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P bass pickups, SPB-1 vs AG 4P-60

Xavierbass

Xavierbass

Mar 16, 2016
177
464
37
Chile
#1
Hello guys!
I just bought an Am. Standard Precision in a gorgeous Blizzard Pearl finish, a 2011 NOS. It plays great, loved he light weight and neck profile. Best Fender I ever had, by far.
Put some old TI's I used to play on a Jazz Bass. Pickups sounds great to my ears with rich low end and beautiful highs, but I guess it is just a great bedroom tone and I think it probably won't fit well on a mix or in a band situation.
I was looking for a pickup replacement, and after having seen some video reviews, I got to this two options: SPB- 1 and AG 4P-60. Any thoughts about those two pickups? Maybe some of you have made an A/B comparisson . Thank you guys!
 
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#3
birminghambass said:
I've used both. I prefer the Duncan for the midrange response. The Aguilar is voiced closer to the Fender pickup, but still an improvement. That being said, I'd try your bass in a mix before deciding what it does or doesn't need.
Click to expand...
Thank you! I have heard the opposite, a little mid scoop on the SPB-1, but I trust in your experience. You are right about trying the bass on a mix, and then decide. Thank you for your nice advise
 
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#4
Xavierbass said:
Thank you! I have heard the opposite, a little mid scoop on the SPB-1, but I trust in your experience. You are right about trying the bass on a mix, and then decide. Thank you for your nice advise
Click to expand...

SPB-1 sound scoop , AG 4P-60 sound smooth and bloom.
I been use Ti flat on my previous pbass , sound very good with Fralin P, Fender PV63 and AG 4P-60.
SPB-1 has nice match with Sadowsky Black label flat and Fender 9050L .
 
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#7
I have one bass with the SPB-1 and I am VERY happy with it. (I've never had the pleasure of trying the AG 4P-60.) So I can't directly comment on your thread.

Over the years of being on Talk Bass almost everyday, the SPB-1, Fender Original Precision Bass pickup and now, the EMG Geezer seem to be the 3 most popular P pickups.

My .02 cents. What's the magic with so called different vintage P type pickups? AlNiCo 5 magnets. 42AWG wire. About 11 K ohm. ???????? I mean, that's about the sum of it for a P pickup. It's not any big deal.

Scatter wind? Wind tension? Wax (80% paraffin, 20% bee's wax) potting? Lacquer potting? Are these the "fairy dust" that makes a super big difference in how a P bass pickup sounds? I doubt it.

IMHO, I think just about any decent quality vintage type P pickup is going to sound like a................Precision Bass Guitar.

Buy the Duncan. It has an excellent track record and is cheaper in price. About a $50 savings.

I should conclude that I have about 7 different P Basses with 7 different P pickup and they all sound about the same to me. Any difference is probably due to the different wood of each bass. No 2 basses ever sound the same.

The sound that one person gets with a certain pickup on their bass, well your results on your bass could be different.

Good luck!
 
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#8
Xavierbass said:
Thank you! I have heard the opposite, a little mid scoop on the SPB-1, but I trust in your experience. You are right about trying the bass on a mix, and then decide. Thank you for your nice advise
Click to expand...
I had the SPB-1 and hated it, super boomy, really weak mids, not a lot on top, it was like it was dark sounding and scooped at the same time, couldn't wait to get rid of it
 
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#9
Thank you very much all of you for sharing your impressions. Finally I decided to go with the AG 4P-60, and put some La Bella flats. Now it sounds fat, sweet, with a full and rich sound. Articulated bass, very present low mids and rounded highs, with some bite if you dig in. Voiced quite different to the Fralins (which I used to have and love).
I am very pleased with the results, certainly a big improvement from the stock pickup.
 
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#10
Xavierbass said:
Thank you very much all of you for sharing your impressions. Finally I decided to go with the AG 4P-60, and put some La Bella flats. Now it sounds fat, sweet, with a full and rich sound. Articulated bass, very present low mids and rounded highs, with some bite if you dig in. Voiced quite different to the Fralins (which I used to have and love).
I am very pleased with the results, certainly a big improvement from the stock pickup.
Click to expand...
Fralin is in my top 3 for P bass pickups. I look forward to your assessment of the Aguilar.
 
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#11
Xavierbass said:
Hello guys!
I just bought an Am. Standard Precision in a gorgeous Blizzard Pearl finish, a 2011 NOS. It plays great, loved he light weight and neck profile. Best Fender I ever had, by far.
Put some old TI's I used to play on a Jazz Bass. Pickups sounds great to my ears with rich low end and beautiful highs, but I guess it is just a great bedroom tone and I think it probably won't fit well on a mix or in a band situation.
I was looking for a pickup replacement, and after having seen some video reviews, I got to this two options: SPB- 1 and AG 4P-60. Any thoughts about those two pickups? Maybe some of you have made an A/B comparisson . Thank you guys!
Click to expand...
You were smart to do so. Not familiar with the Aggie pickup you got but I did one gig with my 2009 AmStd P which has the same pickup, and it's absolutely godawful to my ears. I do know people who like them because of the midscoop, but I hated it and couldn't hear myself in a dense mix for love or money.
 
#12
jallenbass said:
Fralin is in my top 3 for P bass pickups. I look forward to your assessment of the Aguilar.
Click to expand...
Fralins are awesome. And Lindy himself is a great person!
I discarded that option this time because I am a little bit far away, and prices including taxes and shipment were a little bit high last time. So I found a great deal here with the Aguilar and decided to give it a try. I think I nailed it
 

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