Duncan SPB-1 vs Squier P pickup w/sound clips

[johnk_10]

IMO, B is the Duncan (and it sounds much better than A).

 

[NelsonVandal]

I thing the vintage voiced SD nails the sound, both for guitars and basses. B have to be SD.

 

[wednesdayagain]

B definitely sounds much fuller, and I like that, but others may have different preferences.

 

[ale29]

"A" is Duncan
I actually prefer that one

 

[Rabidrasbora]

A was a little fuzzy, but thought it had a more lively/interesting sound

 

[jallenbass]

A is the Duncan and B is the Squier.

 

[jallenbass]

Is there any way possible that I wired the Duncan wrong? I followed the wiring diagram that came with it.

 

[ampegfuzz]

A is the Duncan and B is the Squier.

Nope because I thought A sounded like my spb-1. Black to ground white to middle lug on volume pot. Everything else should be untouched.

 

[jallenbass]

Nope because I thought A sounded like my spb-1. Black to ground white to middle lug on volume pot. Everything else should be untouched.

They show white to one of the outside lugs.

 

[ampegfuzz]

Looks like i'm wrong on the wiring then. My duncan sounds close to my '74 P and has a tad more low end then the PAF dimarzio model P i had in my parts bass before it. If everyone is liking the squier pup better just keep it in. The pup you have is that "diamond in the ruff"

 

[ale29]

Got a better ear than I thought.
I've heard in the past other samples of the SPB-1 and have already noticed that the sound is rather mid-heavy compared to other pups, with less going on in the lows and perhaps low mids. I actually like that sound and think that it would work way better in band context, with higher volumes. "B" sample was muddier when playing on the lower strings and had a less homogeneous sound from low to high strings.

 

[Bassamatic]

B is thicker, but I'll bet A sounds better with the band.

 

[jallenbass]

B is thicker, but I'll bet A sounds better with the band.

I have yet to try it in context but you're right. I never try to judge equipment by itself. I've been surprised too many times on the bandstand.

 

[jallenbass]

Also, I want to thank everyone for keeping this a very civil discussion. We've all seen too many that have gotten ugly.

 

[ale29]

Anyway, you seem to prefer the squier pickup at the moment, otherwise you wouldn't have opened this thread at all. My suggestion is, keep the duncan for a while, give it a chance and you may end up liking it a lot.

 

[2cooltoolz]

That was a great blind test. I voted "B" by the way as the better sounding pickup, thus the Duncan. I thought it sounded fuller, with more authority, not muddy at all.

Guess my ears aren't what they ought to be. Nice job, Squier!

I'm searching/deciding on new pickups for my 2012 MIM fiver. Now I won't trust my own judgement. If you had told us up front which was which, I bet I would have guessed right!!

 

[brianerwin]

I like Pickup B because it sounds good. Even when I play I like the same full sound.
I picked A because you could hear the strings individually and even the glide along the strings.
I can get both sounds out of the same pickups, which leads me to believe that they are the same pickup, just EQ'd differently.

 

[mbrancalion]

I like A more.

 

[EricssonB]

A fits my style more gooder. I hear more overtones and extraneous frequencies that I love to have around. Throw in a good preamp to accentuate this'n'that, or remove what you don't want. B sounds too fundamental for my taste.

Edit: No. I'm an idiot. I just cranked my stereo; B ftw, for sure.

 

[Psychbunny]

A sounded tinny to me. I preferred B but then again I prefer my muddbucker Gibson to my Fender Jazz so my opinion may be suspect.