Kent Armstrong precision pups

[Phil Starr]

just about to upgrade my pups and these have come recommended and at a good price. the trouble is I have a choice and without hearing them..... Alnico 10k 57ish [url="http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/hot-vintage-p-bass-pickup-alnico-2467-p.asp"]http://www.wdmusic.c...nico-2467-p.asp[/url]or slightly hotter ceramics at 11k. [url="http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/hot-p-bass-pickup-ceramic-magnets-1079-p.asp"]http://www.wdmusic.c...nets-1079-p.asp[/url]. As you can see there is almost no information there, has anyone tried either of these? What sort of difference is there likely to be?

Edited May 13, 2013 by Phil Starr

[JapanAxe]

Sorry haven't heard these, but Alnico pickups are reputedly sweeter-sounding than gnarlier ceramics. WARNING: gross generalisation!

[tommorichards]

If it were me, id go for the alnico mainly because that pretty much been the precision pickup for its life (alnico slugs). I suppose with the hotter 11k, you'd get a bit of a darker sound due to the higher resistance. Maybe better for driving distortion.

Edited May 13, 2013 by tommorichards

[The fasting showman]

I had the Armstrong Hot ceramic P bass pickup in my de-mudbuckered (reckon this term will catch on?) Tele bass until last year. I only changed due to needing my 2 basses to sound more alike;swapped it out for a USA Fender job to match the 2008 P bass I then owned, long story. Trying to get them to sound more alike was a complete folly, when will I learn?

I was impressed with the Kent Armstrong, very bright and growly, though I prefer the Fender for what I want as I'm doing rootsier music now. The higher resistance didn't equate to less fidelity at all I found.

[BILL POSTERS]

I put the Kent Armstrong 10K vintage pups on my Precision bitza. And I've been well chuffed with the authentic old growly precision sound. I have 2 Precisions (one 92 MIM and one 2011 MIA) and have had various others over the last 20 years, all with stock pups, to me at least, this one is the best sounding of the lot.

Edited May 13, 2013 by BILL POSTERS

[Phil Starr]

Looks like either would be a good choice then, especially at that price. that's the trouble with pups I guess, you don't really know what you are getting until you try them, then it is a bit late. Any one else tried either of these?

Thanks to everyone who has helped so far.

Edited May 14, 2013 by Phil Starr

[Dave Vader]

I've got the alnicos in my go-to P-bass. They are very good indeed. They've been in there for years and I've never considered changing them, thumpy and vintagey and cheap.
Sounds like a P-bass should.

[Dave Vader]

Actually I think you saw me using them in Taunton a few years back Phil

[Phil Starr]

Hi Dave, who were you playing with then?

Edited May 14, 2013 by Phil Starr

[Dave Vader]

The Spaced Invaders (80s tribute) i vaguely remember you saying you were there. I was probably playing the mean green P-bass at that point. In the Pen and Quill.

[Phil Starr]

Yeah, I remember, though more how you played rather than what you played. Proper Job.

I thought you had a fretless there?

Edited May 14, 2013 by Phil Starr

[Dave Vader]

Ah, it was the other one then. That's got wizard trads in, also very nice.

Thanks for the niceness, as you were.

[sblueplanet]

I bought a Fender P CIJ last year already fitted with a Kent Armstrong pup and it sounds fantastic.

Best P bass I've ever played. Unfortunately I don't know which type is fitted but maybe there is a way to find out?

Anyway the range of tones is excellent, from bright highs to muddy lows.

Edited May 14, 2013 by sblueplanet

[Phil Starr]

OK after a lot of dithering I went for the Alnico version. To be honest I couldn't find a negative comment about either model. thanks for your help again. I'll let you know how it sounds.

[Phil Starr]

Oh my lord! If you are thinking of putting on decent PUP's onto a cheap bass do it now. I've just received my Hot Trad Kent Armstrongs and 30 mins later they are fitted and I can't believe what it has done to my bass. Just night and day.

To cut a long story short I've a Cort Action Bass IV that was my starter bass, I've also a Gibson Thunderbird and a MIA Jazz which i use for gigs. I hate playing the T'bird though it sounds great and I always practice with the Cort because it plays the best of the three and has the best finish and fittings. With your advice I ordered the KA pup but whilst I was dithering someone gave me a Wilkinson to try. That was a huge improvement on the standard pups, all the uneveness between strings went and the uncertain sound with it, suddenly the bass had a bit of character to add to the nice neck. Started to wonder if I had wasted the extra money on the Kents, not a bit, there's just a bit more of everything, punch, definition, clarity. It just sounds like a good Precision. For £150 including the new PUP, why didn't I know this before?

Thanks for your help, I'd recommend the KA's to anyone.

Other pickups are available.

I'm off to the shed.

[iiipopes]

Here's the deal: alnico magnets, with their iron content, interact with the coils to increase inductance, which effectively increases mids and can roll off treble, which to a lot of players' ears equate to more "vintage" or "growly" or "thicker." Ceramic magnets do not interact in the same way with the coils, and therefore with the same wind will have less inductance and therefore less mids, which most players perceive as increased clarity. The ceramic/alnico magnet switch started in the late '60's as players were wanting more out of (gasp!) their now-vintage Gibson humbuckers, and companies actually sold the magnets for swapping out, before there were aftermarket companies making their own pickups. Here is the modern version: [url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/tips-and-tricks/tinkering-with-pickups-102-the-humbucker-magnet-swap/"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/tips-and-tricks/tinkering-with-pickups-102-the-humbucker-magnet-swap/[/url]