51 Reissue P-Bass Pickups.Which One's???

[shadven]

If you have a CIJ/MIJ, yes, it's Alnico. I have no idea about Squier ones.
IME, the Duncan is probably the overally fatter and smoother sounding of the bunch, taming the "small single pole piece" effect a bit.

Moreover, I don't know about Fralin's and Lollar's, but if their size specs on their sites match those on the Knuckles', then you might have the same kind of "problem" for the fit. I would not be surprised, as they all seem to echo the true vintage design with thick rope cover wound around the bobbin and push-back wires.

I can guarantee the Duncans are fine as a non-vintage replacement and fit the Japanese cavity with no issues. Not to mention that if what you are not 100% keen on is the true Tele pickup character, you'd probably feel more at home with the ¼ pounder than the Knuckles, Fralins and the likes.

I know it's a bit of a stretch, but try listening to Message In A Bottle's isolated bass track on YouTube. Recording techniques and amps apart, that to me exemplifies the rawness of the original tele single coil... Having said that, based on what you state you have all the tools in your rig to fatten and shape it to a sound close to you... But if that burp with sharp attack and relatively short sustain seems to bother you, then you probably need to stray away from the original design and the Quarter Pounder or a humbucker solution might be the way to go

Fralin sand Lollar both drop in with no modifications.

 

[jimi55lp]

Anyone know what pup is in Dusty Hill's '51 P-Bass?

 

[2saddleslab]

Anyone know what pup is in Dusty Hill's '51 P-Bass?

The same pickup Sting & I use, a Seymour Duncan Stinger Stack.

 

[jbun]

I totally agree, they sound fantastic and the hum is not that bad (ofc it all depends on the situation/gear etc.).

I will not swap my CIJ 51 pickup, it is just perfect!

The hum cancelling version will go on a jazz bass project (backup bass).
I'll give an update on the Iuso pickups if I end up buying them.

Did you ever buy the Iuso pickups? Contemplating getting the hum-canceling TBA54DB but they require a tax ID number, which is my SSN, which I'm disinclined to share over insecure pathways like the guy's website and in print on shipping manifests...

 

[kodiakblair]

Lollar and Fralin are the best.

That doesn't gel with my observations,

Good friend installed the Fralin so I hot-tailed it round to his place, looking to score his old pickup Hopes were dashed when I got there; Dougie announced he'd made a big mistake, dropped £100 odd on the Fralin for SFA improvement and to rub salt in the wound had moved the original pickup on before his Fralin arrived. Poor sod was right scunnered and never played that bass again, stuck it in a cupboard with a veil drawn over it

I wasn't so close for the Lollar. Spotted one on the used market about 2 hours after it sold. This new owner had it back up for sale about 4 weeks later. I was yet again late to the party but had another chance when 6 weeks later it was back in the classified ads.

If 3rd light is bad luck then what would being the 4th owner in 10 weeks be ?

I sure as heck wasn't about to find out

 

[shadven]

I agree, Lollar and Fralin are the best out there. 10% over is a good choice in particular on the Fralins. I have 6 early P and Telecaster basses, and I've owned 20 or so and I've tried almost every p/u out there. Those two sound the best… maybe better than the stock pickups.

 

[kodiakblair]

I agree, Lollar and Fralin are the best out there.

If that's a response to my post then I'm thinking you didn't actually read it

A search for either here in Euroland turns up almost none praising the virtues, just a whole lot of for sale ads from folks who tried them then want to move them on.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

I won't criticize Lollar or Fralin, as I've never owned one.
But I agree with @kodiakblair generally, that a brand name, or any amount of praise here, mean almost nothing, sadly. This is partly because "there's no accounting for taste", even our own. For example, the J pickups I probably think are the most beautiful came from a Glarry, and are ceramic. I'm saying that this opinion of mine should probably be worth nothing to you. It is sad.

 

[kodiakblair]

For example, the J pickups I probably think are the most beautiful came from a Glarry, and are ceramic.

Nothing sad about that friend as there's nothing wrong with ceramic mag pickups, DiMarzio uses ceramic magnets.

One of my favourite SCPBs has a Peavey Super Ferrite installed, looks ugly as sin but sounds great.

 

[Hundred proof]

Having been down this road before… this was my choice

 

[kodiakblair]

Having been down this road before… this was my choice

Very nice, travelled that road myself

Also went down several alnico V 9k/9.5k ohm roads, detoured via alnico V 29.9k ohm to 9.5k ohm alnico II. Fancied a change of scenery so motored off the beaten track with TV Jones, Lakland Chi Sonic, Fender WRHB and a T-bird humbucker. Then I spent time with various hum-cancelling single coils.

That was before I got busted by a noise abatement order for running neodymium magnets Looked to avoid a repeat offense with a quad coil alnico V/Neodymium, sadly poor £/performance ratio with that

Currently enjoying getting from A to B then C with this, sports a Super Economy alnico V 6.8k ohm