Switching out bass guitar pickups can be one of the most transformative upgrades you can do, and with some research it should be easy to locate an upgrade that makes an impressive statement.
Magnetic pickups for bass (and electric guitar) are among the most common choices available, offering single coil, split coil, and double-coil pickup options (known as humbuckers). Other alternatives may include piezoelectric pickups and optical pickups.
Magnetic
Magnetic bass guitar pickups transform vibration energy from string vibration into an electrical signal that can be amplified. While many believe the type of magnet used has an immense effect on tone, in reality its structure and mounting style make more of a difference than how strong or weak their magnet may be.
Magnets come in all forms and materials, each having its own strength, shape and dimension. Common examples are bar magnets found in humbuckers and pole magnets found in single coil pickups such as those found on traditional Stratocaster guitars. Each type of magnet creates its own magnetic field which impacts string vibration.
Alnico 5 pickups have long been considered one of the go-to magnetic pickup options, providing tight lows, balanced midrange, and powerful highs; making it popular in Rock, Metal and Funk genres. More recently introduced to the marketplace is Alnico 8, providing a tonal bridge between Alnico 5 and Ceramic – typically charcoal black in color producing lots of mids and fat highs that makes this pickup suitable for Metal, Hard Rock Fusion.
Tone can also be affected by the height of the pickup from the string. As vibrating strings have greater amplitude at the neck end than at the bridge end, some bassists employ higher output pickups in this position while using lower output pickups at both bridge and neck end to balance out tone differences between these areas.
If you’re feeling adventurous, swapping out the magnet in your humbucker may be something worth exploring. Do this by loosening the screws that hold together its baseplate and bobbins before using a utility knife’s blunt end to separate them carefully before inserting a different magnet – but make sure that you get one that suits the design of your bass’s particular humbucker as some magnets may not work well or could even damage it; take necessary safety measures first before undertaking this endeavor yourself!
Piezo
Like magnetic pickups, piezoelectric (or ceramic) pickups convert vibrating string energy to an electrical current. They’re most often found on acoustic-electric guitars to capture instrument sound without depending on magnetism; they can also be found on solid-body basses and hybrid guitars; some manufacturers even provide separate piezo and magnetic pickups that can be switched between or combined simultaneously for ultimate versatility.
Piezo pickups provide a unique tone, which may appeal to certain players. Their sound has often been described as being brighter and less warm; however, these pickups also pick up on vibrations in both strings and body of instrument to produce an acoustic-esque tone that may give an instrument more life than its magnetic counterparts.
Piezo pickups differ from magnetic ones in that they use crystal piezoelectric elements to detect vibrations and convert them to an electrical signal. A piezoelectric crystal is placed beneath each bridge saddle, where pressure changes caused by string vibration are transformed into variable electric current that is fed back into an amplifier as an audio signal.
Piezo pickups’ primary drawback lies in their inability to capture lower frequencies as effectively as magnetic ones do, leading them to sound trebly and harsh at lower volumes than their magnetic counterparts, lacking tight fundamentals and strong midrange expected by many bassists. However, newer piezo pickups have been designed specifically to overcome this limitation and offer full frequency response compared to older models.
Optic pickups function similarly to piezo ones, but use infrared light instead. This allows them to track alternating moments of shade and light as the strings move through the soundhole, and are generally considered less intrusive of all types of UST types; however they may still be affected by other sources of illumination or may not pick up all string vibrations as effectively as magnetic or piezo ones can. They’re therefore an excellent option for bassists looking for natural, balanced tones less susceptible to interference from other instruments or electronic devices.
Optical
Piezoelectric and optical pickups sense changes in pressure that occur when strings vibrate, making these pickups popular on acoustic-electric guitars and increasingly being implemented into bass bridges to great effect. To detect their signal using photoresistors or LEDs.
The pickup’s signal is converted into an electric signal that feeds directly into an amplifier, producing a very clean tone without noise or other forms of interference. Because this type of pickup is so sensitive, every note can be heard as clearly as though they were brand new strings. Furthermore, its dynamic range means loud notes will sound clear without the usual distortion associated with magnetic pickups.
Optical pickups are extremely versatile and can be used with different kinds of amplifiers ranging from tube to solid-state amplifiers. Their sensitive vibration detection can detect even subtle variations in an instrument’s tone and deliver a sound with exceptional transparency and detail that’s especially suited for bass guitar players. In addition to bass instruments, optical pickups can also be found on electric guitars – their quiet operation making it great for recording purposes.
One of the most exciting innovations in music technology is Taff Optical pickups, designed as drop-in replacements for standard magnetic humbuckers. Based on similar principles but offering additional features that allow musicians to tailor it specifically to their needs. Furthermore, its programmable digital interface can accommodate an array of instruments for frequency response adjustment and signal adjustment.
Although magnetic pickups remain immensely popular, some bassists still opt for other pickup types. Piezoelectric and optical pickups are two versatile choices available to bassists that offer different tonal possibilities when combined together. While metal heads might prefer magnetic pickups exclusively, other alternatives can offer distinctive tones and may be better suited to certain players’ styles.
Other
There are various ways of improving the sound of any bass guitar. One such way is installing a new pickup. Doing this can open up an entirely new world of tone and phrasing possibilities; there are numerous varieties available which cater for every musical genre and style imaginable.
A quality bass pickup can transform the way that your instrument sounds through an amplifier, from dull or boomy instruments to those with clear tones and balanced balance. A great pickup can give an old or tired bass new character and tone!
Pickup upgrades are a relatively affordable way to transform your bass guitar, especially if it features low quality stock pickups. Cheaper bass pickups typically produce inferior signals that color or miss large sections of frequency spectrum. Opting for higher quality bass pickups instead of preamp upgrades allows more balanced tone with better signal to noise ratio – hence why many musicians opt for switching their pickups rather than upgrading preamps in their instruments.
Installing new pickups should be relatively straightforward on classic bass guitar models such as Fender Precision or Jazz. To make the task simpler, prepare the jacks and pots for soldering by carefully unplugging them while leaving enough wire length to use in future upgrades. It is also wise to use solder wick before beginning, which will allow you to clean any excess solder without burning into original wiring and allows future upgrade removal without burning up anything essential for production.
Option 2 is to replace your volume and tone pots with new ones, providing more control of your sound as you experiment with various cap values that could have an impact on your tone.
Sweetwater offers a huge selection of single-coil and humbucker bass guitar pickups to meet every player’s need, along with tools to help narrow your choices by brand, price range and more. If you have any inquiries or need any assistance at any point in the purchasing process, feel free to reach out – our staff would be more than happy to assist!