Please recommend pickups for a fretless bass build.

[Durham52]

While I've built and played numerous basses over the years, I've never had a fretless and have never built one. The one I have planned will be a 4 string, 34 inch scale, nothing to special, or radical, though it will be active/passive, probably with a Noll preamp.

I'm looking for pickups that will lean towards a rich and deep tone palette, but with clarity. I've used Bartolini, DiMarzio, Fender and several other brands over the years, but I suppose I'm hoping for some input from fretless players and builders.

So I'll be grateful for any recommendations.

 

[Slidlow]

My first used a Dimarzio "P", the second used Alembics, the third has piezos only in the bridge and the most recent (see picture) has a pair of unbranded inexpensive Korean passive humbuckers from E-bay and guess what. The cheapo sound best with a clear "B". Only the Alembic and Piezos were active.

 

[GMC]

In my opinon MM style pickups sound amazing on a fretless. The pickup is usually wire quite low so it mates to an active preamp very well. The MM has a bright top end that just sings on a fretless imho.

 

[bedbad66]

For fretless I like pickups that have strong low-mids. This really brings out the mwahhh character that is sought after which tends to accentuate harmonics, glissandos, etc. The last thing you want are pickups that sound "scooped". For jazz pickups, I really like Dimarzio model Js and Nordstrand blade pickups with the warm and wooly voicing. For soapbars, I really love the Delano SBC pickups, which I have in a Marleaux bass. They are incredibly throaty, but still have a clear and clean top end. I have a fretted bass with Delano musicman style pickups and I always thought the bass would sound great as a fretless. When the pickups are in series mode, they really bark with the bridge pickup soloed.

 

[Durham52]

Thanks for your experiences and suggestions. I'd thought about MM types, Pino's sound from his recordings with Paul Young have always appealed. I'll check out some of the other suggestions, particularly Delano's which I've never used before.

 

[bassdude51]

Some fat J pickups. Fat in the sense of extra ohms. Jaco's J pickups were wound by Duncan and they were beefier (more ohms) than stock Fender J pickups.

I think Duncan offers the Jaco pickups.

Good luck. You're gonna get as many suggestions as there are p/us made out there.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

A big part of your decision depends on how you plan to play your fretless bass. Do you want to play like Jaco? Bright high sliding solos on roundwounds? Or do you want to play the background in a bluegrass band? Warm, thumpy roots and fifths with bits of slide-up, on warm old flatwounds? Those are two different formulas for building a fretless bass.

For Jaco fun, go with bright clear Jazz pickups, roundwounds, and a hard coated surface fingerboard.

For that bluegrass sound, you want a powerful humbucker in the middle of the body, and some worn-in flatwounds. I personally like a Duncan Quarter Pounder P-Bass pickup with flatwounds.

 

[Durham52]

Yes, I realize that everyone with a personal favorite will point to those pickups, but one of those recommendations might be just what suits me too.

The Jaco type sound isn't particularly my thing, I'm not a huge fan of the burpy jazz bridge pickup sound and I'm not a jazz player. African/Reggae/world music and solo bass/classical stuff is mainly where I see a fretless being of most use to me. I'm at an age where regularly playing gigs is a thing of the past and most of my playing is for my own pleasure and home recording.

 

[claudel]

I'm in the middle of building a single MM Fretless J, waiting for parts...

Gonna try a Nordstrand Bigman 4 AIII with Noll pre.

We'll see if I have chosen wisely.

 

[two fingers]

In my opinon MM style pickups sound amazing on a fretless. The pickup is usually wire quite low so it mates to an active preamp very well. The MM has a bright top end that just sings on a fretless imho.

This. If it were me it would be a P/MM setup. The P pickup would he in the standard position and the MM would literally be slammed right up against it. It would be one route hole. The MM would be touching the P pickup.

But if I had to choose one, it would be the MM in the sweet spot.

 

[grouse789]

Bartolini 9J in the bridge. Done.

 

[PFDarkside]

Did you end up building this bass? How did it turn out?