Which pick up?

[YanJones89]

Need some advice people.

I'm creating a Hoppus style bass, jazz with the Precision pup.

I cannot decide what pup to put in it though!

Hoppus uses the SPB 3 Duncan basslines 1/4 pounder. I have heard that this does not stand out in a mix with lots of distortion and is this no good for punk rock/pop punk.

The alternative I have narrowed it down to the Fender Original '62. I love the sound of both but I want the one that will contrast most with my other bass - Squire VM 70s Jazz bass.

My ears cannot pick between the two so please help!

I play in an originals pop punk/punk rock type band.

[bassix]

My understanding was that the quarter pounder was the pickup of choice for a lot of the American punk bands. I had a nate Mendel bass which comes with it as standard and it was fantastic.

[Lozz196]

The QP is pretty much the choice for punk amongst many, however being scooped in sound it will be more like the Jazz, though much fuller, whereas the Fender original will be pretty much the polar opposite with lots of mids.

[crompers]

Can you get a good mids growl with the QPs? considering changing pickups myself

[fretmeister]

[quote name='crompers' timestamp='1490777190' post='3267800']
Can you get a good mids growl with the QPs? considering changing pickups myself
[/quote]

Not really. I've had them and I like them, but they are not a classic P bass sound.

I've not tried the Steve Harris model - apparently that is like a proper one but with a bit more welly.

[EliasMooseblaster]

[quote name='crompers' timestamp='1490777190' post='3267800']
Can you get a good mids growl with the QPs? considering changing pickups myself
[/quote]

Go for the Fender '62 if you want mids - lots of bark and growl in those. Or try an SPB-2 if you'd prefer go with a Seymour Duncan.

[Twigman]

I have the 'original' 62 in 1 bass and a 'custom shop 62' in another.....I prefer the 'original' despite it being cheaper, it seems to have less 'boom' and more 'grit'

Discussing the texture of sound on an internet forum isn't easy.

[ben4343]

[quote name='YanJones89' timestamp='1490735153' post='3267588']
Hoppus uses the SPB 3 Duncan basslines 1/4 pounder. I have heard that this does not stand out in a mix with lots of distortion and is this no good for punk rock/pop punk.
[/quote]

I have never heard this, and it seems an odd thing to say about the signature bass of arguably one of the giants of the pop punk genre! There was a Bassbass shoot out of a heap of P basses a while back. Could be worth a listen to get an idea of the different pick ups; I think the Hoppus sig handled itself very well...

There is a fairly loyal following (myself included now) of the Matt Freeman signature. Again, he is a punk rock legend, so could be worth checking out what pick ups he uses?

[Lozz196]

Yep, it was a Hoppus with QP that won - by a mile I might add. I`ve recently got a bass with a Steve Harris SPB4 in it and that is a very nice sounding pickup. Still have to put my regular strings on the bass, but am tempted to put these in all my basses, it really is very nice, just depends on the highs really.

[Chiliwailer]

These are always worth a look for a big sound and lots of bite http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1970s-PAF-Dimarzio-Precision-Bass-Pickups-/322466278754?hash=item4b147ced62:g:SasAAOSwol5Y2soP

(Edit, may be 80's not 70's but still the same from my experience of having a few in the past).

Edited March 29, 2017 by Chiliwailer

[markstuk]

Also the nordstrand np4. The five string version in my Bob glaub lakland P5 is immense

[uk_lefty]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1490810103' post='3268276']
Yep, it was a Hoppus with QP that won - by a mile I might add. I`ve recently got a bass with a Steve Harris SPB4 in it and that is a very nice sounding pickup. Still have to put my regular strings on the bass, but am tempted to put these in all my basses, it really is very nice, just depends on the highs really.
[/quote]

+1 for the Steve Harris it just sounds huge with loads of presence. I use the sig strings too, they take some getting used to but the sound cuts like nothing else.

[SH73]

[quote name='uk_lefty' timestamp='1490818707' post='3268359']


+1 for the Steve Harris it just sounds huge with loads of presence. I use the sig strings too, they take some getting used to but the sound cuts like nothing else.
[/quote]
I use Matt Freeman with manufacturer fitted pick ups and Steve Harris sig strings. It sounds great to fit my punk rock style I play.

However I also play Steve Harris royal blue sig model with spb4 sig puck ups and sig strings.The sound is massive and beefy.