Nordstrand NP5

Nordstrand NP5 pickup for 5 string basses. Split coil, passive. Louder than J-Bass Noiseless pickups for 5 stringers.

Dead neck pickup on my Fender Deluxe Mex 5-String bass. To mount the Nordstrand NP5 pickup i had to do some routing and produce a new pickguard, which also had to be a bit longer than the original one, because i settled the pickup in the original P-Bass position to get the original P-Bass sound. Normally i would have used a replacement PU, but Nordstrand promised a P-Bass PU with vintage sound for a 5 string(!) bass. Very good support from bestbassgear, they suggested this pickup, and so i was curious if this comes true.

On the bestbassgear site you can read this:

"This is a faithful reproduction of one of the most famous pickups in the world. It will give a very big and full tone with the slightly hollow grind that the original's are known for."

I must say that's absolutely true and please pay attention: i'm playing a 5-string Bass! Did you ever heard of a vintage sounding P-Bass PU for 5 stringers? The Nordstrand NP5 is one.

If my bass were stolen, i would buy the same bass (Fender Mex Deluxe 5-String), the NP5 and do the same modification! I can't imagine another way to get this amazing sound at this price and with a 5 stringer.
I'm playing for 20 years, bass for almost 10 years. In several bands since 2000. I had roughly 10 basses, but i only want to have 3 at a time, this is a rule to me. I don't collect basses and from time to time, to me better fitting equipment, replaces other stuff.

This is the pickup to go, if you play a 5 stringer and want a real vintage P-Bass tone. For me i never will need another neck PU on this bass.

This is not a "normal" replacement pickup, i don't know from a bass with a pickup with this dimensions. This is for a 5 stringer and both coils are the same size! On the b - e - a strings you have three dual pole magnets, on the a - d- g strings you have a "blind" pole at the a and also dual pole magnets on the d and g strings. This makes sense, with this construction the coils can be the same size and so this pickup is absolutely even in tone quality over all strings. And it is deadly quiet, no hum. But normally, this would not be the case for a 5 stringer split coil pickup, because the coils normally would not be the same size.
The dimensions of the housings are 2,7cm x 5,7 cm, this shoud be 1,06" x 2,24". The distance for the screws (measured in the mid of the screw) is 6,1cm, 2,4".
My bass is now absolutely "pro-sounding", with a real nice vintage P-Bass voicing. If you think about doing the same, be sure, you really like this sound. And you should have a bass with a construction that comes near to a J- or P-Bass. It must not be an original Fender, but i think it should be at least a good copy, to get indeed this vintage sound.

This pickup's construction is ingenious, the edges of the PU's housing are a bit sharp, so i give it a 9.