Seymour Duncan Spb1 and buzz problems

bandmaster188

Just received the above pickup from Gak to put into my mexi p bass. Can’t really say that there is anything wrong with the stock pickup but just fancy trying something else.
anyone using the spb1 in their P’s? Thoughts etc!

MattBanshee

Nope, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. I've got an SD quarter-pounder in my P at the moment, and I think it might actually be a little too hot.

guitarfishbay

Yes and I love it. Sounds exactly like how I want a P bass to sound 

Funkfingers

Does the stock MIM pickup have underslung ceramic bar magnets or alnico rod magnet polepieces?

Never tried the SPB-1 but it must sound better than the McDonald’s hamburger that some people seem to be using.

My recollection is that the SPB-3 Quarter Pound pickup has excessively extended high treble and bass response, causing it to sound overblown and artificial.

bandmaster188

Just finished wiring up. Will be back with judgments!
@Funkfingers the mex pickup was the newer alnico rod type.

bandmaster188

MattBanshee said:

Nope, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. I've got an SD quarter-pounder in my P at the moment, and I think it might actually be a little too hot.

I had the QP in my US P and did find it a bit aggressive with a very boomy low end. I changed that to a fender original which I like. Softer and more chilled!

MattBanshee

I went for the QP because I was building my dream rock p-bass from a Mexican standard that I got cheap(ish) because the electrics were dead, and although it'd always have been an easy fix, I just transplanted an entire new scratchplate with a totally new premium parts loom, and solderless pickup connections, and opted for the QP. I also stuck a Fender brass hi-mass bridge on it. As much as I like the mods I've done to it, it's missing that p-bass 'clank' sound, so thinking of experimenting with a new pickup, especially as it'll be super easy to swap between with the solderless connections.

fretmeister

The QP is rubbish for a proper P tone. Too much bass and not enough mids.
Ruins what is needed for a P tone.

Funkfingers

Some of the missing clank is caused by the Fender Hi-Mass bridge. 

My Squier VM P Bass has had, in order, the stock budget 201B clone, a genuine Gotoh, the FHM and back to the Gotoh. IMO, on that bass guitar, steel sounds better than brass or cheese.

I am not knocking the FHM bridge. On the Fender Dimension Bass, it sounds fine.

bandmaster188

MattBanshee said:

I went for the QP because I was building my dream rock p-bass from a Mexican standard that I got cheap(ish) because the electrics were dead, and although it'd always have been an easy fix, I just transplanted an entire new scratchplate with a totally new premium parts loom, and solderless pickup connections, and opted for the QP. I also stuck a Fender brass hi-mass bridge on it. As much as I like the mods I've done to it, it's missing that p-bass 'clank' sound, so thinking of experimenting with a new pickup, especially as it'll be super easy to swap between with the solderless connections.

I went for the spb1 and the fender original as I wanted classic vintage p bass. Been reading good reports on the emg geezer butler but the Seymour was reduced to £63 so that swayed my decision! But may be worth a look if you want a rockier sound. I think they’re based around the pickups in Bobby Vega’s ‘P’.

bandmaster188

Had the new pickup in for a couple of days now and definitely liking it. Wouldn’t say the difference between it and the mex pup is night and day, but there are some subtle differences.
i think the Seymour has a softer low end and pushes the mids a bit more. It’s got that vintage vibe and that’s what I was after!

something I’m not liking though is the buzz that’s generated when my thumb touches the pole pieces. It’s not specific to this pickup as this also occurs on my USA precision with the fender original pickup and previously with the quarte4 pounder. Is there anything that can be done to stop this? I didn’t notice it with the mex pup, but I think that poles on that sat just below the surface of the cover. Any thoughts

Funkfingers

There should be a lacquer coating on the ends of the rod magnets. String impacts eventually chip this off. 

The polepieces are part of the ground path. The simplest solution is not to allow skin contact with them.

If your bass has it, reinstating the metal screen “ashtray” over the pickup will train your picking hand to aim to either side of the pickup. Once this is in muscle memory, the “ashtray” can be removed.

bandmaster188

Yeh, I’ve been trying not to rest my thumb right over the pickup but it seems to be the natural position for me.
if the buzz is normal then I will rest easy!

fretmeister

Bit of tape will do it.