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Adam Clayton vs. Aguilar DCB 4J

M

Michael Russ

Jan 6, 2020
96
284
#1
Hey guys,

Wanted to see if anyone has experience with these two sets of pickups...

I currently have an Adam Clayton signature fender (Sherwood Green) and I like the sound it produces.

However, I'm also a fan of Aguilar pickups. I haven't checked out the dcb series yet, but was considering doing so with the AC bass, as they are similar in eras.

My question is, which one sounds better? I know it's a matter of personal choice, but I haven't had the option to hear the DCB's in person.

Any feedback is appreciated!
 
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#5
DCB Pickups have a VERY LOW and clean vibe to them. To my ears, this is the best example of what they sounded like to me. Use good headphones!

I *previously had the 40DCB's on one of my Spector 5 strings. It was too clean sounding and I never enjoyed it fully. The midrange was almost too clear and it did not work well with that particular bass.

If you like what your bass sounds like right now, I don't recommend changing anything!

@4SG - Why bother replying to the thread at all? The goal of Talkbass is to HELP fellow bass players. Not make them feel bad for the gear or players they like.
 
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#7
Gearhead17 said:
@4SG - Why bother replying to the thread at all? The goal of Talkbass is to HELP fellow bass players. Not make them feel bad for the gear or players they like.
Click to expand...
Because there are some that like to mix some humor in with their help.
Plus, any feedback is appreciated was asked for. That was any.

:)
 
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#9
Thanks everyone for the responses about the pickups.

@Gearhead17 thanks for that video! The variety in genres really helped differentiate what those pickups work best for (to my ears at least).

@JimmyM I had considered that as well. I'm beginning a bass project from scratch (my first really) and thought it might better serve me to put them in there instead. That's part of why I made the post, but I was interested to see what others thought about swapping them out first.

To all the other responses... lol. What a great day to be alive. I don't take offense to what others say that easily. Plus I figure this is a very diverse group where some will actually not like good music or bass playing.

Seriously though, it's just a post about some pickups. And I appreciate what others have to say.
 
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#10
I like the DCBs and have them in 3 different basses, one is my primary player (built by me).

To me, they’re clean and I can easily play them passively or with the pre engaged. Not sure about the other pickups you mentioned, but after looking at the specs of that AC jazz bass I don’t know that I would swap them out if happy with the sound.

While all 3 of these basses have different physical sizes of pickups, they are all DCBs and all have the OBP3 pre with a passive tone pot.
IMG_4656.jpeg IMG_4657.jpeg IMG_4658.jpeg
 
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#15
Stranger Danger said:
Nice! Someone with a sense of humor.

I didn’t think there were any musicians who liked U2! Mostly my assumption is U2 is music for people who don’t like music. Like people who think Taco Bell is good Mexican food.
Click to expand...

I LOVED them up until about Pop, and it's pretty near impossible to argue the run they made up until that point, or capping it at Achtung Baby if you want, was not a completely legitimate artistic achievement. It may be hard to see it now because it feels like they're actively dismantling their legacy with crap like Vegas residencies. Also, even in their later years, one of the most consistent parts of their sound is Clayton's tone, which is for me is close the platonic ideal of rock bass: Bright, punchy with a perfect amount of drive to dirty it up.
 
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#16
burpgun said:
I LOVED them up until about Pop, and it's pretty near impossible to argue the run they made up until that point, or capping it at Achtung Baby if you want, was not a completely legitimate artistic achievement. It may be hard to see it now because it feels like they're actively dismantling their legacy with crap like Vegas residencies. Also, even in their later years, one of the most consistent parts of their sound is Clayton's tone, which is for me is close the platonic ideal of rock bass: Bright, punchy with a perfect amount of drive to dirty it up.
Click to expand...
Platonic is about right. Nothing vaguely sexual about that tone.

JK, couldn’t resist
 
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#20
Michael Russ said:
Hey guys,

Wanted to see if anyone has experience with these two sets of pickups...

I currently have an Adam Clayton signature fender (Sherwood Green) and I like the sound it produces.

However, I'm also a fan of Aguilar pickups. I haven't checked out the dcb series yet, but was considering doing so with the AC bass, as they are similar in eras.

My question is, which one sounds better? I know it's a matter of personal choice, but I haven't had the option to hear the DCB's in person.

Any feedback is appreciated!
Click to expand...

Are you referring to the DCB-Js?

I have DCB-5J on a G&L JB5. Compare to the original jazz pickups with exposed pole pieces, the DCBs sound smoother.

However, for your case, I would think it's best to keep a signature fender as it is.
 

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