No matter if your style of choice is Motown funk, rock stylings of Green Day, or Willie Nelson-esque country lines – your bass guitar pickup kit can make all the difference in creating that perfect sound!
Your choice of bass guitar pickup and its placement within the instrument dictates its tone. Here are your options:
Split Coil
There are various kinds of bass guitar pickups, each offering its own set of tonal possibilities. Common types include single-coil, split coil and humbucker pickups as well as piezo and optical. Your decision will depend on both personal preference and how your pickups are wired –
A split-coil bass guitar pickup utilizes two smaller coils instead of a large coil, staggered to produce an out-of-phase signal when played. It produces more dynamic tone than its single-coil counterpart with deeper lows and punchy mids; making it suitable for rock as well as other styles of music.
This kit provides everything you need to install a classic split-coil Precision bass pickup into an electric guitar. Featuring vintage-spec Alnico 5 magnets for rich and powerful tone with tight low end and stinging highs. Perfect for hard rock/metal genres.
Single-coil bass guitar pickups are an economical and flexible option that many musicians rely on, providing versatile sound at an economical price. They utilize a single copper wire coil wrapped around one or more magnets; when vibrated strings cause their magnetic fields to shift, this triggers the coil and causes electrical current generation that’s amplified through amplification.
If you want to add some jangle to your bass guitar, a single-coil pickup may be just what’s needed. These pickups provide warm yet clear tone with plenty of treble clarity, making them an excellent option for jazz or blues music as well as other genres.
The Lace Sensor Aluma P-Bass Pickup Set is an excellent way for bassists looking to upgrade their tone. This passive pickup features a revolutionary design, with massive volume without needing an additional preamp. Alumitone technology enables an extended frequency range than traditional pickups allowing you to experience fat lows, focused mids, and sparkling highs all in a single tone!
The Seymour Duncan SPB single-coil bass pickup is an outstanding way to enhance any bass guitarist’s tone. Equipped with large ceramic magnets and heavy Formvar wire for powerful lows and crisp highs, as well as vacuum wax potting technology to prevent any squeal when cranking up gain levels, this pickup delivers full and powerful tones when you crank it up!
Humbucker
Humbucker pickups feature two coils wound in opposite directions that work to cancel out any inherent hum produced by single-coil designs, producing richer, fuller tones with higher output and a wider tonal range than their single-coil counterparts.
Humbuckers offer many variations when it comes to designing them, from unadjustable pole pieces (such as those found in an original Fender Strat pickup), to screws like those seen on Seymour Duncan Invader and David Gilmour models; there are even options with hex threading such as those used by Seymour Duncan’s Fuglybucker and Dimebucker which give each coil 24 polepieces (instead of just 6).
Magnet selection can also greatly impact a humbucker’s tone. Alnico II magnets tend to offer more mellow tones with reduced output compared to their counterparts; Alnico V magnets provide slightly more output and can often be found in pickups that feature rock or metal music styles.
Humbuckers come with various coil and magnet configurations, windings and gauge options. While standard models only feature 2 conductor wires (2 grounds and 2 hots), 4 conductor versions open up possibilities like series/parallel wiring as well as coil tapping or out-of-phase switching.
Humbuckers’ thick sound and increased output make them the go-to pickups for heavier styles such as classic rock and hard rock, but they can also add depth and punch to blues or jazz guitar.
Stacked Single Coil Pickups (SSCs), are basically humbuckers with one coil switched off. These pickups are frequently seen on bass guitars due to their ability to provide an ideal blend between highs and lows while adding some extra punch when required.
Modern bass guitars often employ SSC pickups as they offer an ideal balance between output, tone and price of single-coils and humbuckers – some even use them solely due to their versatile nature and tonal capabilities. Stax Single Coil pickups may be fitted into older guitars, though their pickup routes will need to be deepened as they are taller than a traditional single coil pickup. Pre-wired single coil sets such as the Seymour Duncan STK-P1 can also be combined with a dummy coil to reduce any potential for hum and noise, making them especially suitable for older instruments. Pre-wired sets such as these also come complete with all necessary components and installation can take less than 10 minutes; perfect for retrofitting into an older guitar!
J
Bass guitars have come a long way since their invention in the 1930s. What began as large acoustics equipped with primitive electronics have evolved into sleek yet thunderous music machines capable of adapting to nearly every musical genre imaginable. Their signature feature, however, remains their pickup which transforms string vibrations into electrical signals that can then be amplified for an unforgettable listening experience. While these pickups vary significantly in features used to alter sound output; all have one basic function – transmitting physical sound waves into magnetic fields which amplify them for an unparalleled audiovisual experience that won’t let go!
As such, different kinds of bass pickups are designed with specific sonic characteristics that cater to certain genres and playing styles. Bassists often discuss which pickup design would best fit their playing style. P, J and humbucker pickup designs have long been staples on bass guitars over the last century.
The P or Jazz Bass pickup is one of the most sought-after bass guitar pickups. Specifically designed to work with classic Fender four string bass models, but can also be utilized by other bass models as well. Ideal for bassists seeking to achieve powerful yet balanced tones.
Contrary to conventional bass pickups, which tend to use an overwound coil with more midrange response and punch, the P-Bass uses a smaller coil with greater treble and reduced midrange frequencies for an distinctive and identifiable tone. Its smaller size makes this pickup ideal for playing funk, rock and blues styles of music.
This kit offers all of the parts necessary to construct your own P-Bass pickup. This includes Alnico 5 rod magnets and knifeedge gloss-cover hot coil wind, producing an engaging sound with strong midrange pushback and tight bass/treble response. Furthermore, there are bobbins, poll screws, slug screws, baseplate, and coil lead wires in addition to this comprehensive selection of materials.
This kit can fit a range of basses, including Fender models such as the Jazz Bass and Music Man StingRay. Use its parts to build matching neck and bridge position pickups; for an easier installation experience upgrade to a BYOGuitar bass guitar harness for even faster results!