Mid 50s style Precision Bass - Pickup Recommendations

[WSquires]

What drop in replacement pickups do you recommend for a 54/55 style Fender Precision bass?

I'm looking for something with great string balance that can keep a tight low end when tuned down to drop D

Any recommendations?

 

[kodiakblair]

Any recommendations?

Owned about a dozen SC P-basses, owned easily twice as many single coil pickups ; it's a deep hole to fall in



Personal favourite is this one. Wound to 6.8k ohm, cloth push up wire, alnico 5 slugs, choice of white/black/none coil wrapping.

Costs £10 ( $13) on Ali-Ex delivered. Comes with tubing and springs, a foam pad; wood screws and machine screws.

Great sounding single coil.



There's also one version with staggered poles.



Neck on my last build was a bit too flat for staggered poles so I'll be using the above on the next build

 

[Antreoo]

Fralin, Nordstrand, Lollar, Duncan and Novak are all nice options and easy to find. Up to you to decide wether you want in single coil or hum-cancelling (split-coil or stacked - I don't like stacked ones).
If you are in Europe you can check MAMA pickups and IUSO pickups (cheaper).

I never really had issues with hum on my fender CIJ with stock pickup but on a project jazz bass I went with a IUSO split 51, because why not eliminate a possible hum problem from the get go.

You can appreciate the little differences between the single coil and the split version when playing by yourself, maybe not as much in a band setting. Idk if it's placebo but to me a split 51 has some characteristic low mid hump of a standard P splitcoil while still retaining the single coil articulation and response on the highs and lows.

IMHO we are talking about subtleties, there will be more difference between two sets of roundwound strings.

 

[kodiakblair]

there will be more difference between two sets of roundwound strings.

As there will by simply changing your right hand playing position, towards the neck or closer the bridge.

 

[iiipopes]

Lindy Fralin Split-P humbucker for single-coil P-basses: all of the vintage appearance, all the vintage tone, none of the hum. Link:

Split 51 P-Bass by Lindy Fralin: Noiseless 51 P-Bass tone

The Fralin Split '51 gives your 50's or re-issue and seriously fat P-Bass tone, with no hum at all. Made by hand in Richmond, VA.

www.fralinpickups.com

 

[kodiakblair]

Lindy Fralin Split-P humbucker for single-coil P-basses: all of the vintage appearance, all the vintage tone, none of the hum.

Good friend installed one of those, said it ruined the bass.

Not physically ruined the bass it was just if there was any supposed benefit then he didn't hear it. Every time he clapped eyes on the bass all he could think was "Damn I wasted £135 ($185) on this thing. What really sickened him was he'd sold the original pickup so it was sell the Fralin, at a loss, then shell out more money on yet another pickup.

He just stuck the bass at the back of the cupboard and forgot about it

 

[iiipopes]

Good friend installed one of those, said it ruined the bass.

Not physically ruined the bass it was just if there was any supposed benefit then he didn't hear it. Every time he clapped eyes on the bass all he could think was "Damn I wasted £135 ($185) on this thing. What really sickened him was he'd sold the original pickup so it was sell the Fralin, at a loss, then shell out more money on yet another pickup.

He just stuck the bass at the back of the cupboard and forgot about it

It is regrettable that your friend had a bad experience. I have had the best experience with both Lindy Fralin and Tom Brantly, Lindy's one-time associate who went out on his own. Part of your friend's problem may have been that he may have expected a different tone in some way out of Lindy's pickup, which is what most aftermarket pickup manufacturers strive for: either their "signature" so to speak, or to "improve" perceived deficiencies of any particular stock pickup. Lindy does not. He strives for absolutely original tone unless you specifically order something different.

 

[WSquires]

So after some of the feedback in this thread I decided to put on some new strings for the time being and give the bass a set up. Then it hit me, why not try setting the strings up to a flatter (9.5") radius? It's not a perfect solution but it's with a shot (I'm sure I'm not the first to try this. I just have it a test run with the band and so far it is playing fine and the output across strings is a lot better! Maybe I jumped the gun looking into pickups, but I'm loving the perspective on the different brands so keep them coming! Who knows maybe one day I'll end up swapping it out.

I'm surprised I haven't heard anyone suggest Aero (I guess they're not well known for scpb pickups) but I appreciate you all sharing your experiences and discussing the brands and models you enjoy

 

[okabass]

Owned about a dozen SC P-basses, owned easily twice as many single coil pickups ; it's a deep hole to fall in



Personal favourite is this one. Wound to 6.8k ohm, cloth push up wire, alnico 5 slugs, choice of white/black/none coil wrapping.

Costs £10 ( $13) on Ali-Ex delivered. Comes with tubing and springs, a foam pad; wood screws and machine screws.

Great sounding single coil.

View attachment 7282724

There's also one version with staggered poles.

View attachment 7282728

Neck on my last build was a bit too flat for staggered poles so I'll be using the above on the next build

My friends vintage PB '56 pickup is 6,8 kΩ too. Sounds real nice.

 

[kodiakblair]

My friends vintage PB '56 pickup is 6,8 kΩ too. Sounds real nice.

Many of the very early pickups were down in the low 5k ohm range.

Makes me wonder about all the aftermarket models these days claiming to sound "vintage" , most of them read 9k to 9.5k ohms.

 

[okabass]

Many of the very early pickups were down in the low 5k ohm range.

Makes me wonder about all the aftermarket models these days claiming to sound "vintage" , most of them read 9k to 9.5k ohms.

Yes. Do you have any real, measured numbers? I can wind pickups so I'm trying to found some kind of "rule" what was the factory turns count. Somebody thinks its similar to Telecaster bridge PU, only winded to four pole popping. I've seen (not measured) as low as 5,3 kΩ. My '68 Tele Bass is 8,6 kΩ. I have a Japan '51 7ender, it has 7 kΩ PU. Japan vintage clones are usually quite accurate.

 

[kodiakblair]

Do you have any real, measured numbers?

Not personally but there is a TB member goes by shadven or maybe shadvan has a number of early 50's P-basses, he would know.

 

[4StringTheory]

I originally messaged Curtis about the TB-JB for my Nash PB-55, explaining that I was looking for a warmer, rounder tone and feel than the Lollar SCPB, with a softer attack and fuller low mids. I play fingerstyle with La Bella Low Tension Flats, and also asked whether an Alnico 2 version of the TB-JB might better suit what I was after.

His response was basically, "I think first you might try my TB-V, as I think it might be what you are wanting."

So I took his advice and tried the TB-V. He was right. It's warmer and fuller than the Lollar SCPB, with just a little more heft and weight to the notes when I dig in, while still keeping that classic single-coil P character. Pretty much exactly the direction I was hoping to go.

Side note for anyone considering one for a Nash PB-55, it wasn't quite a drop-in replacement. The shape of the pickup base is slightly different and needed some minor reshaping to fit the cavity.