Mike Dirnt pick up advice

[Sean]

Does anyone remember the Wizard Area 51 P pickup with neodymium magnets?

They had their own very distinctive sounds.  I had one and it went in at least 3 basses and it had an unmistakable sound of its own.

[Si600]

My Peavybird mashup uses two Delano Quad Coil pickups, VVT with push-pull volumes.  It's wired as follows, Neck - V in: P-Bass, V out: Reverse P.  Bridge - V in: All coils, V out: P-Bass.  They all work as they should with the tap test and can be be played as P/All, Reverse P/all, Double P and Reverse P/P.  Much to my dissapointment I can't tell any big difference between any of the combinations.  They're nice sounding pickups, just not what I was hoping for.

[NancyJohnson]

2 hours ago, Si600 said:

My Peavybird mashup uses two Delano Quad Coil pickups, VVT with push-pull volumes.  It's wired as follows, Neck - V in: P-Bass, V out: Reverse P.  Bridge - V in: All coils, V out: P-Bass.  They all work as they should with the tap test and can be be played as P/All, Reverse P/all, Double P and Reverse P/P.  Much to my disappointment I can't tell any big difference between any of the combinations.  They're nice sounding pickups, just not what I was hoping for.

 

I remember being in one of the bigger guitar shops in New York and the new Gibson Thunderbird had come out (this was the one below with the different pickups and the switches).  I was using a variety of other 'birds at the time (see elsewhere).

 

Plugging in, you couldn't really hear anything different going on.  I mean, if anything was actually happening tonally, it was on such an infinitesimally small tonal swing that you couldn't really identify any difference.

 

[Jack]

On 08/04/2025 at 11:07, NancyJohnson said:

For some time, I've advocated that we shouldn't be so obsessed with the swapping out of pickups/hardware; sure if something is broken, too difficult to repair or non-functioning, then fine, pull it out and replace.

 

I could stick any pickups in any bass and so long as they fit the rout and I told you they were wax potted Vintage '62s (or some other nonsense) you be happy as a pig in sh*t and off you'd toddle, none the wiser.  I just wish more people would realise this.  There's also zero correlation between price and performance.  A Timex watch will tell the time as well as a Patek Philippe.

 

Seriously.

 

 

Sorry but as a watch nerd I'd like to point out that the Timex will keep much better time. 

[Lozz196]

On 08/04/2025 at 11:39, Lozz196 said:

I`ve recently got a Fender Player Precision, really nice bass but the pickup does sound a fair bit different to my fave US Precision which has the Custom Shop 62s, the 62s having more lows and a mid-scoop. Adjusting the eq I can get near but not exactly the same. But this is at home. I`m not going to make any changes until I`ve used the bass with the band this week, who knows, in the band setting I may well prefer the sound of the Player.

Well I’ve just had a band practice and a set of 62s will need to be ordered, there was an overall lack of definition on the stock pickup, didn’t sound bad but I just prefer the 62s.