hooky_lowdown Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 I have a P bass which I love, it's got a split P pickup, but the sound isn't there for me, I really like the classic 51 style P bass tone, and can't seem to get the right sound, so thinking I need to change the pickup. Is there a split P pickup which sounds like a single coil, i.e. warm, fat with fast attack and fast decay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 The short lived S1 switch tried to emulate that. I binned the one on my precision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted July 5, 2019 Author Share Posted July 5, 2019 Doesn't the S1 switch lower the output fairly significantly? Something I'm trying to avoid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 It does. It also makes it sound worse, so best not to press it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdavid Posted July 6, 2019 Share Posted July 6, 2019 Is routing for a 2nd single coil an option? Could get some really interesting tones with the 2 pickups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted July 6, 2019 Author Share Posted July 6, 2019 45 minutes ago, markdavid said: Is routing for a 2nd single coil an option? Could get some really interesting tones with the 2 pickups Not really. Looking for a direct split coil replacement, otherwise I would have to hack the routing, pickguard or body to the bass I love. Just can't do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted July 6, 2019 Share Posted July 6, 2019 Series/Parallel switch. Easier if you have a P pick up that already has four wire output, but any split P can be modified. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdavid Posted July 6, 2019 Share Posted July 6, 2019 7 hours ago, hooky_lowdown said: Not really. Looking for a direct split coil replacement, otherwise I would have to hack the routing, pickguard or body to the bass I love. Just can't do it. Fair enough, I can understand that, I know it will be more expensive but maybe get a quote on having a pickup custom made Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronJ Posted July 6, 2019 Share Posted July 6, 2019 9 hours ago, KiOgon said: Series/Parallel switch. Easier if you have a P pick up that already has four wire output, but any split P can be modified. This is good to know. You are a wizard, sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted July 6, 2019 Share Posted July 6, 2019 Here’s a couple of demos of what the S1 switch will do for you: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmaTheMirror Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 You can get in a similar ballpark, but for THE 51 single coil it can be tough: I have both a 51 and a split P, and to me what really gives the 51 its peculiar tone, attack and fast decay is mainly the single pole piece per string. It can also be problematic at times (try doing a bend on higher frets and the volume massively drops) but is definitely its own mark. I also have a Duncan Quarter Pounder 51 coil which tames that effect thanks to the larger poles, but in the end I kept a Bare Knuckle mounted for "that" tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 You could try a Dimarzio Model P. They have 4 wires for series/parallel switching. Parallel giving you effectively a single coil but with no hum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 You may just find that the P pickup you have in the bass just isn't dealing up the tone you are after. Maybe have a look (or rather listen) to some of the P bass pickup shoot-outs on YouTube to get an idea what it is in the tone you are listening out for. The Seymour Duncan shoot-out is pretty good with Will from The Bass Channel. I also think that Andy Irvine is always dealing up good sound bites too. Funnily, my favourite P pickup sound at the moment is in my Fender, but I've actually no idea what the pickup is! Maybe I need to ask the combined experience of Basschat to identify it. Lovely and warm in the low end with a clarity of a single coil in the top end. Really lovely and sounds like the kinda thing you might be after too! https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=p+bass+pickup+comparison+ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 Just been listening to The Tone Magazine review (second in the list) and actually my bass does seem to sound a lot like the Custom Shop '62 (listen through decent speakers or earphones as the reviews sound pants on laptop speakers). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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