The P Bass tone I've been looking for?! | EMG Geezer Butler Pickup [Review/Comparison]

Did someone say solderless? YES PLEASE! I'm not great with electronics, so I was SO excited to see that these pickups have a unique solderless wiring system. But do the Sabbath Signatures hold up to the hype and give me that crushing punchy P bass tone I'm after?
Check out the specs on EMGs website:
www.emgpickups.com/bass/gzr-p...
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Background music by Nova Mora
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#GeezerButler #EMGGZR #PrecisionPickupComparison

[@ryanmadden8778]

Always fun video demos. For my ears, the Fender pickups sounded so much better.

[@MurdaMetz]

The distorted tone really held its own . I think that’s where these pickups shine . 😊

[@Metalbass1979]

This is the video we have all been waiting for! I think you just sold me on it.

[@JonnyDibble]

Woohoo! Glad you like them. I'm well pleased 😁

[@MurdaMetz]

I really dig the track you did at the end , sounded very nice !

[@lasteffect]

I've had the GZR PJ set in my fretless Pbass for a few of years now. Amazing set. I love the tone. I kinda want a fretted twin of it.

[@JonnyDibble]

Oh nice. Would love to hear these in a fretless!

[@jimalbruzzess2445]

Hi Johnny, I have the same pickups in my Mexican Fender Pbass. They sound awesome. Thats a really great song you played at the end of the video. Excellent job !!!! Cheers from Canada 🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@JonnyDibble]

Such a good modern P bass tone 👌 Thanks man! All the putris are my own compositions 😊

[@realnewyorkstyle]

How is Mexico fender ? Now I m thinking about buying mim fender precision bass 2018 pj bass special with emg pickups .

[@allendickeson442]

This video is what sold me on not only a p bass but also these pickups. As a recording/live bassist I’ve been more on the humbucker side but the tone and clarity that comes from these is awesome.

[@gabe2968]

I actually think the Fender pickups sounded much nicer. Lovely warm full tone that felt organic but much of that will probably be lost in a mix anyway as opposed to the EMGs which have a better top end

[@lemonadedreams399]

I do agree

[@imandan1966]

nonsense

[@willistaylor4077]

I bought a new Classic Vibe 70's Precision Bass this year, and modified with Fender Pure Vintage 64 precision bass pickup and Flatwound strings. It's my favourite Bass at this point in time. 💕💕🎵🎵🎸🎸🙂

[@JonnyDibble]

Amazing! Bet it sounds so so good 🤤

[@willistaylor4077]

@@JonnyDibble Yes! It really does! ❤️🎵🎸

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

The EMG are like a boost because more output and that drives any kind of dirt your going into harder. I like them! If your into distorted tones the GZR are pretty hard to beat.

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

Loving the content!

[@JonnyDibble]

Thanks very much! 😁

[@aureliusandthespiral]

Im trying to decide on a pickup right now. Fender pv 63, Duncan Antiquity and the EMG gzr. Eventually I'll pick one

[@arcanesanctuary]

I like the pick sound only, the fingers to me sound better on the fender picks up. So I’ll buy these for my dropped tuned frank bello signature

[@UltimaJC]

I've been considering getting one of these for my beater bass after I get the Schecter I've been saving up for.

[@LowEndLobster]

CAT SABOTAGE!

[@JonnyDibble]

Lerking in the background, waiting to pounce. She's such a pussy.

[@horrorshowbass]

You guys do know that they're pure evil yeah?

[@JonnyDibble]

@@horrorshowbass yes we do 😈😈😈

[@horrorshowbass]

@@JonnyDibble 🤣

[@davidcudlip6587]

Have had good luck with Wilde/Bill Lawrence P46 pickups. Super quiet and sound great. And quite a bargain at $70. I tried quite a few pickups from custom winders and the P46 will stay in my bass now.

[@acidbass]

Have you maintained the distance between the strings and pole pieces in both examples? It sounds like the Geezer has a much quieter output when DI'd. To me this is a massively overlooked factor in terms of tone!

[@JonnyDibble]

Lwfit don't think I took it into account for this one! Learning learning always learning

[@davidbarclay54]

Excellent demonstration. Been wondering about these pickups because they are solder free and I have an old Squier that plays great but the pickup is the only weak spot. I like some oomph but not keen on pickups that are just too hot. Thought the sounds when you played slap were really deep and funky, which was a surprise given that I expected a classic rock/metal focus with little variety.

[@JonnyDibble]

Thanks very much man! Yeah they're surprisingly diverse! Lots of high end clatiry which is great for those pops when slapping

[@Anchorette]

Honestly these are my favorite bass pickups for p bass at this point. They capture all the stuff I want without compromising very much, great choice

[@JonnyDibble]

Sorry I didn't see this comment! They're great pickups man 😍

[@MrClassicmetal]

Agreed. And combined with the solderless install, those are a no-brainer.

[@TheChef470]

Always used EMG's since the 80's......passive would be a big step for me : ) Great demo, you sold me.

[@lucagarciaferrari]

I think I still prefer the Dimarzio Model P that I put in my precision bass :P Still, you get a killer sound out of those EMGs!

[@JonnyDibble]

Might look into some Dimarzios for my Talman! Thanks Luca 😊

[@oscarsantos2608]

Get the Billy Sheehan rentless model and try it out!

[@rattmann3170]

They're the bees knees, Jonny. No bollocks, just kickass tone mate!

[@martyneilan8947]

Bob's your uncle.

[@FunkyCrime0490]

great video!

[@JonnyDibble]

Thanks very much! 😁

[@mikarage3677]

Got one emg gzr on my old bb400s. He is fantastic

[@Duderino1978]

Those pickups definitely sound great! I have three jazz basses but eventually I’ll get a P bass.

[@JonnyDibble]

I went off of P basses for years but now I dont think I could be without one (or two!)

[@geraldp494]

@@JonnyDibble same :)

[@garycoates4987]

I bought a beat up samick bass for$60 on ebay it had their version of active pickups which I just really didn't like so I gutted it and put tbe EMG GZR p/j set in it passive and sounds HUGE now the Geezer butler Pbass pickup in particular sounds like the greatest Pbass tone you ever heard, the J sounds "good" but really shines blended with the P. the only problem I had was the mounting the old screws were stripped and the P is reversed rout so the bottom coil is closer to the neck, and it was slightly wider rout so I re-position the mounting screws.

[@JonnyDibble]

They really are awesome 👌 Shame about the screw holes, I guess they're configured based on standard Fender specs? Glad to hear they're working out for you! 😁

[@elbauldo]

How would you rate them against the HB Roswell single coil jazz pup that blew you away. I bought the 4 string blue/ebony model and have to agree. I was never a great fan of the neck pup solo but it is a revelation.

[@JonnyDibble]

Hard to compare really being jazz vs P! Personally, I actually enjoyed the HB more though?! 😯

[@krisjeneson5017]

hi great demo ... can i ask what's the slap riff your playing in the demo 3:02 - sound sweet is love to learn !

[@JonnyDibble]

Thanks! Just something I wrote 😊

[@craigparse1439]

I commented on the video where you switched to the Fender pickups and I want to add to it. The tone control works incredibly well on these pickups where it shapes the tone rather than shrouding the pickups in a wet blanket. Very nicely done.

[@JonnyDibble]

Hi Craig! Yeah these pots are much higher quality compared to the stock squier ones! Thanks very much 😁

[@piedpeter1]

Nice original song at end!

[@Luthiart]

I had the Fender "Original" pickup in my P-bass too, and I didn't like it all. Swapped it out for the GZR and now it's the best sounding P-bass I've ever heard. Don't be scared off if you don't play metal, or heavy rock, folks... this pickup can do it all. You just have to use that thing called a "tone knob"... You know, that knob near the jack that you usually turn all the way up and forget about?

[@DouglasComical]

At least on the DI comparison the EMGs sounded quieter like they have less output

[@Projamusic]

What is sound different this from regular EMG PHZ?

[@nickj3490]

I feel like the EMGs are best for distortion due to the high end content, but for DI/clean tones, the fender sounds much better to me. That low mid content helps it fit just right in the mix- especially if you’re not emphasizing the treble frequencies with the bass.

[@evanfriedrich6760]

The Fender pickups definitely sounded better for slapping. But the EMGs were nice with distortion. It’s all about what you play

[@JonnyDibble]

So much tone in the hands! I'm not much of a slapper, but in the right hands? 🔥

[@fullhd6598]

The Emg are ceramic or alnico? Nice video man !! 🎸😎🤘🏻

[@samuelsmith6281]

Is it worth getting the PJ version and wiring harness for the Ibanez TMB-100 too but with an active set-up as the TMB is an active bass already? Either way this was another great review.

[@JonnyDibble]

Thanks Sam! Could do, I'm not a fan of the active preamp on the TMB 100 so would probably take it out and run it all passive! I think I'll get some different pickups for that one though, just so I can have a variety of SICK TONEZ 😁

[@samuelsmith6281]

@@JonnyDibble I was suggesting replacing the preamp too for an EMG one (isn't active stuff what EMG made their name making?). Someone mentioned G&L below which could be a tasty upgrade for the TMB, I've heard they make some pretty hot pick-ups. :)

[@JonnyDibble]

@@samuelsmith6281 ah sorry mate I misread! Yeah active is their bag, going to research some options. Thinking of doing a complete mod transformation on that TMB 😁

[@samuelsmith6281]

@@JonnyDibble which ever way you go I'm looking forward to seeing what thicc bass mods you do next. 😁

[@iamgribs]

What strings do you use. This thing sounds amazing

[@JonnyDibble]

D'addario Pro Steels :)

[@Barberhearts]

What string gauge you playing with? I play in c standard but always think it sucks that the heavy gauge’s loss so much clarity in the thicker strings

[@JonnyDibble]

I tend to play in Drop D or standard tuning. I use 105-45s for this. For C standard, I'd recommend 120 guage for a tighter feel and 110 for a looser feel. What strings are you using? If not already, check put some stainless steel strings. They tend to be a bit brighter!

[@quasimotto2248]

I like the slap sound of the emg's.

[@FURAPANZA]

great tones overall! I particularly enjoyed the edgier ones with some distortion or the woody blue amp. Wich strings did you use?

[@JonnyDibble]

Thanks! Strings are Daddario Pro Steels 😊

[@Munchable420]

The fender's sound so much fuller di'd, but honestly can't tell much of a tone difference other than the output difference

[@iamgribs]

The difference between the two pickups are night and day. I like the fender for what it is, but the emg just has more balls. Sounds GREAT when overdriven

[@JonnyDibble]

Really suits that sound!

[@iamgribs]

@@JonnyDibble should be no surprise, geezer liked to dabble in overdrive quite a bit.

[@cctn2012]

Cool p bass sounds good

[@JonnyDibble]

Thanks! Loving it

[@firmansaragi498]

Emg wins hands down for modern heavy song. That's the DI tone right there

[@JonnyDibble]

Makes sense! They're great sounding pickups

[@iceicebuddy]

Geezer is the GOAT

[@JonnyDibble]

Absolute GOAT 🙌

[@oulosvie]

3:33 sounds sweet

[@_pseudo_embrace_]

Whats the song your playing at the end??

[@JonnyDibble]

Hi! All my own compositions 😊

[@_pseudo_embrace_]

@@JonnyDibble sounds freaking amazing

[@v12cat]

To me and my untrained ear, I think I like the Fender better. The EMG's sounded a bit more damped and lacked bottom end? ...and 9/10 times on these comparison things I can't hear even the slightest difference!

[@JonnyDibble]

The Fenders definitely have a warmer low end! More of a vintage voicing for sure

[@oldasrocks9121]

You know, these are based on Bobby Vega's '62 PBass pickups. So they should sound good!

[@engineer6250]

Wonder if you can get gold coloured Bass strings......

[@JonnyDibble]

24 karat tone 🔥

[@engineer6250]

@@JonnyDibble Jonny, is there any chance of squier releasing a left handed Paranormal '54? Been looking out for one of their 54 single pickup CVs for ages but they don't seem to exist. Looked at the Harvey Benton, but the bad workmanship is just hidden. Even though of buying a warmoth!

[@JonnyDibble]

@@engineer6250 they said it was a limited run, so I doubt it unfortunately 😔 All the Harley Bentons I've had have been great tbf, for the money at least!

[@irvan36mm]

Do a Google search for “Optima 24K Gold Bass Strings”. Awesome strings, if you got the $$.

[@willistaylor4077]

Puddy Tat Cat Logic: "I love You, Therefore, I'm going to Bite You...!!!" 😆😆💕💕❤️❤️

[@JonnyDibble]

Sounds like her!

[@garycoates4987]

my solution to the knobs was I mounted chicken-head amp knobs that have a set-screw to fit now I'm putting chicken-head knobs and several guitars lol

[@JonnyDibble]

I love it when some basses have like one singular chicken head for a special feature 😍 Nice one!

[@kabassa]

fender pickups sound much better

[@darkySp]

Fingerstyle with 0% tone and some heavy overdrive would sound great!

[@TheDavoFloresChannel]

Am I the only one who tniks that EMG GZR Pup sounds thin and harsh? Or it´s only that no video makes justice to it at all?

[@fistinair1979]

I have found that I only really like these pickups with flats. I can't really put my finger on what I don't like about them when I have rounds on but it just doesn't do it for me.

[@JonnyDibble]

I still need to try some flats for fun, my tone is centred around that punchy attack though so I'm enjoying these pickups so far!

[@fistinair1979]

@@JonnyDibble they aren't right for everything but I love playing them.

[@JonnyDibble]

@@fistinair1979 I do want a bass solely for flats, was thinking a mustang 🤔

[@fistinair1979]

@@JonnyDibble I've got two now. The P with the Geezers and a Yamaha BB 5 string because it just sounds better with flats.

[@willistaylor4077]

@@fistinair1979 Yes! I'm getting a set of Flatwound strings for my Yamaha BB-705 5-string Bass too !

[@nunoharris]

Hi. Can the EMG Geezer Pickups recreate the distorted earlier sound of black Sabbath albuns ? Thanks

[@PerezBroz-p5o]

Ok so the fenders sounded much fuller direct the EMGs reacted better to effects.

[@p9jpd9]

it sounds to me like you want a G&L SB1 or SB2, that's the tone your talking about

[@JonnyDibble]

I'll check them out! Thanks for sharing 😁

[@sharulmizahamzah3560]

Yes

[@sharulmizahamzah3560]

I have l2000 tribute, gain at 1 o’clock, treble boost, u will get this tone

[@JonnyDibble]

@@sharulmizahamzah3560 Nice! I'll keep an eye out for one 😊

[@shanewoolsey940]

geezer pickups and chorus

[@jamesprisciandaro3144]

I prefer the Fender. But, less low end will always work better with distortion...

[@ringotango4883]

cat was like :3 'nom'

[@throwingstoner]

I'm currently trying to get that really distorted bass sound from queens of the stone ages first album so I don't know if i should use flatwounds for roundwound strings, what do you think I should use?

[@JonnyDibble]

Depends what kind of distortion you'd like! Personally I use rounds for that bright attack 😊

[@throwingstoner]

@@JonnyDibble o ok

[@jackshittle]

Looks like I see a Zon in the background (Sonus?) I've had the Sonus V and then a Sonus Special 4. I want to get my hands on the Billy Gould model.

[@JonnyDibble]

It's actually the Harley Benton Rickenbacker copy 😊 I've not heard of Zon!

[@justinkline1294]

Came for the comparison, but mainly enjoyed you're playing. You get a great tone by playing hard with a pick. Can't stand weak playing on demos.

[@JonnyDibble]

"Now let's hear it with a pick!" (palm mutes lightly)

[@JonnyDibble]

Thanks mate 😄

[@theotherworldly5971]

Are the Fender pickups you’re using here the ones that originally came with the squire?

[@keithgray7593]

I have the Geezer pickup in my Classic 50’s P bass and rate it highly. On your bass I think the Fender sounds better in this video. It sounds louder and deeper. I therefore think you may have the pup halves set too low on the EMG. Raise them to the point where they are 1/8” above the poles when holding the string down at the last fret. They sound too thin and quiet and that is not quite right in my opinion.

[@JonnyDibble]

Will have a play around!

[@justinthyme3147]

Cool tune at the end of the vid! Got an old Japanese P that I’m looking to modify a bit. Been thinking about swapping out the old pups. I like the grittier deep tones as well. This has helped!

[@JonnyDibble]

@@justinthyme3147 Cheers! Everything you hear is written by me 😊 Sounds like these would be the perfect fit. Glad it helped!

[@paulo34142350]

Me assa esse player along

[@filthydwarf]

00:20 repeat repeat

[@JonnyDibble]

Remix coming soon

[@deenazario]

Maybe it sounds much better in person. Not a huge fan of it

[@douglasdingwall4915]

My '71' precison stays in tune forever, tune it once and I'm good for the rest of the session. I've been playing for 52 years and never needed any pedals, or a 5 string or a fretless. My bass has only one pick up, a volume and tone that's all I've ever needed and prefer an amp with the fewest knobs. I never had any reason to learn slap (let's be honest how many hit songs require slap bass, that's just for showing off at Guitar Center) and got my pick tone by using my finger nail. All this is just my opinion of course, I've never had anybody tell me I had a boring sound, in fact I've had recording engineers tell me they loved the tone I was getting. I have 7 basses (also a few pedals collecting dust) and after all these years while playing the other ones I have always tried to replicate my precision sound with them. I've learned one thing over the years, it's the player not the equipt, that's just my opinion. I'm sure this post will get a lot of hate directed at me, I don't care, there are a lot of insecure bassists who think if only I had........ Not to mention dead batteries and bad connecting cords you get when using pedals.

[@JonnyDibble]

Don't think it will get hate at all! There's absolutely no "wrong" answer or approach to tone if you're happy with it! 😊

[@douglasdingwall4915]

John Entwhistle, Roger Glover, James Jamerson, Donald "Duck" Dunn and even Geezer Butler got their sound with stock precision pick ups, If you play in a Black Sabbath tribute band go for it, guaranteed no one in the band or audience will notice. One thing bass players should remember that they are just the bass player and what songs you play will be depend on the guitarist and the singer, preferably they are one and the same and hopefully you share the same taste in music if not suck it up or find someone else to play with. When I was younger I was a big fan of Derek and the Dominos but couldn't find anyone who knew their songs and wanted to play them till last summer..... been a few years huh? Carl Radle played a precision through an Acoustic which I have, a good clean sound which I can also get through my Sunn amps. Got an Ampeg too, really doesn't matter, the best amps are the one already there and I don't have to cart one of mine over.

[@followingnazarene]

I suggest: learn to play first, then learn how to eq and record and THEN start modify your bass. Not the other way around.

[@dmon7464]

These EMG are great. But i didn't like your reviews with Line6 and Ampeg Sim... Too much frequencies are gone away... Prefer DI spunds for reviews. Just my opinion, but of course, your Channel remains cool 👍🙃 Just kills versatlity

[@blanktintin]

Another reason not to get a cat. WOO! Jk but no joke my butt hole of a cat needs to stop laying on my keyboard breaking it

[@vince8081]

Sorry but a pickup with less BASS on a BASS, can't be a good BASS pickup.

[@JonnyDibble]

We. Want. BASS!

[@Jesuswinsbirdofmichigan]

#149_bassists_AreUnderEducated_There_IS_a_wholeWorldOutsideOfKZbins_twoChoices_gzrbutlerAndSDqtrPounder⚠️

[@o-g-ob4399]

Not a good sounding bass!