Hammon Darkstar

Remarkably broadband and surprisingly quiet single coil pickup with good output.

A pair with one RWRP was installed in an Epiphone EB-3L. Replacing the mudbucker and minibucker typical of EB-3. Huge change in tonality and cleaned things up in a huge way. I did also add a HAS bass varitone which pretty much convinced me no need for any active circuit.

These are nicely broadband and not really too tweaky or peaky. To say they're "old school" is only partly right as they seem to fit into the mix nicely on anything I do. I have played it through a house system, an SWR Redhead, a BBE BassMax tube with PLX2 1804 component rig, and a Mesa 400 plus all with nice results. It has surprised me with working for every style I've tried it. I have not tried Metal, but not because I don't think it couldn't go there. I am just not interested.

These are remarkable pickups and I think better than their model they're based off of. I will say it is a big complicated honkin mutha, but the tone and touch response just wins you. I do wish there was a 5 string model and I understand they're working on it.
The only thing that keeps it from a 10 is it has an hand made price. Still worth it.

Single coil.

2 in a Guild JS-II solid body bass and 2 in a DeArmond Starfire semi-hollow bass. The Starfire came with them installed and I loved the sound so much I bought a JS-2 specifically to put the pickups into.

They really bring a bass to life. Very expressive. The improvement in the sound of the JS-II was easy to hear. You suddently have to pay mored attention to your what your right hand is doing! They sound great through my tube amps and really add character to my solid state head.

I was a little sceptical until I tried them, but now I consider them essential. Especially for the 60's kind of sound that I like. Would buy them again. But, I'll confess I have not put them into my Ricky, though some folks say they work well in them as well. I like having the contrast available.

A modern interpretation of the old Hagstrom Bi-Sonic pickup from the 60s. These pickups (Bi-Soncs)were used by Guild bass instruments in the 60s and very early 70s. They have an interesting place in the history of bass development, as one of (if not THE) first pickups used by Alembic in it's early days. The Hammon Darkstar is a high output passive pickup, single coil in design with a single pole piece under each string. The pickup is black with a large chrome ring and adjusting screws for each pole, giving it a look that make some mistake it for a Hum-bucker style pickup.

My Darkstar was factory installed in a US Lakland Bob Glaub "Precision" style bass. You will find with just a little research on the net that Darkstar pickups are finding there way into many fine instrument these days ... includng as a factory option from Lakland.

The Darkstar output is very high much like that of an active pickup.
One of the real qualities of this pickup is it's very "flat" response curve giving it thunderous clear lows (no mud here) and crisp highs all in one package. One of the pickups real qualities is it's incredable dynamic range and "air" around each string, something I have yet to match with any active system. I play many different basses with a band that has many influences and plays everything from blues and R&B to classic rock, and I find my Darkstar equipped Lakland BG a perfect instrument for any, and all of the tunes we do. I have even heard it's a great pickup for "slap" style to.

Not only would I replace it if lost or stolen ... I'm working on adding a second Darkstar equipped bass to my collection!