EMG Pickups (P and CS)

[gamb]

Does anyone have experience with both the EMG P and EMG CS pickups? I'm trying to get some info on the differences in sound between the two; the CS seems to have a higher resonant frequency according to EMG's documentation, but also seems to be described as the darker of the two.
This would be going in a soapbar slot, just trying to determine if I want to go with the 35CSX or the 35P4X
Thanks!

 

[gamb]

Sorry, I can't edit it but I meant to list the 35CS and P specifically, since there are a ton of CS variations

 

[markanini]

What's your bass and what does it currently have?

 

[gamb]

What's your bass and what does it currently have?

Working on building one from the ground up, a pair of EMG35 sized pickups in the bridge and neck. Walnut body, roasted maple or bubinga neck. I really enjoy EMG pickups, especially the P models (35P4), but I have no experience with the 35CS to compare them to

 

[iiipopes]

I have experience with both the 40CS and the 40P. To my ears, the 40CS has a deeper tone with good highs and tamed mids, but not scooped. It is my main gig pickup. By contrast, the 40P has more mids, rolling off the bass a little bit. It is my understanding that the tone signature of each pickup is essentially the same whether 35 shape or 40 shape. The "X" versions have a different preamp and are advertised to extend the range of the pickups, both low and high. I notice more highs on the 40JX I have compared to a 40J I used to have. The 35 versions may have slightly higher resonant frequencies than the 40 versions due to the slightly different coil geometries, but nothing audible.

 

[ctmullins]

This bass currently has a 35CS at the bridge, a 35P in the middle, and a 35P at the neck. I like thicker-sounding pickups by the bridge, and clearer-sounding pickups further away from the bridge. This combo works great for me! Plenty of punch, clarity, and fullness in all the right proportions to my ears.

The CS does have more of a dual-coil “scooped” sound, as you would expect from a dual-coil. The P, by comparison, sounds like - wait for it - a good P pickup, with the crispness that comes from the integral buffer. Plenty of mids to “cut through the mix”.

 

[markanini]

If you tend to play with both pickups on go all P. If you solo the bridge pickup a lot go with CS for that position(or TW for versatility).

 

[Rimantas B.]

I happen to literally have both a P and a CS (the 45P and 45CS to be precise - not sure how much they differ from the 35, besides the width to accomodate 6 strings) in my old 6-string.
The reason I have them there is because I put the pickups I liked more (45J and 45DC) in my newer multiscale 6-string.
The CS seems alright in the bridge, and terribly dark/muddy in the neck position.
The P is ok, but somehow I just don't understand it.

DC sounds basically like CS with a blanket or two removed from it.
J is my overall favorite.

Then again, I seem to like really aggressive pickups. I see how the J could be too abrasive, and the CS just right, for many people.

If you wish, I can record a short demo later (point me to a style relevant for you). I'm always disappointed by how few and how uninformative pickup demos are on the internet - and I'm willing to take a small step to just oh-so-slightly right this wrong.

 

[grouse789]

This bass currently has a 35CS at the bridge, a 35P in the middle, and a 35P at the neck. I like thicker-sounding pickups by the bridge, and clearer-sounding pickups further away from the bridge. This combo works great for me! Plenty of punch, clarity, and fullness in all the right proportions to my ears.

The CS does have more of a dual-coil “scooped” sound, as you would expect from a dual-coil. The P, by comparison, sounds like - wait for it - a good P pickup, with the crispness that comes from the integral buffer. Plenty of mids to “cut through the mix”.

View attachment 4579148

come on!!!!!! CTmullins, you cant tease us with that bass, and not offer a sound clip????

 

[iiipopes]

This bass currently has a 35CS at the bridge, a 35P in the middle, and a 35P at the neck. I like thicker-sounding pickups by the bridge, and clearer-sounding pickups further away from the bridge. This combo works great for me! Plenty of punch, clarity, and fullness in all the right proportions to my ears.

The CS does have more of a dual-coil “scooped” sound, as you would expect from a dual-coil. The P, by comparison, sounds like - wait for it - a good P pickup, with the crispness that comes from the integral buffer. Plenty of mids to “cut through the mix”.

View attachment 4579148

Nice bass. The reason I don't own an EB-style bass is the lack of a pickup in the middle. Keeping in mind your preference for tone, have you tried a J-soapbar at the neck instead of a P-soapbar? I'm thinking it would give better clarity of tone and not be so mid-heavy. Just a thought. Nice bass.

 

[ctmullins]

Nice bass. The reason I don't own an EB-style bass is the lack of a pickup in the middle. Keeping in mind your preference for tone, have you tried a J-soapbar at the neck instead of a P-soapbar? I'm thinking it would give better clarity of tone and not be so mid-heavy. Just a thought. Nice bass.

Thanks! I was actually playing it a little bit today (in between the never-ending conference calls....) and thought about perhaps trying a 35J at the neck. The quick-connectors make that super-easy. Now the cheapskate in me needs to find one for $50 or less.....

 

[ctmullins]

Thanks! I was actually playing it a little bit today (in between the never-ending conference calls....) and thought about perhaps trying a 35J at the neck. The quick-connectors make that super-easy. Now the cheapskate in me needs to find one for $50 or less.....

…. And then I remembered that EMG has a Factory Direct Outlet store on Reverb. 35J incoming!

 

[ctmullins]

One month later, and I finally dragged out my recording stuff to do some clips for @grouse789

And I got my 35J installed as well @iiipopes

So this is one sound clip, with nine different sections:

1. CS bridge
2. P middle
3. P neck
4. J neck
5. CS bridge + P middle
6. P middle + P neck
7. P middle + J neck
8. CS bridge + P neck
9. CS bridge + J neck

Signal chain is simple and clean: bass into Scarlett Solo interface into Logic. No processing of any kind. Tone knob on the bass full up. New-ish D’Addario XLs.

Epi EB0-3 EMG demo

I’m going to test drive that J for a few days before I decide whether to make it permanent. Initial impressions are positive though!

 

[Snert]

^^ Thank you for that, I found it very useful to hear even on my little BT speaker which I've used for a long time and know well. I'll listen on the other 'puter with the Senn 650s later.

 

[grouse789]

Awesome! Thank you for the clips. For me, I like the cs and the J neck. But they all sounded good to me

 

[Flamingo21]

The numbers refer only to length.

35 = 3.5" long
40 = 4" long
45 = 4.5" long

So the choice between two pickups whose names begin with a different number, should depend on how many strings you have, and/or how far apart your strings are.

Most common is, I think, to use a 35 for a four string, a 40 for a five and a 45 for a six. But you pick whichever fits your bass.

 

[ctmullins]

The numbers refer only to length.

35 = 3.5" long
40 = 4" long
45 = 4.5" long

So the choice between two pickups whose names begin with a different number, should depend on how many strings you have, and/or how far apart your strings are.

Most common is, I think, to use a 35 for a four string, a 40 for a five and a 45 for a six. But you pick whichever fits your bass.

All true, but there is one additional consideration: if you plan on using a P soapbar, be sure and get the version designed for either an even number of strings or an odd number of strings. There is a 35P and a 35P4, and there is a 40P and a 40P4. The difference is asymmetrical versus symmetrical coil lengths. Using a “4” version, with its symmetrical coils, would place the A string of a five-string bass directly between the two coils, in a bit of a dead zone. Conversely, using an asymmetrical version on a four-string doesn’t seem to have any detrimental effect. That’s actually what I have in mine.

 

[Flamingo21]

All true, but there is one additional consideration: if you plan on using a P soapbar, be sure and get the version designed for either an even number of strings or an odd number of strings.

Things are usually not as simple as they seem!

 

[Joblivion]

The CS seems alright in the bridge, and terribly dark/muddy in the neck position.
The P is ok, but somehow I just don't understand it.

DC sounds basically like CS with a blanket or two removed from it.
J is my overall favorite.

Yeah so I have two TWX's which are supposed to mirror the CSX in double Humbucker mode. CS is the answer to DC in that a lot people complained about high output and not enough mids in the DC's. I don't find it to be super muddy but I have my pickups a little further back than EMG recommends. Also, the X pickups are designed to sound a little closer to passive pickups so perhaps it helps with the clarity too. It all really depends on the sound you are going after. After speaking with emg, it seems like CS are trying to go after a Bartolini like tone. Darker like the Bart original line.

 

[torkamata]

One month later, and I finally dragged out my recording stuff to do some clips for @grouse789

And I got my 35J installed as well @iiipopes

So this is one sound clip, with nine different sections:

1. CS bridge
2. P middle
3. P neck
4. J neck
5. CS bridge + P middle
6. P middle + P neck
7. P middle + J neck
8. CS bridge + P neck
9. CS bridge + J neck

Signal chain is simple and clean: bass into Scarlett Solo interface into Logic. No processing of any kind. Tone knob on the bass full up. New-ish D’Addario XLs.

Epi EB0-3 EMG demo

I’m going to test drive that J for a few days before I decide whether to make it permanent. Initial impressions are positive though!

Thanks for the sound samples, just ordered sum pups and couldnt find the combo anywhere on YT, thanks a thousand times!