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Best Punchy and Versatile Pickup Overall

T

TheLostEString

Sep 3, 2013
6
0
#1
Bill Lawrence P-46 (I like how this one is really cheap but its a high quality sounding pickup.)
Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders (Almost every bassist has this pickup. Roger Waters, Matt Freeman, etc. I don't know if this one is punchier than the EMG or less versatile)
EMG PHZ (Expensive but I heard its pretty versatile and punchy)

I play any rock style music/ pick style.
 
#3
It depends on what you mean by punchy. To me, the Quarter Pound (SPB-3) is very aggressive and punchy, but it took a lot of EQ for me to get it to do anything else. I really like my P-46, but it doesn't get as aggressive and grindy as the SPB-3. I never liked any of the EMG pickups I've had, they have all been too smooth, but with a bit too much clacky treble for my taste.
 
#7
EMG's are quite punchy. They're very clean, but they have plenty of balls. The QP is a nice pickup, but I found it a bit scooped and not bright enough for my tastes to be all around versatile. No experience with the Lawrence.
 
#8
JimmyM said:
EMG's are quite punchy. They're very clean, but they have plenty of balls. The QP is a nice pickup, but I found it a bit scooped and not bright enough for my tastes to be all around versatile. No experience with the Lawrence.
Click to expand...

Interesting to hear this from you. The last 2 sets of EMG pickups I had were really smooth with a lot of brightness. This was a set of unknown soapbar style and an old P/J set. Both were the active versions. Maybe these are not representative of their current or most common models.
 
#9
No, they are ;) I've directly compared an old PJ set to a new one, and they sound the same to me. But the one thing about EMG's I've found is I have to work the controls a little. I use the BQC pre with my PJ's, and I give it a pretty big mid boost at around 800 and a treble cut. I get that they're not for everyone, and I don't necessarily want them in every bass I have, but I like them.
 
#11
JimmyM said:
EMG's are quite punchy. They're very clean, but they have plenty of balls. The QP is a nice pickup, but I found it a bit scooped and not bright enough for my tastes to be all around versatile. No experience with the Lawrence.
Click to expand...

I use the qp with my pbass and it is somewhat punchy. I felt the same way you did until I opened it up with 1meg pots. The brightness came out, and the low end gets even fuller. I also used a different cap, but I can't remember off hand which one I put in. Definitely worth the time to play around with that!
 
#12
JimmyM said:
No, they are ;) I've directly compared an old PJ set to a new one, and they sound the same to me. But the one thing about EMG's I've found is I have to work the controls a little. I use the BQC pre with my PJ's, and I give it a pretty big mid boost at around 800 and a treble cut. I get that they're not for everyone, and I don't necessarily want them in every bass I have, but I like them.
Click to expand...

Ah, this makes sense. I was commenting on the pickup without any EQ as I think most pickups can get similar (in this case punchy) sounds with enough EQ, it's just a matter of how much is needed.

I wasn't particularly unhappy with the EMGs, I just needed to EQ them a fair amount. Same with the SD Quarter Pound to remove the scoop. Both sounded fine with the right EQ, it just took more work to make the EMGs sound punchy and to tame the scoop of the SPB-3.

I currently have two P style basses, a G&L SB-1 and a Gamma Alpha fretless with a P-46. I generally run my EQ flat (TC Electronics BG250 so flat actually means pretty flat) and get the tone I want from either. The EMGs took a little more work, but the main reason I don't have them anymore is that one bass had really narrow string spacing and I traded the other to a friend for some carpentry work.
 
#14
TheLostEString said:
Bill Lawrence P-46 (I like how this one is really cheap but its a high quality sounding pickup.)
Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders (Almost every bassist has this pickup. Roger Waters, Matt Freeman, etc. I don't know if this one is punchier than the EMG or less versatile)
EMG PHZ (Expensive but I heard its pretty versatile and punchy)

I play any rock style music/ pick style.
Click to expand...

There is no "best". (There is no spoon...)
There is no "best". (There is no spoon...)
There is no "best". (There is no spoon...)

MM
 

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