Looking to change my pickups

[Saianyde]

I'm kind of new to the whole guitar/bass terminology so excuse me if I get anything named wrong. I believe I have it down.

To the topic, I play a lot of heavier music like Hardcore, Grindcore, and so on. I'm looking to really get a better sound out of my bass without going off and buying a new one. I own a Rogue LX400 Pro. What I'm really wanting to know is what pickups do I need to find? I'm not sure whats better for what and honestly, clueless as to what to look for. I have no price range set right now. So if anyone can help I would appreciate it fully!

 

[ThudThudThud]

Without limiting yourself to one brand, Seymour Duncan has a 'tone wizard' Invalid Link Removed
It may help you to decide on the type of pickup you want, and then you can do some research on other brands with similar qualities.

That said, are you sure it's your pickups? What amp/preamp are you using?

 

[Saianyde]

To be honest I have little clue to what you mean but everything on my bass is purely stock. Minus the strings of course.

Edit: After I posted, I felt dumb. You mean my amp that I plug into. Ah, stupid me. I have a Gorilla Amp currently but buying a Fender BXR 300

 

[ThudThudThud]

Wait for the amp, then see if your pickups are the weak link.
The Gorilla is likely sucking your tone.

In the meantime, have a stroll around the search on TB. Lots of amazing tone information out there.

 

[Saianyde]

Alright. And Yeah, I will admit this amp does pretty much suck. It's a 50W but sounds no more than a 20W. I get the Fender amp Saturday. Excited for all 300W of it, lol.

 

[christw]

Another tip before you blame the pickups, make sure you aren't boosting your lows heavily or scooping the mids. It's easy to get lost in a band scenario this way. Basically, don't let your tone section look like this- Bass: 8 Mid: 2 Treble: 7.

Start flat and adjust tone from there. Focus on sounding good with your group, not the bass's tone on its own. For example, start playing on only your bridge pickup and with your EQ flat and see if you like it.

I play metal, hardcore, and post hardcore every weekend and I always run my amps flat (EQ all at 5) and plug my bass straight in. I'll occasionally use an overdrive pedal, but for the most part I'm very present in the mix just by letting the bass's natural qualities take over.