Precision Bass Pickups Shootout - Fender, Seymour Duncan, Bill Lawrence, Squier

[@Spritsailor]

Those P-46 pickups are pretty awesome.

[@VeitLehmann]

Great comparison! And it seems like there's a lot of agreement amongst the viewers that the stock Squier pickup is really surprisingly good and the Bill Lawrence and Fender are only slightly better (I prefer the Fender between the two, richer mids, more bottom end, and the Bill Lawrence is a touch too bright in the treble for my taste). And the Seymour Duncans have a very different character with their focus on mids and less treble. The Quarter Pounds are something special and I get why they have their fans, but they're not my cup of tea. I prefer a vintage P bass tone. So this is my ranking: 1. Fender Custom '62 2. shared between stock Squier and Bill Lawrence 3. Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound 4. Seymour Duncan Hot Pickup

[@ObraBass]

I couldn't agree more 👍

[@DiegoMartinez-qr1or]

I found Bill Lawrence more balanced and responsive with a kind of built-in compressor. No wonder why I have them on my Am Std p bass. 🤘🏻

[@sisupat]

Fender Custom 62's all the way! Great comparison vid!

[@ObraBass]

Thanks

[@sisupat]

Ok, on studio monitors today and loving those Bill Lawrence P46....but for different reasons (more clarity). Fender's mids just have such a nice color to them....decisions decisions

[@jojoba619]

⁠@@sisupatExactly. The Fender mids have a nice tonal color to them. That’s why I like them. The only other precision that has a great mid frequency response is Aguilar’s AG4P-60. That’s my go to precision pickup when I’m not using a Pure Vintage’63.

[@tristanstarrvideos]

The real magic of the SPB-2 is with the tone rolled off. Makes a super smooth, deep almost synth-like sound. A lot of vintage p-bass pickups sound like someone threw a blanket over the speaker with the tone rolled off. The SPB-2 doesn’t win high end or articulation awards but it wins the bass award.

[@flukyreview9128]

The Seymour Duncan’s have a darker tone than all of them but the two that were balanced were the Fender 62 and the Bill Lawrence P46. The stock squire pick up actually very good and balanced as well

[@ObraBass]

I agree

[@randomdds]

Thanks for this video! I'd bought some Bill Lawrench P-46 pickups, but was a bit worried avout how they'd sound (I mainly bought it because I appreciatd the man amd his pickups are surprisingly inexpensive). Now, i can rest easy that they sound great! Also, great playing

[@ObraBass]

Thanks, glad I was able to help 🙂

[@ryanmadden8778]

Graceful playing and pickup demo.

[@atquinn1975]

Wow, the Fender pickups were head and shoulders above everything else to me with the CS only slightly better than the stock pickup. Guess Fender knows what they're doing!

[@reynhart66]

Great effort, i'm discovering your channel so thks a lot for these very informative comparisons Squier et CS62 great all rounder but the 62 seems more refined. Bill Lawrence very detailed, interesting but not too sure in band context. At contrario the Quarter Pound super meaty, a good upgrade for a too gentle cheap bass. The super solid playing help a lot for distinct these nuances, bravo !

[@ObraBass]

Thanks so much. Hope You will found some other useful videos on my channel :)

[@1thess523]

For my taste the Bill Lawrence would be my choice because for the Punk music I play I like a nice bright twangy P-Bass

[@jojoba619]

Exactly. If you want to hear the attack of picking, then the Bill Lawrence pickup would be a great choice.

[@mattrodela2030]

Fender custom '62 for me. I've seen a few of your other videos, you're a great player, man. Thanks for sharing.

[@ObraBass]

Thank You.

[@Six3rdy]

Thank you for the review! And awesome playing as well! I FELT something with that bassline! I can't put my finger on what it is. I don't know if it feels surf-esque, if it feels like a Bikini Bottom type deal, or a fast paced Latin vibe (samba or something, I don't recall), or a goofy chase, or something. WHAT IS THIS FEEL?!????? IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! All this and I'm not even done watching yet. Lol.

[@LadislavKubik]

Amazing what a bad pickup the SPB-2 is, CS `62 dominates, Bill Lawrence's is breathing down his neck. (almost no difference - in my opinion) SPB-3 dark with slightly different tonal character, Squier - nice, surprisingly nice, but with slightly inferior projection compared to CS `62, BL and SPB-3. Nice job!

[@bapt_andthebasses]

You're probably half death if you can't hear the difference with the BIll Lawrence pickup.

[@MrGrsrrt]

Unsless for slapping, CS62 for me, thank you!

[@martinmichaels234]

62 all the way. however I have a set of 63's on my P.... they are absolutely Killer

[@jojoba619]

I have a Pure Vintage ’63 in one of my basses as well. Great pickup. Thicker mid frequency response when compared to the ‘62.

[@dhouse-d5l]

The best shootout anywhere...someone who can play a simple 12 bar pattern.. no messing... Oh and Ill be keeping my Squire PU....as good as anything out there.

[@ObraBass]

Thanks 👍

[@wehkfam5680]

Thank you for this great comparison! It has confirmed my hunch: pick ups don't matter much on bass. I heard subtle differences but nothing like the differences I've heard on guitars that have similar tests done.

[@ObraBass]

I would not agree that pick ups don't matter much on bass. Quite the opposite.

[@wehkfam5680]

@@ObraBass We can agree to disagree on that point, but I really did enjoy the video.

[@ObraBass]

@@wehkfam5680 Thank You for watching 😊. A healthy exchange of opinions is always the right way to communicate, even if people disagree.

[@SlobodanStojanovic]

Fender CS 62! 😀

[@ratboy717]

Such a good comparison video thank you!!

[@ObraBass]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@gianniorlati9275]

SD SPB-2 for me .. very warm tone and good notes sustain .. it seems a good pickup for a bassist wanting to express him/herself

[@GoldStar5XL]

The Stock Pickup sounds best to me here. i have a quarter pounder pickup in my Player P but in this case the stock is just fine.

[@greenman717]

SPB-3 win to my ears. I'll "pick up" a set to throw in my classic vibe

[@tobbes_ruhrdyne]

Dude! You're the man! Made my decision a whole lot easier. Left you something in your tip yar. Have one on me, you deserve it~

[@ObraBass]

Thank You man! You put a smile on my face today 🙂

[@tobbes_ruhrdyne]

You're welcome. You really put in the effort here. Also, with the techniques, timestamps and all. Exactly like I would have made it...if I would have made it xD

[@Asmuk]

Thank you so much for the comparison. I particularly preferred the Fender and the Duncan SPB-2. Both the Squier stock and the Bill Lawrence sounded weaker, whilst the Duncan SPB-3 a bit muffled

[@ObraBass]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@tabodee]

Awesome comparison! I don’t know how you switched out all those pickups that fast! You didn’t even change into a new shirt… Loved the eq analyzer made for great visual confirmation… The 62s are starting to grow on me. I thought the stocks were great too. I have the off colored, Dakota red, Classic Vibe 60s P Bass, with D’Adderio flats. Love the feel, but the top 3 frets on the low E string can be almost indistinguishable at times. Do you have a remedy for that? Thanks!!!🎸

[@ObraBass]

Thank You very much. I was recording while my best friend was soldering pickups, so it was all done in one evening.

[@AL-xg4jo]

Custom 62. Sin lugar a dudas

[@neocollective]

Great video, thank you for posting !!! Clearly shows that those Classic Vibe Squiers don't need new pups, great strings is better spent $. The Duncans actually sound like a downgrade to be honest. Great playing btw !!

[@ObraBass]

Thanks 👍

[@paolozak3014]

62 unbeatable. Why something else ?

[@jimmygee3219]

Because Custom Shop 59’s exist

[@krumbis]

Because they are 145$

[@jojoba619]

The Squire pickup had a similar tone to the ‘62. There were subtle differences in tone, but both sounded good to me. I would have picked either pickup. Personally, I prefer the Pure Vintage ‘63 over the CS ‘62. It has a thicker mid-frequency response than the ‘62 in my opinion. But, the ‘62 is still a great pickup.

[@paolozak3014]

@@jojoba619 squier basses tend to sound thin and maybe this is why they need a thicker sounding pickup. It all depends on the natural tone & acoustic resonance of the instrument : any decent pickup will be more or less suitable for that matter

[@Six3rdy]

Because it was either that or the electric bill. Lol. Ok, I'm playing. I'm playing.

[@rollcats1290]

Squire sounded really good. CS62 only a little better. Deeper and just a tad more wooly sounding. If you have a Fender Player Series would love to see that compared to the 62

[@BassGeekz]

For me the stock pickup took the show. Behind the stock pickup comes the CS 62.

[@jojoba619]

I couldn’t agree more. I would have chosen either.

[@jaex9617]

It's astonishing how much you get for your money with Squier. I'd just keep the stock pickup in there and play all day long.

[@ObraBass]

Agree

[@bloozedaddy]

The seymour SPB 2 for tighter mid-honk tone if that's what you want but the Bill Lawrence sounds like someone lifted a blanket off the amp compared to the rest..so well-rounded and balanced ... and for a great price as well. That's what's going in my build .

[@findelmun]

Thank you so much for this comparison! The stock pickup sounds great and Bill Lawrence is to sterile for me. Can you share in two words your impressions on this (P-46) pickup?

[@ObraBass]

Thanks for watching. First of all, I was so impressed with stock pickup as in fact with whole bass. Great setup, weight and feel all over the neck. As for the pickups, I personally really liked the Bill Lawrence P-46, but I think I would have a big dilemma whether to choose it or the Fender CS'62. They have a very similar character, but CS'62 has maybe a bit of nicer middles for my taste.

[@jonw8694]

I like the Seymour Duncan the best, but honestly, all are close enough that with a little EQ tweaking, they could all essentially cover the same tonal range.

[@ObraBass]

Agree 👍

[@ig55]

Good work mate. It clearly shows that the hype about Duncan Quarter Pounders is totally nonsense. They seriously suck at the clarity department. Among the 5 tested, CS62 or the Bill Lawrence is the way to go. From personal experience, I would also add DiMarzio Model P and Rio Grande Muy Grande to the list. Both are great pickups. Way better than the Duncans tested here.

[@PorchBass]

I quite liked the lower tilt of the spb3 balance. Very powerful bass even whilst slapping. You sounded great on all no one would complain (except the spb2 sounded off in this company). I have an Aguilar 60s hot in my CV and it seems a lot like the spb3. Different tone caps could probably tweak any of these in the direction you want. Great video thanks

[@ObraBass]

You’re very welcome. I hope you'll like the other videos on my channel and consider subscribing. 👍

[@markopotkonjak6509]

@@ObraBass Sjajan video! I meni se najvise svideo stock magnet. CS62 mi deluje sjajno sa nesto vise srednjih ali sam bas prijatno iznenadjen sa originalnim. Ja pokusavam da slozim jedan budget bass ...pa da li bi mozda prodali Squier-ov magnet...ili neki drugi🙂🙃?

[@ObraBass]

@@markopotkonjak6509 Hvala. Magneti sa testa nisu moji. Pitacu vlasnike da li bi prodali neki od njih, pa ako bi, javicu ti 🙂

[@ObraBass]

Možeš mi poslati mail na adresu sa mog KZbin kanala. Nešto može biti za prodaju

[@strings83]

with my in-ear monitors on, I could hear a little better between the pickups. There seems to be more note clarity with the Wilde P-46 compared to the stock Squiers, which I also have. Almost like the acoustic jangle versus a less articulate thump. All sounded good, just different, probably relevant to personal preferences. Perhaps the P-46's had a broader frequency spectrum.

[@bobt5778]

No matter what pickup I use I never get complaints from drunken bar patrons.

[@jkf9167]

If it's quiet and doesn't have any weird quirks, I'd keep the Squier pickup in. It sounds like a P-pickup should. The Bill Lawrence and the CS-62 may sound marginally better, but not enough to start thinking about new pickups unless you've already got one sitting in a drawer. The SPB-2 has a mid hump right where I have to dial back my rig to avoid really disgusting stage murk. The SPB-3 is fine if you need more output.

[@ObraBass]

I agree 🙂

[@Bleeder9000]

SPBs are nothing special, Bill Lawrence is a little better, the stock Squire pickup is better than all three, and the CS62 is the best but there isn’t a lot in it. Is it worth the cost to upgrade over the stock Squire? Probably not? Thanks as always for the video!

[@VeitLehmann]

This is exactly what I was thinking. The stock Squire pickup sounds surprisingly good, the CS62 is a little richer and adds more bottom end. Both sound better to me than the Bill Lawrence, and I just don't like the dark, somewhat narrow sound of the Seymour Duncans. They might be a nice fit for rock sounds, but they lack openness and color for my taste.

[@rickjeren147]

Is it me, or does that Bill Lawrence blow the others out of the water ?

[@troycharbonneau8643]

I prefer the first one, the Squier pickup. Similar to the Fender pickup with the midrange response, but the Squier seems to have a little dirt/drive to it. Just what I want from a P bass. The Bill Lawrence by far has the most hi-fi sound, and for a different kind of bass I'd be looking into that brand. The others sound too muddy for my taste, which is what I expected from a quarter pounder.

[@jojoba619]

I’m surprised how similar the Squire and the Fender ‘62 sound in tone. There are a few subtle differences between each pickup’s tone. But I would have picked either one out of all five choices. I think Seymour Duncan excels with their guitar pickups. There bass pickups are just ok in my opinion with the exception of the SP-1. That’s a good precision pickup. The SP2 rolls off too much of the high-frequency response and sounds compressed. The SP3 also sounds compressed and lacks a mid frequency response. If you like a mid scooped tone, then choose an SP3. A lot a players like that pickup, unfortunately I don’t. I need mids so I can hear myself on a loud stage. The Bill Lawrence is bright and clear. It would be a great pickup if you use a pick and want to hear the attack of picking strings. Sounds similar to EMG active P pickup in my opinion. Thank for doing this pickup comparison.

[@Bheested]

Bill Lawrence hands down. Not even close

[@Warmbluerock]

Absolutely! Lawrence PU's had Big low end w/ great high end clarity. No other pick-up in the shootout (to my ears) were doing this. I would say the Fender CS PU's were next in line, but the P-46 when you consider the price and sound, are head and shoulders above the pack.

[@oldasrocks9121]

Not considering the SD's. Stock is missing something, like a beautiful girl with no soul. P-46 is too technical, 62 would be a producer's favorite (and mine.)

[@peadookie]

As a guys who's hotrodded the snot out of many basses, I have to admit there's not enough reason for me to pull my stock Squire vintage pickups. They sound great, even in a pretty expensive lineup!

[@ObraBass]

I agree completely.

[@bass_journey]

Great job. Amazing effort. To me they all sound more or less the same. I think people should put more effort in improving their playing skills rather than geeking out on gear. A great player would sound amazing even on a cheap bass.

[@ObraBass]

I agree completely

[@jojoba619]

Same here. My bass mentor always told me “it’s the Indian, not the arrow Padawan.”

[@natea5817]

I seem to be in the minority here but I actually really like the Spb-2 its probably my favourite. Great video

[@ObraBass]

Thanks

[@axlbraun]

Too bad for those, who modded their P’s with SD’s. They are surprisingly lame. I liked the Squire and the Fender and would strongly recommend to buy a Squire, because it is probably the best bang for the bucks.

[@jamesreynolds4487]

Kloppman PB63

[@evil_of_banality]

i hear no difference. pb is pb, no matter what pickup you install

[@NotSoDaftGamecraft]

Anyone else think it sounded better out of the box

[@jojoba619]

I think the Squire pickup sounded great.

[@cacadordorio]

Now i know the reason why a lot of punk bass player are using bill lawrence pickups because sounds with a lot of trebel