'50s Precision Pickup Opinions

[jbiscuti]

I'm getting a '54 P reissue tonight (fingers crossed!) and I'd like to get it into my gigging rotation immediately. My main gigging bass is a Road Worn P with DiMarzio Model P's.

1. Is there a SCPB pickup that has the output and punch of the DiMarzio? Its such a deep yet punchy and LOUD pickup. I judge everything else by this one.
2. Are there any good noiseless SCPB pickups in the market?

[jbiscuti]

BTW - the bass in question comes equipped with an Antiquity.

[iiipopes]

Originally Posted by jbiscuti

1. Is there a SCPB pickup that has the output and punch of the DiMarzio? Its such a deep yet punchy and LOUD pickup. I judge everything else by this one.
2. Are there any good noiseless SCPB pickups in the market?

1. Output & Punch: Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder.
2. Noiseless: Lindy Fralin "Split." He'll construct it however you want if you have the $$.

[Mojo-Man]

Lollar makes a nice 50's style pickup.

[IPA]

The SCPB3 is loud and deep. Really put some balls on my Sting bass. Its output is now much more in line with my other split-pickup P

[johnp352]

seymour duncan vertically stacked SC..everything you are looking for, with the added ability to go from a vertically stacked noiseless to a traditional single coil..put it on a switch, or better yet a blend control.

I had the Lindy side/side SC and while I liked it, missed the SC sound- it sounds more like a trad pbass pickup.

the seymour is one of their custom shop PUs, costs the same as the Lindy or the Lollar. and yep, I am an endorser..for a good reason.

[jbiscuti]

Originally Posted by johnp352

seymour duncan vertically stacked SC..everything you are looking for, with the added ability to go from a vertically stacked noiseless to a traditional single coil..put it on a switch, or better yet a blend control.

I had the Lindy side/side SC and while I liked it, missed the SC sound- it sounds more like a trad pbass pickup.

the seymour is one of their custom shop PUs, costs the same as the Lindy or the Lollar. and yep, I am an endorser..for a good reason.

Thanks for that! I went ahead and ordered a SCPB-3, but if I'm disappointed or driven mad by the noise I'll check out the stacked one.

[johnp352]

Originally Posted by jbiscuti

Thanks for that! I went ahead and ordered a SCPB-3, but if I'm disappointed or driven mad by the noise I'll check out the stacked one.

If you like the SC sound (and I think that's why you'd buy a tele/51 P in the first place) then you'll like the SD single coil pu's..the 3 being the beeeg one. the vertical stack just seems to make the bass more versatile..but that's somewhat like saying "I want my esquire to be more versatile' when what you really want is just a b2thewall sound of a noisy single coil. mmv here.

at any rate, geetar players, JB players et all have been putting up with the SC noise for over 50 years. Welcome to the club. and keep away from the lights..

[bdgotoh]

I've tried a bunch of them and the Duncan SCPB-3 sounds the best IMO. All of the attack of the original with more oomph and less dropouts with slight string bends.

I liked the Fralin split coil SCP pickup much better than the Duncan Stack for tone. YMMV.

[George Mann]

Originally Posted by johnp352

If you like the SC sound (and I think that's why you'd buy a tele/51 P in the first place) then you'll like the SD single coil pu's..

I will have to strongly disagree with you here. The SD's sound Markedly different from an actual vintage single-coil, being that they have significantly more treble than the original.

Aero offers a ready-made (improved) replacement that is otherwise faithful to the original.

[Spinal Tapper]

Maybe you'll like how it sounds with the Antiquity...

[jbiscuti]

Originally Posted by Spinal Tapper

Maybe you'll like how it sounds with the Antiquity...

It's not bad. I have a gig tonight - if the new pickup doesn't arrive before then I'll give it a go with the Antiquity. I have nothing to compare it to so its hard to say.

[johnp352]

Originally Posted by George Mann

I will have to strongly disagree with you here. The SD's sound Markedly different from an actual vintage single-coil, being that they have significantly more treble than the original.

Aero offers a ready-made (improved) replacement that is otherwise faithful to the original.

I've had 3 60's era tele basses George, that's what I was comparing it to..not an original SC 50's P bass. There was a difference in tone between the 3 tele basses, but all of them were really bright sounding basses..I've tried SD antiquity's too, as well as the hotter pickups, and while the hotter pickups might have more of an edge to them, the ant's were pretty spot on.

I think it also depends a lot on what you are using this bass for, what kind of music that is ..it appears here on TB that people put flats on them and use them for blues, but in my book, that's what precisions are for- A tele bass is a great rock bass with RW's blasting through a Hiwatt..I always relate it to an Esquire guitar.

[George Mann]

Originally Posted by johnp352

A tele bass is a great rock bass with RW's blasting through a Hiwatt..I always relate it to an Esquire guitar.

Nuts!

[TimWatson]

I have only played a few 50's P-basses, and I HATE SC noise fwiw. But the Quarter pounders sounded so good I could easily get over it. Good luck and congrats.