P-Bass Pickup Dilemma

[DewCr3w88]

I have a Warmoth Swamp Ash Pbass that was rocking an old fender neck and a Squire Pbass pickup I had laying around. For Christmas my gift from me to me was a Warmoth Maple neck with Pao Ferro fingerboard.

When I finally get decent weather and can go outside to spray this neck and finish it (no garage and I refuse to spray it and stink up the house indoors)I will have in theory a killer package minus the pickup.

I am leaning heavily towards a SD SPB-2 or 3 but I have left the door open to maybe getting an EMG.

My dilemma is this- I had SD Vintage stacks on my Jazz Bass(fender Alder body w/ Warmoth neck) for 3years and absolutely hated them, I put the stock fenders back in and was happy as all hell. I have a feeling it probably wont be the fact with a SPB-2 or 3 because they are hot pickups and the sjb-1 wasnt designated as being a hot pickup. I also would like some input as to what the big difference (besides $10) is between an EMG active and passive.

I guess I should tell you what I like to play: I like to play alot of classic rock like The Beatles, CCR, Zeppelin, Boston etc...

Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[Gums]

Have you considered Lindy Fralin or maybe the Nordstrand NP4? Both are worth a look considering the style of music you're playing. Just my 2 cents worth...Happy New Year!

 

[DRafalske]

I have the SPB-3's in my MIM Fender P and EMG actives in my Washburn Mercury.
The SPB-3's get my vote. I couldn't be happier with them. I like the EMGs, but for what you're playing I think you'll also like the SPB-3's.
My .02

Dave

 

[DewCr3w88]

thanks for the responses, does anyone have some hands on experience with the spb-2

 

[scary bill]

I have a spb-3 in a Squier P. Very hot output, out of 5 basses the P is the hottest, even against 2 actives.
Nice clear sound, lots of lows and highs. Great with flats or rounds. More of a modern sound, but roll the tone down a bit and it still has the signature P thump.

 

[McHack]

I've got an SPB-2 in my P, & am looking to replace it... the two pups on my short list are:

Nordstrand NP4
Antiquity II's

Having never heard either, this is a tough one

 

[Floridabwoy]

DiMarzio.

 

[ericw]

DiMarzio.

I listened to the samples in this thread and... went with the dimarzio model p (dp122). It should be here today hopefully.

 

[David Jayne]

I know it might seem crazy, but have you considered:
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Original-62-P-Bass-Pickup?sku=301602

 

[ericw]

I know it might seem crazy, but have you considered:
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Original-62-P-Bass-Pickup?sku=301602

A sample of that '62 pickup is also in the link I provided and sounds quite nice. The spb-3 is also represented in that thread but I wasn't particularly fond of the sound.

 

[thepest]

DiMarzio.

What he said!

 

[Nedmundo]

Yeah, I had an SPB-2 for awhile. It provides a super thick, warm, punchy version of vintage tone, but isn't muddy unless you want it to be. It's smooth, and has less high end than a classic P-bass pickup. I really liked it, but ultimately decided it was a little too boomy for my band at the time. I also wanted more grit, and more of that high end "ring" on tap if desired.

I replaced it with a Lindy Fralin (standard wind), and couldn't be happier. It's punchy, with a gritty, aggressive edge to the tone, and yet nails a warm vintage vibe at the same time. For an all-around P-bass pickup, I couldn't imagine anything better, though I also love G&L's MFD split-coil for a more full-range, hotter, thicker, and even more aggressive tone.

So, I prefer the Fralin, but if you don't want to spend that much, I think the SPB-2 would be great for the material you mention. The SBP-3 probably would be too. I've briefly tried one, and I liked it. Some say it isn't good for classic P-bass tone, but I've heard players use it, and while it's not an old-school vintage sound, it's squarely in the P-bass family. I understand why so many players use it.

 

[Floridabwoy]

I will post a clip after my gig tonite. I play fingerstyle and the DiMarzio in my 50's RI P is monstrous.

 

[akmusicfreak]

I listened to the samples in this thread and... went with the dimarzio model p (dp122). It should be here today hopefully.

+1, used these at one time. sound pretty sweet and modestly priced.

 

[nutso42]

I guess I should tell you what I like to play: I like to play alot of classic rock like The Beatles, CCR, Zeppelin, Boston etc...

Lindy Fralin passives. Hands down.

 

[ishouldbeking]

I'd take a good look at the Hanson pickups... which are the stock pups on lakland precisions. I've got a Nordstrand P in my precision copy and while I like it quite a bit, everytime I play a Lakland I think "THIS is what I want to sound like." I believe stock lakland's use the neopunch version rather than the vintage, which might be part of what i like about it, but who cares if it sounds great, right?

 

[Metropolis_488]

I have owned the Nordstrand NP4, the Fender 62 and the EMG P (they were in the same bass). I'll just say this - the NP4 is the best, most growly pickup I have ever played. I was going to pay Nordstrand a ridiculous amount of money to custom build me a set of NP4s in soapbar housings... but it was just to much money. Anyhow. The NP4 really captures that classic P-bass tone more than the EMG and even more than the Fender (kind of surprising, actually). It has great output, tight lows and a clean clear treble that sounds fantastic.

 

[rodl2005]

B4 I got 2 posts in I was gonna suggest the Dimarzio's. I've got a set of the reg. P's & a set of the blade pole type( I 4get the model No.'s) but BOTH sound WAY better than the SD's I've owned previously! All IMO .....

 

[4Mal]

I like to play alot of classic rock like The Beatles, CCR, Zeppelin, Boston etc...

Why would you want high output pickups or EMG's for that ? To my ear, 'hot' pickups in standard housings universally sound bad. Big low mids bump that just wrecks the sound for me. Maybe they work well for skater punk but for Classic Rock, the 60's style pickups work well for me.

My pick is Vintage Vibe's P-Bass pickup, with a slight overwind - very slight and Alnico 5 pickups. That and an ancient old Sadowsky I got a while back are the best PBass pickups I've heard. Warm, punchy and articulate.

BTW - The SJB-1 is basically the Antiquity I with different bobbin material. It is very similar to what you would hear in an old Fender J. I would consider it one of the best not shielded J sets available. On par with Lollar and Fralin... that pickup is definately not stacked. It's a true single coil that is a more or less faithful representationof a 60's J pickup.

Not sure what you meant by 'Vintage Stack'. Stacked 'bucker' style J pickups are generally dull and lifeless - a feature of too much material under a relatively small housing...