pickups etc

[steve-bbb]

so whilst the cutting/milling/sanding/lacquering process of my single piece of elm is still in progress i can be researching which pickups and tone circuits to purchase

anybody help point me in the right direction of how to make a choice on this - i know ultimately its down to my own ear and what sound i like but i want to make some comparisons of reviews/prices etc

the only constraints are .... would prefer active tone controls but wouldnt rule out passive - have decided i want best of both worlds and am going to go for a P+J pickup config rather than a J+J (the body is a J shape cut form a single slab of 30 year old elm) which will have a maple bolt on neck(4)

ta muchly

[Muzz]

Well, it's all relative, but I'm a big fan of the Wizard Big P/J set - tons of output, so they might be a compromise between active and passive. Just a thought.

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='Muzz' post='1338627' date='Aug 13 2011, 12:05 PM']Well, it's all relative, but I'm a big fan of the Wizard Big P/J set - tons of output, so they might be a compromise between active and passive. Just a thought.[/quote]

thanks for the tip

i used to have a status matrix which had the P+J config and i liked that config and the range of sound available from it

the p/j combo looks nice but then so does a thumper/hammer combo [url="http://www.wizardpickups.co.uk/shop.asp?category=Bass"]http://www.wizardpickups.co.uk/shop.asp?category=Bass[/url]

[adledman]

i have just put a set of TESLA p/j`s in my fretless and they are great, replaced a set of cheap entwhisle ones. then i found an article where a chap had compared all the expensive top end pups and a set of cheap ones and recorded each one playing the same tune and in the same bass. well you could hardly hear any difference if there was any at all!! from a £150 set to a £15. i cant find the bloody article as i would send it to you but now i know i will never bother changing my pick ups again and concentrate more on the pre-amp where a lot of difference can be had. i am sure a lot of folks will disagree with me and i would have been one of the first to do so before but when you think what a pick up is made of a coil of wire there really cant be that much difference from the next. my recommendation for a pre would be a NOLL. i put a true 3 way parametric in my fretted and its awesome. it was bloody expensive but worth every penny. here it is. [url="http://www.bass-parts.com/epages/61038859.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61038859/Products/NOLL-B2043"]http://www.bass-parts.com/epages/61038859.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61038859/Products/NOLL-B2043[/url]

good luck with your choices. ad