• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Seymour Duncan SPB-1 Pickups Vs. SPB-2 Pickups

TjMetalhead

TjMetalhead

Oct 19, 2011
686
833
New Mexico
#1
Hey everybody, I need some opinions about these two pickups, I had put the SPB-3's in my p bass and tried them out for about a week and they're not giving me what I want. I can see the problems with too much of the treble and bass with mids scooped out. I definitely want a pickup with more chunky mids and bass. I am going for that Steve Harris tone but I put a bit more chunky bass and mids in my tone. Which one of these would be good for that? or maybe get the actual Steve Harris signature? I don't want too much treble. What do you guys think?
 
#3
With all due respect to the great folks at Duncan, the EMG Geezer Butler P is almost dead-on to what you want. It's not a supercharged hot pickup like the SPB-3 but it's totally got the mids thing happening and isn't crazy with the treble, although there is more treble than the SPB-3. But in a good way.
 
#4
I've got the SPB-2 in my '07 Mexi P-Bass and it is definitely mid-heavy. I read somewhere that it's 10% overwound vis a vis the SPB-1, but the long and short of it is you won't be drowning in treble. It's balanced.
 
#5
hmmm man this is tough cause I'm such an indecisive person. I'm probably teetering more to the SBP-2's. I can't find much video's on the Geezer Butler pickups besides the ones with Geezer himself playing them and his tone is a bit far from what I'm trying to get. Probably good to mention I use D'addario flats...anyone know how flats sound with the pickups I mentioned?
 
#7
Holy mother of DAMN! those sound amazing! Unfortunately though they're out of my price range and Seymour Duncan will only do an exchange on the SPB-3's I bought :/ maybe down the road I can slap those on another P Bass. Will the SPB-2 sound similar to the Geezer's?
 
#8
Doubt it. I've not played the SPB-2 but I've yet to play a pickup that sounds quite like the Geezer P. OTOH, Duncan's a very respected name for decades, so I'm sure it'll be a sweet pickup.
 
#11
After I listen to some 'demos' of pickups mention above in this thread - plus some that unmentioned - (I forget to bookmark the links tho :D... some was in youtube, some from soundcloud and other places in the net, ..nothing is in 'real' hi quality audio tho, so I might be not so accurate),...
I think EMG Geezer won (based on @JimmyM sound cloud clips and EMG-Butler's own youtube clips)...for the tone - as @TjMetalhead wrote in post #1 and for 'vintage' sounding P-Bass pickup.
YMMV
 
#12
bluesdogblues said:
After I listen to some 'demos' of pickups mention above in this thread - plus some that unmentioned - (I forget to bookmark the links tho :D... some was in youtube, some from soundcloud and other places in the net, ..nothing is in 'real' hi quality audio tho, so I might be not so accurate),...
I think EMG Geezer won (based on @JimmyM sound cloud clips and EMG-Butler's own youtube clips).
For tone - as @TjMetalhead wrote in post #1 and for 'vintage' sounding P-Bass pickup.
YMMV
Click to expand...
oh yeah I know the Geezer Butler's won for sure, but I can do a return on the SPB-3's i bought just an exchange, and I don't have $105 to drop on new pickups, If I could get my money back oh yeah those EMG's for sure...but I need to exchange for another Seymour Duncan set...do you think those SPB-2's are close? or what other Seymour Duncan could work?
 
#13
From the demos I listen to like I wrote, I prefer SPB-1 than SPB-2 or Steve Harris' SPB (4 ?). It is closer to what you want IMHO, but seems like less volume for me.
Don't quote me on this tho,..it's all approx. cause IMO all the demos are rough...well you know how youtube, sound cloud, mp3s and all ruin the sound,,, not to mention different person who made the demos, different gears etc :)

P.S: Haven't listen to any SD Antiquity tho..
 
Last edited:
#14
I just took SPB-3s out of the p bass and put in SPB-2s. Night and day! The threes were very thin in comparison to the twos. In fact, I could not run threes direct, but had to augment my chain with a VT Bass to fatten them up. I don't have to with the twos. Fat, punchy, a little grit. Best pick-ups I've played, along with the DiMarzio hots.
 
  • Like
Reactions: totalnoob
#15
I don't have any experience with the SPB-2's, but I have a few basses with SPB-1's. Killer pickup, sounds similar to the clips JimmyM posted above, but with a little less midrange push. SPB-1's in a bass strung with flats = tone heaven.

(I have a set of the Geezers, too, and have compared them to the SPB-1).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matt R
#16
Arvin said:
I don't have any experience with the SPB-2's, but I have a few basses with SPB-1's. Killer pickup, sounds similar to the clips JimmyM posted above, but with a little less midrange push. SPB-1's in a bass strung with flats = tone heaven.

(I have a set of the Geezers, too, and have compared them to the SPB-1).
Click to expand...
How do the Geezer's compare to the SPB-1's? I talked to a guy by the name of Mark from Seymour Duncan and he said the SBP-2 had a more of a punch in the mid-range and bottom end giving it a more well rounded sound. This is hard trying to make a decision :help:
 
#20
TjMetalhead said:
Allrighty, thanks for your guys's input! I'm gonna send back the SPB-3's this week and exchange them for the SPB-2's and I'll let ya know how they sound.
Click to expand...

Looking forward to your report. I just ordered the SPB-2's also. I am anxious to compare the SPB-1 and SPB-2 through my Fender 100T. I'll give an update at a later time also.

Marc
 
  • Like
Reactions: Basic Lee

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back