Top P pickups that are very different

[DavidEdenAria]

Curious out of the huge number of P pickups on the market, what are some extreme examples of P types?

Which popular choices stray away from say a traditional P pickup like a Duncan SPB1 or various Fender reissues?

For me the Duncan SPB2 hot was extremely different than the SPB1 more of a straight up traditional Fender type for example.

If someone can link to some posts or have comments on these 'different P types' on comparison, much thanks in advance!

 

[BassikBrad]

EMG X, tighter & articulate than most other offerings

 

[rogypop]

Dimarzio model P comes to mind first.

 

[sikamikanico]

Humbucker P: Split P™ | DiMarzio

Sidewinder P: Turner Pickups | Unique Pickups For Bass Guitar

 

[urkel3000]

DiMarzio model p sounds like a hot fart in a car with the windows rolled up compared to a GZR

 

[Malak the Mad]

I haven't tried them, but when I heard "very different", my first thought was for the Lace Aluma P-Bass pickup. They are very non-standard, but I would do a good amount of research before purchasing.

Aluma P Bass Pickup

Lace Aluma-P Bass Pickup This tone and output were only available with a pre amp before. The Aluma PTM Bass Pickup not only eliminates the need for a pre amp, but also has zero noise. "These new Aluma PTM electric bass pickups are a system, in that they will not only work with a traditional 4...

lacemusic.com

 

[MrWizard334]

pickups

 

[shoulderpet]

I have tried several different P pickups, the only ones that struck me as being particularly different were the SPB-2 and the Dimarzio model p, the others were pretty much different shades of the same thing.

 

[SharpCat]

These are great and look different:
Delano PMVC
Le Compte Triple Threat
Nordstrand np4a or power blade
Bartolini B-Axis
Dimarzio Sixties

There's a bunch of other blade pickups around as well. Some good, some bad.

 

[_Obra_]

I found Bill Lawrence pretty ''different''. Also CustomShop 57 with raised pole pieces.
Here are some videos of mine where You can compare some P bass pickups and sounds:

 

[Gervais Cote]

Quarter pounders : articulate, growly and snarky as hell on one of my bass, really not the standard Fender sound

Nordstrand Power Blades : super high output that makes a bass sound like a 400 pounds wild boar

Seymour Duncan Steve Harris : thumps like nothing else

 

[Lo-E]

The DiMarzio Model P was probably the first really hot P replacement and punches much harder than a typical P. Schaller made a comparable pickup up until about 10 years ago.
The next was the SD Quarter-Pounder, which sounds darker than the Model P but still punches very hard.

The first blades I can remember were the Bill Lawrence, which were hot output but very clear. Nice pickups if you can find them.

The Bartolini 8S is another of the early P replacements that sounds like other Barts - warm and detailed.

The original EMG actives came out a little later - again, typical of the other offerings from that brand: super clean and very full-range. I don’t know their current offerings so well.

Current options that are very clean and full range are the current Bill Lawrence (Wilde) P-46 and the Lace Alumitones.

As others mentioned, Nordstrand is doing several versions of blade Ps that have various characters - none of them much like a stock P.

Delano makes a P pickup with big, single pole pieces instead of a smaller pair for each string. I think some other makers are doing that, too. Ostensibly, it would provide more clarity and touch sensitivity at the expense of even dynamics. I haven’t tried them to find out but the theory is sound so I don’t doubt it works.

There are probably two dozen I’m missing. As one of the most popular bass pickup form factors, you can find a P version of nearly every bass pickup now.

 

[rooster]

Reverend P Blade pickups.

 

[Iristone]

Alembic Activator P

 

[sikamikanico]

Humbucker P: Split P™ | DiMarzio

Sidewinder P: Turner Pickups | Unique Pickups For Bass Guitar

I'll just add one thought - it's very hard to make a very different sounding P pickup. They'll mostly just be brighter or darker sounding + any volume differences. The footprint of the P shells limits what you can do inside...

If you want something really different, you need more coils and wider spacing between them.

 

[mellowgerman]

JBE /Joe Barden are pretty amazing if you want clarity and articulation. I love them but also understand why others may not. I'd recommend seeking out some demos

 

[Lo-E]

Le Compte Triple Threat

I’ve been curious about these ever since Charlie (@Passinwind) spoke so highly of them.

 

[sporad]

DiMarzio Billy Sheehan Relentless P is different than most.

 

[SpiderBass1965]

I haven't tried them, but when I heard "very different", my first thought was for the Lace Aluma P-Bass pickup. They are very non-standard, but I would do a good amount of research before purchasing.

Aluma P Bass Pickup

Lace Aluma-P Bass Pickup This tone and output were only available with a pre amp before. The Aluma PTM Bass Pickup not only eliminates the need for a pre amp, but also has zero noise. "These new Aluma PTM electric bass pickups are a system, in that they will not only work with a traditional 4...

lacemusic.com

I have these on my '78 P Bass. Lots of power. Great tone. Different than the original but not meaning they have a bad side.

 

[Passinwind]

I’ve been curious about these ever since Charlie (@Passinwind) spoke so highly of them.

I have a set of Bud's single coil Triple Threats in soapbar cases, not the split coils, which do have a P format option. But yeah, they are very very good. And he had me take exact string spacing measurements at the pickup locations and laser cut the flatwork to match that spacing, which I found super cool.

But when I hear "very different" my buddy Marco Cortes' work comes immediately to mind:

Disclaimer: I used to do some pre-Plague work for Marco Bass and one of my older preamp designs is in that bass, although I didn't do the install or even know about it until a few days before that NAMM show. He's also done a few more traditional looking versions in that format, and plenty of more normal Ps as well.