Selecting the appropriate bass pickups can make all the difference in your tone. From jazz-like sounds to deep rock riffs, incorporating quality pickups can take your bass playing to new heights.
Bass guitar pickups typically fall into two main categories: single-coil and humbucker. Learn more about each option to help decide which will best meet your needs.
Aguilar AG 4P-60
The Aguilar AG 4P-60 bass pickup for P basses delivers exceptional thump and punch no matter which amp you plug into. Inspired by Dave Boonshoft’s 1964 bass from which it was developed, this four-string PJ set employs heavy Formvar wire and Alnico V magnets to achieve a tone that’s smooth yet classic sounding.
The AG-4P-60 bass guitar is an ideal choice for playing music of various styles and genres, from funk to hard rock. However, its two single-coil elements produce a unique timbre that stands out in large ensembles.
Notable features of the AG-4P-60 include its asymmetrical pole pieces, which distribute magnetic field evenly for optimal efficiency and create an open sound, highly responsive to changes in picking technique and dynamic changes within bass guitar itself. This design gives rise to its signature sound.
Bassists must decide between passive or active electronics when selecting their new pickup, with passive typically being more traditional and needing no external power source other than what naturally comes through from their bass’s natural signal; active pickups feature built-in preamps which enable greater frequency response control compared to their passive counterparts; many bassists find an active pickup to be suitable for heavier styles because it can handle higher levels of gain while maintaining clarity in a mix environment.
Bassists must also decide between single-coil and humbucker styles when it comes to choosing pickups for their instrument. While single-coil pickups offer greater tonal versatility, humbuckers tend to produce louder, more articulate sounds which make them suitable for bassists requiring a louder tone that needs to cut through a mix.
Sweetwater makes it simple and efficient to narrow your choices by providing users with convenient product filters. Simply enter in your desired specs – such as desired brand and price range – and our filters will display only those bass guitar pickups which meet those criteria – making finding one ideal for gigs or practices more accessible than ever!
Seymour Duncan SMB-4DS 4-String Music Man Pickup with STC-3M3
The SMB-4DS Music Man pickup combines an aggressive ceramic bass pickup with Duncan’s world-class preamp/tone circuit for power, authority, and surgical precision in any 4-string Music Man StingRay bass from 1976 through present day, or any bass with one passive pickup and three control knobs. It provides your bass with power, authority, and surgical precision. Specifically designed as a drop-in replacement for 4-string StingRay basses that have space for three control knobs (such as StingRay basses from 1976 on), this pickup can transform it into something special – giving your Music Man bass power that was previously lacking!
This Music Man bass pickup embodies all the tones that have revolutionized rock, funk and slap guitar forever. Its balanced, highly musical tone contour features richly articulated bottom notes with major midrange weight. Treble has great bite without becoming overbearingly bright or harsh; while alnico magnets and unique coil windings give this pickup vintage 70s Music Man tone warmth and detail.
Tone Circuits offer incredible tonal versatility, enabling you to add or subtract EQ at centre frequencies voiced specifically for electric bass. Furthermore, these circuits have extremely low noise and distortion with plenty of headroom; additionally, two small trim pots located within the preamp allow you to set your slap contour EQ just the way you like it.
This pickup is ideal for classic rock, heavy rock, funk, punk and R&B applications and features a hotter output than its counterpart SMB-1DS. As a true classic humbucker it provides an even tone with full bottom end response, strong midrange presence and biting treble bite.
Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Strat Surfer
Restoring vintage instrument or adding classic flair to a modern guitar? Seymour Duncan offers retro pickups designed specifically to meet these goals. Their Antiquity series provides accurate reproductions of pickups found on early electric guitar models like Esquires, Broadcasters, Telecasters and Stratocasters from the 50s; each features vintage-correct blue/yellow cloth pushback lead wire and light gray bottom flatwork that have been wax potted to prevent any unwanted squeals during performance.
The Antiquity II Strat Surfer is ideal for players looking to upgrade their Strat’s output without losing its classic character. These pickups are 50 percent hotter than their predecessors for enhanced midrange punch and thicker tone; their coils have also been subtly overwound so higher frequencies do not lose clarity over time.
Seymour Duncan User Group members hailing Antiquity II Surfer Strat Set as the perfect combination of vintage chime and quack, it provides sweet highs and percussive lows to take you on an all-out trip back into history regardless of your style. Bridge single coil delivers big glassy sounds while neck pickup has smooth chimey bounciness adding to harmonic sparkle; plus RW/RP middle pickup delivers glorious hum-free cluck in positions 2 & 4.
Antiquity II Strat Surfer Guitars capture all the classic single-coil tones popular during the ’60s era with brilliant brightness, punchiness and ageing effects for an authentic experience. Its slightly overwound Custom Bridge pickup cuts right through any mix, while its neck and middle pickups offer rich harmonic sparkle with a sweet chime that make this guitar perfect for rock, country, surf and beyond. The Antiquity II Strat Surfer features a push/pull tone knob to easily tailor bass and mids for a warmer tone or boost highs for more definition – making this single-coil pickup set available at an unbeatably reasonable price. Furthermore, this set also comes equipped with a white 5-ply plastic pickguard, push/pull volume knob, black control panel featuring chrome screw caps for volume controls, as well as a treble bleed cap to reduce brightness of brightness of its tone.
Seymour Duncan Model One
The Model One bass pickup was designed to capture the natural, full tone of a bass guitar. Utilizing ceramic magnets and squat coils for its balanced tone that handles anything from thick rhythms to scorching leads. Ideal for all styles of music including blues and rock.
Lace Alumitone P90 bass pickups offer great tone without altering your instrument, with their lightweight aluminum construction reducing weight and sound impact while still offering powerful punchy tones. Their high output means they can even cut through heavily distorted systems while maintaining clarity and keeping all harmonic information intact in your bass’s tone.
The Seymour Duncan JB pickup is an ideal solution for bassists seeking a classic humbucking pickup, originally developed for Jeff Beck. Offering versatile tones that suit virtually all musical genres, the JB can be placed either in the bridge position for edgy rhythms or neck position for powerful solos; additionally it comes equipped with a coil-splitting switch to enable single coil tones for even greater tonal variation.
Seymour Duncan Alternative 8 is another fantastic pickup. It uses an Alnico 8 magnet instead of traditional ceramic magnets to produce a range of tones suitable for any player’s taste, from rock to metal, jazz, country or anything in between. Designed to work both neck or bridge positions with its emphasis on mids and tight lows; perfect for rock, metal or country music genres alike.
Selecting the ideal bass guitar pickups is essential to crafting the sound you desire. At Sweetwater, we offer a comprehensive selection of upgrades and modifications designed to help you discover your ideal tone – passive EQs to active ones capable of increasing frequencies – you’re sure to find what you need here – our knowledgeable staff is always happy to answer any of your queries as well!