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Your Favorite PASSIVE Pickup Brand

What is your favorite brand for a passive pickup?

  • Aguilar

    Votes: 13 5.6%
  • Aero

    Votes: 1 0.4%
  • Delano

    Votes: 8 3.5%
  • Dimarzio

    Votes: 20 8.7%
  • Fender

    Votes: 14 6.1%
  • Labella

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Lace

    Votes: 6 2.6%
  • Lindy Fralin

    Votes: 20 8.7%
  • Nordstrand

    Votes: 33 14.3%
  • Seymour Duncan

    Votes: 38 16.5%
  • Joe Barden

    Votes: 4 1.7%
  • Curtis Novak

    Votes: 2 0.9%
  • OTHER

    Votes: 50 21.6%
  • EMG

    Votes: 13 5.6%
  • Bartolini

    Votes: 9 3.9%

  • Total voters
    231
I am a recent Delano convert. Tried a few and all of them have sounded simply superb IMO.

Not all Barts are passive I have a set I'm using in an upcoming build that are active and Mike Tobias uses a custom active bart. I'm not a huge Bart fan and yes they have very low output but I think it's by design to work well with active preamps. Bart's preamps are another story they might have the highest set EQ point for treble I have ever heard it's like a noise hiss knob IMO
 
I am a recent Delano convert. Tried a few and all of them have sounded simply superb IMO.

Not all Barts are passive I have a set I'm using in an upcoming build that are active and Mike Tobias uses a custom active bart. I'm not a huge Bart fan and yes they have very low output but I think it's by design to work well with active preamps. Bart's preamps are another story they might have the highest set EQ point for treble I have ever heard it's like a noise hiss knob IMO

Actually they have a very low output in order to have a wider frequency range (more hi-fi). And this it´s achived by having fewer coil wounds.
 
If you were to make a custom bass and put some passive pickups in it, what brand immediately leaps to mind as your go-to brand for a passive pickup? Fill out the poll!

EDIT: and I guess I should clarify, I mean a pickup for a passive bass, no preamp.
EDIT 2: Since so many were miffed that I didn't have EMG or Bartolini in the poll, I added them, you may change your vote if you wish.

That is a long poll list yet 'Other' is out in front. My guess is OBL/Wilde will make up a large proportion of that. Of course those of us in the know might say that OBL/Wilde are, in fact, 'Other'... :-)
 
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That is a long poll list yet 'Other' is out in front. My guess is OBL/Wilde will make up a large proportion of that. Of course those of us in the know might say that OBL/Wilde are, in fact, 'Other'...

That is a long poll list yet 'Other' is out in front. My guess is OBL/Wilde will make up a large proportion of that. Of course those of us in the know might say that OBL/Wilde are, in fact, 'Otherworldly'...

Fixed it for ya :bassist:
 
That is a long poll list yet 'Other' is out in front. My guess is OBL/Wilde will make up a large proportion of that. Of course those of us in the know might say that OBL/Wilde are, in fact, 'Otherworldly'...
Fixed it for ya :bassist:
Please take this the right way. I used the capitalised 'Other' deliberately as that is what I wanted to say - it infers something rather more, let's say, 'serious' than the simple 'otherworldly', and it is a much better play on words in the context of the poll list...
 
Please take this the right way. I used the capitalised 'Other' deliberately as that is what I wanted to say - it infers something rather more, let's say, 'serious' than the simple 'otherworldly', and it is a much better play on words in the context of the poll list...

Lighten up Francis, wasn't trying to imply you meant anything other than what you said, I was just emphasizing how good the Lawrence pickup is, no need to get yer nickers in a wad
 
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Lighten up Francis, wasn't trying to imply you meant anything other than what you said, I was just emphasizing how good the Lawrence pickup is, no need to get yer nickers in a wad

Yeah, that's cool - I think we understand each other now, but there are those that might find some meanings of 'Other' difficult to deal with... And they are awesome pickups. Peace?
 
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Brand is hardly the thing I'm considering when I'm looking for pickups. For instance, I love DiMarzio Model P and Model J neck pickups, or Ultra Jazz for bridge. But if I want soapbars, I'm going Nordstrand. If I want authentic vintage sound, I'm buying Fender Pure Vintage pickups. If I want a good MM + J setup, I would probably look to Delano. Love me some Duncans now and then, too, especially if I wanted, say, just a standard MM pickup. Get what I'm saying? Every pickup set has strengths and it's silly to favor one brand over another when even two different sets from one brand can easily sound completely different. If I got a Nordstrand DC when I wanted a Nordstrand Big Single, I'd probably be very unhappy, but it's not because I got a Nordstrand, it's because I got the wrong pickup.
I completely agree Honey.
JacoTaco, what do you want to do with these PUPs? What are you trying to accomplish? You want to find "the best pickups" for _______. (what's in the blank?)

I have a pair of 1983 EMG-J's (active) that are amazing. However, I have a specific style and sound in mind. I haven't found my favorite passives yet.
 
The pickup of choice comes down to affordability for me. Through my experience, I've found that I have a couple of favorites. For P-Bass, my favorites would be Seymour Duncan and Fender. For Jazz, I favor split coil pickups so Dimarzio and the Fender 55's. I've not had the pleasure of trying out the high end pickups.
 
I recently had the pickups in my 74 Jazz Bass re-wound by Lindy Fralin and I am very happy. I had simply stopped playing the 74 J Bass as the sound quality in the pickups had dropped off. Apparently the late 60's and early 70's Fender pickups did not have good quality control.

Linda retained the original magnets and covers and simply re-wound the pickups. I had them use the 60's spec. The bass has regained it's status as my go to bass as it sounds simply amazing.