I saw you bought it. I would be interested also how it compares. On the website it’s say it’s a mix of 60’s and 70’s.
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Ultra boutique P bass pickups
- Thread starter Laurent
- Start date
I saw you bought it. I would be interested also how it compares. On the website it’s say it’s a mix of 60’s and 70’s.
I LOVED the David Allen P1088 I had in a previous P bass. Fantastic, very musical pickup with nice thumpy lows, but what was really special were the upper mids and the highs, piano or bell-like. I tried a few different string types with them and ended up liking Sadowsky flats for the tone I was looking for on that bass.
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts once you have it installed.
Im guessing its more of the bass itself...what size are the pots? Can you adjust the amp settings to compensate? Amps EQ systems vary, i have a semi parametirc EQ on my Eden Metro a very flexible EQ for example.
I would not call an SPB1 a particularly clanky pickup but something like a Dimarzio model P might fit.
i have an emmerson rig installed so I can switch pup out without soldering
What frets does it have. Vintage small or medium jumbo? I ask as with my style (digging a tad when I get excited playing fingerstyle funk) my Yamaha pulser with vintage low frets “clanks” when I really dig in. Granted I needs a fret dress but doesn’t happen when I play medium jumbo frets.
happens when I play any small vintage fret. It’s a technique thing for me
Idk
it’s a maple neck from a fender American pj body I have. Probably medium jumbo? The guitar is a 1999 model.
My Yamaha is a maple neck also. It probably is medium jumbo. Maybe it needs some fret work.
I just purchased (and received) a David Allen 1088 pickup from fellow TBr @Coughdrops.
I installed it my Am Pro II last night, replacing the Nordstrand NP4V which had replaced the original V-MOD II pickups.
David Allen is a boutique pickup maker.
His pickups (guitar, P-Bass, J-Bass) are very highly regarded, but are not as expensive as some of the usual (and bigger) suspects (Fralin, Novak, Lollar etc.).
I had read a lot about the DA 1088 P-Bass pickup and was always curious to try one out.
Recently one popped up in the TB classifieds (I think I came across it just after @Coughdrops posted it).
As stated above, I received and installed it last night.
For those interested, I'm using a Gunstreet wiring harness without the treble bleed.
Also, I use La Bella flatwounds and play primarily finger style.
My initial impressions are as follows:
If you come across one I'd definitely recommend you give it a shot.
I installed it my Am Pro II last night, replacing the Nordstrand NP4V which had replaced the original V-MOD II pickups.
David Allen is a boutique pickup maker.
His pickups (guitar, P-Bass, J-Bass) are very highly regarded, but are not as expensive as some of the usual (and bigger) suspects (Fralin, Novak, Lollar etc.).
I had read a lot about the DA 1088 P-Bass pickup and was always curious to try one out.
Recently one popped up in the TB classifieds (I think I came across it just after @Coughdrops posted it).
As stated above, I received and installed it last night.
For those interested, I'm using a Gunstreet wiring harness without the treble bleed.
Also, I use La Bella flatwounds and play primarily finger style.
My initial impressions are as follows:
- I would classify it as an early to mid-60's type of pickup
- Its not as "wooly" as some of the late 50's style pickups (SD SPB-1 for example)
- In other words, I think its a bit more "articulate" than a typical late 50's style pickup
- My favorite 60's style pickup (to this point) has been the Arcane 65 Experience (the basic version, not the overwound L version)
- I wouldn't say the 1088 is as immaculately balanced from string to string as the Arcane is, but using the tone knob I find the 1088 is capable of being much more aggressive than the Arcane
- Its really a great pickup, with the tone rolled off its Hitsville USA, but as you add the tone knob back in you can really get it punch and aggressive
- This pickup can cover a lot of territory (musically)
If you come across one I'd definitely recommend you give it a shot.
nice review. Would you say the 1088sits between a 60’s and 70’s? I ask as you stated adding more tone you can get punch and aggression.
I missed out on Laurent’s arcane 65 pickup a few days ago.
Also glad to see a fellow spurs fan. Interesting that you support them based in the states.
Yeah, I think I even read another review where the reviewer said the 1088 kind of straddled a mid-60s to early 70s pickup (for them). For me, I’d say it’s definitely a 60’s type pickup but not as polished as the Arcane 65 Experience. Either of those pickups (1088 and Arcane 65) are top notch in my book.
Nice thanks for the input.
I’ll be on the trigger for an arcane 65, 1088 or lollar in the classified thread. My bass needs a face lift asap lmao
I’ll be on the trigger for an arcane 65, 1088 or lollar in the classified thread. My bass needs a face lift asap lmao
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Also don't write off the DiMarzio model P, it's a really good pickup taking the style of the 1088 a couple steps further.
I read that during the late 70’s as some people didn’t like the fender pickups in the pbass they would replace them with that same pickup.
Rotosound swingbass 66 strings with dimarzio model P pickup to in an ash body maple neck p bass.
Yes I have read that as well. They also replaced the pickups in their 60's basses with this pickup which we would not do today due to the value the these instruments!
Some manufacturers such as Nash use either Lollar or DiMarzio P in their basses. Charvel also uses that pickup in some of their basses.
It's a hot punch aggressive pickup but these elements can be tamed down with the volume and tone knob. For the money it's a great value and that pickup records and stand in a live mix really well. There's one in the classified, btw.
Just letting y’all know that I put a Curtis Novak PB-Fat in my Sandberg Lionel. It’s giving me the fat and clear sound I was looking for!
I reached out to lollar as I found out they are in nash pickups like you said. I thought they had a custom wound but all nash basses use lollar high wind pickups.
tbh I’ve heard both and like a sound in between the standard or high wind. A reading of say 11.4-11.7.
thanks for the head ups in the dimarzio’s. I’ll go have a look at the listing. I my other bass has ceramic pickups and I struggle to tame it. Probably as it’s not that great lmao.
I know we shouldn’t try and find a sound from a player you like as so many variables are at play. I love paul Jackson tone on the track he did with herbie. The secret album for me is a gem. I have “gentle thoughts on repeat nearly every day”. “People music” also.
his recording bass was not a standard pbass, nor pickups his pickups. They was the “HI-A” pickups. Basically the pickups that became Bartolini.
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I reached out to Lollar in 2015 because at the time I had both a Nash P bass with a Lollar pickup in it and a regular wound Lollar pickup in another bass.
A gentleman named Greg Timmons was kind enough to get back to me and said that Nash was using the regular wound Lollar pickup at the time, and not a custom wound or high wound.
In my case it turned out that the two pickups I had were the same even though I thought they sounded different. It was another reminder that the instrument and the string can really alter the perception of a pickup.
The information dates back to 2015, so it is entirely possible that Nash might have switched to a high wound for their more recent basses (which are really nice btw).
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That’s interesting. I reached out to them last month. Spoke to Mike Wohl. To be fair, The examples I’ve heard on the net I couldn’t tell you when the nash bass was produced. So maybe the did use the regular wounds then.
I 100 percent agree it’s a lot to do with the instrument.
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