Upgrading your pickups may be the simplest and most cost effective way to significantly improve the tone of your precision style bass, and if you’ve held a solder gun before, you can do the upgrade yourself, in most cases. If you like the handling and feel of your p-bass but find the tone lacking, then new pickups might just be what you need.
A good set of pickups will breathe new life into your bass and possibly inspire you to play more (as we all should), but finding the right pickup can be an ordeal with all the possibilities out there, so we made a list of the best P bass pickups on the market and reviewed them, to help nudge you towards the right pickup for your needs.
If you want to learn more about bass pickups before going through the reviews, take a look at the P bass pickup buying guide at the bottom of the page where we’ll bring you up to speed with everything you need to know when choosing a new set of pickups to spice up your tone.
The pickups on this list will focus on 4-string bass guitars as they are the most common. That said, many of these pickups are also available in 5-string configurations among others.
| Name of Product | Image of Product | Description | Price Range | Full Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Aguilar 4P-60 P-Bass Pickup (Best Overall) |  | Type: Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup Magnet: Alnico 5 | $120 | Read Full Review Below |
| 2. Fender Original Precision Bass Pickup set |  | Type: Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup Magnet: Alnico 5 rod magnets with exposed pole-pieces | $100 | Read Full Review Below |
| 3. Seymour Duncan SPB-3 Quarter Pound P-Bass Pickup (Best Value) |  | Type: Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup Magnet: Alnico 5 rod magnets with exposed pole-pieces | $75 | Read Full Review Below |
| 4. DiMarzio DP127 Split P Pickup (Editor's Choice) |  | Type: Passive P-style Split Humbucker Magnet Type: Ceramic | $85 | Read Full Review Below |
| 5. DiMarzio DP 122 Model P (Best Cheap) |  | Type: Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup Magnet: Ceramic | $70 | Read Full Review Below |
| 6. Fender Custom Shop ‘62 Precision Bass Pickup |  | Type: Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup Magnet: Alnico 5 | $130 | Read Full Review Below |
| 7. Seymour Duncan SPB-4 Steve Harris Signature P-bass Pickup |  | Type: Passive split-coil P-bass pickup Magnet: Alnico 5 | $90 | Read Full Review Below |
| 8. EMG GZR-P Geezer Butler Signature P |  | Type: Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup Magnet: Alnico 5 rod magnets with exposed pole-pieces | $110 | Read Full Review Below |
| 9. Bartolini 4-string Original P-Bass 8S |  | Type: Passive P-style Split Humbucker Magnet: Ceramic blade core design | $125 | Read Full Review Below |
| 10. Seymour Duncan SPB-1 Vintage P-bass pickup |  | Type: Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup Magnet: Alnico 5 rod magnets with exposed pole-pieces | $80 | Read Full Review Below |
Here Are the Best P Bass Pickups
1. Aguilar 4P-60 P-Bass Pickup (Best Overall)
| Estimated Price | $120 |
| Type | Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup |
| Magnet Type | Alnico 5 |
| Number of Strings | 4 (also available in 5 and 6 string configurations) |
| Pickup Covers | Black |
My Review: The 4P-60 Precision-style bass pickups are the result of trying to reproduce the pickups found in the 60s Precision basses owned by Aguilar president Dave Boonshoft. And they’ve succeeded in their endeavor. These pickups use period-correct parts and wiring (or as correct as is possible today) including Alnico 5 magnets with exposed pole-pieces and Heavy Formvar wire to produce that 60s Precision Bass thump that instruments from that era are known and loved for, no matter what amp you plug them into. The 4P-60 pickups are specially wound so that they produce a warm, full-range tone with a fat and full low-end and punchy mid-range while retaining a harmonically rich high end. There is nothing out there that sounds quite like a pair of Aguilar’s 4P-60s.
Key Specs: The 4p-60 Precision-style pickups feature 60s era specifications, from the Alnico 5 magnets used at their core, to the type of wire used for the bobbin and the cloth-sleeved conductors. The pickup covers only come in black. Aguilar also offers a “hot” version of the 4P-60 with bigger magnets and overwound coils for a more aggressive tone, without any loss of dynamic range.
Target Customer: The 4P-60 P-style pickup is aimed at the player who cherishes the vibe and feel of a vintage Precision Bass. These pickups will transform your bass into a 60s era funk-machine.
Bottom Line: If the P-style pickup on your bass sounds too modern to your ears, this could be the pickup of your dreams. The 4P-60s packs just enough mid-range punch to cut through any mix and at $120, they are honestly priced compared to some of their competitors offering “vintage” pickup replicas.
2. Fender Original Precision Bass Pickup Set (Best Under $100)
| Estimated Price | $100 |
| Type | Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup |
| Magnet Type | Alnico 5 rod magnets with exposed pole-pieces |
| Number of Strings | 4 |
| Pickup Covers | Black |
My Review: This is a spec-wise reproduction of the original 1962 Precision Bass pickup that will fit snugly into your American P-Bass. It features flush-mounted Alnico 5 magnets with exposed pole-pieces, and a true-to-the-original, enamel-coated magnet wire. The fiber-bobbin on which the magnet-wire rests and the cloth-covered output wires are period-correct as well. And all this attention to detail pays off in the end. The Original Precision Bass pickup sounds as you would expect: a powerful low-end, a punchy midrange, and a crisp, though slightly subdued high-end, for that true vintage vibe. The tone is clear and powerful, cutting easily through the most crowded mix.
Key Specs: The Fender Original Precision set is a passive split-coil P-style pickup, modeled on Fenders’ 1962 legendary pickup. It features flush-mounted Alnico 5 rod magnets with exposed pole-pieces, enamel-coated magnet-wire, period-correct fiber bobbin, and a cloth-wrapped output wire, housed in Fender’s classic black pickup enclosure. The pickup set comes with the included installation hardware.
Target Customer: If you are in search of the sound that started it all, and don’t want to spend a small fortune on vintage pickups, try out the Original Precision pickup. It features period-correct specs, for the ultimate vintage tone.
Bottom Line: The Original Precision Bass pickup is a legend, and for a quite reasonable price, you could be a part of it. If you love old-school vintage tones, check this one out, it’s been around for six decades, and it won’t go away anytime soon.
3. Seymour Duncan SPB-3 Quarter Pound P-Bass Pickup (Best Value)
| Estimated Price | $75 |
| Type | Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup |
| Magnet Type | Alnico 5 rod magnets with exposed pole-pieces |
| Number of Strings | 4 (also available in a 5-string configuration) |
| Pickup Covers | Black |
My Review: The SPB-3 Quarter Pound was designed as a modern high-quality drop-in replacement for the Fender Precision Bass guitar. It has a fat and punchy tone with heaps of low-end, a well-defined mid-range, and its treble response is much improved over original Fender P-style pickups. This is a very hot pickup so cutting through the mix will be a piece of cake, be it on stage or in the studio. It offers a more modern take on the classic Precision bass sound and would feel at home in any genre of music due to its extended frequency range.
Key Specs: Among the first things you will notice when laying eyes on the SPB-3 are the oversized quarter-inch Alnico 5 magnets responsible for its high output and wide frequency range. It comes only with black pickup covers. There are no pickup height foam inlays in the box so you’ll either salvage the ones from the pickups you are replacing or you remember to buy some new ones. The SPB-3 Quarter Pound pickups are hand-built in Santa Barbara, CA.
Target Customer: This pickup is aimed at the modern Precision Bass player in search of a modern take on the classic precision sound. Fans of the vintage precision sound would find this pickup too ”full range” sounding and would probably enjoy a more “classic”, lower output pickup.
Bottom Line: This is a pickup for those who want a high quality, high output pickup for a modern Precision Bass tone that won’t break the bank. Overall, I would say that these are the best P bass pickups for the money.
4. DiMarzio DP127 Split P Pickup (Editor’s Choice)
| Estimated Price | $85 |
| Type | Passive P-style Split Humbucker |
| Magnet Type | Ceramic |
| Number of Strings | 4 |
| Pickup Covers | Black or White |
My Review: The DiMarzio DP 127 Split P is somewhat of an oddball among replacement pickups for precision-style basses. With standard P-style pickups, each half of the pickup is a single-coil but as they are wired together and out of phase, they effectively make a split humbucking pickup. The DP 127, however, takes this concept one step further: each half of the pickup is a true humbucker (with two coils per half). As a result, this is a very hot and very responsive pickup, EQ’d to expand the frequency range of your bass by extending both the low-end and high-end response. The double-bladed design makes string spacing a non-issue while being very sensitive to both fingerstyle and pick-playing. Sonically, the DP127 has a solid low-end with a very smooth although slightly subdued mid-range and more treble than you would expect, from a P-style pickup. All in all, a very Hi-Fi sounding P-bass pickup with a snappy attack and an emphasis on tonal and dynamic versatility, well suited for any genre of music.
Key Specs: The DP127 is the “hottest” pickup in DiMarzio’s lineup with the highest output voltage. It is a true split humbucking pickup with powerful ceramic magnets at its core. The double-bladed rail construction makes for a sensitive and responsive pickup. You can choose between white and black pickup enclosures.
Target Customer: This pickup is a welcome addition to any Precision-type bass guitar, extending its typical frequency response at both the bass and treble side of the spectrum. The DP127 is a great performer in any situation, better suited for players looking for modern sounds.
Bottom Line: A great pickup with great sound, adding an unusual amount of versatility to any bass with the right cutout. At this price, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything as good.
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5. DiMarzio DP 122 Model P (Best Cheap)
| Estimated Price | $70 |
| Type | Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup |
| Magnet Type | Ceramic |
| Number of Strings | 4 |
| Pickup Covers | Black or Cream |
My Review: The DiMarzio DP122 Model P has been a staple replacement pickup for Precision-style basses since 1977 and it won’t go away anytime soon, in part due to its huge tone and attitude at a very affordable price point. The powerful ceramic magnet sits at the heart of this high output pickup and feels at home in any style of music but will be more inclined towards the heavier end of the spectrum, ideally rock metal or punk.
The hum-canceling design of the Model P aims to make your tone clear and punchy without sacrificing any of your precious low-end while providing plenty of mid-range growl to cut through any mix. This pickup delivers a high-gain bass sound that has its focus on the low-end and midrange rather than the treble and will retain its clarity even while you’re heavily digging into your strings.
Key Specs: The DiMarzio Model P features powerful ceramic magnets for a high-gain tone with lots of low-end definition and mid-range growl. You have the option to choose between black or cream-colored pickup covers and three color options for the pole-pieces: black, gold, and nickel. There is no 5-string option for the Model P.
Target Customer: The DP 122 Model P is aimed at the owner of a Precision-style instrument looking to upgrade their bass of choice for a more aggressive style of music on a budget. But this is one of the rare cases where you will get much more than you pay for.
Bottom Line: This is a high quality, high output pickup, well suited for any kind of music genre, and it comes with a very affordable price tag.
6. Fender Custom Shop ‘62 Precision Bass Pickup
| Estimated Price | $130 |
| Type | Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup |
| Magnet Type | Alnico 5 |
| Number of Strings | 4 |
| Pickup Covers | Black |
My Review: If you are looking for the most authentic vintage Fender Precision Bass sound there is, then look no further than the Custom Shop ‘62 Precision Bass Pickups. In classic P-bass fashion, it is a split-coil humbucking pickup with a vintage vibe to it. This is a higher-end pickup featuring flush-mounted Alnico 5 magnets and enamel-coated wire is used for the coils. This coated bobbin wire degrades the electrical signal to emulate the sound of a vintage pickup, resulting in a natural grit to the tone that almost sounds overdriven when you turn up the volume knob and really dig into the strings.
The pickups have a balanced tone to them, with a fat and tight low-end, strongly accented, punchy mids, and clear, bright highs. The frequencies are balanced just right so you can fit in with any style of music and cut right through the mix. One of its greatest assets is its dynamic range and responsiveness, capable of smooth Motown-Esque thumping sounds as well as hard rock or metal driven bass lines without ever losing its footing.
Key Specs: The Custom Shop ‘62 Precision Bass pickup is Fender’s way of recreating the sound of a vintage pickup using new technologies. Its Alnico 5 magnets with flush-mounted, exposed pole pieces, the enamel-coated wire, the cloth sleeved conductors, all contribute to accurately imitate the tone of a vintage pickup.
Target Customer: If you own a bass that this pickup would fit into, and you like the sound of a vintage P-bass, this could be the most affordable way to achieve that iconic sound.
Bottom Line: The Custom shop ‘62 is one of the best P-bass pickups on the market. It’s not cheap by any standards but it is definitely worth every penny.
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7. Seymour Duncan SPB-4 P-bass Pickup
| Estimated Price | $90 |
| Type | Passive split-coil P-bass pickup |
| Magnet Type | Alnico 5 |
| Number of Strings | 4 |
| Pickup Covers | Black |
My Review: The SPB-4 is the result of a collaboration between Seymour Duncan and metal bass legend Steve Harris. The pickup is tailored to his two-finger playing style, but his needs seem to mirror the needs of rock and metal bass players in general. The SPB-4 is a medium output pickup, it uses Alnico 5 rod-magnets with exposed pole-pieces and a unique vintage hot-coil wind that delivers powerful sound with fast attack, a tight low-end, a low-mid boost, and slightly more high-end than you’ll usually hear on P-basses. The SPB-4 pickup is very responsive and has such a wide dynamic range that it will drive your preamp section harder than most other pickups out there without clipping it. Whether you play with your fingers or with a pick, this pickup’s metal pedigree will let you cut through the most crowded mix of distorted guitars.
Key Specs: The SPB-4 Steve Harris signature pickup features hand-ground Alnico 5 rod-magnets with exposed pole-pieces, and a special vintage-hot custom wind developed by Seymour Duncan, resulting in a boosted, aggressive midrange bite. The SPB-4 is handcrafted in Santa Barbara, CA, and is housed in a black enclosure adorned with Steve Haris’ signature on the top.
Target Customer: The SPB-4 will be a welcome addition to any metal, punk, or rock bass players’ Precision Bass or a clone thereof. It is a great pickup for beginners and more advanced players alike, offering a wide dynamic range tailored to heavier styles of music.
Bottom Line: This pickup brings a lot of low-end and mid-range growl to the table, it has a unique sound and may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for all you metal bass players out there, it could be the only pickup you’ll ever want. These are easily some of the best P bass pickups out there.
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8. EMG GZR-P Geezer Butler Signature P
| Estimated Price | $110 |
| Type | Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup |
| Magnet Type | Alnico 5 rod magnets with exposed pole-pieces |
| Number of Strings | 4 |
| Pickup Covers | Black |
My Review: The GZR-P p-bass pickup was designed by EMG in collaboration with legendary Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler. They aim to reproduce the bass tone from his earlier years in the band. The pickups are styled with a vintage vibe, but they offer a few modern conveniences like an all-solderless design. They feature Alnico 5 magnets with exposed pole-pieces and custom wound coils, for an aggressive overwound tone. Equipping your trusted bass with GZR-P will turn it into a vintage hard-rock machine. Deep, round lows, a slightly scooped midrange, and sparkly highs are what you get from this pickup, resulting in a very pleasing growl.
Key Specs: The GZR-P is a high output P-bass drop-in replacement pickup. It features Alnico 5 rod magnets with exposed pole-pieces, with a custom-wound coil. The pickup comes with an excellent all-solderless design: tone, and volume pots included, which makes installation a breeze.
Target Customer: The GZR-P is an ideal pickup for the vintage hard-rock lovers out there, it sounds aggressive and fat, and the easy installation makes it ideal for those less inclined to tinkering.
Bottom Line: The Geezer Butler signature P delivers on its promise: a high-quality passive pickup, killer tones with a vintage rock flavor, and a reasonable price-tag.
9. Bartolini 4-string Original P-Bass 8S
| Estimated Price | $125 |
| Type | Passive P-style Split Humbucker |
| Magnet Type | Ceramic blade core design |
| Number of Strings | 4 (also available in a 5-string configuration) |
| Pickup Covers | Black |
My Review: Bartolini’s 8S Original Series P-bass pickups are designed as a drop-in replacement for P-style basses with a twist. Each of the two pickups in this set is a true humbucker, with two coils housed in each enclosure. The Pole-pieces are hidden under the cover, but instead of individual pole-pieces (as is customary for a P-style pickup), Bartolini opted for a dual ceramic blade design, for a more balanced magnetic field, minimizing the effects of suboptimal string spacing. Because of its dual humbucking design, this pickup sounds very clean and well-behaved. The low end is tight and well-defined, the midrange is clearer than with your standard p-bass pickup, and the high-end is bright but never harsh. It’s a very Hi-Fi sounding pickup, much like the DP 127 from DiMarzio, but with a slightly boomier low-midrange.
Key Specs: The 8S Original Series P-bass is a passive, dual humbucker P-style pickup with a dual bladed ceramic magnet design. The pickup is hum-canceling, it comes with black pickup-covers only, and is also available for 5-string basses.
Target Customer: If you are searching for a modern interpretation of the P-style pickup, this could be it. The 8S Original Series P-bass focuses on a bell-balanced, full-range bass tone, that cuts right through the mix, great for any style of music, from jazz to metal.
Bottom Line: This is a great pickup, it expands the tonal versatility of your good old P-bass. If you are looking for vintage tones, it won’t make the cut, but if you want a modern, punchy, and clear P-bass tone, check these out. These are some awesome precision bass pickups.
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10. Seymour Duncan SPB-1 Vintage P-bass Pickup
| Estimated Price | $80 |
| Type | Passive Split-coil P-Bass pickup |
| Magnet Type | Alnico 5 rod magnets with exposed pole-pieces |
| Number of Strings | 4 |
| Pickup Covers | Black |
My Review: The SPB-1 is a drop-in replacement for any American Standard series Precision Bass, and it focuses on replicating the tone of late 1950s era P-basses. It features hand ground Alnico 5 rod magnets, a vintage coil-wind for a smooth vintage sound, and period correct cloth covered, output wires. The SPB-1 sounds restrained and well balanced, with a slightly scooped midrange sound. The low end is tight and precise, while highs are smooth and not too harsh.
Key Specs: The SPB-1 is a reimagining of late ‘50s Precision Bass pickups, relying on period correct specs and parts to do their magic: hand-ground Alnico 5 rod magnets with exposed pole pieces, a vintage coil wind, and cloth-covered output wires, all housed in a black pickup enclosure that will fit any American Standard Precision Bass without modification.
Target Customer: If you are searching for that vintage tone and you are on a tight budget, take a look at the SPB-1. They are articulate and produce a well-balanced sound that would sit well in any mix. These are easily some of the best precision bass pickups out there.
Bottom Line: The SPB-1 P-bass set is a good value option if you are looking to get into vintage bass tones. The build quality is very good, the sound is excellent, and the price is just right.
Choosing the Right P Bass Pickups (Buying Guide)
The pickup is the heart and soul of your bass, and for a P-style bass, it’s even more true. Here are a few things you should know about the P-style magnetic pickup.
Magnetic Pickups Explained
Magnetic pickups represent the bulk of the pickup market and are by far the most widely used in electric basses or any electric instruments for that matter. They remain mostly unchanged since their inception in the mid-1920s, with only relatively minor tweaks to the original concept. Due to their design, magnetic pickups are required to be positioned right under the strings of the instrument.
In a magnetic pickup, copper wire is wound around a magnet (this is called a coil), when the string (containing iron or nickel) above the magnet vibrates, it will disturb the magnets’ magnetic field and induce an electric current in the copper wire. This electric current is then routed to the output jack of your instrument and will pass through the cable to the amp, where it will be amplified, and you get to hear your bass sing.
Some magnetic pickups are “hotter” than others; this means that they have a higher output voltage, resulting in higher gain and volume. A “hotter” pickup will generally sound fuller and warmer than a lower output one. The downside to a “hot” pickup is less high-end clarity.
The output of the pickup is measured in millivolts and is dependent upon a few variables:
Magnet strength: a more powerful magnet will have a larger magnetic field resulting in higher output voltage
Copper wire gauge and windings: the thicker the copper wire wrapped around the magnet, the higher the output voltage, but as the volume of the pickup enclosure is limited, with thicker wire, you get fewer windings than with a thinner wire gauge. By adding more wraps to the coil, you can increase the output voltage of the pickup. This is why manufacturers sometimes offer “overwound” pickups in their lineup. For optimal pickup output and performance, the pickup maker has to strike a balance between the thickness of the copper wire and the number of coil windings.
String gauge and composition: The most widely used ferromagnetic metals for bass strings – metals that are attracted to magnets – are iron and nickel, iron being by far the most prevalent. Nickel strings have a slightly weaker interaction with the magnetic field of the pickup producing a “mellower” tone.
Heavier gauge strings have more mass to them (more iron or nickel in their composition) so that they will have a stronger interaction with the magnetic field of the pickups, the result is also a higher output voltage.
Another thing to consider with the output voltage is that besides being dependent on the construction of the pickup and the type of strings you use, it is also influenced by how hard you pluck the string. A harder pluck will result in the bass string vibrating with larger amplitude, perturbing the magnetic field more than a lighter pluck would, as a consequence, the output voltage increases.
After all this talk of output voltage, you may think it is the be-all-end-all when choosing a pickup, but as I mentioned earlier, there’s a catch. While you increase the output voltage, you get more volume and gain, driving your amp harder and getting a more pronounced bass and midrange, but you will also steadily lose top-end up-to a point. So if hi-fi or “piano-string-like” bass sounds are your thing, maybe going for the hottest pickup you can find will not do the trick for you.
P-style Magnetic Bass Pickups
The first magnetic pickup ever made for a production model bass was a single-coil pickup on the 1951 Precision Bass made by Fender. It had the basic single-coil design that endures to this day: four magnets ( one for each string) with exposed pole-pieces wrapped in a copper-wire coil. Fender later switched the single-coil with the now legendary “split-coil” P-bass pickup.
The P-style pickup featured a few improvements over the original. As the name suggests, they took a standard single-coil pickup and split it into two halves, basically creating two pickups that they wired together, performing as a single unit. They also beefed up the pickup in the process, adding more coil wraps and increasing the size of the pickup. This alteration resulted in a pickup with significantly higher output and reduced noise, as single-coils were quite prone to pick up noise from electromagnetic sources such as amps, radios, stage lights, and so on. The P-style pickup was the first humbucking pickup, although its two single-coil halves were offset: half of the pickup was used for the E and A strings, with the other half for the D and G strings. The result was a bass guitar with a buttery smooth low-end and a lot of midrange growl, which defined the early rock ‘n roll bass sound. The only drawback of the P-style pickup was its lack of high-end sparkle, which Fender addressed later on with the Jazz Bass and its classic two single-coil layout.
The P-style form-factor remains mostly unchanged, but there are some variations to the tried and tested design. In addition to the standard split-coil with exposed pole-pieces, you’ll also encounter fully enclosed P-style pickups. This design is less inclined to degrade over time as the coils are coated in resin. There are also “true” humbuckers in P-style format, with 2 separate coils in each half of the pickup like with the Dimarzio DP127.
Another thing to consider is that there are variations in the physical dimensions of the pickups coming from different manufacturers: the P-style pickup in an Ibanez bass is narrower than the standard Precision pickup, so the replacement pickup will not fit inside the pickup cutout of your bass. This issue will probably have to be addressed by a luthier, adding to the cost of the pickup switch. To avoid the luthier you could do it yourself (NOT RECOMMENDED) or just check the dimensions of the pickups before buying!
My name is Chris and I’ve had a passion for music and guitars for as long as I can remember. I started this website with some of my friends who are musicians, music teachers, gear heads, and music enthusiasts so we could provide high-quality guitar and music-related content.
I’ve been playing guitar since I was 13 years old and am an avid collector. Amps, pedals, guitars, bass, drums, microphones, studio, and recording gear, I love it all.
I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. My background is in Electrical Engineering, earning a Bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University. With my engineering experience, I’ve developed as a designer of guitar amplifiers and effects. A true passion of mine, I’ve designed, built, and repaired a wide range of guitar amps and electronics. Here at the Guitar Lobby, our aim is to share our passion for Music and gear with the rest of the music community.