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Something like a P pickup but different?

#21
OP said...." a fretless pbass with a different aesthetic. ........... I just want a smallish metal box that delivers....".

..so he could still make it work....no idea about Gretsch spacing vs Fender but could be a possibility to do a Gretsch layout in his build, or double up the pups...I just like the aesthetic of the TV Jones and it seemed to match his thoughts...

OP be aware of string spacing ...I'm a player, not a builder
 
#24
fender wide range bass humbucker.jpg
 
#27
nonohmic said:
Good to hear. It's going in my new build with a series/parallel/single coil switch.
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so.. I don’t want to talk to you out of it, but it’s probably not a great candidate for that-

They sound OK-ish in parallel, but series sounds significantly better, and not in an overly ‘seriesish’ way, it just sounds right in series. I would only do parallel if I were using them in a multi-pickup instrument, wherein I want the weaker, more trebly sound to pair with the other pickup for a particular slap sound or something.. That said, I don’t really know what you’re after, and a series/parallel switch isn’t going to catch fire if you end up not using parallel


But for single, they aren’t going to work very well- with the polls offset, you’re just getting this strange window of aperture that’s going to sound pretty weak by itself, rather than sounding like a ballsy p-single
 
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#29
eddododo said:
so.. I don’t want to talk to you out of it, but it’s probably not a great candidate for that-

They sound OK-ish in parallel, but series sounds significantly better, and not in an overly ‘seriesish’ way, it just sounds right in series. I would only do parallel if I were using them in a multi-pickup instrument, wherein I want the weaker, more trebly sound to pair with the other pickup for a particular slap sound or something.. That said, I don’t really know what you’re after, and a series/parallel switch isn’t going to catch fire if you end up not using parallel


But for single, they aren’t going to work very well- with the polls offset, you’re just getting this strange window of aperture that’s going to sound pretty weak by itself, rather than sounding like a ballsy p-single
Click to expand...

Well, shiiiii. I was hoping to get basically a single coil P with dual coil "on tap" as it were. I actually asked Nordstrand a couple days ago about the pickup and their response was 'you'll get a full range single coil sound if you isolate the front or rear, but it won't be exactly like a 51 cause the field lines still interfere"
 
#30
KidAmnesia said:
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?
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On this thread, WHO is making the best P basses these days?, there was a dude who posted his Bluesman Vintage bass with a t-bird pickup in the P position. After I asked about it he was kind enough to post an instagram link to hear the bass, and I think it sounds killer. A bit bigger and mellower than a p-bass, but the same tonal arena. Shiny metal and humbucking, like you're looking for.

bassrebel said:
I think the Thunderbird pickup adds a nice color to the traditional P sound.
Here’s a quick vid full of errors that I made with the BMV

Danny Thomas Gonzalez on Instagram
Click to expand...
 
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#32
Thank you guys! I have a few things to check out.

I forgot to mention it, but I'd also love a narrower string spacing (18 or 17 mm), so probably a TV Jones would work. And Thunderbird pups have blades, don't they? Is there a particular model that sounds more pbassish than others?

And yes, Dimarzio Relentless/Sixties are an option too, but I'd love to avoid the split format.

As far as WRHB, T40s and others, I'd rather go for something cheaper and easy to find.
 
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#33
S.F.Sorrow said:
'
They look cool and sound amazing, but the OP wants a hum-cancelling pickup, which unfortunately rules out this one. It would have been perfect in every other way!
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The OP didn't actually state that they want a "hum-cancelling" pickup. They said "I just want a smallish metal box that delivers some phat punch without hum." My H22 does not hum. I think it's still a contender! ;)
 
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#34
You could really go out in the tall grass and get a Bartolini Soapbar P. It's a regular P Bass pickup in a soapbar shape. The Bart Flavor is a little different and maybe that's what you are angling for? Also, if you go with the soapbar route you can change it to something else pretty easity if you don't like it. Nordstrand Zen Blades might be worth a look. Just make sure your string spacing matches up with the string spacing on the pickup.
 
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#39
KidAmnesia said:
Thank you guys! I have a few things to check out.

I forgot to mention it, but I'd also love a narrower string spacing (18 or 17 mm), so probably a TV Jones would work. And Thunderbird pups have blades, don't they? Is there a particular model that sounds more pbassish than others?
Click to expand...

T-bird pickups are blades internally, so string spacing shouldn't be too big of a concern either way. Tonewise, they're not the same structure as a p-bass pickup so honestly, it's never going to be 100%. It will be a great tone, just not a perfect match to a p-bass!

The pickups you'd want to look for are the 60's style ones, with a lower resistance. The ones available from Curtis Novak and Lollar would be great choices, and Gibson also recently began selling 60's reissue pickups, which are a bit cheaper. The Curtis Novak pickups can be upgraded to have a coil tap, which could be a nice option.

The only ones I'd recommend staying away from in your case are the modern ceramic pickups that were installed in Gibson basses from sometime in the 80's (with the black covers). They sound substantially different to the original 60's pickups, noticeably darker, less harmonically rich and somewhat more compressed sounding too. Not really what I think you'd be after I think.
 
#40
nonohmic said:
Well, shiiiii. I was hoping to get basically a single coil P with dual coil "on tap" as it were. I actually asked Nordstrand a couple days ago about the pickup and their response was 'you'll get a full range single coil sound if you isolate the front or rear, but it won't be exactly like a 51 cause the field lines still interfere"
Click to expand...

I ran out of time during my long-winded comment, but I meant to add “talk to Nordstrand, they’re super responsive and helpful, and they know more than me”

sooooo I’d go with their opinion! I’ve never found myself in a position where I felt like they were placating me to make a sale

Thinking out loud, I have often found myself wanting to take the big rig and install it at an angle, such that both pole pieces were directly under the string. I’ll have to jot that down somewhere and remember it for a build
 
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