of 'original" barts, ie when they just went from being called "hi-A" pups, and they (p/j set) do indeed sound like what you are after. i don't think you can go wrong with the basslines, nordies, or any of the popular "vintage" style pups made today by these manufacturers. barts come in a "dark" make, i don't have the model # atm though. bestbassgear has a listing of them, i believe

SpankyPants · #3 03-14-2007, 09:49 PM

I plan on using Nordstrand PJ's on my next project bass. theperfectbass.com sells them in a set.

4Mal · #4 03-14-2007, 10:30 PM

Mellow, deep and sweet. hmmm.

To me Bart's come across as compressed and polite. Maybe too polite for some uses. I swore by the 9J set in my smooth jazz days though. The neck in that set is a J, but inside there are split coils like hte P. It's essentially their take n a PJ set in a J J form factor.

Bill Lawrence's P46 and J 45 pickups make a very well balanced, quitet PJ set. Very clear sounding, maybe even a bit brite. Using your rig's EQ - that setup could be a winner. They are very, very good pickups.

My fav's in a PJ set are the Aero Type 1 but - they are a little raw or maybe punchy. It's the sound I hear in my head when I think vintage P or J. Again with a little EQ and compression - these might do the trick. Noisier than the Lawrences but closer to what I'm looking for.

I have yet top hear an EMG that I could live with. Certainly mellow and sweet aren't adjectives that come to mind when I think EMG.

In my rig live or when recording, I get mellow and sweet by providing a clear, clean and fairly raw signal, then applying Q and compression to round off the edges.