Official Luthiers Forum!

sorry for a vague question, as i'm new,
but does someone have a basic rundown of the general characteristics of
p-bass pickups vs. j-bass pickups vs. soapbar pickups for bass? I realize
brands will differ in sound, but looking for a rule of thumb. thanks

I don't know about soapbars, but the differences between J and P are fairly big. As you know, J's are single coil and have a snappier, twangier sound than P's. I played a Jazz style bass I made in a R&B group for a few years. I could never get it to sit in the mix in the right way. I made a P style bass to replace it and love the way it thumps and takes up the territory between the kick drum and the guitars. My two favorite bass players, James Jamerson and Duck Dunn, both played alder bodied P basses. As for pickups, I can highly recommend Aero.

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