Ultra boutique P bass pickups

[Texican]

Has anyone tried the Bare Knuckle 65 split-coil?
Click on the URL below and scroll down to the sound samples.
If this pickup actually sounds like the demo, I'd it in a heartbeat.
P Bass - '65 Split Coil P p-bass

I have the Bare Knuckle 65’ in this parts bass build. I have a love/hate relationship with it. It seems to be slightly physically bigger than other p pickups, and the fit is tight. I also find it to be slightly harsh in the mids with roundwounds, although this same attribute kills in a mix when playing live. This might not be the pickup for bedroom players that use roundwound strings. I should note that when I roll the tone all the way off with a vintage spec .1uf capacitor, this pickup sounds incredibly rich and fat without being muddy or 2 dimensional. I’m not sure how it reacts with a standard .047 capacitor, but I imagine it would be just as good UNLESS the .1uf is shaving off just the right frequencies for that magic to happen.
With broken in flatwound La Bellas, the Bare Knuckle 65 is more subdued in those harsh upper mids. I find the pickup pleasant all the way through the tone pot’s full sweep. This was in a full band mix, as well as at home alone. I may replace it (as well as my Fralin +5%) but that’s mainly due to wanting to try something new, and I’m moving toward a more polite tone. I don’t think you can go wrong with this pickup. It sounds great, but like all gear, it really depends on your personal tastes, context/usuage, and how well the rest of your gear gets along with it. Good luck!

 

[Guiseppe]

Thanks! It's sort of a blues/rock/garage type sound, so maybe a little more "rockin" than you might expect from a bass with TI flats, but that's what I like about TIs. Yes there's plenty of bottom end, but there's still enough midrange content there that you can still get some character out of them. That midrange emphasis was maybe even a little too strong at first, but since they've broken in and mellowed out I like them a lot.

I'm trying to remember if I changed the pickup before or after switching to TIs. Previously was Nordstrand NP4a, and I think the mids were a little too strong on that for a true vintage flavour. I assume I changed it at the same time as the strings... that seems like something I'd do.

I've tried a lot of P pickups over the last few years, and I'm finally in a place where I can't find anything wrong with what I've got. I'm sure curiosity will get the better of me eventually, but can't see myself dumping the Antiquities before trying whatever I buy next. Honestly, I'd sooner buy another P Bass to work on than mess with what I've settled on here.

I'm in the beginning stages of building myself a custom P from parts and researching pups. I've played Jazz Basses for over 40 years and for whatever reason haven't had a P since my FIRST bass...and now I'm going to remedy that. My first thoughts are that this P will be dressed w/ roundwounds and be my rock bass (my jazz basses have flats). Your description of your sound ("a blues/rock/garage type sound") sounds like where I will start searching w/ my P.

 

[mgrewe12]

Question about underwound pickups. I play dead flats and have used Nordstrand, Lollar, and a couple Novak PBV. I had a set of PBV a that I accidentally broke the thin wrapped wire on (couldn't repair it myself). I recently sent them in for repair and he rewound the pickup. It ended up a bit higher in the resistance, right around 11K and it definitely sounds different, I feel like it has more low end and is less touch sensitive. The Lollar is sorta between the two, but also has too much low end and doesn't have the same touch sensitivity I recall my older PBV having. The Nordstrand was immediately removed from my bass as I felt like it had no tonal variation and the low end was way too big, probably great for round wounds, but far too much with dead flats.

I play a wide variety of music and I prefer the sound of old flats, tight low end, articulate, not grindy, yet some nice bite. All while being able to change technique to bring out tonal variations. Here is a clear example of that general tone from an album we just released. The Iowans

I've searched TB a bit, but couldn't really find much, but might an underwound pickup lower the low end and increase the tonal variation/touch sensitivity of the strings? I don't need more treble (above 3k), really just reducing the low end to help balance things out in my set up.

 

[BassBlappa]

Question about underwound pickups. I play dead flats and have used Nordstrand, Lollar, and a couple Novak PBV. I had a set of PBV a that I accidentally broke the thin wrapped wire on (couldn't repair it myself). I recently sent them in for repair and he rewound the pickup. It ended up a bit higher in the resistance, right around 11K and it definitely sounds different, I feel like it has more low end and is less touch sensitive. The Lollar is sorta between the two, but also has too much low end and doesn't have the same touch sensitivity I recall my older PBV having. The Nordstrand was immediately removed from my bass as I felt like it had no tonal variation and the low end was way too big, probably great for round wounds, but far too much with dead flats.

I play a wide variety of music and I prefer the sound of old flats, tight low end, articulate, not grindy, yet some nice bite. All while being able to change technique to bring out tonal variations. Here is a clear example of that general tone from an album we just released. The Iowans

I've searched TB a bit, but couldn't really find much, but might an underwound pickup lower the low end and increase the tonal variation/touch sensitivity of the strings? I don't need more treble (above 3k), really just reducing the low end to help balance things out in my set up.

You'll experience enhanced clarity with an underwound pickup. IMHO - The highs become crisper while the lows take on a smoother, buttery quality. The pickup in my '63 Fender CS measures ~10.2k, and while I'm unsure if it's officially underwound, it remains one of the clearest and most articulate P-Bass pickups I've encountered, with just the right amount of low-end presence, especially with Flats.

 

[Laurent]

Question about underwound pickups. I play dead flats and have used Nordstrand, Lollar, and a couple Novak PBV. I had a set of PBV a that I accidentally broke the thin wrapped wire on (couldn't repair it myself). I recently sent them in for repair and he rewound the pickup. It ended up a bit higher in the resistance, right around 11K and it definitely sounds different, I feel like it has more low end and is less touch sensitive. The Lollar is sorta between the two, but also has too much low end and doesn't have the same touch sensitivity I recall my older PBV having. The Nordstrand was immediately removed from my bass as I felt like it had no tonal variation and the low end was way too big, probably great for round wounds, but far too much with dead flats.

I play a wide variety of music and I prefer the sound of old flats, tight low end, articulate, not grindy, yet some nice bite. All while being able to change technique to bring out tonal variations. Here is a clear example of that general tone from an album we just released. The Iowans

I've searched TB a bit, but couldn't really find much, but might an underwound pickup lower the low end and increase the tonal variation/touch sensitivity of the strings? I don't need more treble (above 3k), really just reducing the low end to help balance things out in my set up.

Here's a good definition of the effect of over or under wounding a pickup.

Overwinding a Pickup? What's the deal? | Fralin Pickups

What happens when you Overwind a pickup? What does Underwinding a pickup do? We explore these variables in this easy-to-read article.

www.fralinpickups.com

I have not had good luck with underwound pickups, they end-up sounding thin to my ears because of the fact the mids get scooped and the highs get emphasized. Maybe it's my taste and ears! Should you want to go that route, Fralin offers pickups which are underwound.

I would recommend the Benson P pickup if you want a lot of highs and a touch sensitive pickup. It's not under wound whatsoever, but it does what I described. Here is their site: Bass pickups

 

[Yahboy]

My previous Benson Handwound bass pickups. I call it Turbo charge version of GZR P pup.

 

[tvbop]

If you can get yourself a pair of those 'Duncan Designed' PU's they put in their VM series basses. Pretty good PU's, thick and punchy.

 

[Texican]

As mentioned earlier, all of my pickups are getting swapped across the board. I removed my Fralin +5% and gave it to a friend because he gave me an American P bass neck a while back. Since a few of you showed interest in the Bare Knuckle, I’ll give you guys first dibs before it hits the classifieds later today. Wire lead have never been cut or soldered. It was installed in an Obsidian solderless harness. 110 bucks shipped.

 

[mgrewe12]

Here's a good definition of the effect of over or under wounding a pickup.

Overwinding a Pickup? What's the deal? | Fralin Pickups

What happens when you Overwind a pickup? What does Underwinding a pickup do? We explore these variables in this easy-to-read article.

www.fralinpickups.com

I have not had good luck with underwound pickups, they end-up sounding thin to my ears because of the fact the mids get scooped and the highs get emphasized. Maybe it's my taste and ears! Should you want to go that route, Fralin offers pickups which are underwound.

I would recommend the Benson P pickup if you want a lot of highs and a touch sensitive pickup. It's not under wound whatsoever, but it does what I described. Here is their site: Bass pickups

Thanks Laurent. I'm not necessarily looking for more highs, just a little bit less lows, particularly upper bass. When you say the mids get scooped, what part of the mids are you hearing (low mids, high mids, the whole lot of the mids)? I would like to keep the midrange intact, but if the low mids/upper bass gets scooped out a little with an underwound pickup, that could be desirable.

 

[Laurent]

Thanks Laurent. I'm not necessarily looking for more highs, just a little bit less lows, particularly upper bass. When you say the mids get scooped, what part of the mids are you hearing (low mids, high mids, the whole lot of the mids)? I would like to keep the midrange intact, but if the low mids/upper bass gets scooped out a little with an underwound pickup, that could be desirable.

This is very much dependent on the specific pickup and how your bass is sounding. It's impossible to generalize or predict a tonal outcome when you want to get that specific. It also depends on your ears as we all hear things differently. If you really want to pinpoint frequencies, a graphic eq might help.

 

[Slaplord88]

I've got some Aguilar 4P-60's in my P. I switch between various flats ands TI Jazz Rounds (pretty dull-sounding rounds).

Something about the Aguilar pickups always seemed a little disappointing to me. "Polite" is the word that has been used in this thread. I guess that's correct. They're very even-handed and a just a little flat and boring. I find the same to be true of the Tone Hammer amp and preamp series. Was thinking of going to a set of CS '62 to eek a little more personality out of my bass. It's splitting hairs to some extent, but subjectively I'd say the Aggies are slightly plastic sounding, and I'm looking for more wool / wood. I wonder if these Arcane's could be the ticket??

 

[J-Bass RMR]

I found the CS '62 to be somewhat "polite" as well, and slightly scooped (in a P that I felt had a "built-in" mid-voice.)
The Arcane '65 earned a spot in my '64 P-Bass over most others. (currently wearing Olinto flats)
The other favorite was the SD Antiquity II. A little more "airy" on top, but those were the 2 "flavors" that suited me best, but the Arcane is the more "period-correct" one.

 

[Texican]

I've got some Aguilar 4P-60's in my P. I switch between various flats ands TI Jazz Rounds (pretty dull-sounding rounds).

Something about the Aguilar pickups always seemed a little disappointing to me. "Polite" is the word that has been used in this thread. I guess that's correct. They're very even-handed and a just a little flat and boring. I find the same to be true of the Tone Hammer amp and preamp series. Was thinking of going to a set of CS '62 to eek a little more personality out of my bass. It's splitting hairs to some extent, but subjectively I'd say the Aggies are slightly plastic sounding, and I'm looking for more wool / wood. I wonder if these Arcane's could be the ticket??

This was my experience completely with the Aguilar 60’s wind pickup. No balls, no wood. Yeah… that’s not what I meant

I have gone through the Aguilar, Bare Knuckle 65, Fralin +5% wind, Fender stock American Standard pickup, Player Series stock pickup, EMG Geezer Butler, Tonerider, and who knows what else. I’m currently using the humble and affordable Seymour Duncan SPB-1 in TWO of my P basses. I always overlooked it because it was $50 less than most of the competition. It’s absolutely perfect to me. The cost is just a bonus.

 

[franklindayala]

This was my experience completely with the Aguilar 60’s wind pickup. No balls, no wood. Yeah… that’s not what I meant

I have gone through the Aguilar, Bare Knuckle 65, Fralin +5% wind, Fender stock American Standard pickup, Player Series stock pickup, EMG Geezer Butler, Tonerider, and who knows what else. I’m currently using the humble and affordable Seymour Duncan SPB-1 in TWO of my P basses. I always overlooked it because it was $50 less than most of the competition. It’s absolutely perfect to me. The cost is just a bonus.

I know what you mean. I brought a Bill Lawrence p pickup for my daughter's cheap P bass. The factor was the price point. It sounds really good. Modern sounding with rounds and the tone all the way up. It really impressed me.

That goes to show that price tag is not indicative of quality sound.

 

[matti777]

I've got some Aguilar 4P-60's in my P. I switch between various flats ands TI Jazz Rounds (pretty dull-sounding rounds).

Something about the Aguilar pickups always seemed a little disappointing to me. "Polite" is the word that has been used in this thread. I guess that's correct. They're very even-handed and a just a little flat and boring. I find the same to be true of the Tone Hammer amp and preamp series. Was thinking of going to a set of CS '62 to eek a little more personality out of my bass. It's splitting hairs to some extent, but subjectively I'd say the Aggies are slightly plastic sounding, and I'm looking for more wool / wood. I wonder if these Arcane's could be the ticket??

I have the 4P60 and would agree. I also tried the P46 and did not like them at all. I then tried the CS62 with Fender rounds (7250?) and am quite pleased.

 

[Slaplord88]

Just ordered a pair of the Arcane '65s. Excited to see how these stack up against the 4P-60s.

 

[soulstar89]

Just ordered a pair of the Arcane '65s. Excited to see how these stack up against the 4P-60s.

Congrats. Do let us know what you think once you have gotten us to them.

 

[Jim C]

There has been a lot of love for Benson, Arcane, and Kloppman.
The shipped prices are about $97, $146, and $310 each.
If we did a double blid poll do you think the winner would be by price or are there some close calls between these 3?
i.e. I want the best but if we are into cork sniffing (and you'd never hear the difference in a mix) I'd like to know that too.
Understood that many have not tried all 3 but looking for some user data.
TIA

 

[Texican]

This was my experience completely with the Aguilar 60’s wind pickup. No balls, no wood. Yeah… that’s not what I meant

I have gone through the Aguilar, Bare Knuckle 65, Fralin +5% wind, Fender stock American Standard pickup, Player Series stock pickup, EMG Geezer Butler, Tonerider, and who knows what else. I’m currently using the humble and affordable Seymour Duncan SPB-1 in TWO of my P basses. I always overlooked it because it was $50 less than most of the competition. It’s absolutely perfect to me. The cost is just a bonus.

Here is my first recording of the SPB-1 after replacing the Fralin 5% overwound. Just to give an idea of the “in a mix” sound.

 

[matti777]

Here is my first recording of the SPB-1 after replacing the Fralin 5% overwound. Just to give an idea of the “in a mix” sound.

Very nice. I guess there is a reason why the Seymour Duncan SPB-1 is recommended often.