Best Bass Pickups and Bass Preamps

[Passinwind]

If I ever decide to go active on the Jr I might take the plunge and try to build one of your designs, but building things is difficult for me any more.

Same here, especially for woodworking.

 

[PeaveyPlayer]

I got my Randy Jackson Peavey bass and put in the victor Wooten set and with the original pre

emg JX and Aguilar OBP3

and I had Nordstrand’s with an emg pre

 

[Ric5]

Jerry Sentell makes great custom pickups

 

[Ric5]

Nordstrand pickups are also very good

 

[maeda]

I have been running a Bartolini preamp into MEC Gold active pickups on my main bass for a long time, I found the Bartolini to be a much better match for that setup. I think pickups are very subjective tho, I really dislike open pole pieces for example, and I wouldn't try to tell anyone else that open pole pieces are bad either- just not my thing! That said, I really like Bartolini pickups. Nordstrands I find to be too bright for my tastes. In general I try to go for the most even, uncolored sound, and let the bass and my fingers do the talkin'.

I bought that set of Q-Tuners to build a bass around when I only had the Warmoth neck on hand.

Never wanted to change them out. I added the ACG-01 a year or so ago and it seems to work pretty well with the Q-Tuners.

Always wanted to try Q-Tuners, but never took the plunge. Seemed to be the kind of ruthless uncolored clarity I wanted.

 

[claudel]

<snip>

Always wanted to try Q-Tuners, but never took the plunge. Seemed to be the kind of ruthless uncolored clarity I wanted.

That's a good way to put it...

Lots of open pole pieces in the 1st gen, though. Gone in the 2nd

 

[InhumanResource]

What do you think is the best/better bass pickup and preamp?
I have one bass with Nordstrand and another with Bartolini. The Nordstrand is definitely better I think. Thinking about upgrading the Bartolini with something else. Not sure which one to pick. The model with Bartolini is Ibanez SRSC805
Here's the general and short list of pickup brands. Is this good idea to get matching preamp or there could be mix? Would be great to know what others think:
Aguilar
Bartolini
DiMarzio
EMG
Fender
Lakland Pickups
Nordstrand
Seymour Duncan
Victor Wooten EMG Set
...
The new Ibanez model comes with Aguilar, for example - SR2405W. It sounds great in videos:

Plain fender single coils are my favorite. The G&L MFD humbuckers are great too, along with Nordy.

For cost and ease of use it's hard to argue against EMG. Dead quiet and they sound great.

I never was happy with bartolini products and didn't like any of the Seymour Duncan stuff that I tried, but that's just me. Didn't like Aguilar either.

Hands down the best preamp I have ever used came from John East. Worth every penny.

 

[kcducttaper]

Thank you very much. Please let me and others know what is your experience with Aguilar preamp when you upgrade. This would be very interesting to know. Thanks, Art

I'll try to remember to drop a post whenever I get it all tidied up. In the mean time, here's a video I found that helped me pull the trigger on the Aguilar. I imagine my mileage should sound very similar to this since the 7XX and the 5XX series had the same Bartolini electronics at the time:

 

[mellowgerman]

Lots of great options out there. For me it's the Novak Bisonic pickup into my Alembic SF-2 Superfilter rack unit.
If I was going on-board active, I'd go Alembic AXY pickups and Series II electronics.

 

[Art1606]

I'll try to remember to drop a post whenever I get it all tidied up. In the mean time, here's a video I found that helped me pull the trigger on the Aguilar. I imagine my mileage should sound very similar to this since the 7XX and the 5XX series had the same Bartolini electronics at the time:

Great!! Thank you! Aguilar sounds awesome to compare to Barto... Thanks again, Art.

 

[kcducttaper]

I also had an Aguilar OBP-3 in a Lakland 55-01 I used to own. The MK-1 pre just seemed weak to me but the Aggie livened up the sound and made it a lot more usable for me. I sold the bass before I could upgrade the pickups, but I had wanted to go with Nordstrands in that size (Big Splits, Big Singles, Fat Stacks). It would have been a killer combo.

Kinda wish you'd kept that and tried the Nordy pickups. I'm installing an Aguilar OBP-3 in my Ibanez SR755 now. After that's done, I'd considered upgrading the pickups to either Aguilar DCB or Nordy Big Splits as budget and motivation allow. Of course, I could be perfectly happy just rocking my Bart MK-1 pups into my OBP-3. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[DaveAceofBass]

My favorite pickups are Nordstrands and Kent Armstrongs (handwound). Everyone knows about the Nordstrands, but Kent Armstrong is still one of the best in the business!

My favorite preamp is John East. A close runner up would be either a Sadowsky preamp or Aguilar OBP-3. Both are great in different applications.

 

[rickreyn]

What do you think is the best/better bass pickup and preamp?
I have one bass with Nordstrand and another with Bartolini. The Nordstrand is definitely better I think. Thinking about upgrading the Bartolini with something else. Not sure which one to pick. The model with Bartolini is Ibanez SRSC805
Here's the general and short list of pickup brands. Is this good idea to get matching preamp or there could be mix? Would be great to know what others think:
Aguilar
Bartolini
DiMarzio
EMG
Fender
Lakland Pickups
Nordstrand
Seymour Duncan
Victor Wooten EMG Set
...
The new Ibanez model comes with Aguilar, for example - SR2405W. It sounds great in videos:

I have an Alien Audio bass with Nordstrand double P's (two sets) with an on-board pre-amp designed by the late Mo West of SWR. I've owned basses with Bartolini, EMG, Lakland, Sadowski, Fender, and Warwick. None surpass the nuances you can get out of this setup with only a tiny fraction of a turn of all the dials. AlienAudioAlienAudio

 

[And I]

There are as many different "bests" as their are bassists. Sorry for the non-answer, but without specific criteria there is nothing but subjective opinion.

 

[skyline_01]

Kinda wish you'd kept that and tried the Nordy pickups. I'm installing an Aguilar OBP-3 in my Ibanez SR755 now. After that's done, I'd considered upgrading the pickups to either Aguilar DCB or Nordy Big Splits as budget and motivation allow. Of course, I could be perfectly happy just rocking my Bart MK-1 pups into my OBP-3. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Sometimes I wish I'd kept that bass too, but I just had too much GAS for a brand new Jazz Deluxe V at the time (which I don't own anymore lol). The Jazz was replaced by my current workhorse, a G&L L2500 Tribute.

I'd really love to get a 55-02 someday and do a pickup/pre upgrade and switch the coil tap to a series/single coil/parallel switch. Those are killer instruments.

Keep on rockin' the Ibanez - I think you'll find that it's a different instrument after the pre is installed.

 

[MaxSpinrun]

Sometimes I wish I'd kept that bass too, but I just had too much GAS for a brand new Jazz Deluxe V at the time (which I don't own anymore lol). The Jazz was replaced by my current workhorse, a G&L L2500 Tribute.

I'd really love to get a 55-02 someday and do a pickup/pre upgrade and switch the coil tap to a series/single coil/parallel switch. Those are killer instruments.

Keep on rockin' the Ibanez - I think you'll find that it's a different instrument after the pre is installed.

I used Nordstrand Big Singles and Jazz Bars in my 44-01 with a custom Audere pre, I want to try a John East pre with a sweepable mid.

 

[39-Bassist]

Tooooooo many variables.
EVERY manufacturer has a great sounding pickup.
Example: S.D. SPB-1, EMG Geezers, Fender Original 63...you get the idea.
It unfortunately comes down to what pickup works best with the setup of woods, strings, parts and electronics, for the sound YOU like and want.
I am sure others have said nearly the same thing.

 

[Charlzm]

I have had basses with Bartolini and EMG pickups, neither of which did much for me. Nordstrands, however, rule my world. I have put them into three basses so far and I suspect I'll be putting them in more to come.

As far as electronics, I have no reccos since I prefer passive. I know I particularly didn't care for what a Darkglass Tone Capsule did for a bass I bought used. I had it removed.

 

[ctmullins]

I have had basses with Bartolini and EMG pickups, neither of which did much for me. Nordstrands, however, rule my world.

Which Bartolini? Which EMG? Which Nordstrand?

Each of those three manufacturers makes a wide variety of pickups, with a wide variety of tones. You simply cannot generalize based on brand alone.

 

[Art1606]

Which Bartolini? Which EMG? Which Nordstrand?

Each of those three manufacturers makes a wide variety of pickups, with a wide variety of tones. You simply cannot generalize based on brand alone.

The Bartolini MK1. Thanks.