• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Bright sounding pick ups

Seth DuSith

Seth DuSith

Jan 21, 2023
623
863
Canada
#1
Hello, I wanna start with saying the bass i own and play is a Jackson spectra bass, with the P J bass style pick up configuration I was wondering what pick ups would be ideal for getting a brighter, louder, more clear bass tone?

I'm not looking for anything to add bass to the sound, as I tend to prefer doing that on my amps EQ system, or with my pre amp, and when I record, I always add it when I am mastering, preferring to start with a bright DI signal.

What pick up's are recommended to help me get a brighter tone?

I am more of a player than I am a gear guy so to be honest, my knowledge falls extremely short when it comes to bass gear. I have no idea what is the favourite among bassists, or what bass culture has fawned over for the past 30 years lol. I don't even have a favourite bassist. I just like to groove, but I aim to change that and learn a bit more about gear
 
  • Like
Reactions: BOOG
#3
If your bass is passive, you could try running the pickups directly to the output jack. This bypasses the tone and volume pots and pretty much get you all the clarity your pickups are capable of.

I've done this a couple of times just experimentally and found things were too bright for my liking, but YMMV.
I'm more from the Motown-ish camp for bass tones. Flats and a foam mute. So maybe this will work for you?

Different types of strings, I imagine, will impact brightness as well.

With the right combination of the above, you might not have to invest in trying different types of pickups.

Since it is a P/J, you might want to include a (or keep the) pickup selector switch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MaxSpinrun, BOOG and DJ Bebop
#4
What sort of strings do you recommend? I have a set of Ernie ball super slinkys, which is all I could find in my town, but I haven't put them on yet. Been waiting to record first

But to avoid heresy, I am also going tk purchase another bass and place some flatwounds on it so that I have both sounds available to me
 
#5
Seth DuSith said:
What sort of strings do you recommend? I have a set of Ernie ball super slinkys, which is all I could find in my town, but I haven't put them on yet. Been waiting to record first

But to avoid heresy, I am also going tk purchase another bass and place some flatwounds on it so that I have both sounds available to me
Click to expand...

Well since I'm more of a "thumper" than a "zinger," I might not be the right guy to ask. I'll defer to other more broad-minded string folks.

My experiments with direct to amp pickups have all been with either D'Addario Flat wound or Tapes. The bass is a short scale Squier Jag. Pickups are DiMarzio DP-127.

I like your thinking on having the second bass loaded with flats.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Bebop
#6
There are less expensive ways to get more brightness out of a bass. The first is to use stainless steel rounds, as they are generally considered brighter than just about any other strings. The second is if your volume and tone pots are 250 kohms, then change the volume and tone pots to 500 kohms to raise the resonant frequency and lessen loading to ground, which our ears perceive as brighter. If your pots are already that value, then that's about it. Pots are much less expensive than pickups, and you will need them anyway if you do decide later to get a brighter pickup as well. There are so many pickups out there now it is hard to recommend anything. Back in the day we would say alnico V rods and don't overwind the pickups, kind of like the Fender '70's versions of everything. But with ceramic magnets, different coil geometry, etc., you will have to do a safari, as most manufacturers now post a description of their pickups online.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fig, TonyP-, mikezimmerman and 6 others
#7
iiipopes said:
There are less expensive ways to get more brightness out of a bass. The first is to use stainless steel rounds, as they are generally considered brighter than just about any other strings. The second is if your volume and tone pots are 250 kohms, then change the volume and tone pots to 500 kohms to raise the resonant frequency and lessen loading to ground, which our ears perceive as brighter. If your pots are already that value, then that's about it. Pots are much less expensive than pickups, and you will need them anyway if you do decide later to get a brighter pickup as well. There are so many pickups out there now it is hard to recommend anything. Back in the day we would say alnico V rods and don't overwind the pickups, kind of like the Fender '70's versions of everything. But with ceramic magnets, different coil geometry, etc., you will have to do a safari, as most manufacturers now post a description of their pickups online.
Click to expand...

1 meg pickups might be an option if you can get the taper you want.

It seems that the audio taper vs linear gets muddied as you deviate further away from the stock resistance values that came with the bass. But it's fun to experiment, right?

Try here...
Alpha Control Pots - StewMac
 
  • Like
Reactions: fig and DJ Bebop
#8
Well many people are offering alternative solutions, but in terms of your actual question the first reply already gave you the best answer, active EMG pickups will brighten up your tone for sure. I'm not sure if the Spectra is passive or active, but if its passive you'll need to add a battery to the bass circuitry.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Growling Woods
#9
iiipopes said:
There are less expensive ways to get more brightness out of a bass. The first is to use stainless steel rounds, as they are generally considered brighter than just about any other strings. The second is if your volume and tone pots are 250 kohms, then change the volume and tone pots to 500 kohms to raise the resonant frequency and lessen loading to ground, which our ears perceive as brighter. If your pots are already that value, then that's about it. Pots are much less expensive than pickups, and you will need them anyway if you do decide later to get a brighter pickup as well. There are so many pickups out there now it is hard to recommend anything. Back in the day we would say alnico V rods and don't overwind the pickups, kind of like the Fender '70's versions of everything. But with ceramic magnets, different coil geometry, etc., you will have to do a safari, as most manufacturers now post a description of their pickups online.
Click to expand...

I found pickup windings counterintuitive at first. My novice instinct was overwound would be more power/punch/zing, but instead got more warm presence.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Bebop and 6-3-2
#10
For a value option, maybe consider the Fender Yosemite set. People on talkbass said they lean towards a modern sound.

For cheap/free options:
1. blend more towards the bridge pick-up
2. stainless steel strings
3. try a little overdrive. overdrive really emphasizes high frequencies, so it can make a bass sound brighter
4. use a pick or double-thumb
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Bebop
#12
I'd say just use EQ and new strings. That's much more of a standard practice... easier, more effective. If cranking your amp's treble knob doesn't do it, just put an EQ on in your DAW. Rewiring electronics just to get more high end is really quite overkill. Get strings, crank the treble, and see where you land.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: fig and Kipp Harrington
#13
Old Garage-Bander said:
1 meg pickups might be an option if you can get the taper you want.

It seems that the audio taper vs linear gets muddied as you deviate further away from the stock resistance values that came with the bass. But it's fun to experiment, right?

Try here...
Alpha Control Pots - StewMac
Click to expand...
Respectfully, I completely disagree with one meg pots. the slope is so steep on a 1 meg pot that the control is essentially either all-or-nothing, very difficult to get gradation of volume or tone. If a person must get that last little bit of raise in resonance peak, then the solution is to put a 500 megohm resistor on the third lug of the volume pot that is normally grounded to the pot casing, then ground the resistor instead to decrease loading to ground even further. But that is diminishing returns. Or you could use a no-load pot on either volume or tone or both. But that only works when the pot is dimed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Bebop and Old Garage-Bander
#14
For a passive instrument, cable capacitance can also dull the tone. Use a low-capacitance cable, and use one as short as practical.

Onboard buffering alleviates the losses due to cable capacitance. Something as simple as the Redeemer buffer will help.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fig and Old Garage-Bander
#16
Thanks guys, I think I'm gonna lean towards new pots, new strings (when these ones wear out) and an EQ pedal. The EQ pedal one is so obvious that I feel stupid lol. That's a genius move right there

Any low budget EQ pedals you guys recommend? Should I make a new thread for it?

I have no idea why, but I didn't even consider that one. It would probably be great in my recording studio too, right before my DI
 
#17
I'm almost positive the Spectra is an active bass (probably the electronics as opposed to the pick-ups).

I am learning I really don't like what some would call "hot" pick-ups. I own an SR2600 which is a pretty expensive bass with the Nordstrand pick-ups. I have never been truly happy with the tones I get. I just bought an RGB350 ($400 bass with "standard" Ibanez pick-ups) and I prefer the tones I get with that.

My (apparent) preference for the alnico pick-ups doesn't mean treble has to suffer, but it is easy (as far as I can tell) to bring out the highs with the "hotter" (ceramic) pick-ups.

Since I'm almost positive the Spectra has pick-ups which are comparable to the ones in my RGB350, I'd be willing to bet the whole 5¢ they're alnico.

Can you give us year/model of the bass itself? The year can be approximate, if you bought it used.
 
#19
Seth DuSith said:
Hello, I wanna start with saying the bass i own and play is a Jackson spectra bass, with the P J bass style pick up configuration I was wondering what pick ups would be ideal for getting a brighter, louder, more clear bass tone?

I'm not looking for anything to add bass to the sound, as I tend to prefer doing that on my amps EQ system, or with my pre amp, and when I record, I always add it when I am mastering, preferring to start with a bright DI signal.

What pick up's are recommended to help me get a brighter tone?

I am more of a player than I am a gear guy so to be honest, my knowledge falls extremely short when it comes to bass gear. I have no idea what is the favourite among bassists, or what bass culture has fawned over for the past 30 years lol. I don't even have a favourite bassist. I just like to groove, but I aim to change that and learn a bit more about gear
Click to expand...
How old are your strings. If more than a month, replace with stainless steel.

How much cable between bass and amp? Any pedals?
 
#20
For bright Precision pickups, I'd recommend the old Fender Original Precision or Original '62 Pickups. Those combined with SS rounds (D'addario or Rotosound), are real damn bright, I found them to get into similar sonic territory as Rickenbackers. But there's plenty of custom pickups out there you can go for too, like Curtis Novak, but those Fender Originals are pretty cheap in comparison.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back