When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
P-Bass pickups are known for their well-rounded and defined low end, with a healthy amount of sub, and are typically favored in more modern styles of music like rock, metal, punk, and pop. That said, they can be found in all styles of music.
Like their counterpart Jazz-bass pickups, these are a unique style, which has something different to offer compared to other styles.
If you're looking to upgrade your bass guitar with some tasty new P-bass pickups, it can be overwhelming with so many brands and variations to choose from. But luckily for you, you've come to the right place.
In this guide, we're going to show you a bunch of the best P-bass pickup models on the market today, covering a range of budgets. You'll also be shown some of the most important topics to consider when choosing these pickups, as there are a few technical specifications that are useful to understand.
As a starting point, the Fender Pure Vintage '63 Precision Bass Pickup Set is a fabulous pair. We're a big fan of the vintage sound they offer. If you want something more modern and aggressive check out the EMG P BK Active Ceramic P-Bass Pickup.
Although you might want something else depending on your musical tastes - so check out the full list below!
Quick Summary of the Best P-Bass Pickups
- Fender Pure Vintage '63 Precision Bass Pickup Set (Vintage Precision)
- Seymour Duncan SPB-3 Quarter Pound P-Bass Pickup (Reliably Affordable)
- EMG GZR-PJHZ Geezer Butler Signature P Bass Pickup Set (Black Sabbath Bass)
- DiMarzio Relentless P Bass Pickup Set (Virtuoso Articulation)
- EMG P BK Active Ceramic P-Bass Pickup (Active Aggression)
Best P-Bass Pickups
If you're looking for a classic P-bass tone, the following pickups are some of the best out there. These replacement pickup models offer a fantastic value for money, a warm vintage sound, and will be a neat upgrade for your bass guitar.
Vintage Precision
SPECS
- Type: Single Coil Split Pair
- Active/Passive: Passive
- Magnet Type: Alnico V
- DC Resistance: 12k
Coming in as our favorite set of P-bass pickups, these Fender Pure Vintage 63s offer a sweet and authentic vintage tone at a reasonable price.
You can rest assured that these pickups are as close to the 60s models as you can get in this price range. They achieve a classic tone thanks to the period-correct manufacturing techniques and components - meaning they were made with the same methods and parts as the originals.
The tone is full, rich, and warm, and provides a nice level of dynamic response. Thanks to the fact that this is a pair of split single coils, you can expect a fatter tone with less noise interference compared to single models.
If you're looking for a truly classic p bass tone, you can't go wrong here - although they might not be aggressive enough for more modern-sounding tones.
Reliably Affordable
SPECS
- Type: Single Coil Pair J-Style
- Active/Passive: Passive
- Magnet Type: Alnico V
- DC Resistance: 12.5k
You'll see Seymour Duncan pickups fitted as stock on a lot of higher-end basses and guitars. These pickups are usually remarkably better than the basic generic pickups that you'll find on a lot of Squire and budget bass models.
If you're looking for an affordable but large upgrade to the tone of your precision bass, these Quarter Pound pickups are a good place to start. They're on the lower end of the price bracket (below this it's often not worth bothering), but are noticeably better than cheaper models.
The tone of these is a bit brighter and louder than the vintage Fenders above, although aren't quite as heavy in the low end. This might make them more suitable for more aggressive genres where the bass tones tend to be more focused on the low-mids rather than the pure lows. You can expect a punchy sound with plenty of dynamic range and articulation.
Black Sabbath Bass
SPECS
- Type: Split Coil pickup
- Active/Passive: Passive
- Magnet Type: Alnico V
- DC Resistance: 11.2k
For starters, if you're not aware of who Geezer Butler is, he's the bassist from Black Sabbath, and performed bass on their classic songs like "Paranoid", "Iron Man", and "War Pigs". As far as an endorsement goes, only a few names are more influential in rock's bass scene.
With Geezer's seal of approval, these pickups offer a thick, aggressive tone that is begging to be run through a bit of overdrive and distortion. These give you one of the fattest sounds you can get. Thanks to their split coil design, you don't need to worry about pesky hum and buzz, which is prone to be amplified when distortion pedals get involved. These pickups are super clean, even when pushed into higher gain regions.
Sure, these might be a bit too monstrous for smooth jazz and blues tones, but if you want some P-pickups that can rock your face off, you won't go wrong here. You might also be mistaken that these are active pickups due to their high-gain tone - but they're actually passive, ensuring an authentic 70s rock bass sound.
You can also pick these up in a P/J pair set, giving you one P and one J pickup. If you plan on using this model, I would suggest going for the P/J pair as this gives you a well-matched balance between each slot. If you mix and match a different model you risk having a mismatched tone, which isn't ideal.
Virtuoso Articulation
SPECS
- Type: Single Coil Pair J-Style
- Active/Passive: Passive
- Magnet Type: Ceramic
- DC Resistance: 11.74k
The DiMarzio Relentless P pickups are made with a true bass icon - Billy Sheehan. He pioneered the 'lead bass' playing style, where the bass became an instrument at the front of the stage, rather than supporting in the background. He incorporated techniques like bass chords, double-handed tapping, fingerpicking, and feedback to turn the bass into more of a centerpiece instrument.
Undoubtedly, this type of bass performance would need a pickup that could capture and convey these articulate and precise tones - which is where the Relentless pickups come into play.
Loud, articulate, and incredibly well-defined, the Relentless pickups are perfect for players who use a more expressive and broader range of techniques - especially where the bass is used as more of a central instrument.
Another cool and unique feature of these pickups is the design of them. They have a round, smooth design, and have avoided using any sharp edges. This makes them more comfortable to play, as the resting thumb won't be sitting on such a sharp right angle. They also look gorgeous too.
Active Aggression
SPECS
- Type: Single Coil
- Active/Passive: Active
- Magnet Type: Ceramic
- DC Resistance: 3k
As explained in the buyer's guide below, active pickups are a modern style that uses a battery to increase their output and adjust their tone. This makes them favored in heavier genres like hard rock, metal, punk, and hardcore - where players typically use high gain and distortion to create harder bass tones.
While this isn't perfect for all bass players, active pickups are widely seen as essential in distortion-based genres. You'll also need to change most of the electronic circuitry in your bass guitar if you are swapping over from passives to actives, to accommodate the extra components. This set comes with everything you need, including the jack outputs, pre-wired volume, and tone controls, and all the required wiring and mounting.
Tone-wise, these things are super heavy, and create an insanely loud and bassy tone. The active circuit also keeps noise interference and hum to a minimum, so you don't need to worry about the tone becoming too messy when you stack up the gain and distortion. The use of ceramic magnets ensures that there is plenty of high end too, so you can achieve a lot of clarity and articulation in your playing.
These pickups will take a bit more work to install in your bass if it's currently using passives - but it's totally worth the work if you want to maximize the heaviness of your tone.
The EMG PJX Set Active Ceramic PJ Bass Pickup Set Black is also worth looking at if you want a well-matched pair of P and J active bass pickups.
Best P-Bass Pickups Buyer's Guide
When you're picking out some new p-bass pickups, you'll be spoilt for choice. There are hundreds of models out there, each with a different take on the p-pickup style. You might find all the tech specs and variations overwhelming at first - but it's pretty easy to wrap your head around the fine details after a bit of research.
Below, you'll find some important considerations when choosing pickups, and you'll also get some helpful explanations for the technical specifications.
Pickup Position (and pairing)
One of the first and logistically most important considerations is the pickup position you want to replace. Bass guitars typically have 2 pickup slots - the bridge or neck position. For the most authentic P-bass sound, it's recommended that you fit your pickups in the neck slot - which is traditionally paired with a jazz-bass (J-bass) pickup in the position.
Although there are no hard and fast rules - it's just a matter of sonic tastes. You should think about this when looking through the pickups to make sure that the models you are interested in will work for the desired slot - as often they are made for one position or the other - and are not interchangeable.
Tone and Sound Style
The other main factor to consider is the sound style. You can find a broad range of tonal output from p-bass pickups. From thick to thin, bright to dark, and so on - there is a huge variety available to choose from.
Finding the perfect pair in terms of sound output and response can take years, but the sooner you start thinking about it the quicker you will be on the right path. One of the best ways to test this out is to compare the sound of pickups side by side and make sure you compare them against your stock pickups for a more varied perception.
Ultimately the choice depends on what kind of sound you are looking to achieve, what genre you play, and how you like your bass to respond to your playing techniques.
Active or Passive
Another relatively important choice is whether you want to use active or passive pickups. Without getting in too much detail, most pickups are passive - this is the original form. However, in recent years, active pickups have become more popular. Active pickups are a modern type, which have an internal battery to boost their circuity. This results in a louder volume output, and a fatter, more compressed sound.
Active pickups are typically favored by harder playing styles like metal, hardcore, and related genres - thanks to their extra weight and response to distortion. Although they are also being seen more and more in jazz, pop, and other genres.
You should make a conscious choice over whether you really want an active p-bass pickup, as they come with a range of pros and cons against their common passive counterparts.
Pickup Types
The main types of p-bass pickups are single coil or split humbuckers.
Single-coil pickups are the most common type. These have a dynamic, highly articulate, brighter tone, although they are prone to louder background noise due to their high level of sensitivity.
In contrast, a split-coil humbucking pickup has a thicker, fatter tone with less high-end, and lower output noise, thanks to the noise-cancelling principles of humbuckers.
Most P-bass pickups tend to come as a single coil variety, although you'll still find a lot of humbucker models out there.
Magnet Material
The material of the magnets used in the pickup also has a surprisingly large effect on the final sound. While this is more of a nuanced difference to hear and takes a bit of ear training and comparison to detect the differences, it is a detail that the more dedicated bass players might want to look into. You can find a full explanation of this in our J-bass pickup guide.
DC Resistance
DC resistance is another more complicated spec to understand, but it is equally important and can have a large effect on the sound.
In essence, higher DC resistance equals a louder, brighter sound. While lower DC resistance creates a quieter, but warmer tone.
This is nuanced, but worth looking into if you're making a significant investment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which pickup to use on bass?
Firstly, you want to use some kind of bass pickup (ok, that shouldn't be much of a surprise), although the specific type you use depends on a range of factors. There are a bunch of different bass pickup types out there, from J to P, active to passive, single coil to humbucker, and so on.
The spectrum is very broad. I can't give you specific instructions without knowing what style of music you want to play.
In general, I would recommend trying to give yourself as much variety and flexibility as possible. This is why many bassists like to have two different sets of pickups in their bass - for example mixing P and J bass pickups together to get the best of both worlds.
Are P bass pickups hum-canceling?
Some P-bass pickups are hum-canceling, and some aren't. it all depends on what type of design the particular model uses. Single coil P-bass pickups will not have hum-cancellation, and sacrifice the integrity of their noise floor for a more articulate and brighter tone.
However, humbucking p-bass pickups do often have hum cancellation, helping you to achieve a clearer tone with less interference.
Is it worth upgrading bass pickups?
Whether it is worth upgrading bass pickups or not depends on how good the stock pickups are, and how much you're willing to invest in a new pair.
In general, new pickups can make a large improvement to the quality and style of your audio signal. Upgrading to a more expensive, better-quality set of bass pickups can be a fantastic investment and reveal new depths and joys in your playing.
Making a good upgrade can be compared to getting a new pair of reading glasses - you can see everything in so much more detail.
Finally...
You now have a great idea of all the best P-bass pickups available today. Each of these has a slightly different sound, so make sure you do some research on whether it will fit your style. With the information above, it will be easy for you to get headed in the right direction, and start dialing in the perfect specs for your personal preferences in p-bass pickups!
One of our favorite sets is the Fender Pure Vintage '63. These might be the best-sounding pair in the price range, particularly if you're fond of the classic warmth of vintage bass pickups. They have a very sweet and articulate tone, which is generally what people look for in P-bass pickups.
However, if you're looking for something more suitable for distorted genres, the EMG P BK Active P-Bass Pickup set might be more suitable. Thanks to their active circuitry, they perform exceptionally well in high gain and distorted setups.
Ultimately the best pick depends on your style - but all the bases are covered above!
