I'm sorry, yet another P bass thread...

[JLubinsky-Mast]

Sooo, it's definitely time for a slight upgrade in my faithful p bass. I play a wide range of music, but I try to build my sounds from a vintage soul, r&b type tone.

I'm not looking for highs at all.

What I'm really looking for, is to get a boost in the lower mids, with a bit of grit if necessary, but I don't want to lose warmth.
Everyone seems to be raving about the Geezer's, the guy at my local shop is a fan of the SBP-2, I'm intrigued by the Aguilar pickups. Also overwound Fralin's or Lollars seem like options.

Some questions I'm wrestling with are:
The Geezer's, is part of the magic in them from the fact that they're wired at 500k as opposed to 250k?

I noticed in the Aguilar video, Mr. Boonshoft talking about the "bloom" in the HOTP. Do you lose attack when you overwind pickups?

Lollar vs Fralin, from what I think I understand Lollar's are a warmer pickup, Fralin's typically have more "highs" than Lollar's. Is this sort of correct?

Overwound pickups, they tend to decrease treble and increase mids and lows. Is this an overgeneralisation?

 

[Arvin]

The Geezer's, is part of the magic in them from the fact that they're wired at 500k as opposed to 250k?

I assume you're referring to the volume and tone pots that EMG supplies with the pickup? They're actually 250K ohm pots, and the 500K was a misprint. I spoke to someone at EMG who confirmed that for me.

What I'm really looking for, is to get a boost in the lower mids, with a bit of grit if necessary, but I don't want to lose warmth.

The Geezers do that really well. EMG really nailed great P-bass tone with that one. Check out the multi-page Geezer thread for reviews.

 

[JimmyM]

I have to agree with Arvin. The Geezers sound like the exact thing you're looking for.

 

[David Jayne]

I noticed in the Aguilar video, Mr. Boonshoft talking about the "bloom" in the HOTP. Do you lose attack when you overwind pickups?

Certainly not. That's a bunch of hooey. The SOUND is different, in a way that some might interpret as a different attack but it isn't. The electrons move at (nearly) the speed of light in any case.

 

[JFN]

I had an SPB-2 in one of my P Basses and it's nice. I put the Geezer pup in another P Bass and it sounds much better. I let my son take the P bass with SPB-2 with him to college as I won't be needing it anymore.

John

 

[highway]

i just got a spb-2 and have been searching yt for clips of the sound until it gets here . . .

this guy seems to have the best sample/audio, and other vids if you play with flats:

 

[Juststanley]

Ok...I have 1/4 pounders in one o mine...they kick just fine...about those Bee's....Borrowed ma Buddy's Berg.....the gas is Killing Me!
sorry I didn't wanna hi-jack yer post...but

 

[JamesFoxBass]

Sooo, it's definitely time for a slight upgrade in my faithful p bass. I play a wide range of music, but I try to build my sounds from a vintage soul, r&b type tone.

I'm not looking for highs at all.

What I'm really looking for, is to get a boost in the lower mids, with a bit of grit if necessary, but I don't want to lose warmth.
Everyone seems to be raving about the Geezer's, the guy at my local shop is a fan of the SBP-2, I'm intrigued by the Aguilar pickups. Also overwound Fralin's or Lollars seem like options.

Some questions I'm wrestling with are:
The Geezer's, is part of the magic in them from the fact that they're wired at 500k as opposed to 250k?

I noticed in the Aguilar video, Mr. Boonshoft talking about the "bloom" in the HOTP. Do you lose attack when you overwind pickups?

Lollar vs Fralin, from what I think I understand Lollar's are a warmer pickup, Fralin's typically have more "highs" than Lollar's. Is this sort of correct?

Overwound pickups, they tend to decrease treble and increase mids and lows. Is this an overgeneralisation?

Have you also considered changing the capacitor in your wiring loom along with your pots? Good quality goes a long way there!

As for the pickup debate, I'm in the same place as you are, I'm buying a new loom and will be getting a new pickup to go with it. So far I've narrowed my search down to either going completely boutique and custom made, or the Aguilar AG-4P60 seems to be the best off the market P pickup to my ears.

 

[ghettoshelf]

I like Quarter Pounds but they aren't for everyone. I play with a pretty fuzzy low end tone.

 

[JLubinsky-Mast]

Jimmy, Arvin, you guys are right. The Geezer seems like it'd be great. The vids with Mr. Butler seem to have this high end thing happening that I'm not totally feeling, but that could also be his strings and setup.
JimmyM I've got to find your sound clips again, because they do sound great.

Have you also considered changing the capacitor in your wiring loom along with your pots? Good quality goes a long way there!

As for the pickup debate, I'm in the same place as you are, I'm buying a new loom and will be getting a new pickup to go with it. So far I've narrowed my search down to either going completely boutique and custom made, or the Aguilar AG-4P60 seems to be the best off the market P pickup to my ears.

Capacitors, that's something I'm totally ignorant about, but, something I need to read up on fast. And yes, the aggie clips I've heard all sound great.

 

[JimmyM]

Thanks! I'll help you out...





The thing about the Geezers that I like is you can cut treble with the tone knob and not fall out of the mix like you do with a lot of P pickups, and the treble when the tone knob is full treble still isn't overbearing.

 

[buldog5151bass]

My Lull P4 has the Fralin, and I love it. Very warm, and I can get any sound I want (I use roto swing strings FWIW).

 

[JLubinsky-Mast]

Thanks! I'll help you out...





The thing about the Geezers that I like is you can cut treble with the tone knob and not fall out of the mix like you do with a lot of P pickups, and the treble when the tone knob is full treble still isn't overbearing.

Hyahh!

 

[Kmose]

the raised pole pieces on the Fralin pickup bother me when I play with my thumb. Does the Geezer have raised pole pieces? what about the Aguilar or the SPB- 2?

 

[Mvilmany]

vintage soul, r&b type tone.

I'm not looking for highs at all.

What I'm really looking for, is to get a boost in the lower mids, with a bit of grit if necessary, but I don't want to lose warmth.

I recently put a Nordstrand NP4v (the "v" vintage one, not the standard NP4) into my P (Chromes and rosewood board). Tons of warmth. The upper mids are very smooth. Not clanky. I would buy this again in a heartbeat.

 

[JimmyM]

the raised pole pieces on the Fralin pickup bother me when I play with my thumb. Does the Geezer have raised pole pieces? what about the Aguilar or the SPB- 2?

The Geezer's polepieces are flush with the covers, not even raised a little bit.

 

[JamesFoxBass]

the raised pole pieces on the Fralin pickup bother me when I play with my thumb. Does the Geezer have raised pole pieces? what about the Aguilar or the SPB- 2?

Pretty certain the Aggie is flush?

 

[ctmullins]

Surprised nobody's mentioned this yet, but you may be able to reach your tonal goal with a string change. Changing strings is both cheaper and way easier than a pickup swap. Maybe D'Addario Chromes?

 

[JLubinsky-Mast]

Surprised nobody's mentioned this yet, but you may be able to reach your tonal goal with a string change. Changing strings is both cheaper and way easier than a pickup swap. Maybe D'Addario Chromes?

I've been using the fender flats for years now. The set on my P have 6 months of heavy use on them.
Perhaps a nickel wound flat would help? I'm pretty jazzed with how these fenders are feeling.

 

[ctmullins]

I've never used the Fender flats, but I've heard others say they're bright as far as flats go. Maybe some LaBella flats? I dunno, I'm not the best one to ask. Lots of opinions in the Strings forum...