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Opinions on Seymour Duncan Pickups

#23
Well I am definetely biased when it comes to this since I uses both SPB-3 and SJB-3 in my basses. Quite honestly for me this IT when it comes to the hot-rodded passive bass pickup. I know a lot of people dig DiMarzios and Rio Grande Bill Lawrence (did anyone mentioned those yet?) and some other stuff more but here is the deal, I have been playing those for such a long time, that they have become a part of my tone and actually quite possibly the most important one. On the other hand I have to agree that they don't work particularly well for certain applications.

That said, OP, I would suggest you went with some other pickup in your case. When it comes to duncans I will have to agree that probably your best show would be the Antiquity two. Seymour Duncan pickups are of excellent quality and the company has great customer support so you will be in good hands.

Fender custom shop could also be an option

And now, I am going to go ahead and open a can of worms. :ninja:
What about going active with EMGs or EMGXs. I really see the X's working out for you.

Flame me, I dare you...
 
#25
E.J. T.N.T. said:
Well I am definetely biased when it comes to this since I uses both SPB-3 and SJB-3 in my basses. Quite honestly for me this IT when it comes to the hot-rodded passive bass pickup. I know a lot of people dig DiMarzios and Rio Grande Bill Lawrence (did anyone mentioned those yet?) and some other stuff more but here is the deal, I have been playing those for such a long time, that they have become a part of my tone and actually quite possibly the most important one. On the other hand I have to agree that they don't work particularly well for certain applications.

That said, OP, I would suggest you went with some other pickup in your case. When it comes to duncans I will have to agree that probably your best show would be the Antiquity two. Seymour Duncan pickups are of excellent quality and the company has great customer support so you will be in good hands.

Fender custom shop could also be an option

And now, I am going to go ahead and open a can of worms. :ninja:
What about going active with EMGs or EMGXs. I really see the X's working out for you.

Flame me, I dare you...
Click to expand...

As of right now, I'm leaning toward the SPB-1, SPB-2 or the SPB-4s. They not only have the sound I'm looking for, but they also have the look as well. I want to continue having a traditional look to my bass, which is one, of many reasons, that I am not a big fan of EMGs. I dig them, but not enough to put them into my favorite bass.

Seriously though, thanks for the advice man, greatly appreciated.
 
#26
You are welcome. I really hope you find what you are looking for.

Concerning the seymour duncan logo, they mentioned that this will get stamped on their pickups from now on, instead of the basslines logo(probably in order to increase brand recognicion which makes absolute sense), but I think that some of the pickups that had no logo printed on them will continue to be made like zhat.
 
#27
conebone said:
I am restoring my favorite bass back to mint condition and was looking to replace the pickups that are on it. I've heard great things about Seymour Duncan pickups, and I just wanted to know if they are really as good as people say.

The particular model I'm looking at right now, are the SPB-3 Quarter Pound Pickup for P-Bass.
Click to expand...

I like pretty much everything that Seymour duncan builds ... except for their Ric replacement pickups.

For the p-bass you have the 1/4 pounder. It has boosted highs and lows and the mids are scooped a little. This is a good pickup for pick players. A lot of poeple like this pickup. Next is the hot. It has boosted mids and it is hot. If you play with distortion this pickup will "break up" more than the 1/4 pounder. Next is the vintage. This one is wound to old Fender specs and will give you the old Fender tone. These are their main p-bass offerings ... there are others ...
 
#28
Ric5 said:
I like pretty much everything that Seymour duncan builds ... except for their Ric replacement pickups.

For the p-bass you have the 1/4 pounder. It has boosted highs and lows and the mids are scooped a little. This is a good pickup for pick players. A lot of poeple like this pickup. Next is the hot. It has boosted mids and it is hot. If you play with distortion this pickup will "break up" more than the 1/4 pounder. Next is the vintage. This one is wound to old Fender specs and will give you the old Fender tone. These are their main p-bass offerings ... there are others ...
Click to expand...

I use a simply overdrive pedal to boost my sound and make it sound more full. It's not really a distortion pedal, but do you think I would prefer the hot? I do tend to use a pick for a lot of stuff I play as well as using my fingers.
 
#32
If you're looking for a vintagey P Bass pickup, the SPB-1s are where it's at. And it's not even close. The SPB-2 sound burpy to me. If I wanted a hot mid boosted pickup I wanted to sound ballsy and gritty, not burpy-see Dimarzio Model P.

I have a love-hate relationship with the SPB-3. They sound phat. and they're a the biggest, baddest, ballsiest P Bass pickup out there. But I find in some rooms that big bad phatness can be a real detractor in some places. Not so much the fatness, but the grit plus the fatness. But if you're looking to rock the hell out, that's where it's at.
 
#37
Yup, Antiquity II's have slightly more output than Ant I's and a bit more mids. They give a good punch over stock Fender PUP's. Call Boomer at SD to get a P Bass cover with no logo. X1002. If you have a problem bass or a problem venue, the SPB-3's can compensate with their expanded frequency response.

There's so many knowledgeable players out there. Bass players seem to be a more supportive bunch than those lead guys. But that's another thread huh.
 
#38
Dogghouse said:
Yup, Antiquity II's have slightly more output than Ant I's and a bit more mids. They give a good punch over stock Fender PUP's. Call Boomer at SD to get a P Bass cover with no logo. X1002. If you have a problem bass or a problem venue, the SPB-3's can compensate with their expanded frequency response.

There's so many knowledgeable players out there. Bass players seem to be a more supportive bunch than those lead guys. But that's another thread huh.
Click to expand...

Yea, story of my life.

I personally tried out my friend's Antiquity II pickups the other day, and I was really impressed. I've found that the SPB-1s are a very standard, solid pickup that gets the job done, while the Antiquity IIs add a little more punch. I'd definitely say they are worth the extra $$ as well.

-Kyle
 
#40
looking at the SD website
seems the spb-4 is a hotter version of the spb-1
the spb-2 is way hotter than both
the spb-3 is not really comparable because the poles are bigger

i just got an spb-1 off ebay for decent price, hoping it sounds like i want, it's 11.5k with enamel wire and the pickup i have now is 10.5k with formvar wire...want something a little more inline with the pickup in my 77 pbass...which is enamel wire and 11.5k...
 

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