Swapping Spb-3 Quarterpounders for Spb-2 Hots pickups

[thewalruswaspaul]

Hi,

Im thinking of swapping out my Spb-3 quarterpounder on my P for a Spb-2 Hot Pickup , What I want to know is does the Spb-2 have as much thump as the quarterpounder as I have heard that overwound pickups sometimes lack in thump ?.
Anybody?

[nick]

[quote name='thewalruswaspaul' post='118887' date='Jan 11 2008, 10:50 PM']Hi,

Im thinking of swapping out my Spb-3 quarterpounder on my P for a Spb-2 Hot Pickup , What I want to know is does the Spb-2 have as much thump as the quarterpounder as I have heard that overwound pickups sometimes lack in thump ?.
Anybody?[/quote]

Personally, wouldn't go for SPB-2 Hot if you're after 'thump'. You'd be better off keeping QP's on your bass.

I went from Quarter Pounders to Hots, & then settling on SPB-1 Vintage.

I found the SPB-3s OK, what I think is a modern tone, but too lively for me.
Didn't like the SPB-2 at all,output way too hot,muddy sounding, not a nice tone (to my cloth ears),with no definition.

I was happy with the Vintage, it does have plenty of 'thump'...warm.

However, I do understand that all this is down to personal choice,style of music,etc. & there are also other good makers such as Wizard,Kent Armstrong etc

Good luck with your search

[thewalruswaspaul]

[quote name='nick' post='118991' date='Jan 12 2008, 08:04 AM']Personally, wouldn't go for SPB-2 Hot if you're after 'thump'. You'd be better off keeping QP's on your bass.

I went from Quarter Pounders to Hots, & then settling on SPB-1 Vintage.

I found the SPB-3s OK, what I think is a modern tone, but too lively for me.
Didn't like the SPB-2 at all,output way too hot,muddy sounding, not a nice tone (to my cloth ears),with no definition.

I was happy with the Vintage, it does have plenty of 'thump'...warm.

However, I do understand that all this is down to personal choice,style of music,etc. & there are also other good makers such as Wizard,Kent Armstrong etc

Good luck with your search[/quote]

Thanks for the advice , I think I will try the SPB-1 , last thing I need is less thump and 'warm' sounds good to me

[BassBod]

Just another recent experience - I changed a SPB3 for a DiMarzio P. Less aggressive, a bit warmer and a more traditional Pbass tone, but more power than a standard P pickup. I didn't think I'd like it (it was a leftover from another bass) but having used it for a few weeks I think its a keeper.

I also put a SPB1 into a 73 Pbass a year or two ago (when the original finally died) and it was fantastic - very close to the "real" thing. The Kent Armstrong is also very good for the money, but doesn't look as "authentic" as the SPB1 on an old bass (slightly grey platic cover and raised polepieces).

In fact, now I think about it..the SPB3 is the only P pickup I haven't liked (including the EMG)!

BB

[thewalruswaspaul]

[quote name='BassBod' post='119028' date='Jan 12 2008, 10:27 AM']Just another recent experience - I changed a SPB3 for a DiMarzio P. Less aggressive, a bit warmer and a more traditional Pbass tone, but more power than a standard P pickup. I didn't think I'd like it (it was a leftover from another bass) but having used it for a few weeks I think its a keeper.

I also put a SPB1 into a 73 Pbass a year or two ago (when the original finally died) and it was fantastic - very close to the "real" thing. The Kent Armstrong is also very good for the money, but doesn't look as "authentic" as the SPB1 on an old bass (slightly grey platic cover and raised polepieces).

In fact, now I think about it..the SPB3 is the only P pickup I haven't liked (including the EMG)!

BB[/quote]

What was it that you didn't like about the SPB-3 , my problem with it is that its very bright and scooped , which means that when I roll down the tone control which I always do , all im left with is the bass frequencies and no mids , however I love the thump from the pickup

[BassBod]

I just found it over aggressive - edgy and too bright, the low end was powerful, but a bit more than I wanted from a P bass. It reminded me of the old Trace Elliot "pre-shape" switch? Sorry if that's not a very good description...

BB

[Beedster]

I've recently rotated all three SDs on a few Precisions. I LOVE the SPB3 on a maple neck with rounds, it provides a very lively tone which is great for funk, rock and slap, but perhaps in line with the posts above, is not really what I would call Precisiony. I think the SPB3 is also a great PUP to have on a fretless Precision, as it really does accentuate the harmonics. However, the two fretless Precisions I've tried it on also have J-PUPs at the bridge so it's possible that were it on it's own on a fretless, it might lack mids. The SPB2 to my ear sounded like an original Fender PUP on steroids, certainly not muddy at all, just less bright than the SBP3; sounded like a Precision and was good with rounds and flats on maple and rosewood alike. I A-B'd the 2 and 3 on the Precision I recently put together and sold to Sparky, and there's no doubt that the SPB2 sounded more authentic Fender; in fact the 3 made it sound almost active. The SPB1 sounds just like a 70s Fender PUP to me, simple as that.
Chris

Edited January 13, 2008 by Beedster

[BassBod]

Thanks Beedster - that explains why I don't like the SPB-3.....I just don't like P basses with rounds on them (except PJ fretless...)...

BB

[Hit&Run]

[quote name='Beedster' post='119564' date='Jan 13 2008, 04:11 PM']I think the SPB3 is also a great PUP to have on a fretless Precision, as it really does accentuate the harmonics.[/quote]

I concur with that!

[BigBassBob]

[quote]I think the SPB3 is also a great PUP to have on a fretless Precision, as it really does accentuate the harmonics.[/quote]

I'm not too sure. I've got a fretless pbass and I've had an SPB3 in it for a long time now. I always find that I have to turn the volume down ALOT and the bass of it is generally far too boomy. I also find that the lack of mids gives a great double bass sound, but I wish I had something with more mids and less volume. Been toying with the idea of swapping it for an SPB1 for about a year, but I haven't had the time or money to do so.

[thewalruswaspaul]

[quote name='BassBod' post='119062' date='Jan 12 2008, 11:33 AM']It reminded me of the old Trace Elliot "pre-shape" switch? Sorry if that's not a very good description...

BB[/quote]

Don't worry I know exactly what you mean by that

[thewalruswaspaul]

[quote name='BigBassBob' post='119915' date='Jan 14 2008, 05:49 AM']I'm not too sure. I've got a fretless pbass and I've had an SPB3 in it for a long time now. I always find that I have to turn the volume down ALOT and the bass of it is generally far too boomy. I also find that the lack of mids gives a great double bass sound, but I wish I had something with more mids and less volume. Been toying with the idea of swapping it for an SPB1 for about a year, but I haven't had the time or money to do so.[/quote]

That explains why my SPB-3 sounds good with Tapewounds , With tone rolled off and Tapes it does sound quite close to DB territory

[markdavid]

i am currently looking into the overwound wizard pickups (thumpers) , anyone know what I can expect from these? It would be nice to have more mids and bass and less treble and the fact they are overwound suggests these might deliver that , Im also looking at the Dimarzio Model P as there tone chart says Bass 7 Mids 7 Treble 5 which also suggests that these may deliver that kind of tone

[BassBod]

No experience of Wizards, but I was surprised how much I liked the the DM. I expected a more overblown/edgy/trying to distort sound, but its really more of a "hot" 70's P tone to me....rather nice.

BB