Bass guitar pickups are essential in shaping the tone of your instrument. They work by winding thousands of turns of wire around a magnet, creating a magnetic field which interacts with strings to generate an electrical signal.
If you’re in the market for an upgrade on your bass, there are various pickup types to choose from. From single-coil to humbucker, there’s sure to be a model that meets all of your requirements.
Fender Custom Shop ’62 Precision Bass Pickup
For Fender P bass guitars, the Fender Custom Shop’62 Precision Bass Pickup is an ideal way to upgrade your instrument and enjoy all the powerful lows, punchy midrange, and crystal clear high end of original Fender split-coil pickups. Furthermore, this pickup works great on Ibanez basses too as it fits inside the pickup cutout without additional modifications needed.
These pickups are built with period-correct materials like Alnico 5 magnets with flush-mounted, exposed pole pieces and cloth-covered output wire specifically wound for vintage sound. Perfect for bass players looking to get the classic tone of their Precision bass guitar at a budget friendly price point, these pickups offer an ideal solution.
The Fender Custom Shop 62 comes in both single coil and dual humbucking models to accommodate any string spacing. While the dual humbucking pickup costs more than its single-coil counterpart, it provides greater volume and lower-end definition.
Playing a single-coil bass guitar can be difficult for those with smaller hands or short stature, while the 62 pickups offer easier accessibility. Be aware that these pickups are heavier than other P-style basses so you may need to adjust your playing style for best results.
Fender Custom Shop 62 pickups have long been associated with traditional lows and punchy midrange sounds, but now DiMarzio introduces their DP127 Model P split humbucking bass guitar pickup featuring powerful ceramic magnets – this model is their hot new offering.
Aguilar AG 4P-60 Set
Aguilar AG is one of the more recently established pickup brands, but they quickly earned a reputation for creating big, warm and articulate tones/sounds. The Aguilar AG 4P-60 P-style bass pickup captures that classic tone – full, warm and vintage with deep lows and excellent definition – perfectly.
Bartolini 8S Original Series P-Bass pickups are an affordable upgrade option for bass players looking to upgrade their bass. Their unique design makes them sound much more balanced than other P-style pickups when using thick strings, and these pickups come in both single and double coil configurations with either black or cream colored covers.
EMG JV52-HZ Set
EMG founder Rob Turner designed the EMG JV52-HZ Set as a passive vintage style pickup that offers an unique sound. This bass guitar pickup kit can be used with various playing styles to find your signature tone.
This set is ideal for players seeking more power and hum cancellation than the standard single coil J pickups that come stock on most Fender Jazz basses. Furthermore, it’s highly versatile, suitable for a variety of genres and playing styles from soft to hard.
These pickups are very budget friendly, and come with both neck and bridge pickups included. Plus, their soap bar chassis makes them durable and long-lasting; single packs can be purchased if you don’t need both pickups at once, plus installation hardware is provided as well.
The Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Set is an excellent option for bassists looking to get the best sound without breaking the bank. This set comes with both P and J pickups, providing a variety of tonal options, plus it’s highly durable.
These pickups are specifically designed for bass guitars with the quarter pound bridge. They’re slightly larger than standard single coil pickups and feature an enlarged polepiece which helps increase output and reduce noise levels.
These bass amps offer an inviting and responsive tone, perfect for a variety of playing styles. Furthermore, their affordable price point makes them great choices for beginners or those looking to save money while still getting great bass tones.
This bass guitar pickup kit provides all the power you need to play with a slap bass. Not only is it affordable, but installation is a breeze too – giving your instrument plenty of boost!
These pickups are perfect for a wide range of styles and offer excellent sound quality. They’re highly versatile, being suitable for slap bass, funk and hard rock music genres. Additionally, their lightweight design makes them comfortable to hold even when used for extended periods of time.
EMG GZR P Pickup
In collaboration with legendary bassist Geezer Butler, the EMG GZR P Pickup is a passive vintage style split coil pickup that delivers an authentic tone and feel. Perfect for players looking to add classic fat P-style sound without breaking the bank, this pickup provides great value.
For musicians seeking extra low-end growl, the GZR P is an excellent option. Metal, punk and hard rock bassists seeking more bite than what standard Precision pickups provide can use this pickup instead.
The PHZ utilizes alnico magnets and short, squat coils to produce a range of classic and modern bass sounds. Additionally, it adds warmth, articulation, and incredible low-end punch to your guitar.
You’ll find this pickup on many high-quality bass guitars from brands such as Schecter, Fender, Musicman and DiMarzio. Additionally, it works with a wide range of active circuits.
Although more expensive than some of its alternatives, this bass pickup is worth every penny if you love the sound and want a quality pickup with plenty of punch. It’s perfect for bass players looking to enhance their tone without sacrificing clarity and dynamics that precision basses are known for.
This ceramic magnet humbucker pickup boasts a 4-conductor wiring system, making it an ideal upgrade for anyone who appreciates the sound of traditional Precision-style pickups but wants something a bit more contemporary. It works great on bass that already have either an oversized humbucker or one of DiMarzio’s split-coil pickups. With higher output levels, you’ll be able to cut through background noise better – especially useful when playing heavy riffs and solos. This versatile pickup can handle everything from blues to metal music styles; and comes in either white or black colors.
EMG SA Set
The EMG SA Set offers three active Alnico bar pickups to enhance your classic Strat tone while maintaining the signature high-end and ringing harmonics. Plus, it provides more sustain and midrange response than you would expect from a single-coil pickup, providing you with more options in tones.
First and foremost, this kit is an active pickup kit, meaning it uses a preamp to boost the output of its coils, producing much louder sound than traditional passive pickups. EMG offers various active pickup types such as single coil, P90, and humbuckers.
Passive pickups offer bluesy and vintage tones, but lack the sustain and volume of active ones. Bass players often rely on active pickups to recreate various sounds such as heavy metal, jazz music or classic rock sounds.
If you’re searching for an outstanding bass guitar pickup kit, the EMG SA Set is a must-have. Not only does it offer an extensive range of tones but its design allows it to be highly versatile.
As well as the standard bridge and neck models, EMG also offers two alternative guitar positions models: EMG 81 or 85. The former is more tame and focused while the latter produces a warmer, fuller tone.
EMG pickups offer another advantage over their competition in that they each come equipped with their own equalizer, allowing you to tailor each pickup’s sound for optimal performance – whether it’s a Strat or Fender Vibrolux model. This means getting the most out of any instrument is now easier than ever, whether it be an EMG Strat or Fender Vibrolux.
You can even use the EXG control to reduce mids while increasing bass and treble. This is great for bluesy tones, and the EXG is especially helpful in the neck position as it fattens up the sound by scooping out lows and mids.
The EMG SA set is a go-to choice of guitarists such as David Gilmour and Steve Lukather, who are always searching for more versatile pickups. Not only does it come with three pickups, but also features volume/tone control knobs and a five-position switch.