Bass guitar pickups convert the vibrations in strings into an amplified signal. There are various designs, such as single-coil, split-coil, and humbucker models that exist.
Single-coil pickups produce an appealing sound, yet are susceptible to picking up 60Hz cycle noise (or “hum”) which can compromise their sound. To address this problem, humbuckers are available – bass pickups that eliminate this source of hum.
Fishman
Fishman’s Fluence pickup line was an innovation when it debuted, employing solid core magnet technology to eliminate the annoying hum and noise associated with traditional wire-wound pickups, while offering wider palettes of tones than their traditional counterparts. Players such as Tosin Abasi, Sonny Landreth and Sara Longfield embraced it and OEM customers such as ESP Schecter Ibanez were pleased with its introduction into production lines.
Fishman has extended its popular Fluence series of guitar pickups to encompass bass guitar pickups with the introduction of its Fluence Soapbar multi-voice bass pickup, offering unique timbres and dynamic range to 4-string and 5-string basses. Powered by either standard 9V batteries or rechargeable battery packs from Fishman, Soapbar pickups bring revolutionary new sounds to bass guitarists everywhere.
It can produce three distinctive sounds depending on how you set its push-pull tone control, giving you access to gorgeous clean sparkle, hot P-90 heat or clear single coil tones. I installed two in my Les Paul Special and found them dynamic, versatile and sweet-sounding; their excellent hum-cancelling properties will surely please anyone who appreciates its sound!
Use the voicing switch and your amplifier’s settings to access an impressive variety of tones ranging from classic rock sounds all the way through contemporary high-gain metal textures.
The Soapbar comes in both 3-string and 5-string variants and features a pan pot, volume knob and two equalizers – its centre point on an EQ provides you with an authentic sound while turning clockwise gives a warmer midrange tone while counterclockwise brings about aggressive brighter tones.
As with other active pickups, the Soapbar is more directional than passive ones and may need a preamp to achieve optimal results. I used a high-quality preamp with my bass in bridge position and all EQ controls set at minimum positions – while the active bass provided greater clarity and precision than passive models, it wasn’t enough to match an expensive djent guitar.
EMG
EMG is one of the premier manufacturers of active bass guitar pickups. Their high-output designs are popular among professional bassists like Zakk Wylde and James Hetfield. Additionally, the company produces passive models including humbucking single coil models suitable for 4, 5 and 6-string basses using their Quick-Connect wiring system that makes setup simple.
The EMG P is one of their original designs and remains their most popular bass pickup to date. Utilizing ceramic magnets with short, squat coils for maximum tone flexibility and power. This combination produces an extremely dynamic tone with great high-end articulation and incredible low end punch; ideal for studio recordings as well as stage performances.
EMG bass pickups have long been known for their exceptional sound. One such humbucking model, the EMG 81-X is one such pickup that stands out. It features a unique design which provides more headroom than traditional pickups; as a result it sounds more open and dynamic than other humbucking models. Ideal for both lead and rhythm work alike; providing ample power and clarity even in dense mixes.
PJ bass pickups are tailored for an extensive variety of musical genres. The PX series boasts more midrange emphasis, while PJCSX features lower upper mids for increased definition. Meanwhile, PAX’s emphasis lies in the 500 Hertz range.
This bass pickup from EMG captures the iconic tones of Black Sabbath’s early days. Designed as a passive split-coil system, its passive design will not interfere with your tone through hum or noise; which are commonly experienced issues for many bassists. Ideal for blues, rock and hard rock genres.
Boutique Pickup Builders
Many players are attracted to boutique guitar pickups because of their carefully crafted designs and unique touch compared to mainstream manufacturers’ offerings. Although boutique bass pickups may cost slightly more, their superior sound quality more than makes up for any costs related to production costs.
There’s an independent bass guitar pickup out there to meet any tone you desire – from traditional PAF sounding models to something with higher output and clarity – Fralin, Lollar, Nordstrand and TV Jones are just a few popular brands who take pride in crafting unique bass pickups with each user in mind.
Split coil pickups are a popular type of bass guitar pickups which utilizes a split single coil design to cover each string on a four-string bass guitar. They’re known for their powerful low end and crisp high end, which make them great choices for metal music. Humbuckers offer more tonal flexibility that ranges from thick and warm to high pitched and clear; making them suitable for blues, jazz and country music as well.
Piezoelectric bass pickups are an excellent choice for acoustic basses as they respond quickly and accurately to vibrations in their instruments’ bodies, accurately reproducing its sound. Different from magnetic pickups, piezoelectric pickups use crystals rather than magnets to detect vibrations – an advantage over their magnetic counterparts that many players choose as replacement for traditional magnetic bass pickups or simply wanting something with extra presence in an electric bass setup.
Many guitarists yearn for the vintage sound and feel of gold-foil bass pickups, although finding genuine examples can be quite costly. Seymour Duncan designed their Antiquity line of pickups to offer similar looks and responses without breaking the bank.
Alnico 2 and 3 pickups offer the strongest performance among other pickup types, delivering a balanced and full-bodied tone with strong mids and tight lows. Alnico 5 pickups, however, provide a more aggressive tone ideal for heavier musical styles – yet are among the most versatile among alnico alloys with their combination of clarity and output capabilities.
Pickup Sets
Guyker Premium Bass Pickups provide you with all the sound, performance, and value necessary to elevate your bass guitar playing and take it to a whole new level of music. Our selection includes bass pickup sets compatible with popular basses such as Fender Jazz Bass models, Precision Bass models and Music Man StingRay models; made using high-grade materials and construction techniques, our pickups boast powerful yet balanced tones which create rich top notes with full, deep lows for an incredible soundscape.
Magnetic bass guitar pickups are among the most widely used designs, featuring single coil, split coil and double-coil (aka humbuckers) construction types. Each variation can have an immense influence on overall tone – for instance overwound single-coils have thicker, warmer sound compared to regular single-coils while split coils use two single coil pickups wired in series to minimize one of their primary drawbacks – susceptibility to electrical noise.
Based on your tonal preferences, you have two pickup options to consider when selecting active and passive pickups: active (powered by batteries) and passive pickups. Active pickups use pre-amps with frequency cutting/boosting controls that give more precise tone control; some pre-amps only offer bass/treble controls while others also include midrange controls or other features.
Different bass pickups are constructed using various metal alloys, with alnico being one of the most popular. Each alloy varies in strength and sound; alnico 2 typically provides vintage tones while alnico 3 offers more balanced highs/lows ratio and alnico 5 provides great heavy rock/metal sounds.
Ceramic bass guitar pickups offer crisper sounds while being less susceptible to outside noise than alnico alloy models. Piezo and optical pickups may also be available; though less popular. Piezo pickups respond to pressure rather than changes in magnetic fields on strings while optical models use light that shines onto vibrating strings to convert their signal into an electrical one.