Billy Sheehan P-Bass pickup ??

[TimboZ]

Anybody know anything about the p-base pickup on his yamaha bass. It looks like the top 1/2 of the pickup covers all 4 strings.
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[Andy D]

Yeah, I noticed that on the cover of the this month's Bass Player. Could it be a (miniature) Willis ramp?

 

[M.R. Ogle]

Hmmm... don't know. It's not in this video:

 

[Rip Topaz]

The extra part of the pickup is a glob of epoxy added to give him a place to play over.

 

[TimboZ]

You can see it in this video.


Kind of looks like a 5 string p bass pickup on a 4 string bass

 

[M.R. Ogle]

That's funny... I saw the Winery Dogs in October, didn't even notice that little addition to Sheehan's bass.

Awesome live band, by the way!

 

[TimboZ]

Awesome live band, by the way!

Just picked up the CD.. I'm loving it!!!

 

[mattbrown]

I think those are Dimarzio Will Power pups. This vid seems to have been taken down, , but from what I remember from it...there are pole pieces that are staggered a little inside the D and G strings, so when he bends a note and the string bends, it moves over top the staggered pole pieces as it moves away from the pole pieces on the standard pup. So, the string is always more or less directly above a pole.

 

[Rip Topaz]

There was a video interview a few months back where he explained it. All it is is some epoxy putty he formed into a mini ramp to give him something to play over. Not a special pickup, nothing more than some putty stuck to the edge of the pickup.

 

[Tomkat8]

His signature bass. And he's still modifying it.. Lol. I just got my copy of winery dogs and it's excellent... Great bass as usual

 

[Dave W]

I think those are Dimarzio Will Power pups. This vid seems to have been taken down, , but from what I remember from it...there are pole pieces that are staggered a little inside the D and G strings, so when he bends a note and the string bends, it moves over top the staggered pole pieces as it moves away from the pole pieces on the standard pup. So, the string is always more or less directly above a pole.

There are rails inside rather than pole pieces.

And I completely agree with Rip, it's just a ramp.

 

[StevieMac]

He sets his pickups very close to the strings and then plays directly over the pup using them like a ramp. It’s possible he’s decided to make the ‘ramp’ a little bigger under the D and G strings.

 

[Davo-London]

Someone needs to tell him where to play the strings. He seems to be a bit lost.



Davo

 

[Arnie]

Wow $2500.00 for this bass?