What pickups for my Precision?

hollowbody · December 07, 2008, 08:48:29 PM

Greetings all,

I've spent most of my time on this board on the Gibson side but lately have fallen back in love with my trusty 1975 P Bass. I've been looking for another P Bass as a backup and found an E Series MIJ today for less than one day's pay.

I've cleaned it up and put new strings on it, and it's a decent player. The only issue with it is the pickups have been replaced with active EMGs.

Any suggestions as to what kind of pickup I should put in here? I'd ideally like to get a similar sound to my 75 but I won't pay crazy prices for gray bottoms.

hollowbody · December 07, 2008, 09:07:18 PM

http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=402.0

Hmmm... maybe I should have done a search! Anyone else have a good suggestion?

nofi · December 08, 2008, 08:00:04 AM

i have always been happy with stock fender p bass pickups. the year does not matter. they provide the tone i want. then again i'm easy to please.

rahock · December 08, 2008, 09:08:51 AM

Quote from: nofi on December 08, 2008, 08:00:04 AM
i have always been happy with stock fender p bass pickups. the year does not matter. they provide the tone i want. then again i'm easy to please.

Ah , great minds think alike

I've been tempted several times, but I always come down to keeping a Fender a Fender.
Rick

sniper · December 08, 2008, 08:14:07 PM

i was undecided between a bill lawrence "p" pup and a dimarzio "g". in the end i bought a NOS g because it is going in an explorer or t-bird body. if i were to do a precision body i would go with a bill lawrence...about 60$ new. here is the link. i had been talking with becky (bill's wife)

http://www.wildepickups.com/

Bass VI · December 09, 2008, 12:17:13 AM

IMHO,

Keep checking the 'bay for a set of gray bottoms, I picked up a set about a month ago for $101.00 and free shipping on a Best Offer. One coil had been rewound but they tested the same as my '74s'. I had originally installed a set of Fender Original Precisions in my Phil Lynott replica http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=1334.msg16379#msg16379 but wasn't happy with the sound, most "new" Precision pickups sound to "modern" to me even the vintage styles seem a bit overwound, too aggressive. I don't have any first hand experience with some of the other brands suggested, but I've got several six-strings with Lindy Fralins and have always been happy with them. I've got a set of Seymour Duncan custom shop pickups in my T-bird ( Drbassman has a set also ) and they nail the vintage sound so I would guess a set of SD Antiquities might work although they designed to sound like a late fifties early sixties set. All said and done, I have to agree with nofi and Rick "keep the Fender a Fender" but if I could I go with a set from the seventies.

Again just my opinion,

Scott ( BassVI )

Bass VI · December 09, 2008, 12:22:47 AM

Might watch these....

http://cgi.ebay.com/1976-FENDER-PRECISION-BASS-PICKUP-SHIELDING-PLATES_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ7266QQihZ021QQitemZ310106514664QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVWQQsalenotsupported

Seems like the pole-pieces look a little big to me.......hmmmmm

But this makes my head swim....

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-FENDER-1973-PRECISION-BASS-PICKUPS-ORIGINAL-WOW_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ22670QQihZ017QQitemZ270306902675QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVWQQsalenotsupported

eb2 · December 09, 2008, 10:23:18 AM

If I wanted a regular old classic P bass pickup I would get a used Fender set, or a new set of whatever classic style is out there: 62 Reissue stock stuff, or 57 reissue, or some of the custom shop things. They aren't that pricey really. I don't know that I buy into the idea that having Abigail Ybarra wind it and sign it makes it sound much better or that 62 is better or inferior to 72 or 82. Also, my main gripe with old school 80s Fender Japan stuff was the pots, but the pups ain't bad usually for that era.

For aftermarket I would do Duncan antiquity for a vintage look, or regular Duncan P bass pups. I do love Bill Lawrence pups as well. I think I just can't get into DiMarzio pups personally as they have this edge to their tone that is truly not Fender P sounding.

I can't imagine this would sound anything but good, and for THAT money? Sheesh.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Standard-Fender-P-Bass-Pickups_W0QQitemZ170284838914QQihZ007QQcategoryZ159950QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

gweimer · December 10, 2008, 12:19:29 PM

I've been really happy with the Lollar pickup in my Bettie Page fanfret Precision.

hollowbody · December 11, 2008, 08:07:00 AM

Surprisingly enough, I'm beginning to LIKE the EMGs! It does balance out the Precision mids a bit much but still has a good punch.

Thanks all for the suggestions! I'll start researching some of these makers, for I'm sure I'll tire of the active sound eventually.

sirbassalot · January 21, 2009, 08:26:25 PM

Chiming in here kinda late but you might want to contact Lakland about there made in house Bob Glaub pickups and see if they sell them. I read some great reviews on them. They're supposed to sound like a 64 Fender pickups.

Freuds_Cat · January 21, 2009, 10:49:47 PM

Quote from: hollowbody on December 11, 2008, 08:07:00 AM
Surprisingly enough, I'm beginning to LIKE the EMGs! It does balance out the Precision mids a bit much but still has a good punch.

Thanks all for the suggestions! I'll start researching some of these makers, for I'm sure I'll tire of the active sound eventually.

I quite agree with your description. The EMG's do balance everything and its almost refreshing when you first put them in. Then after a while you start to look for the lumps and bumps that created certain characteristics that you had with passive pups.