Will replacing a pickup get a better sound?

[avvie]

Lots of good wisdom in this thread.

 

[Ric5]

Will replacing a pickup get a better sound?

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Sometimes better, sometimes worse, and sometimes about the same ...

Welcome to the world of modding basses ...

 

[*ToNeS*]

Yes but he could do it with almost any axe.
Point is you could put almost anything in Flea's hands and people familiar with his playing would probably recognize him.
It begs the question: just what is a players 'sound.'
I play pretty well, but if you gave me Flea's gear, right down to his favorite strings, no one will mistake me for him, even if I could produce a similar tone.
It's partly in the gear, sure, but how you use it is more important IMO.

Even a Samick-brand axe?

Even though I think that concept is baloney, you are totally right, it's an interesting discussion to have. A double-blind thing where some similarly inclined unknown and Flea (or <insert rad bassist here>) do their thing on a whole bunch of different basses would be cool.

 

[BioWeapon]

What's wrong with Samick? My (vintage? ) PJ sounds nice the way I have it set up. Not perfect ... but I enjoy it.

It sounds nice because I experimented to give it the sound I want. Just like a lot of people.

 

[*ToNeS*]

What's wrong with Samick? My (vintage? ) PJ sounds nice the way I have it set up. Not perfect ... but I enjoy it.

It sounds nice because I experimented to give it the sound I want. Just like a lot of people.

It was a light-hearted jibe at a popularly derided budget guitar make. Relax.

PS. Your bass is awful and you're awful.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Yes but he could do it with almost any axe.
Point is you could put almost anything in Flea's hands and people familiar with his playing would probably recognize him...

...It's partly in the gear, sure, but how you use it is more important IMO.

Ok the problem here is that we are blurring technique with tone here. Technique DOES lend to tone, but technique alone does NOT equal their tone.

If I sat down with Flea and asked him to play "Can't Stop" with his regular rig (Modulus bass with GHS boomers through GK 2001RB and 4x10/1x15 cabs), I can GUARANTEE you that asking him to play the exact same thing on a fretless P-bass strung with broken-in Labella flats and a foam mute through an Acoustic 360 rig will NOT sound the same at all.

Likewise, with Justin Chancellor...I could toss him an Epiphone EB-0 with flats through an SWR rig with nothing but Danelectro pedals and I promise you would get the same results as switching out Flea's stuff. The "it's all in the technique" line gets repeated so much that it's become less of a facet and more of a mantra for people on here. This is the same as the argument about wood vs electronics on what affects tone. If someone is after their tone, it's assumed that they can get in the ballpark at least with their gear and can cop a decent sound. So lets not crucify someone every time they want to know what kind of bass they used on a song

 

[David Jayne]

Ok the problem here is that we are blurring technique with tone here. Technique DOES lend to tone, but technique alone does NOT equal their tone.

If I sat down with Flea and asked him to play "Can't Stop" with his regular rig (Modulus bass with GHS boomers through GK 2001RB and 4x10/1x15 cabs), I can GUARANTEE you that asking him to play the exact same thing on a fretless P-bass strung with broken-in Labella flats and a foam mute through an Acoustic 360 rig will NOT sound the same at all.

Never said it would. I said you'd know it was him though, see? I'm not stating any conclusion. I'm asking a question.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Never said it would. I said you'd know it was him though, see? I'm not stating any conclusion. I'm asking a question.

...Point is you could put almost anything in Flea's hands and people familiar with his playing would probably recognize him...

I'm PRETTY sure saying that people would recognize him on technique alone regardless of tone or other inhibitors is drawing a conclusion lol.

Flatwound strings and a foam mute are not going to physically react the same to his playing as his regular setup would, plain and simple as that. Whether or not you want to admit it, gear DOES have to do with their overall sound. Neither is the sole factor to someone having a signature sound, you need both.

 

[David Jayne]

Whether or not you want to admit it, gear DOES have to do with their overall sound. .

Never said it didn't.

 

[*ToNeS*]

Never said it didn't.

Then what ARE you saying?

 

[David Jayne]

Then what ARE you saying?

I'm saying:

Yes but he could do it with almost any axe.
Point is you could put almost anything in Flea's hands and people familiar with his playing would probably recognize him.
It begs the question: just what is a players 'sound.'
I play pretty well, but if you gave me Flea's gear, right down to his favorite strings, no one will mistake me for him, even if I could produce a similar tone.
It's partly in the gear, sure, but how you use it is more important IMO.

 

[39-Bassist]

Going back to the question at hand, I know some of the nicest tones I ever had were with a SD SPB-1 and a Fender '62 reissue

 

[*ToNeS*]

I'm saying:

Hey. Stop wasting people's time.

 

[BioWeapon]

It was a light-hearted jibe at a popularly derided budget guitar make. Relax.

PS. Your bass is awful and you're awful.

So I've been told!

 

[David Jayne]

Hey. Stop wasting people's time.

You first.

 

[*ToNeS*]

You first.

NO U

What are you, like 12 years old

PS. Uh well if you are actually 12 years old, then... OK, keep it up, doing a great job, etc.