Thanks for the posts. I think I’ll try doing it myself. I’ll let everyone know how it goes.
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Ultra boutique P bass pickups
- Thread starter Laurent
- Start date
the DA is an amazing pup. more people should try it. i have 2 basses with the P and a J with a set of DAs as well.
Would this be enough to get the job done?
Weller 25-Watt Standard Duty Soldering Iron Kit-SP25NKUS - The Home Depot
Replaced the Bartolini in my current PBV and am very very happy. If you want the perfect 60s/70s sounding P-Bass pickup, then this is it in spades. It sounds amazing with the tone rolled off, but doesn’t sound shrill or brittle when it’s dimes. You can actually use the entire taper of the tone knob. Plus the more you crank your volume the better it sounds.
American Original 50’s P-Bass Neck
Nash PB63 body
Novak PBV
Dunlop Stainless Steel Flats
= wonderful
American Original 50’s P-Bass Neck
Nash PB63 body
Novak PBV
Dunlop Stainless Steel Flats
= wonderful
Nice! I'm a huge fan of the Novak PBV. It's got a big clear sound that doesn't get muddy in the mix. Just sits so nicely. I'm using Dunlop Flats with it too. Gorgeous bass by the way! 
Thanks. Yeah, I'm real happy with the PBV (and the Dunlop Flats).Nice! I'm a huge fan of the Novak PBV. It's got a big clear sound that doesn't get muddy in the mix. Just sits so nicely. I'm using Dunlop Flats with it too. Gorgeous bass by the way!
Question for the collective.
Looking for a P bass pickup with warmth, growl and a smooth top.
Trying to emulate an upright tone. I know, impossible on an electric but trying to get close.
Maybe something a little on the darker side of the tone spectrum.
Currently using a Lollar standard wind. In the past I have tried the following:
Duncan Ant. II. A little too wooly sounding. Looking for a little better balance.
Nordstrand NP 4. Too modern sounding
Aguilar P4 60's. Should have kept this one for further evaluation. Very close.
Lollar: very even, but I always roll the tone back back to cut the highs, wish it had a little more growl.
Rig is TH 500 and Berg CN210 cab. Really like this combo.
Tweeter is rolled off just to allow a little air to the top end.
Bluesman Vintage 4 string P, alder with Rosewood FB with light gauge LaBella Flats.
I have not tried Kleins, Mojo or other pups mentioned in this thread.
All suggestions welcomed.
Looking for a P bass pickup with warmth, growl and a smooth top.
Trying to emulate an upright tone. I know, impossible on an electric but trying to get close.
Maybe something a little on the darker side of the tone spectrum.
Currently using a Lollar standard wind. In the past I have tried the following:
Duncan Ant. II. A little too wooly sounding. Looking for a little better balance.
Nordstrand NP 4. Too modern sounding
Aguilar P4 60's. Should have kept this one for further evaluation. Very close.
Lollar: very even, but I always roll the tone back back to cut the highs, wish it had a little more growl.
Rig is TH 500 and Berg CN210 cab. Really like this combo.
Tweeter is rolled off just to allow a little air to the top end.
Bluesman Vintage 4 string P, alder with Rosewood FB with light gauge LaBella Flats.
I have not tried Kleins, Mojo or other pups mentioned in this thread.
All suggestions welcomed.
I recently dropped a set of Novak PB-v’s in my P bass, and while the set I got probably aren’t exactly what you’re looking for, he does custom wind each order. I gave Curtis a description of what I wanted, and he nailed it. So it might be worth shooting him an email to discuss what you’re after.
From the discussion starting at post #135 (with a clip in one of the quoted posts, #138, if you click the arrow to go back to it):
I just bought some Novak PB-90’s.
I should receive them some time towards the end of next week.
They will replace the V-Mod’s in my AmPro P-Bass. I liked the V-Mod’s for everything except the E-String. Looking forward to getting some aggression back on open E’s
I should receive them some time towards the end of next week.
They will replace the V-Mod’s in my AmPro P-Bass. I liked the V-Mod’s for everything except the E-String. Looking forward to getting some aggression back on open E’s
Chef
In Memoriam
You're wrong.
The Fender P pickup has many solid variants, and while some of them are "subtle nuances" of an old favorite tone; others like the Nordstrand variants, and G&L variant, are substantively different in ways I find positive and useful.
I'm wrong? Most of the time on TalkBass I am always wrong.
I agree I have noticed significant tone changes based on pickup choice!
Anyone try Kloppmann? Scroll way down for P options. They’re pricey but the demos have my interest piqued.
If you can find some sandberg demos from a few years back, they used to use kloppmann pickups. I believe they started making their own now.
Actually on this one, both Chef and Bassdude51 are right.
I'll preface this by saying that I have been down the rabbit hope quest pickup in a major way. Check my profile, I have tried many many pickups.
My sense of this is a bit like religion or one sense of detail. It's what you choose to believe in and focus on. It's what matters to you.
Do pickups make a difference, absolutely, but they only make a difference if the musician's ear and muse are focused on it.
I think ultimately, most great musicians can play music on any instrument. Give a MIM P to Pino fresh of the Guitar Center rack and he'll be just fine.
It all boils down to personal taste. Vanilla or mint for that ice-cream?
Hey all, looks like I was right in figuring we'd have a P bass pickup thread somewhere (heh heh), and this one's a doozie for rare & unusual & small makers! Might be just the ticket.
I've got a 1960 pre-CBS Precision I'm lucky to have in great playing shape. Its pickup may or may not be original, but is low output and kind of weak on character: esp with flatwounds, I basically have to use a pick to get mids to come out. And these same flatwounds (GHS Precision flats) are chunky on a 50s Classic P, though that one is my roundwounds bass and this '60 is my flats one, for personal taste & aesthetics reasons.
So I was thinking of keeping it Fender with a vintage style, but noticed Lollar's classic split-coil is a huge favorite for girthy yet vintage-friendly style sounds. Sweet.
But I see the Novak PB-V is also known for those characteristics, arguably moreso in a few descriptions. And the price is right for both.
If I wanted to make the choice easy and immediately narrow down to those two, any strong argument for leaning toward one or the other? I'm playing some retro-style rock sounds on it, and also as much soul & classic rnb as I can get my hands on, and blues in accompaniment with mostly acoustic instruments.
Or, got a recommendation you feel would blow those two out of the water in this particular setup and mission?
Thank you, fellow TBers, for being nerds about all the cool stuff!
I've got a 1960 pre-CBS Precision I'm lucky to have in great playing shape. Its pickup may or may not be original, but is low output and kind of weak on character: esp with flatwounds, I basically have to use a pick to get mids to come out. And these same flatwounds (GHS Precision flats) are chunky on a 50s Classic P, though that one is my roundwounds bass and this '60 is my flats one, for personal taste & aesthetics reasons.
So I was thinking of keeping it Fender with a vintage style, but noticed Lollar's classic split-coil is a huge favorite for girthy yet vintage-friendly style sounds. Sweet.
But I see the Novak PB-V is also known for those characteristics, arguably moreso in a few descriptions. And the price is right for both.
If I wanted to make the choice easy and immediately narrow down to those two, any strong argument for leaning toward one or the other? I'm playing some retro-style rock sounds on it, and also as much soul & classic rnb as I can get my hands on, and blues in accompaniment with mostly acoustic instruments.
Or, got a recommendation you feel would blow those two out of the water in this particular setup and mission?
Thank you, fellow TBers, for being nerds about all the cool stuff!
The Novak PB-V is the best sounding P-bass pickup I have used yet. It has a big clear sound with a great sounding mid range. It sits in the mix perfectly. I've used it on a ton of gigs so far as well as a few recording sessions. The Lollar is a good sounding pickup too, but I found it dark sounding and had a bit too much low end for what I like personally. Ideally you would experiment to find what works best for you and your play style. This thread is full of good information though to set you on the right track.
