I have an amazing Bruce Thomas Profile bass. It’s a P bass copy but lightweight, slimmer neck and with an ebony fretboard. Acoustically it sounds perfect with Labella Deep Talkin’ flats on. The stock pickup is very lively but I’d like to replace it with something that lets the natural tone of the bass shine through. What is good for that, Lindy Fralin?
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P bass pickup for clean sound
- Thread starter Yonni
- Start date
I would go with JBE (Joe Barden). The whole brand was founded on creating pickups with broad frequency response and getting the clearest, truest sound of the instrument. I'm a big fan and have the 51 p bass replacement and the Rickenbacker bridge pickup replacement together in my 1962 Gibson EB-0. Very much worth the cost of admission.
Good option. I like the fact that it has blades rather than poles.
I’ve never seen JBE on sale in the UK apart from ebay. I’ll try to find some sound clips.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,019
- 1
- 31,738
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Wilde P46.
Q-Tuner (if you can find one).
EMG PX.
Lace Aluma P.
Q-Tuner (if you can find one).
EMG PX.
Lace Aluma P.
You may have already seen this one but here's a demo that includes the Precision pickup. Unfortunately there aren't a ton of demos out there and this one is a decade old so the quality may not be great, but I really think Barden deliver on their promises. Also, I bought my Barden pickups from a dealer on ebay. I don't think they're normally available in stores in the US either.
Semour Duncan Antiquity. To me, sound like what a Pbass should sound like.
To reiterate, Bill & Becky Wilde's P-46 for around $90.
I know what you’re saying but they’d make my bass sound like all the others. That’s not what I’m looking for.
Got to say Wilde as well. Put a P46 in a cheap P and was amazed by the balance across the spectrum. Clean and detailed. "Vintage" didn't spring to mind if that's a concern.
The price don't hurt either
The price don't hurt either
Delano does a good job with their P pick up.
Clean, clear and punchy.
Also very even across the spectrum.
Got one in my ‘71.
Clean, clear and punchy.
Also very even across the spectrum.
Got one in my ‘71.
Kent Armstrong Hot Vintage P Bass Pickup Alnico @ only $73 USD.
www.armstrongpickups.com
Hot Vintage P Bass Pickup Alnico - Armstrong Pickups
ALNICO / D.C. =10K- If it ain't broke, don't fix it. When introduced in 1957, the split P Pick-up was a break through in ways that many people didn't appreci...
www.armstrongpickups.com
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I just put those in my fender p and they sound and have a more aggressive response. Just what I wanted. Not sure if they are very wide open as I got them primarily for dynamic response.
You describe a neutral, less colored pickup. I'd stay away from most "vintage" replacements. Although fantastic, I wouldn't recommend Fralin, Nordstrand, Duncan, Aguilar, or even Fender. I would recommend Aero and Wilde. EMG fits the bill too but comes with extended frequency response and a battery.
Lol i don't know how you expect people to answer this. "Natural tone of the bass".... even if you believe in the tonewood debate, its at best like 5-10% of the tone the other 90% is the pickups and strings (and obviously your touch). So by you changing the original builders configuration or pickups.. you are changing "the natural sound" and you clearly just have something in your head that you want the bass to sound like.
If you were using an active Pre-amp it would kinda make sense to swap it out for the passives of your choosing but literally whatever pickup you throw in there is what the the bass is ultimately going to sound like... and even then the difference in passive pickups is literally just a matter of magnets and how wound it is.
So in other words just go listen to some P pickup samples and if what in your head sounds close to one of them, thats what it will sound like. The "natural tone" of your bass is because its already just a figment of your imagination lol.. find a Pup you like, and it will sound like that.. I know Bartolinis are typically really mellow and smooth.
If you were using an active Pre-amp it would kinda make sense to swap it out for the passives of your choosing but literally whatever pickup you throw in there is what the the bass is ultimately going to sound like... and even then the difference in passive pickups is literally just a matter of magnets and how wound it is.
So in other words just go listen to some P pickup samples and if what in your head sounds close to one of them, thats what it will sound like. The "natural tone" of your bass is because its already just a figment of your imagination lol.. find a Pup you like, and it will sound like that.. I know Bartolinis are typically really mellow and smooth.
I had EMGs in a PJ for years. Never bonded with them. I can hear why the shop talked me out of the Dizzies. But they always sound too .. polite, I guess. People love the Geezers. I love the bespoke passive Js in my Heartfield that EMG now disowns. But I can't see myself putting active EMGs in anything at this stage.
Funny coz on paper EMGs and Wilde's sound like the same thing. But in my bass, under my fingers, to my ears, it's like night and day.
Wilde's might let the natural tone of your playing shine through more than the natural tone of your bass. I wouldn't say unforgiving, but very responsive.
Those Delanos look interesting.
