difference between soapbar and normal pickups?

[Bass_Junkie]

i was just wondering if there were any differences soundwise and performance wise between soapdbar j pickups and regular j pickups.

i am thinking of getting a yamaha BB414 so i was also wondering if i would be able to swap the pickups in these for regular p/j pickups if i found them not to my liking.


Thanks.
Bass_Junkie.

[Lfalex v1.1]

I've never played a set of soapbars that had exactly the same technical specs as a pair of "standard" J pick-ups, so I can't give you a fully qualified answer on that one...

However,

A lot of soapbars are Humbuckers.
After all, why have all that space in a pick-up body and not have a second coil and set of pole pieces in it? (Or something else in the case of truly "active" pick-ups)

I have three basses with what might be described a soapbars in (the rest are J/J, MMHB, MMHB/MMHB, P, MMHB/P or J/JJ)
These being;

Ibanez EDB600 (Ibanez branded Humbuckers)

Warwick Streamer LX VI (Seymour Duncan Humbuckers)

Vigier PassionIII (STD) V (Benedetti Single Coils)

All are active and all sound radically different, for reasons that range far beyond their pick-up types alone.
I (personally) would neither choose a bass on the basis of its pick-up "shape", nor re-rout an existing instrument to change from std single-coil to Soapbars.
The reason for this?

There's a whole industry devoted to producing pick-ups to suit differing needs and applications. There must be one out there that'll fullfil your needs [i]and[/i] fit in your instrument of choice. If not, seek out one of the many custom pick-up manufacturers. They'll do anything you want (within reason and feasability) pick-up wise.

Hope this helps!

As for the BB414 (with which I'm not [i]too[/i] familiar) If it's the bass I think it is, it's P/J in configuration, but the pick-ups are oversized. The J has an exposed "blade" style polepiece.
The one I played seemed fine for the price, and the pick-ups would have been the last things to change IIRC. Plenty of poke!
As for retro-fitting standard P/J units, they'd fit alright, BUT they'd have gaps around the edges from the originals being much larger/ different shaped.
You [i]could[/i] have a scratchplate cut to snugly fit around the new pick-ups, covering the gaps, but it's all extra aggrovation for a relatively inexpensive instrument and would destroy its resale value (unless you find a way to make it "invisibly reversible")
Alternatively, the custom boys might rewind or uprate the existing units (at a price) for you, such that you had new internals in the old shells... so they'd still fit.

(Phew!)

[Bass_Junkie]

ok, Thanks

[silverfoxnik]

Hi Bass_Junkie

The pick ups on the BB range are excellent in my opinion and a good variation on the P/J style configuration. I doubt you'll be disappointed..

Nik

[Mr Bassman]

Do soap bar pick-ups give a cleaner sound???

[ped]

Hehe you would hope so. You don't wanna drop them on the floor, either.