raw and punchy, but versatile
I've been a fanboy of EMG pickups for years, but this passive p bass is in a class by its own. It's raw and punchy, serving up a tasty growl, shimmering highs, and a tight full low end, all without running a battery. Roll off the tone to about 50%, and the volume a touch, and you start getting into a more vintage sound. String matching is easily accomplished by pickup height, although you will have to take your time to find the sweet spot on your bass. These are by far my favorite set of p bass pickups to date. Installation is a breeze with the factory standard solderless setup, and a crimping device is also added to hook up your bridge ground to the supplied bridge ground, a nice touch for passive pickups. All hardware and screws are supplied, and the instructions are for the most part easy to read. Just pay attention to the jack leads, I got confused looking at the intructions. These pickups went into a 1994 fender mim p bass, and really opened up the clarity and punch in the bass. There is a nice mid bump that sits well in a mix. All and all, I'm very happy, and will be buying a set soon in a pj format for another p bass. Don't tell the wife guitars is a great store, and always ships super fast; I normally have my purchase at my door in three days or less! Much better than 90% of the stores on eBay. If you are on the fence about trying these, hearing they are a one trick pony, that is the farthest from the truth. Do yourself a favor and try them. You will like them if you like a nice growly p bass that can be smoothed up.
Update 7/30/19
I bought my third set of these pickups from Don’t Tell the Wife Guitars on a Friday evening, and they were in my mailbox by Monday. Lightning fast delivery as always.
I use these pickups exclusively in all of my precision basses, as they are the perfect balance of tone. You can get growl or mellow depending on how you adjust the settings.
They have the perfect growl combined with a stainless steel roundwound string, very midrange forward, which sits very well in a mix. I go back and forth from fingers to pick, and they just sound great.
With another bass I use flat wound strings, and back off the tone a little. It produces a nice fat tone that is muscular, but not overbearing. A great country or blues tone.
I’ve also used them to record, where the seasoned producer was amazed at the “perfect” tone I was getting. He said he hardly had to touch the bass tone running.
I’ve included some photos of the installation on my white 70’s Fender Precision, and a shot of my black 94, backstage before a show.
I doubt I will ever be on a stage without these in a p bass. They are my secret weapon.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned