Seymour Duncan Hot P-Bass

passive humbucking

Installed in an early-nineties Fender Japan early 70's re-issue p-bass. I replaced the original pickups. I thought I wanted a punchier sound.

Output level is actually lower than the stock pickups (I've heard since that the stock pickups going into those early 90's Japan p-bass's were unusually high output). Running through Eden wt-550/210xlt/210xst. No effects or outboard compression. The tone of the Seynour Duncans is very mids-focused and nicely grindy for rock. Really good for straight ahead rock sound. But not really a full-range pickup. Lost both bass and treble compared with the stock pickups. The music I play is very percussively played amplified acoustic guitar, bass, drums: sort of jazz-punk. Am putting the clean sounding, full-range stocks back in. But I'm still I'm giving the Seymour Duncans a 9 because for a rock sound, where you sit deep in the mix and pump it along, they're very good.

I'm selling the Seymour Duncans: just not the right sound for me. I've been playing for 27 years. I also play a MIM stock jazz bass, and a Warwick Corvette Standard 5. Again, for simple, straightforward, tube-style driving rock, the Seymour Duncans are good, thus the 9 rating again. But if you play a lot higher up the neck, especially on D and G strings (yes, I tried a variety of set-ups), and you need to stand out in the mix, and need your pickups to reflect the fine detail of your playing, they're not the right pickups for you. Then again, most people don't use p-bass's for the kind of thing I do.

Pickup features: Split coil humbucking, passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 2004 Fender Am. Ser. P-bass, maple fretboard
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: DiMarzio Model P, which had replaced stock Fender
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: Don't know
You musical style(s): All rock forms except serious metal
Reason for pickup change: Wanted to retain high output of DiMarzio Model P, but add more vintage warmth.

Perceived output level: Higher than stock Fender, lower than DiMarzio Model P, so moderately hot
Tone: Mfr.'s description of "warm, fat, and punchy" is accurate. Slightly muted treble compared to other P-bass pickups I've used.
Sonic evaluation: I've run this P-bass through Gallien-Krueger 700RB and 700RB-II heads and SWR 410 and G-K Neo 112 cabs. I've also used it through a small Carvin combo, sometimes with Avatar B210 as an ext. cab.
I thought the stock Fender delivered excellent tone, but I wanted more output for hard rock, and to match the hot output on my other basses. I initially tried the DiMarzio Model P, which is great for punk/hard rock, but its emphasis on cut and grind over warmth ultimately wasn't satisfying to me. I wanted a little more vintage warmth with my high output. So I tried this.
So far, I'm happy with it. Seymour Duncan's site describes it as "warm, fat, and punchy," which is accurate. The treble is definitely pulled back compared with many P pickups, which means I turn the treble down 0-25% instead of 25-50% most of the time. It delivers thick, solid tone with more vintage character than the DiMarzio. It sounds great fingerstyle, and palm muting with a pick is awesome, just like a P-bass should be. Based on Duncan's description, I thought it might be slightly muddy, but that's not the case unless you roll the treble way back. It has solid clarity otherwise, and seems to cut through a mix pretty well while retaining that supportive character that defines the P-bass. (If cut is your main goal, go with the DiMarzio.)
It's very, very close to my sonic ideal for P-bass tone, which I have in my '94 Fender MIJ Foto Flame P-bass, and have heard in Laklands with Lindy Fralin pickups. The only real difference is that the '94 MIJ has more "ring" and "grind," which might be upper mids. The Duncan is so close that I think the sonic gap could be narrowed considerably with different strings, so I'll experiment with those next.
(BTW, I vastly prefer the feel and balance of my 2004 MIA to the '94 MIJ, otherwise I'd just play the latter and be done with it.)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: All rock except metal, now in a modern "indie" type band.

Comments: I've been playing on and off for over 20 years (mostly off), with my most serious playing in the last three after a nine year hiatus. After an unsatisfying stint with a modern, dual humbucker active bass, I've moved more and more toward vintage tones, which of course means Fender. I now have three, the two Precisions mentioned above and a 2003 MIA Jazz with Fralin Split Jazz pickups. I also have an amazing DiPinto Belvedere Standard semi-hollow bass, which I've also reviewed on H-C.
Basically, I wanted a high output pickup suitable for hard rock that, unlike the DiMarzio Model P (IMO), retained that "vintage" P-bass character many of us know and love. This basically achieves that objective, and it's an excellent value compared to boutique brands like Lindy Fralin and Nordstrand which cost nearly twice as much. I may have been happier with one of those, and maybe I'll try one eventually (love the Fralins in my Jazz), but for now I'm pleased with the Duncan Hot for P-bass. In fact, now that I have this pickup, this bass is slowly overtaking my Jazz as my "go to" bass. If my impressions change as I gain more experience with this pickup, I'll update this review.

Pickup features: Humbucking, passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Mexican P-bass W/1980 Fender P-bass neck and Gotoh bridge, Thomastik Flatwounds
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Only one there is!
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: I have no idea
You musical style(s): Blues, folk, rock
Reason for pickup change: Wanted more depth and less noise and liked the concept of this particular model.

Perceived output level: slightly louder than stock
Tone: Bassy and warm
Sonic evaluation: Above Bass with mostly smaller transitor Amps, such as Peavey Minx 110

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: See above for styles. I mostly accompany a guitarst, we both sing. Pickup is good for this situation. I guess it would be unsuitable for someone who wants screaming treble or honking mids from a bass.

Comments: I have been playing for 20 years, and have had many different basses and experimented with pickups, etc. a good bit. I currently own a Martin DC-15E, Fender American Standard Strat, and a Mexican P-bass with an older American (Fender of course!) Jazz Bass neck and an American Standard Jazz Bass. I have long been a Fender Bass fan, partly because they are so easliy modified. I am down to a handful of smaller amps since volume is not much of a concern these days.
The Ducan Pickups are fine and are as adverstised, sound-wise. I don't like a lot of treble and was glad to increase the deepness of the sound of my Bass. I can't say that it sounds a *lot* more punchy, mostly, it's just more full. When the tone knob is rolled off completely, it's much bassier than the stock pickup. Also the highs are now more acceptable, whereas before the were more like noise, almost too bright/harsh. The new pickup is much quieter.
My main reason for submitting this is to warn that these aren't simply "drop in" replacements, by my standards anyway. The soldering is easy enough (though I simply used the stock wiring and removed the wiring that came with the pickups), but the gripe I have is that the Duncans are much shallower than the stock pickups and no materials are given to make up the difference needed to bring the pickups to an acceptable playing height. Some sort of dense rubber stock is needed for this and none is provided. Don't even think about using the foam that comes in the box with the pickup, by the way! It'll just compress into nothing and won't be nearly springy enough anyway. I don't like using the rubber that was on the stock pickups (wasn't thick enough anyway) as it is glued on and I want to keep the old pickups for possible future projects.
Secondarily, the little rubber washers that come with the Duncan pickups, that are supposed to on the mounting screw between the guitar body and pickup, are a joke. They are a bit tedious to mount and don't come close to supporting the pickup unless you prefer you pickups sitting as high as the pickguard.
Lastly, I found the holes for the mounting scews mounted a little too close to the actual body of the pickup resulting in the head of the screw catching on the top of the pickup body instead of clearing it and settling into the top of the hole for the screw. This happened on 2 of the 4 holes. Though mostly a cosmetic concern it also affects the adjustment process negatively.
There you have it. Great sound, but be prepared to spend a little more time installing these...you may even find you'll have to run out to the harware store.
TB

Pickup features: P assive humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender P. bass that I built from my 3 favorite amer. P.s, like clapton did with blackie.
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: regular amer. p.bass
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Steve Harris of IRON MAIDEN
You musical style(s): metal, r&b, 60's and 70's rock.
Reason for pickup change: I needed a pickup that would make my bass rock even with flatwounds on it!

Perceived output level: hotter then standard.
Tone: hot, full sounding,and even balanced.
Sonic evaluation: I use basicly the same setup that Steve Harris used on the "power slave" tour back in the mid 80's. 2 412 cabs with Electro Voice speakers,A old 100 watt tube head, a alder bodied amer p.bass, a Badass II bridge, maple fret boad on a 21 fret maple neck and flat wound strings with the voulume on full and the tone pot is disconnected.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This works of ever thing I play. maybe if tone was connected, I could do Marly better.

Comments: I love this pickup, I feel you can't go wrong with it.When I finally put my bass together,with the flat wounds on and fired up the amp thru those marshalls with the EV 12's. I hit play on my cd and went roaring into "wasted years" by Maiden. Man I was 18 again and on FIRE. I had that Maiden sound cold. Even my drummer,and life long friend of 20 + years said "I had it down cold tone wise" and my bass playing is ALIVE and KICKING. What a difference a pickup makes!