I just bought a vintage style P with a Lollar pickup and debating on a pickup swap. Nothing wrong with the Lollar, I've liked both P and J pickups from them in the past. However, I've had this Arcane I bought used a while ago just sitting around. It's your standard Alder body, maple neck, slab rosewood board. I usually use TI Flats, would that make the Lollar a better choice due to having more highs?
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Ultra boutique P bass pickups
- Thread starter Laurent
- Start date
I think Arcane and Lollar are pretty similar when it comes to amount of highs they deliver.
To my ears the Arcane delivers more harmonics and it's a more complex sounding pickup.
All that being said, two soldering points and approximately 10 minutes worth of work will give you an answer. Trust your ears on this one!
To my ears the Arcane delivers more harmonics and it's a more complex sounding pickup.
All that being said, two soldering points and approximately 10 minutes worth of work will give you an answer. Trust your ears on this one!
Recently I started using my AO ‘60s P-bass consistently, and you know what?
The relatively unsophisticated Fender PV ‘63 pickup can deliver a lot of tone for the money …
I like it better than my Klein Epic ‘59 now .. uh what I said …
The relatively unsophisticated Fender PV ‘63 pickup can deliver a lot of tone for the money …
I like it better than my Klein Epic ‘59 now .. uh what I said …
I actually like the Fender PV '63, I mounted that pickup on a bass which always had somewhat of shrill tone. It's good sounding but the bass lacks bass frequencies. The PV '63 pairs beautifully with it and because it's so bassy it brings back this bass into perfect balance. That in itself is why the choice of a pickup is not absolute, to sound great a pickup has to pair well with a given instrument and that can be a bit unpredictable. It's a game of trial and error, and pleasing one's ears!
Welp, that didn’t last long… guess who’s back to read more posts on high end P pickups. I’m interested in the Lollars at the moment for my new fiesta red P.
I’d to try them as well but there are simply too many pickups I’d like to try .. Lollars, Arcane, Fender CS .. that’s a bad, bad case of pickup-induced GAS that I have to manage ..
I have followed your posts for a while about the Klein pickups. I was thinking of changing the pickups in my 50's American Original with the Klein 59 until the recent posts about the company. The 50's Original pickups have grown on me in the meantime, but still want to try them at some point. I have a 60's with PV63 as well, probably my favorite for live use. How do you compare the PV63 to the Klein 59? I know they are different, but it gives me a reference point.
Well, the PV ‘63 is bass-loaded and very punchy/thumpy but, to me, without an excessive loss in clarity although it may tend to become too grindy beyond a certain tone value setting.
I feel this pickup finds its natural habitat in the Motown sound department; its tone is spot-on for that kind of music (I can’t think of anything much better; maybe the Lollars/Arcane for a bit of added clarity but as @Texican stated we also can work on our preamps a little bit …).
The Epic ‘59 has got a slightly lower output and it’s noticeably less mid-scooped if compared to the PV ‘63; this makes it, in my opinion, a very good pickup for recording purposes in rock-blues-jazz musical contexts.
It can yield a defined barky sound without being too grindy or harsh; it’s a round and very even sounding unit; similar to SD SPB-1, I guess, but with a slightly higher output.
I noticed that, using a pickup cover which forces you to play behind the pickup location, this pickup produces a slightly nasal tone which may perfectly couple with that of an added single coil pickup in the bridge position for even more tonal possibilities.
Check out this tune I recorded with it, in which, although it wasn’t something I had planned from the start, this feature can be noticed:
Hope you may find this reply helpful for your purpose
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Well, the PV ‘63 is bass-loaded and very punchy/thumpy but, to me, without an excessive loss in clarity although it may tend to become too grindy beyond a certain tone value setting.
I feel this pickup finds its natural habitat in the Motown sound department; its tone is spot-on for that kind of music (I can’t think of anything much better; maybe the Lollars/Arcane for a bit of added clarity but as @Texican stated we also can work on our preamps a little bit …).
The Epic ‘59 has got a slightly lower output and it’s noticeably less mid-scooped if compared to the PV ‘63; this makes it, in my opinion, a very good pickup for recording purposes in rock-blues-jazz musical contexts.
It can yield a defined barky sound without being too grindy or harsh; it’s a round and very even sounding unit; similar to SD SPB-1, I guess, but with a slightly higher output.
I noticed that, using a pickup cover which forces you to play behind the pickup location, this pickup produces a slightly nasal tone which may perfectly couple with that of an added single coil pickup in the bridge position for even more tonal possibilities.
Check out this tune I recorded with it, in which, although it wasn’t something I had planned from the start, this feature can be noticed:
Hope you may find this reply helpful for your purpose
Very Helpful, now I want it again. Thank you, great description.
I had Arcane 57 installed in my Classic Series 50s Precision to replace the stock pup and I am happy with it. I believe there is a subtle difference between it and my Klein 58, likely owing to the use of Formvar vs plain enamel wire. I agree that difference makes the Arcane more "airy" than the Klein.
I also upgraded the electronics, still the same specs otherwise. The Classic 50s came with .1uF tone caps like the originals, but the harness I ordered included a phonebook style wax paper cap.
I have a Vintera 50s bass on the way and am debating between a Klein 59 or a SD Antiquity raised A. But I might keep the Vintera pup
I also upgraded the electronics, still the same specs otherwise. The Classic 50s came with .1uF tone caps like the originals, but the harness I ordered included a phonebook style wax paper cap.
I have a Vintera 50s bass on the way and am debating between a Klein 59 or a SD Antiquity raised A. But I might keep the Vintera pup
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For @Cracker7:
S.O.U.L. (?) - Music
Using LaBella flats and playing between the neck and the Klein Epic ‘59 pickup …
S.O.U.L. (?) - Music
Using LaBella flats and playing between the neck and the Klein Epic ‘59 pickup …
As a Cl50s owner, do you find they usually have a rather "snappy" and lively tone themselves or is it just mine? I love my Classic 50s (2007, F. Red), it's one of my fav basses, but it's got an inherently open and assertive upper midrange, might be also due to their thick maple neck and thinner frets, go figure... I've tried different pickups, including an SPB-1, and it generally stays quite lively in that range - I'm talking about what you get with the tone knob rather open and not being heavily affected by the cap, of course. It's a great plus when playing loud and to sound fine in a mix, BTW.
I was wondering if it's just mine or a rather common trait on that line of P basses.
I think your post was the very last thing I read last night before falling asleep. I swear I dreamt about a commercial for a solo album of yours, with your name on the cover. That's what I remember, anyway. Unfortunately, I haven't retained enough info about the actual notes and music you played
I should probably stop reading forums before bedtime
As a Cl50s owner, do you find they usually have a rather "snappy" and lively tone themselves or is it just mine? I love my Classic 50s (2007, F. Red), it's one of my fav basses, but it's got an inherently open and assertive upper midrange, might be also due to their thick maple neck and thinner frets, go figure... I've tried different pickups, including an SPB-1, and it generally stays quite lively in that range - I'm talking about what you get with the tone knob rather open and not being heavily affected by the cap, of course. It's a great plus when playing loud and to sound fine in a mix, BTW.
I was wondering if it's just mine or a rather common trait on that line of P basses.
I think your post was the very last thing I read last night before falling asleep. I swear I dreamt about a commercial for a solo album of yours, with your name on the cover. That's what I remember, anyway. Unfortunately, I haven't retained enough info about the actual notes and music you played
I should probably stop reading forums before bedtime
Yes. I have a number of “Double P” P-Basses and I did the NP4 with Alnico 5 in the neck and NP5 with Alnico 3 in the bridge. Made a good balance with (maybe) a bit more warmth in the bridge.
I will be removing them from that bass in favor of some Lollars, and I may put them in a short scale P bass, or, I’ll sell both? Interested?
I will be removing them from that bass in favor of some Lollars, and I may put them in a short scale P bass, or, I’ll sell both? Interested?
If it was the NP4V in Alnico 3, yes.
I just acquired an SD Antiquity Raised A that will go in an MJT "1959" build. Decided to keep the stock pickup in the Vintera, for now.
I just acquired an SD Antiquity Raised A that will go in an MJT "1959" build. Decided to keep the stock pickup in the Vintera, for now.
PM me. I will pull it out this weekend and ship it to you if we can agree on a price.
Funny enough I have big single 70s wind
Alnico 3
And never seen this configuration online as a video!
so once my build is done
Sound clips to go up ! Pairing with an Emg Preamp
I find myself squarely in the Curtis Novak camp after putting a PB-V into this '79 TOKAI Hard Puncher Ash with Maple/Brazilian Rosewood. (I shielded the cavities and the Bass has OEM brass plates in the pickup cavity and a for the controls to mount to the pickguard. The Bass is dead quite...
I also used an Emerson Custom harness, as well.
Swweeeeeet! Very juicy...tone to chew on! Love it!
Now I'm going to order the Novak PB-CC for another Bass underway at this time. This Bass is roasted Alder with Maple/Ebony. I like what Curtis Novak does and how he does it. Alchemist of Tone...!
I also used an Emerson Custom harness, as well.
Swweeeeeet! Very juicy...tone to chew on! Love it!
Now I'm going to order the Novak PB-CC for another Bass underway at this time. This Bass is roasted Alder with Maple/Ebony. I like what Curtis Novak does and how he does it. Alchemist of Tone...!
I have a PB-CC I put in a ‘73 P-Bass. Very solid full tone but I’m not able to get the bright higher end out of it when I’m a loud band setting. Currently has a .1 cap and bright rounds on it. Maybe the mids are pulled back to much for me. It sounds awesome when I’m in my garage playing through my PF20T and 1x15”
Since I have a bunch of Double P-Bass setups, I’m going to put the CC in the bridge position of one of my others, and I have ordered the PB-90 for the neck. Hoping that combo will be something special.
Since I have a bunch of Double P-Bass setups, I’m going to put the CC in the bridge position of one of my others, and I have ordered the PB-90 for the neck. Hoping that combo will be something special.
