The original single-coil Tele P-Bass has this raw, immediate attack that gets right to the point. But I’ve also felt there was more we could get out of that design. Some originals sound a little thin, and simply winding a replacement hotter can take away the clarity that made the pickup interesting in the first place.
This is my answer to that. I reworked the coil geometry and used a lower-resistance 42-gauge wire for this pickup to give it more of a piano-like clarity and fullness. It has more punch and a bigger feel under your fingers, but you can still hear the clarity and definition of an early Tele P-Bass. Dig in and it pushes back with more attitude. Ease up and the notes stay clear.
We also raised the A and D magnets to address something that has always bothered players about flat-pole versions: the outside strings can jump out while the middle strings get lost. The stagger gives the middle strings a more even voice and focus across the bass.
There’s also more of the weight you want from a P-Bass and all of the note clarity you associate with a Jazz Bass, but it still sounds like its own thing. We're really proud of where this one landed. It’s the 1951-style pickup we wanted to hear: familiar, lively, and a lot more satisfying to play.
Hand-wound in the USA by Brickhouse Toneworks.
