JLM Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 I see lots of bass's with humbuckers instead of P pickups. Which would be better for the sound I'm looking for, as dcr put it "a deep, warm, darkish kind of sound, nice & full & fat & buttery". I thought the P pickups were Leo Fenders version of a humbucker. Can you get the same sound out of each or is the P still the way to go for the sound I want? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc taz Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 Well, if you want that P sound, nothing else will do. Just cut to the chase and use a P pickup. There are some interesting variations of the Fender bass sound in general. One of the most famous is the Music Man's Stingray basses. I've heard them described as a cross between a Jazz and a Precision. To my ears, that seems to be true, whether you play the $1300 Stingrays, or the lower end OLP's, which I'm considering as my next bass (the 5 string). Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan also make good vintage type replacements, among others. sevenstring.org profile my flickr page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 The P pickup is a kind of humbucker: two coils with opposing polarity. Look for a recent thread in which Jeremy reported putting a Seymour Duncan P Bass pickup into a cheap Fernandes P copy, which was then indistinguishable from a '68 P. Wow. The pickup on the early "Tele" style P Bass, however, was a single coil; you'd certainly never mistake it for a J bass, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawnmower8 Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 When you said "humbuckers instead of P pickups" did you mean "J" style humbuckers? I wouldn't mind me own Stingray. But what I really want is a Rickenbacker. "Tea & Cake, or Death!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLM Posted August 8, 2003 Author Share Posted August 8, 2003 Originally posted by Lawnmower8: When you said "humbuckers instead of P pickups" did you mean "J" style humbuckers? I did not know there were different styles of humbuckers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 Someone may correct me, but I believe there are 4 basic styles: 1. The "stacked" humbucker: two coils, spanning all the strings, one on top of the other. (Sometimes found in J basses. Looks like a single-coil.) 2. The "Music Man" humbucker: two coils, spanning all the strings, side by side (2 rows of 4 poles). (I've got this in my Sterling (obviously).) 3. The "dual coil" humbucker: two coils, one spanning two strings & the other spanning the other two strings (on a typical 4-string), in a straight line with each other. (I've got these in my Jazz Bass. Also looks like a single-coil.) 4. The "P" humbucker: two coils, one spanning two strings & the other spanning the other two strings (on a typical 4-string), offset/dog-legged. This is the typical pickup of the Precision Bass since the mid/latter 50s. (#3 & #4 are sometimes called "split-coil" humbuckers: it's as if you've taken a single-coil, split it in half, & reversed the polarity of the halves to make a humbucker.) Basically, it's a humbucker if there are two coils wound in reverse polarity acting as a single pickup. There are a lot of ways to arrange those coils, though. One reason for coming up with different arrangements is to make the pickup fit a certain kind of hole (e.g. a MM won't go into a J without serious routing); another is that there can be tonal differences. These are all good. Obviously there's a lot of difference between pickups depending on the manufacturer. Seymour Duncan Antiquities, Lindy Fralin Vintage, & Fender Vintage seem to be well-received. I also dig that wicked single-coil on the "Tele" P-bass, though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Speers Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 JLM, I doubt the P-sound is what you want. That typically has less bottom than others, and more upper-mid bite as well. this makes a sound that fits well into a pop mix, but is hardly deep or buttery. It would be best described as "full and punchy." Some above have mentioned the Stingray. If you can find a MM sabre bass, that would be a better fit for you. (although they are HEAVY.) I learned about the Sabre from a previous thread on this forum. Bought one on ebay for $750 and am thrilled. I just run it passive, don't even keep a battery in it. It fits your description exactly, and is also quite versatile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 Originally posted by dcr: Someone may correct me, but I believe there are 4 basic styles: 1. The "stacked" humbucker: two coils, spanning all the strings, one on top of the other. (Sometimes found in J basses. Looks like a single-coil.) 2. The "Music Man" humbucker: two coils, spanning all the strings, side by side (2 rows of 4 poles). (I've got this in my Sterling (obviously).) 3. The "dual coil" humbucker: two coils, one spanning two strings & the other spanning the other two strings (on a typical 4-string), in a straight line with each other. (I've got these in my Jazz Bass. Also looks like a single-coil.) 4. The "P" humbucker: two coils, one spanning two strings & the other spanning the other two strings (on a typical 4-string), offset/dog-legged. This is the typical pickup of the Precision Bass since the mid/latter 50s. Don't forget the quad-coils that Mr. Bartolini makes. For a good description of the difference in pickup types, check out the Basslines section of the Seymour Duncan site; it's outstanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 D'oh! Thanks, Maury. This is the first I've heard the P-Bass described as scant on bottom end... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orphan wells Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 i know I'm going to piss alot of people off with this post but, the Fender basses (jazz, p-bass, percision) are completly over rated. It's like playing a VW bug. There's just so much more out there. Why stick with the alder body one piece maple neck and regular old fender picups when there's a world of bad to the bone basses out there with newer and better technology being developed just for us every day? It's like choosing a VW over a Porch 911. My advice, find a bass with the tone you want (fender or whatever it may be) but don't discredit other basses because they're not fender. I know too many whose bass tone suffers because they can't get over playing fender. buy the bass that work best for you and your music. I didn't come here to play. I came here to make babies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebrownbass Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 Of course, don't forget the design that Reverend uses...2 seperate pickups, neck and bridge, that can be switched out of phase into a humbucking mode. I am still attracted to that Reverend bass, and that may have the tone you are looking for. Of course, I like my Warwick just fine. "Let's raise the level of this conversation" -- Jeremy Cohen, in the Picasso Thread. Still spendin' that political capital far faster than I can earn it...stretched way out on a limb here and looking for a better interest rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 Originally posted by orphan wells: i know I'm going to piss alot of people off with this post but, the Fender basses (jazz, p-bass, percision) are completly over rated.I don't own a Fender bass and your comments didn't piss me off, but I still think they're good instruments and competitive with other instruments in their price range. (Also P-bass and precision are the same.) Originally posted by orphan wells: There's just so much more out there. Why stick with the alder body one piece maple neck and regular old fender picups when there's a world of bad to the bone basses out there with newer and better technology being developed just for us every day? Alder is a wonderful tone wood for basses. It is a staple for many high-end bass builders as well. Fender also uses ash, which gives a brighter tone, but, no, they're not doing tulipwood or mahogany or.... Fender may not be the leader in technical innovation, but they have updated some of their models and have incorporated active electronics, graphite neck reinforcement, noiseless pickups, etc. into the designs of some of their models. Lots of builders (and players) also still love one-piece maple necks. Originally posted by orphan wells: My advice, find a bass with the tone you want (fender or whatever it may be) but don't discredit other basses because they're not fender. I know too many whose bass tone suffers because they can't get over playing fender. buy the bass that work best for you and your music.I agree wholeheartedly here. Peace. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLM Posted August 9, 2003 Author Share Posted August 9, 2003 Thanks again everyone. I definitely plan on trying everything in my price range. I'm not totally stuck on a Fender, though I do plan on trying a few out. My main objective with my recent questions and research has been to figure out which basses to concentrate on. I've only been to a couple big music stores and I feel overwhelmed and intimidated. My original plan was to mail order a bass, but with so much to choose from I think I'd rather go somewhere with some selection and try lots of different basses out. When I do I now have a better idea of what to look at and what to stay away from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 I own an alder Fender with a one-piece maple neck, AND a VW Bug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted August 9, 2003 Share Posted August 9, 2003 Sounds like a trip to the Big Town is in order! See if you can find a Lakland dealer there; the Skylines are good basses, reasonably priced, & have more bottom end than should be legal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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