Although all bass pickups essentially perform the same task, differences in the makeup and execution of the process can alter the sound and end result of your bass guitar tone. Having a firm idea of what type of sound and style you’re aiming for will enable you to make a more informed decision about what bass pickup is best for you.
Of course, there’s no better learning experience than actually playing instruments that utilize different bass pickups and hearing the difference for yourself, so it’s always advisable to try before you buy. Nonetheless, even if you’re not able to do this, these are some concepts that will help you in selecting the right choice.
J Pickups
Also known as jazz pickups, J pickups fall under the category of a magnetic pickup. Magnetic pickups are characterized by their magnetic pole pieces placed in exact alignment underneath the strings of a bass guitar where they capture the sound through the air. Using their magnetic fields, the signal is captured and transmitted out of the instrument, through the connected cable, and then amplified.
The sound of a J pickup is bright and often-times aggressive, so it’s most often favored for rock music and other “in-your-face” styles. Of course, as the name indicates, they are also popular amongst jazz bassists.
Most J pickups are configured in a pair, with one pickup located in the bridge position and the other in the neck position. The neck position is usually wide whereas the bridge is a bit tighter and more punchy. Bass instruments utilizing the dual J pickup configuration provide a knob allowing bassists to mix the signal coming from each pickup, allowing them to dial in the right combination of sounds coming from the two separate sources.
P Pickups
P pickups (or precision pickups) have a deeper and heavier sound preferred for funk music, heavier types of rock, and anything requiring a deeper bottom-end. The configuration of a P pickup bass is also split into a pair, with one pickup covering the lower two strings and the other capturing the sound of the higher strings. These two pickups are set up in a staggered form and also can be referred to as a dual coil humbucker setup.
Piezoelectric Pickups
In contrast to magnetic pickups, piezoelectric pickups are most commonly used to amplify the signal of acoustic bass guitars; they can be occasionally found on electric bass guitars as well. Rather than reading the signal through the air as the magnetic pickup does, piezoelectric bass pickups sense the vibration of the string through contact with the string at the bridge.
Although this kind of pickup has the advantage of completely dodging some of the hum and buzz which sometimes occurs when using magnetic pickups, the downside is they sometimes sound thin and weak compared to magnetic counterparts. To work around this factor, some bass guitar setups combine both magnetic and piezoelectric pickups in an effort to deliver a sound that captures the best of both worlds.