EMG P

Pickup features: active humbucking
Impedence or other specs: low

Model of guitar or bass: washburn P bass
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: hmm.. that would be me
You musical style(s): funk, metal
Reason for pickup change: stock pickup hum, low output, and sucks

Perceived output level: it is hot if you wired in 18 volt, but it is surely hotter than stock
Tone: it is flat if you dont try anything on your EQ (nearly the same with stock), for the first time i was dissapointed, but after working on the EQ you can get almost any tone you want, it is very versatile
Sonic evaluation: i use a keyboard amp (mostly) but i like to use trace elliot amp. it doesnt matter what amp you use, cause the EMG kickass !!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i like to play slap 'n pop ,its suitable for this style

Comments: i've been playing for about 7 years, but it took me about a year to replace the pickup (it is quite a money to buy it)

Pickup features: acitve humbucker
Impedence or other specs: don't remember

Model of guitar or bass: 20 year old Vogue P-bass copy
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: I think it was the stock pickup
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Many, but can't think of any who use the p bass, saw it on the Lynnard Skynard bass in Fender
You musical style(s): Punk, Metal, Funk, Emo, Heavy Rock, Rap, Hip Hop, Jazz, Blues, no country or disco
Reason for pickup change: the other pickup was dead

Perceived output level: Louder than standard p and j pickups, and most pickups without active preamp
Tone: Loud muddy E, softer muffled A, D, G, but they are defined, but can't meet the E string in output. Sounds better than any of my friends pickups though!
Sonic evaluation: I use a used Fender BXR 100 (I think thats what its called, its at my friends house where we practice), the old Vogue bass has a maple neck/fingerboard (fretted), don't know the body wood, but the bass weighs 10 lbs., which will be a must for me in the bass department, realize usually only 5 strings and up weigh 10 lbs or more. Heavy basses for me. I have used effects pedals only in messing around, Line 6 filter modeler, cool for crazy fills in the synth, L6 MM4 flanger ok the rest kinda hard to keep the low end in, a DOD distortion and MXR Jimi Hendrix octave fuzz, neither really good, the octave fuzz didn't really work with the bass, I remember reading something about that in a emg tele pickup review. Also have used a Fender Champ 25 for one party gig, not bad, funny noises with the reverb on, and a Line 6 flextone II combo in tube preamp mode. The bass has low end that is good for support, the slap tone is great, the best slap bass tone out of all the bass of any of my friends. So what am I comparing, a Fender Jazz, Squier Bronco Bass, Another no name P-bass, Gretsch Bass, some hollowbody bass. Now they are all stock, and have some hum problem or another problem, they are not grounded, some sound good the jazz and the p bass sound good, both hum, and the p-bass has some electronic problems. the Gretsch and Squier sound thin and feel light, the hollowbody sounds like a guitar, so I guess I have the best bass in the bunch due to the weight, sound, and electronics. Still I seem to think that the pickup takes away dynmanics, I hear that emgs make all instrutments sound the same, can't comment on that, the emg sound is depenedable, I haven't had battery problems, they've lasted with some thinking and care, the wiring inside the cavity broke during a session at church, fixed with a soldering iron, wish it was a solderless system that they have now, small detail. Ok a lot of rambling, but I prefer an indepth review as to a short negative/postive review that just says it sucks or its great. I wish the pickup had balanced output on all strings, put you know if I got off my lazy guitar playing rear probably lowering the bass side of the pickup and raising the other parts would equal it out probably, should use the bill lawrence method (look at the website) to fix it. As a whole the bass pickup is still in the air as whether it sucks, to me Warwicks sound better, and Ibanez ergodynes sound better, but that is probably the active preamp tone controls, and I'd probably be good if I got the bass with a preamp, but then I'd want a jazz pickup in the bridge, or an EMG 35CS or the TW. Every bass that has a J pickup has had a great tone to me, so I'd like to try the EMG pickup.
The pickup sound good, I'm still looking for that sound, though I believe Warwicks have the tone- Growl, wood, definition, low end you can stand on, but they do hum a bit, but I judge all tone by how a warwick sounds, just me, I know everyone praises Fender basses, haven't reached that understanding, Warwick 5-strings have become my standard, but are they expensive, my dream will be to have a Warwick 5-string or something that sounds just as good. Wal, Sadowsky, Dingwall, Ibanez, may have it too, but we will see.
So far best pickup I've tried has been the EMG P, the musicman humbuckers sound good too, and the MEC are great, but hard to get a bass with them. Want to try the Bill Lawrence pickups.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: So far this pickups sounds good for all styles, I think with a little help it will sound better, funny how writing htis review has made me think about how to improve the tone.

Comments: If destroyed or Stolen, i'd want to try the Bill Lawrence pickups first before trying the EMGs again, but I'd probably need a new bass, which would suck, because the Vogue was free, a birthday present from an old rock musician here in Seattle, pickup was dead, replaced with this from a EMG fanatic who is the father of the guitar player at time in my band. I'd like to make the bass fretless and also get the neck tweeked because there are some deadspots and high spots, but it will cost me, at least with Mike Lull, great sevice, great people. Will see, this pickup sounds good, but at times it seems boring, its EMG for me I don't know.
Playing for 6 years, still looking for that tone, in pickup and bass, but for all i know this could be it, but also it may not be. I'll give it an 8 due to smoking all the other basses I've played with, minus in store expensive bass, which I don't think I'll ever have, once again will see.

Pickup features: humbucking active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 97 or 98 Squier Affinity P-bass
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: No clue
You musical style(s): Rock, Shoegazer, Experimental
Reason for pickup change: Original cheap-o pickups sounded bad, had a lot of hum when plugged into my J-station.

Perceived output level: Definately hotter than stock. I used the extra battery for 18v as recommended by the lit.
Tone: It's the EMG tone. It is said that EMGs make basses sound alike. If that is the case, this is the best possible choice for Squier players short of a classier bass...
Sonic evaluation: Recording direct, and using a J-station and Samson Keyboard amp otherwise. This pickup set woke up my lowly Squier. The sound is louder, clearer, and punchier than stock could ever hope to be. It makes the thing sound like what people think a bass should sound like.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It's a good match for my styles. It is sort of a standard bass sound that many people like

Comments: A good playing (you have to search for one) Squier P-bass with a set of EMGs in it is a great value if the total cost is under $200. If I couldn't manage that I would probably shop around if mine were destroyed or abducted by aliens or something. I have been playing a few years now. I really like what it's done for my lowly bass. Installing it was a pain, though (if they recommend 18v in the instructions, why not include the second battery clip?)--I had to route a compartment for the second battery, but there was room in the bass for the first.

Pickup features: Humbucking, and Active
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: 2000 American Standard Precision
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock Vintage '62
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Rock and Jazz
Reason for pickup change: The vintage style pickup wasn't for me. I need more clarity and attack.

Perceived output level: Definitely hotter than the Vintage '62
Tone: Very balanced!!!
Sonic evaluation: I use Eden amplification.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock and Jazz. It is a good match for all Rock music, I prefer my Jazz Bass for actual Jazz applications. But my Precision would do just fine as well.

Comments: I would definitely buy them again. I was considering selling my Precision because of the sound. I kept telling myself, 'this is why it's taken you 10 years to buy a Precision, because you don't like the sound!'. But now it's Number 2 in my arsenal rather than #5 thanks to the EMG pickups.

Pickup features: Active
Impedence or other specs: Low

Model of guitar or bass: '62 Fender P Reissue
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: '62 Fender P Reissue
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): All
Reason for pickup change: Safety on outdoor gigs (I saw a guy kiss a mike while holding a grounded-tailpiece axe in the rain; 110 needn't kill ya but he ran down the street and puked his guts out, not a lovely sight).

Perceived output level: Louder
Tone: Balanced, detailed, both as clear and as characteristically P as I could want.
Sonic evaluation: I plug into a Sansamp Bass DI II into an SWR Baby Blue or a Roland keyboard amp (through which I also run a monitor signal). White Bassman with ancient Peavey 115 for recording.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: A P-bass is a P-bass, which of course works for every style.

Comments: The EMG enhances the characteristic warm P-grunt with less noise, more signal, improved clarity, and of course it's much safer. The sound is "right" for me, relaxed and unstrained. I once owned a '63 P. No question the one with the EMG sounds better than that one did. Battery drain (one 9-volt) is the same as battery shelf life. I also have EMG J pickups on a J body with a '65 P-neck. That works, too.

Pickup features: active, humbucking
Impedence or other specs: output impedence : 10k Ohms

Model of guitar or bass: Japanese Fender Precision (w/a Badass 2 bridge)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock Precision pickups
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: no idea. probably quite a few.
You musical style(s): jazz,punk,ska.
Reason for pickup change: The standard Fender pickups were very noisy (i.e. hummed badly)
and sounded a bit 'thin' sometimes.

Perceived output level: Depends. I have mine running at 18V, so it is a LOT louder than the stock pickups. If you ran them at 9V I think they would probably be a little bit louder than the standard pickups.
Tone: Very 'even' and consistent sounding across the board. You can get some very bassy, almost compressed sounding tones with the pot set in the correct position.
Sonic evaluation: I am using them through a H&H 250w head going into a H&H 2*15 cabinet.
For the music I play they sound great. The fact that I run them at 18V means that the bass sometimes overloads the amp slighty which adds a cool (at least to my ears) dirty sound when I hit the strings hard.
Run at 9V I think these pickups would be very versatile and sound great in any playing situation.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For jazz/ska/punk this pickup (s) is cool.

Comments: I would buy these pickups again. I have been completely satisfied with them except for the fact that (this isn't EMG's fault) to run them at higher than 9V the body of the Precision needs extra routing to bo done.