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Looking for "interesting" split P pickup ideas


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Hi folks

 

As some of you may know, I recently picked up a £150 "POS" P bass and found that after an evening's fettling the bones were surprisingly good and worth keeping.  Of course, at this price, the pickup is ... uninspring, so I want to replace it.

 

I don't want a cookie cutter, regular construction, 2 coil, 2 pole piece per string, "this is my interpretation of an <insert year> Fender" pickup.  I already have a very nice alnico split P like that in my Tribute LB-100.

 

What I want is something out there, something genuinely different, in terms of packaging, coils, magnets, poles.  So far (probably in order of "weirdness") I'm looking at

Lace Aluma-P (just completely out there compared to regular pickups)

Herrick 4 coil split P (a separate coil per string)

DiMarzio Split P (two coils per pair of strings and blades)

Lollar Precision 90 (each half is like a mini P90)

Then the usual suspects when it comes to changing up the pole pieces - Delano big pole pieces, Norstrand pole piece variations (big blade, NP4A) - but at this point I start to fall asleep, as it's just a regular P bass pickup with different pole pieces.

 

So apart from the top four, and bearing in mind what I said about looking for something a bit more out there than simply changing the pole pieces), has anyone got any other things I should look at?

 

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Posted (edited)

Personally I have been pondering for a long time about getting the DiMarzio Split P, but wiring the two halves, which already individually got 2 humbucking coils each, in parallel, instead of wiring them in standard series connection, for a flatter response, with less boomy low end and more high end.

 

I've pondered on the Herrick multi coil P too, as it seem like a really interesting concept, and I am extremely curious as to how it would sound.

 

JBE/Joe Barden pickups are blade pickups as well.

 

2 hours ago, SamIAm said:

Might you consider a reverse P layout?

Sam x

This I can warmly recommend, will balance out the tonal difference between low/thick strings and high/thin strings, instead of emphasizing it, as a traditional orientation P pickup will actually do.

 

Edited by Baloney Balderdash
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Thank you for the suggestions, but there is no pickguard to hide behind, so it's going to remain in the traditional Leo orientation. 

 

Besides, I've got my Yamaha BB1200 for getting my reverse P yucks, so I can scratch that itch already.

 

Cheers for the thought about the Split P in parallel, I did worry hearing some soundclips that the Split P might be a bit moody sounding.

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On 05/07/2024 at 13:10, Baloney Balderdash said:

Personally I have been pondering for a long time about getting the DiMarzio Split P, but wiring the two halves, which already individually got 2 humbucking coils each, in parallel, instead of wiring them in standard series connection, for a flatter response, with less boomy low end and more high end.

I've done this - I think it works pretty well. Doesn't quite have that P growl, but has a full modern sound. I should record it!

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27 minutes ago, bloke_zero said:

I've done this - I think it works pretty well. Doesn't quite have that P growl, but has a full modern sound. I should record it!

You should!

 

I would love to hear how that sounds, but haven't been able to find any examples of it online.

 

Strange, cause to me it seems like the obvious solution.

 

Though to me P Basses doesn't growl, J Basses do, P Basses are punchy and snappy, roars, rather than growl, so not entirely sure what you mean by that.

 

 

Edited by Baloney Balderdash
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On 05/07/2024 at 14:52, neepheid said:

Feck it, I ordered a Lace Aluma-P

 

Look forward to hearing how you get on with it, always fancied one just never taken the plunge.

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1 minute ago, Rodders said:

 

Look forward to hearing how you get on with it, always fancied one just never taken the plunge.

 

Once I get the mounting saga completed (waiting for proper screws - not Lace's fault, cheapo bass in non-standard pickup route shocker!), and I get it into a full, war volume scenario I will update.

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On 10/07/2024 at 10:36, neepheid said:

Describing sounds in words in a universally understood way is hard.

It's like dancing about architecture.

 

The sound I like is dark and punchy, kind of a vintage modern bright sound; plenty of heft, but in-your-face in a subtle kind of way.

Edited by bremen
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22 minutes ago, bremen said:

It's like dancing about architecture.

 

The sound I like is dark and punchy, kind of a vintage modern bright sound; plenty of heft, but in-your-face in a subtle kind of way.

Yes, and poetry is just nonsense, that doesn't really mean anything...

 

Edited by Baloney Balderdash
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1 minute ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Yes, and poetry is just nonsense, that doesn't really mean anything...

 

 

It's not that it doesn't mean anything, it's that it means different things to different people.

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28 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

It's not that it doesn't mean anything, it's that it means different things to different people.

 

Indeed - my 'punch' could be your 'growl'...and other such phrases only ever seen in bass forums :)

 

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