Thursday, September 19, 2024
BassBass Guitar

Get A Vintage P-Bass Tone (Bartolini 8SU review)


Get A Vintage P-Bass Tone (Bartolini 8SU review)

In this video I compare my stock pick ups with some Bartolini 8SU pick ups. Whilst repairing this P-bass I have decided to upgrade the pick ups in search for a more vintage tone. To try and get that vintage tone, the first thing I will swap out is the pick ups. What do you think of the sound?

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#Vintage #PBass #Tone #Bartolini #8SU #review

Originally posted by UCEUnQph7MuiBUUuZpT5wM2A at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61DjCvQZNKQ

28 thoughts on “Get A Vintage P-Bass Tone (Bartolini 8SU review)

  • Just came across this as I am thinking of putting the 8SU on my Fender Lyte PJ. The 8SU has a much more defined GROOWWWWWLLL than the stock pickup that sounds kinda mushier. So even with the flatwounds that you have on the bass in the video, the Barts will help you push the low end (just above where the low end makes the speakers go just fluff fluff fliff ) and add some definition to the notes down there.

    The upper mids are not so important I find with a bass, they might be nice for a bass player to have and hear when you play the bass on your own, but that part of the spectrum is mixed out so often when playing live or in the studio to make room for other instruments, voice, etc anyway

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  • Originals are very slightly better. But in a band setting, with an audience with alcohol…….absolutely no difference

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  • Hello, sorry I know the video is "old" by now. Both are good, different takes on a classic sound. They do not sound that similar, though of course they do sound like P bass. The Bartolini sounds deeper and clearer, especially with tone at 50 and 0 percent. Hear the low mids, how nice. However, the stock pickups do have more upper mids, which some if not many players prefer.

    The fullness of the Bartolini 8SU is pretty much what I prefer, though I am also fond of "grindy", upper-mids emphasis pickups. So if I had made this change myself, I would indeed have stuck with the Bartolini P pup. Ideally, have a bass with this tone and use pedals, effects, eq, or two (+) basses to cover both (or more) types of sounds. I thought the 8SU was going to be a tad unclear/muddy, and am happy it appears not to be the case, despite the lesser presence in the upper mids. Thanks for the sample, and best wishes.

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  • both good sounding pickups but to my ear the stock pu sounds like a proper great P bass should, Bartolini sounds like a great pu should but not like a P bass pu, both usable of course

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  • Not really any difference at all. Guitar company's today have figured out how to make really cheap basses that sound the same ass expensive basses. As in the fender p bass vs the squire p bass. The action on the squire and the playability of the squire is going to be better then a vintage p bass. The sound is gonna be about the same. The only difference is gonna be the weight of the bass. Ibanez mastered this along with hamer in the early 90s. It's all about your pride of playing a cheap low budget line of guitars or playing a heavy uncomfortable expensive guitar with a real company logo on it. To be honest with you I think a cheap fender mim body and a cheap mighty mite neck is a great set up. And another thing the squire classic vibe line of bass guitars are awesome. I guarantee you that if you just change the watermark company logo on the neck of the bass from squire to fender. You will feel a lot different about playing it in public. For sure. The truth about cheap basses and guitars in 2022. Nobody has enough balls or experience in being able to tell it like it is!! So there. I said it. Have a good one everybody. From a former Fullerton Fender employee that plays Chandler and Ibanez bass guitars.

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  • Hi sound is vintage i like, what is a diagram electronic for the wired please, thank you and great sound ????

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  • Like some others here I prefer the stock pickup sound. Much funkier, much more vintage and ‘soulful’. I would box up the Bartos and sell them. Did you go to flat wound strings too? If so that would at least partially explain the flatter sound.

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  • The stock pickup sounds better. Many years ago someone handed me a "HONDO" electric bass. .A simple and very cheap knock-off P-bass design. I chuckled and said to myself "I wonder how bad this bass sounds". I plugged it into my SWR bi amp bass rig. Well laugh no more. It sounded AWESOME ! – Hey, Jimmy Page recorded "Kashmir" and most of the "Presence album with his SEARS Silvertone guitar. He also plays it in the movie "It might get loud". Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that in the 1960's you could buy that guitar with a small amp in the guitar case for about 50 dollars from SEARS.

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  • To be honest, I much prefer the stock pickup…
    Amazingly enough, I have the same Squier and the same US P-Bass (Olympic White)… And I agree with you. It's simply a good bass.

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  • You can't beat Bart's! I had 2 Ibanez and a Pedulla buzz bass with Bartolini's. I love them. The current P-Bass I have has Mojo Tone '70 Clone pups . and they're great but Barts is my first choice for pups.

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  • I’ve been thinking of doing something with my SX Vintage Custom, my first bass. It’s surprisingly good, but could be great! This is interesting!

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