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Something like a P pickup but different?

KidAmnesia

KidAmnesia

Jul 13, 2022
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1,583
Buenos Aires
#1
Im planing a new build that is essentially a fretless pbass with a different aesthetic. But I don't love the look of the classic split black plastic pickup, or that of any other black plastic box slapped on the middle of a bass and would like something that looks different but sounds kind of the same. I'd love something that looks like a goldfoil, or a Rick toastertop or a thunderbird pu would also look cool... I like shiny metal.

I'm not a tone purist, all pbasses sound good to me and a lot other basses can sound close enough. I just want a smallish metal box that delivers some phat punch without hum. What should I be checking out?
 
#3
KidAmnesia said:
I'd love something that looks like a goldfoil, or a Rick toastertop or a thunderbird pu would also look cool... I like shiny metal.
Click to expand...
Shiny metal I've got going on,

Lakland ChiSonic, WRHB, Thunderbird.
51 style pt1.jpg
TV Jones Thunderblade, Guild BiSonic.
51 style pt2.jpg


You could also go for Lipstick.
Italia.jpg
 
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#14
Two things you will need to consider:

1) If you want it to sound like a P-bass, you will need to install the pickup in the P-bass position. This is actually more important than choosing the right pickup (although some pickups will of course get you closer to a P-bass tone than others).

2) When you say you're building "essentially a fretless P-bass" I'm assuming you're using Fender string spacing. Make sure you get a pickup that works for the strings spacing you're gonna use. For example, TV Jones pickups look very cool and shiny but they won't work with Fender strings spacing. The E+G strings will end up outside the magnetic field and sound very weak, totally useless. MAYBE you can get away with using a TV Jones bridge pickup in the neck position but a bridge pickup is voiced for the bridge position and should be used as such. MAYBE the TV Jones blade pickups will work better with Fender string spacing than their more classic/vintage pickups... or maybe not. Whatever you do, make sure you know the pickup you get will work with you string spacing. The same applies with many other pickups too. If the pickups are designed for basses with narrower strings spacing they may not work with Fender string spacing. Some examples of instruments with narrower string spacing are Gretsch, Höfner, Gibson basses with the 3-point bridge and vintage Guild/Hagström. There are many others too but I think these are the most relevant with regards to replacement pickups. I know from personal experience that pickups from several of these basses will NOT work with Fender string spacing. Some manufacturers offer reissues of these pickups with optional string spacing though, like Curtis Novak's Bisonic/Dark Start which can be ordered both with historically accurate strings spacing, or as a Fender-compatible version with wider string spacing.

This will limit your options considerably I'm afraid. Shiny metal cover + hum-cancelling + compatible with Fender string spacing + sound close to a P-bass... Not much to choose from.
 
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#15
edencab said:
I like the look of some of the TV Jones bass pickups..lots of shiny metal :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

They look cool and they sound great, but if you install them in a bass with Fender string spacing the E+G-strings will end up outside the magnetic field and sound very weak. TV Jones pickups are designed for Gretsch basses with more narrow string spacing. Maybe the TV Jones BLADE pickups can work better with Fender string spacing, I haven't tested those. But the classic TV Jones pickups are totally and utterly useless with Fender strings spacing.
 
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#17
kgbeast said:
Thunderbird pickup is chromed box. I think you can find a Peavey Super Ferrite in chromed version.
There are copies of these sold on Amazon and Aliexpress, not sure if any of these any good.
Click to expand...

A T-bird pickup will probably tick all the boxes EXCEPT maybe the tone. It deviates quite a bit from the P-bass tone the OP is looking for, even if you mount it in the P-bass position.
 
#18
PrinceByTor said:
Don’t mean to “threadjack,” but I gotta know…

never seen pickups arranged that way; wot kind of sound do you get from that configuration? Looks awesome by the way.
Click to expand...

Slade N said:
How does that sound?
Click to expand...
Sorry, yet to hear one myself.

It's an Italia Modulo, designed by Trev Wilkinson; same fella behind the very successful hardware/pickup brand. One of the UK builders briefly owned one, told me it was fun and the 4 lipsticks are hooked up in series as a quad coil humbucker. I mentioned to him I'd spotted one local but at £600 it was more than double what I'd spring for, he agreed saying

"it's fun but £200 to £250 of fun, no more."

With that the budget was set :D Build should be straightforward enough, I've had the lipsticks a few years; stumbling block is that scaly skin finish. Maybe one day :laugh:
 
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