P bass additional bridge pickup

[oldslapper]

So looking to get a bridge pickup fitted to my P bass. Something simple, passive, just an additional volume pot. Fancied something humbucker-ish.
Any recommendations, experiences?
Thanks,
John

[Noisyjon]

I've used the Seymour Duncan Jazz Hot Stack in the bridge position on one of my P/J's and it was a good complimentary pairing with a vintage P pickup.

[Noisyjon]

That said the additional tones a bridge pickup supplies is debatable over the costs of parts & labour vs what you get for the money.
My recommendation is to try a P/J out first if you can...

[Ou7shined]

I'd tent to agree with a J pup, as with the P pup in it's sweet spot it doesn't leave much usable space for a 'bucker (unless you want another P in there). The Sandbergs put a Musicman type pup in the bridge position while keeping the P in it's original spot but in the testing I've done (imho) it doesn't do much good in that spot - it's ok but hardly "sweet". The Pingray has it down for ultimate P/MM placement.

[Beedster]

Don't waste your time installing a PUP John, stick a P-Retro in there. It won't require any modification, it'll give you a range of tones way beyond what a passive P/J combination will give you, and it's easily reversible (and of course transferable to another bass). Appearance wise, you won't know it's there either.

C

[oldslapper]

Thanks for the replies chaps. I've had a p bass special and an sb-2 and liked the 2 pup config. Never played a P/MM config tho. But you reckon the bucker' doesn't add much at the bridge? The J retro sounds interesting. I just find the P pickup a little limited, so what does the P retro offer tone wise?
The bottom line is I've found a great P, changing the neck for a jazz, now want to add a bit.of tonal variation. I don't really want another 4 string, so was hoping to get what I need out of one bass.
John

[Beedster]

[quote name='oldslapper' post='1252101' date='May 31 2011, 09:50 PM']Thanks for the replies chaps. I've had a p bass special and an sb-2 and liked the 2 pup config. Never played a P/MM config tho. But you reckon the bucker' doesn't add much at the bridge? The J retro sounds interesting. I just find the P pickup a little limited, so what does the P retro offer tone wise?
The bottom line is I've found a great P, changing the neck for a jazz, now want to add a bit.of tonal variation. I don't really want another 4 string, so was hoping to get what I need out of one bass.
John[/quote]

The P-Retro is an extraordinarily versatile unit John, seriously, I cannot see why anyone would mod a Precision body now that there's a decent drop-in P-circuit out there. Tonally it does pretty much everything from the type of deep dub-like tones you'd get from a '70's Telebass through to Jazz- and Ray-like snarlyness.

C

[BassBod]

What the Beedster said. Its hard to get a good balance of P against J, even with a humbucker J. They weren't designed to go together. Best bet is something sold as a pair (Wizard....DiMarzio..Sadowsky) with a humbucking J. Even then, the combined sounds tend to be hollow and a bit feeble when compared to a P on its own.

A good J bridge pickup needs a fair bit of bass boost to sound great. A good P pickup doesn't. So if you try to switch from solo J to solo P it doesn't work too well. I can do it on my Sadowsky PJ, but only combined with the active bass boost. I think you played it at the Dorset bash last year?

[oldslapper]

Ok boys, you've convinced me. Just checked out John's web site, wonder if I'll get a discount having identical name?

By the way what was the fretless of yours I played at the bash D? That had some nice pups in it. Reminds me, must get round to organising another this summer.
John.

[BassBod]

That was a bitser - Fender neck ('74?) and Bravewood body, with DiMarzio model J humbuckers. In bits again now....must get it sorted out sometime.

[Beedster]

[quote name='oldslapper' post='1252123' date='May 31 2011, 10:12 PM']Ok boys, you've convinced me. Just checked out John's web site, wonder if I'll get a discount having identical name?

By the way what was the fretless of yours I played at the bash D? That had some nice pups in it. Reminds me, must get round to organising another this summer.
John.[/quote]

You won't be disappointed. I think John gives a BC discount anyway, so make sure you mention this when ordering.


[quote name='BassBod' post='1252131' date='May 31 2011, 10:17 PM']That was a bitser - Fender neck ('74?) and Bravewood body, with DiMarzio model J humbuckers. In bits again now....must get it sorted out sometime.[/quote]

'73, and if you ever fancy selling me back that neck, let me know

[stevie]

I had a Jazz along with the P-Bass pu in my Yamaha. No matter what I did, it always sounded thin, and it never added anything to the P-Bass sound. The best combination I had was a Duncan Vintage P-Bass pickup and a quarter pounder Jazz. At least the volume was similar when I switched from one to the other.

I decided to bite the bullet and put a Duncan Musicman humbucker in there and I'm very happy with the result. I get the Musicman "tone", although it needs a little bass boost used on its own compared with the P-Bass pu. The combination of P-Bass and MM is very nice too.

Next time I'm up your way, John, I can pop in and you can try it.

I know people rave about John East preamps, but it's only a tone control after all. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it does anything that a half decent graphic can't do.

[oldslapper]

Thanks Stevie, might take you up on that.
I love the P sound, but even with changes in finger position, I still want something like a bridge "burp" or combo to smooth tone out and I can't seem to do that with just a P pup.
Bass player I use when I'm playing 6 string has a USA P with S1 switch, and that seems to give a bit of tonal variation.

Seen a couple of you tube demos of P-retro and they do seem to offer a good tonal range.
It looks like if you want equity of volume with bridge and neck, you have to go active?
I've had a J-east pre in a MM and it was a beast.
I'll probably give my name sake a call and have a chat.
I'm in no hurry so we'll see.
John

[Lozz196]

[quote name='jonthebass' post='1251981' date='May 31 2011, 08:14 PM']I've used the Seymour Duncan Jazz Hot Stack in the bridge position on one of my P/J's and it was a good complimentary pairing with a vintage P pickup.[/quote]

+1. I had changed the stock bridge J pickup in my old Aerodyne to one of these, and it was a great pickup. Instant Duff McKagan - as he uses one - but as its a hum-cancelling pickup, it also has all the benefits of the Jazz/bridge thing, but doesn`t irritate the hell out of you.

[stevie]

[quote name='oldslapper' post='1255279' date='Jun 3 2011, 12:01 PM']It looks like if you want equity of volume with bridge and neck, you have to go active?[/quote]
Not really. As others have said, you just need a loud bridge pickup. Even the Musicman pickup is quieter than the P-Bass one when it's installed in the 'bridge' position. I found that wiring the MM in series makes for a more balanced pairing and IMO works better when the two pickups are used together.

[chris_b]

I've just bought a passive PJ bass. It has SD's but they are custom wound so that's not much help. I'm only using the J pickup to add a little extra depth to the P pickup sound. I think I'm using 80% P and 20% J.

[Muzz]

[quote name='stevie' post='1255411' date='Jun 3 2011, 01:26 PM']Not really. As others have said, you just need a loud bridge pickup. Even the Musicman pickup is quieter than the P-Bass one when it's installed in the 'bridge' position. I found that wiring the MM in series makes for a more balanced pairing and IMO works better when the two pickups are used together.[/quote]

I've just fitted a Wizard 'Big P/J' pair, (which is the Thumper and the 84 Jazz), and it's the first time I've ever considered soloing the bridge pickup. I didn't actually do it of course, but I considered it

The output from these pickups is up there with my Ray, if that's any indication. I'm fitting a pair to my Fortress, as I was massively caught out the other week playing live when I swapped basses and I thought the Fortress was broken

Oh, and I've got them wired with a pull-switch series option, for those moments when a mid/punch boost is the only way to go...

[ezbass]

Stick another P p/up in there, it's a great sound and looks way cool IMO. Add the P Retro and you'll have an awesome sounding bass. My £0.02.

[stoker]

how about another p-bass p/up. after all they are a form of humbucker and it would look different.

[Muzz]

Now[i] there's [/i] a plan...actually, I'm on it, although it's taking me forever to get my finger out - Ryder P-bass, MM neck, two Thumpers, Series pull-switch. Bam.

[Beedster]

I've owned many P/J basses, Fender Hot Rod, Sadowsky, Status, and have a lovely one now, a pimped VM Jag. I've also owned P/J sets by Wizard, Lollar, SD, and many more. Much as I've always wanted basses and PUPs to work, in the main they haven't delivered, and I always go back to the P-PUP for most of my playing. OK, I would possibly add the J-PUP into the mix to get a little more bite or top, but usually found that in the live or recording situation, it made little real difference to tone, certainly nothing like as much as a P-Retro or similar will make.

I can't help thinking that, once again, Leo got it right;
1 x P-PUP, yes,
2 x J-PUP, yes,
I x MM PUP, yes.
Anything else. Mmmm, why?

C

[chris_b]

[quote name='Beedster' post='1255690' date='Jun 3 2011, 05:00 PM']....I can't help thinking that, once again, Leo got it right;
1 x P-PUP, yes,
2 x J-PUP, yes,
I x MM PUP, yes.
Anything else. Mmmm, why?....[/quote]
Because they work.

It depends who is building the instrument, but the Lakland J/MM is a very good combination and the 2 PJ's that I've owned sounded great. Guys like Alembic, Wal and Rob Allen have taken pickups and basses into areas Leo Fender would never comprehend.

[oldslapper]

Hadn't thought about P/P, seen that on Gareths P bass and it looks nice, not sure what that would sound like.

Chris, you're right, Leo knew what he was doing, and I do wonder sometimes why I don't just get another Jazz bass!

When it comes to tone, it does get subjective and I never "chased" a tone before joining BC, ignorance really is bliss and cheaper!

I really need a 5'er so it could be I get a 5 string P bass body with Jazz neck and 2 J pups? .......or take up the triangle?

[Beedster]

[quote name='chris_b' post='1255769' date='Jun 3 2011, 06:24 PM']Because they work.

It depends who is building the instrument, but the Lakland J/MM is a very good combination and the 2 PJ's that I've owned sounded great. Guys like Alembic, Wal and Rob Allen have taken pickups and basses into areas Leo Fender would never comprehend.[/quote]

Fair point, and yes, build is important. Lakland's excepted, you're talking pretty specialist/expensive basses there though, and having owned a couple, I wouldn't necessarily agree that they took PUPs to places Leo couldn't comprehend, more to place perhaps he chose not to go, as was the case with me and Wal


[quote name='oldslapper' post='1255770' date='Jun 3 2011, 06:24 PM']Hadn't thought about P/P, seen that on Gareths P bass and it looks nice, not sure what that would sound like.

Chris, you're right, Leo knew what he was doing, and I do wonder sometimes why I don't just get another Jazz bass!

When it comes to tone, it does get subjective and I never "chased" a tone before joining BC, ignorance really is bliss and cheaper!

I really need a 5'er so it could be I get a 5 string P bass body with Jazz neck and 2 J pups? .......or take up the triangle?[/quote]

Sounds like you want more versatility than either a Jazz or a Precision offer John. I think once you start adding PUPs to perfectly good basses, that way madness lies. Perhaps play a few (perhaps the Lakkie Chris recommended above, and even an early 80's Precision with two P-PUPs). Add a P-PUP at the bridge to a decent MIJ Precision and spend £100-150 doing it (depending on PUP), and you'll probably eventually sell the bass for £100 less than before the mod

C