I stand corrected. Thank you for informing me that Korea doesn’t have sweatshops and has good labor laws and fair wages. Please forgive my ignorance, I’ll fact check myself better before making such claims. To be fair, I did say that I do like Korean pickups and that they have their systems well dialed in!
@@brianmitchell2973 Really? Not to get into a dispute, but I've seen the costs on our outsourced products, and it's the inverse of the numbers you've reported above. The materials are a larger percentage of the total, but the biggest savings is in super low labor rates. But we're not outsourcing to Korea, so maybe for that country your numbers are accurate. I just try to buy made in USA products when I can.
@@brianmitchell2973 Labor is one of the main reasons but not the only reason. Not every Asian country uses Chinese pot metal. Japanese and Korean companies vary, some use it and others don't. Some American companies are using Chinese pot metal for parts now too. I would still say that you are likely better off buying American made over Korean or Japanese because American made is likely superior just as Korean or Japanese is likely better than Chinese or Indonesian made.
China has sweat shops, South Korea workers have rights and they are paid much better than in China. South Koreans are known for having strict work ethics but that is very different from forced labor. When workers at the Cort factory felt they were being mistreated they protested and went on strike; those aren't things sweatshop workers do.
Someone else mentioned this as well. I stand corrected. I should fact check myself before I say stuff like this. Thanks for the correction I really do appreciate it.
What *exactly* is a sweatshop, anyhow? A shop where people sweat? A shop located in a country you disapprove of for whatever reason? Whatever employment practice you disapprove of? Sweatshops exist in USA, even though "muricans have rights! You'll even find prison labor in the good 'ole US of A. The privilege of going on strike for Americans is basically the privilege to be unemployed for the millions who work in Right to Work States, or for small boutique manufacturers, such as the many small pickup makers who sell direct. So if you're going to start grinding your axe about China's work conditions, you're going to need some very specific and provable information about the workers you presume to be caring about.
I’d love to try it, but it is a lot of work, and if you don’t do it right it comes out worse than cheap pickups. I intend to do it someday for the experience, but for now I’m leaving it to the pros!
You have the best pickup test i think. You should also make a video about pickups generally. Whats high end and what musicians actually love. Would be nice to know:-)
Great vid about the pickups, but I must show disagreement with your two Korean sweat shop comments. I live in South Korea. The factories here are not forced labor in squalor conditions for little or no pay. The pickups you demonstrated are made by two people and a mulitplier machine. It's interesting to watch. Imagine the Heritage Guitar factory in Kalamazoo, that's simar to where these pickups are made.
Thanks for the correction. A few people have commented that I’m wrong about the sweatshops comment. I apologize for the misinformation. Please forgive me. To be fair, I did say that I do like Korean pickups.
I gotta agree they sound great, I preffer the F1's & E1's as I've got a P&J & it could use some new pickups & pots. Thanks, you've sold me on them & I'm glad to find a US made set that isn't active & requires routing the body. Keep up the good work.
I’ve been in touch with Ruiqi ever since I saw this video and he custom wound an E1-ish set for me (5 string) and they should be arriving on Sunday. Can’t wait to try them with the Darkglass Tone Capsule preamp... 😈
how did that work out for you? can you give more details about the tone? i ask cuz im thinking about contacting them to see about getting a 5 string J bass set. how much was it to get 5 string versions?
Cheers Dan, i got in touch with Reech who made me a beutiful E1 Jazz bridge single coil.. After hearing the E1 bridge on this video i had to get one for my Fender Jazz, great sounding and well made pick-ups, a good price, brilliant build quality and sounds brilliant, it does cut through a mix better with the larger pole pieces... & i got it made and sent in just over a week.. impressed... thanks
Great job. Let me know if you have a video on a tele bass pickup. Looking at Seymours 51 P bass stack and Franlin Split 51 P bass pick up. Im putting together a kit that you recommended. I would prefer a noiseless Pup. I just don't want to pay a ton of $. Any recommendations? Thanks
WHAT, how I haven't seen this video yet? Could you also review some soap bar, humbucker and other pickups as well? Budget ones, like you can find on ebay. Can't find any reviews on them, I'd be happy for a reliable one from you :D
I took your advice and ordered a pretty nice Tone Monster preamp and just ordered the PJ1 set for my 92 Ibanez Soundgear, we’ll see how she sounds when I reassemble her.
@@hvze9848 never received more compliments on sound in my life! I put these in and have never seen so much output from an Ibanez on passive mode, the preamp is amazing as well but the growl it has now is insane. Clarity, punch depth it’s all there, these are a blessing. I’m no way affiliated just very impressed with my purchase.
About the proto bass: what are your ideas behind putting the P pickup on the bridge side and what about the angle for the J pickup? Don't you think the J pickup would sound a bit better being less close to the neck (it would be also easier to slap / pop)?
I think these are probably the best upgrade you can make to the cheap kit pickups. They sound so killer and unlike other brands, they won’t cost more than the kit!
Thanks Dan for doing the work for most of us who don't have the time and means to do the things you do. Practical, and nice playing as always. God bless.
Great demo..!! would you mind sharing which set that you tested did you like better for the Jazz Bass..? I'm looking for a replacement to my Fender Geddy Lee Jazz bass.. Thanks in advance for your response and please keep posting new videos.
So.... I know this is an older video but, I really enjoyed it. I am actually working on a rig to do just this same thing. I am a bass player and want to start my own channel to review and test bass strings, bridges, top nuts, pickups, etc. I want to go a little more in-depth though. My rig will have test equipment hooked up for many facets of testing. Tensiometets for string tension and hownit affects neck and intonation, top nuts of different material and how they affect sound, btidges and how they affect playability, sustain, etc., pickups for SO many reasons, and so on. I really enjoy your work and am inspired by what you do. I too am a Christian, am a veteran that enjoys 🔫s...and a bass player that over analyzes everything there is about basses🤣🤣 I always look forward to your videos and builds. Thanks for all the insight and may reach out when I get my thing going. Be well and always be blessed🤘🏽😎🤘🏽
I bought the F2’s for a satin honey burst p bass. I absolutely love the sound now! Definitely more punch with a great noticeable open sound! I’ve used in the studio and the sound man was very impressed with how little he had to do to get the sound he wanted. Live performances it cuts through easily against two guitars and a heavy handed drummer! Thanks for the heads up and the discount!! Joe
two notes: 1, that is one huge neck pocket dude! Love the shape of the body, like a Fender Aerodyne. 2, one factor in the tone of the pickups come down to the type of bridge used , I installed a Duncan Quarter Pounder in my Squier CV Precision and did find it to be way darker than the original one, but after replacing the Gotoh hi-mass bridge copy with a 60s repro Fender bridge from AllParts, that pickup brightened up and sounded snappier. I found out later from a bassist friend that hi-mass bridges are designed to increase mids as well as sustain, and the mids in a hotter pickup just piles onto what a HM bridge adds.
That’s interesting. All the times I’ve used quarter point pickups I’ve always had a high mass bridge. I’ve only heard that they increase sustain, never heard that they color the tone. I’ll have to test this theory. Btw that body is a 5 string jazz bass body, with a 4 string neck, that’s the reason for the huge neck pocket lol.
You do comparisons the best imo. Back to back with different techniques, positions and techniques. May take a long time to edit, but I'm sure we all appreciate it :)
I call it a “pop” it’s basically what I’m doing with my other fingers, just with my thumb. It’s easier to catch the next string on an up stroke after I’ve slapped the string on top of it. Handy tool when used properly!
I took your advice on these when this video came out so I installed two Epic Customs p bass pups ( an F1 and an f2)on a bass build.All I can say is Wow! I have used a ton of pickups and these are for real.Not to mention the ridiculous price.They blow my Geezer pup away. Thanks for the tip and discount!
Those DO sound pretty sweet! I am a big GFS fan. I have never had a problem with anything from them, customer service included. I've refurbed and built many guitars using their products with outstanding results. I refurbed my Hamer Standard with all gold hardware and their Fat & Crunchy Pat pickups and the guitar is now a visual and audio beast! I have a Korina V in the works presently that will be just as outstanding. But these bass pickups have peaked my interest. I have plans for a new bass that might be able to use them. Thanks for the look!
I got the F2's for a late 50's early 60's p bass build. Shell pink swamp ash body with a mint pickguard, maple neck with Madagascar rosewood 7.5" radius 1" thick neck with a 1.75" nut width.
Sorry i havnt commented in a while, been super busy, anyhoo still love all your videos, i used to get the squire bass pickups,and completely rewind them by hand, best live sound, thanks for another great video
i picked up a p bass set i think i paid 40 bucks and its killer ive been playing for years and have tried so many but for the price cant beat them i also out a set into my marcus miller jazz bass with the pre amp you gotta here them they are sinister ecveryone ask what pick ups are you using they cant believe it also a nice thing about these is if you have alot of basses as i do i dont feel like spending hundreds up dollars so i reccomend these they are high quality pick ups for half the price
Seeing as I overlooked the preamp hole layout and need to add a hole to fit the ToneMonster preamp a video on how to properly seal the existing holes and layout new ones would rock. The new preamp is a five pot system and the bass is only drilled for four, two of those four are damaged “almost pushed through” so that needs repaired. It’s a fun learning process but when you want to go out and gig with it the learning time sucks...
Great content I am thinking about trying to replace my 72' jazz bass pickups but trying to stay with the same pickup sound and this video helped a lot. I found another maker and another option thanks a bunch!
Do you have any videos comparing the F1’s to any name brand pups? I’m possibly grabbing a bass for gigging tomorrow. Standard MIM p bass. First thing will be upgrading the pickup. I’ve got a set of Steve Harris signature’s in my G&L. My plan was to buy another pair. But after watching this video… I might have to try the F1 instead.
Hey Dan, I got a PJ1 set from Epic after watching this and put them into my build. Absolutely love them!! They've got a ton of depth and punch for sure. Thanks for all the detail and comparison.
@@bobt5778 love them. I have basses with Lollars, Fralins, nordstrand. I find these pickups to be on par with them. each has its own 'vibe' but tones are very good in each.
Dan, built a Jbass DIY kit after your review (came out AWESOME) and have upgraded pots and various other bits, now looking for pickups. The code now works, but do you know if there is anything i need to know about them fitting in the pickguard..?
Hey, Guns and Guitars, I always wanted to make an experiment, which I think would be worthy of you. How would a tone sound if you bring one pick up ALL the way up to the neck, and another pick up all the way down to the bridge. I seen some MIJ basses, from 70s, made like this.
Hey Dan, it would be nice a video from you covering diferent types of oils and it´s uses; from raw lubricants in springs to diferent wood care products...thanks! love this channel
Thanks. I am another one of those guys that wants to build my own electric bass for quality sound. I prefer the F1 due to the extra punch. Where can I find these to purchase?
I wish he made 5 string bass soapbars. I'd seriously consider putting those up against Nordstrands for my I'm just going to buy them even though I know I'm only going to get a small tonal benefit pickup purchase.
Okat Dan, The P-bass pickups: I prefer the punch and overall depth of the F1's for pick & slap, but prefer the cleanness of the F2's for finger plucking where the F1's sounded a bit noisy when plucked. On the J-bass pickups I think the E-2's sound just as good as the E1's. In other words I found only a very slight bump in the E-1's punch, really not worth mentioning, the E2's were just fine.
The F-1 is nice. I'm totally going to get a cheap bass off CL and slap them in. Cheaper than the Fender vintage '63 I just bought this afternoon by nearly $70
@11:29 FYI I just emailed with Ruiqi at Epic and he mentioned the P/J set is $90 not $80... Not a deal breaker for me personally, but I don't want peeps thinking they are getting the shaft if there was a miscommunication. He responded to my inquiry in under 6 hours... :)
I've bought 2 sets of these pickups and they are AWESOME. I've had Fralins and Fender Custom shops, the Epic custom shop pickups as good or better at half the price.
do you have any knowledge about Wal bass pickups? and what makes them so special? ive heard people describe them as basically multi coil pickups and every string on the bass essentially has its own pickup to eliminate "cross talk"...but I have no idea what that means. im wanting to build my own "dream" bass and would love to have something comparable to that as im a big Justin chancellor fan. thanks! love your channel!
Interesting video! Informative, well organized, you do a a good job of showcasing the pickups. But - here's a problem. I have an old Peavey bass I got at a pawnshop for $80. And the darn thing sounds exactly like the P-bass pickups you demoed! Should I try for a different sound, or would it be better to use similar pickups for a slightly more forqward sound?
Wow F1s sound amazing! Pease do a comparison E1s and E2s positioned together in the exact double coil MM Stingray humbucker position :) I realise the screw lugs will get in the way and you might not want to cut them off so maybe without the covers?
@@GunsandGuitars Ok. I reckon just positioned together so they're touching. You've got some wiggle room to slide them around. I usually do pickup placement by finding the corresponding string harmonic on the strings above pickup and poles. Forward end pole pieces on a Ray sit below and directly between G and A pinch harmonics on the G string.
I found the F2 to be a little to brittle for my liking. Definitely could be adjusted with an amp EQ but I really was digging the classic vibe of the F1 set. Nice and fat with a heavy amount of low mids. The E series I did not have much preference to either more over the other, but then again, I am a P bass kind of dude. As another suggestion for pickups that are very inexpensive but great sounding, check out Guitar Madness pickups. They are on eBay and Reverb I know for sure. I have a set of humbuckers in my Jackson Dinky and they are killer. Only $30 for the pair. I may have mentioned these before on a different video of yours.
I do really like GM pickups. They, like gfs, are made in Korea, and like I said in my video, I actually do like Korean pickups. I’ve used a few GM pickups and liked them a lot.
Guns and Guitars right on. Once these guys get some humbuckers in their catalog I think I may give em a try. Thinking about changing my pbass pickups now.
Are you sure that they are handmade in USA? Their website says there is a 3 week lead time on all pickup orders. Could that be too cover the time that it take to ship to USA from overseas?
I like the F2 p-bass for its vintage sound, I think I would buy the F1 for use on a P/J because when you slightly roll off the Jazz/bridge pickup you get a deep vintage tone anyway. so I choose the F1 for modern and vintage. F1!
Have you looked into wiring your own pickups? It doesn't seem too difficult (in theory) and you could probably make some cool sounding pickups or maybe a new design
I did built my own with half black magnet from speaker and cut nails for inside the winding, sounded really good. Main complication counting windings and not to break extremely thin wire.
Whoa !! You have the Ric behind you that you customized on a budget that sounds AMAZING !!! I can't wait to hear this video. My Amazon Creative Technology speakers are ready !!
I just installed F1s in my squier jazz with new 500k pots as well. I love the sound. Slightly bigger than a vintage spec pickup but not as hot or powerful as a Seymour Duncan quarter pounder (which is good. Like slightly hotter than vintage and a balance of clarity and body). I'm actually tempted to get their p bass pickup but I don't know e1 or e2, or try a 500k tone pot first
That's funny I recently did a old Decca guitar the exact same way to play with experimental pick-ups right down to the twisted wires and hacked up pickguard. Friggin works great pick-up changes in 20 seconds. Settled on soft wood glued in PU cavity I can push tacks into to help hold PUs in place Straight through I like the 1s a lot both types. That is the right and only way to do the demo. However being an annoying type the 2s to me sound like they have more potential to bring out more range with a bit more power added and tweaking. Either way, they are nice
That’s a great idea with the softwood in the cavity. I used foam on the back of the pickups, and the screw holes were predrilled so I can stick them wherever I want easily without struggling with springs at all. And I agree, the 2’s probably have a wider frequency response, but as they lay, the 1’s have the right frequencies that I want to hear, especially the ones that punch thru the mix.
I stand corrected. Thank you for informing me that Korea doesn’t have sweatshops and has good labor laws and fair wages. Please forgive my ignorance, I’ll fact check myself better before making such claims. To be fair, I did say that I do like Korean pickups and that they have their systems well dialed in!
Yes, only Nike has the 11 year olds working 16 hours a day.
The main reason why overseas products are cheaper than usa made ones is material and not labor. While labor may be half materials are like 10% cost.
@@brianmitchell2973 Really? Not to get into a dispute, but I've seen the costs on our outsourced products, and it's the inverse of the numbers you've reported above. The materials are a larger percentage of the total, but the biggest savings is in super low labor rates. But we're not outsourcing to Korea, so maybe for that country your numbers are accurate. I just try to buy made in USA products when I can.
You good fam.
@@brianmitchell2973 Labor is one of the main reasons but not the only reason. Not every Asian country uses Chinese pot metal. Japanese and Korean companies vary, some use it and others don't. Some American companies are using Chinese pot metal for parts now too. I would still say that you are likely better off buying American made over Korean or Japanese because American made is likely superior just as Korean or Japanese is likely better than Chinese or Indonesian made.
China has sweat shops, South Korea workers have rights and they are paid much better than in China. South Koreans are known for having strict work ethics but that is very different from forced labor. When workers at the Cort factory felt they were being mistreated they protested and went on strike; those aren't things sweatshop workers do.
Someone else mentioned this as well. I stand corrected. I should fact check myself before I say stuff like this. Thanks for the correction I really do appreciate it.
J G * I would have to agree with that based on the PRS SE custom that I have, it was made in Korea south.
What *exactly* is a sweatshop, anyhow? A shop where people sweat? A shop located in a country you disapprove of for whatever reason? Whatever employment practice you disapprove of? Sweatshops exist in USA, even though "muricans have rights! You'll even find prison labor in the good 'ole US of A. The privilege of going on strike for Americans is basically the privilege to be unemployed for the millions who work in Right to Work States, or for small boutique manufacturers, such as the many small pickup makers who sell direct. So if you're going to start grinding your axe about China's work conditions, you're going to need some very specific and provable information about the workers you presume to be caring about.
@@SuperShecky Reading comprehension is not you're strong suit.
@@JG-ux7of HAHA !!! Well said.
Can you try make your own pickups? There are some great make your own pickups kits online, may be a great way to save money
YES!
Thiss^^^^^^^
If you arent good at winding this wont go over very well
I’d love to try it, but it is a lot of work, and if you don’t do it right it comes out worse than cheap pickups. I intend to do it someday for the experience, but for now I’m leaving it to the pros!
Can you review his guitar pickups
This is a very helpful video! The F-1 sounds enormous compared to the F-2.
You have the best pickup test i think. You should also make a video about pickups generally. Whats high end and what musicians actually love. Would be nice to know:-)
That’s not a bad idea
Great vid about the pickups, but I must show disagreement with your two Korean sweat shop comments. I live in South Korea. The factories here are not forced labor in squalor conditions for little or no pay. The pickups you demonstrated are made by two people and a mulitplier machine. It's interesting to watch. Imagine the Heritage Guitar factory in Kalamazoo, that's simar to where these pickups are made.
Thanks for the correction. A few people have commented that I’m wrong about the sweatshops comment. I apologize for the misinformation. Please forgive me. To be fair, I did say that I do like Korean pickups.
Pepper Fingers he probably has.
our man wasnt making a joke, he was just dead wrong lol
I gotta agree they sound great, I preffer the F1's & E1's as I've got a P&J & it could use some new pickups & pots. Thanks, you've sold me on them & I'm glad to find a US made set that isn't active & requires routing the body. Keep up the good work.
F1 sounds bad ass
Agreed
Ditto E1. I am tempted...
Why not just but the nordstrand NP4 sounds identical
Just bought a P Bass set because of this video! Love your content!
I’ve been in touch with Ruiqi ever since I saw this video and he custom wound an E1-ish set for me (5 string) and they should be arriving on Sunday. Can’t wait to try them with the Darkglass Tone Capsule preamp... 😈
how did that work out for you? can you give more details about the tone? i ask cuz im thinking about contacting them to see about getting a 5 string J bass set. how much was it to get 5 string versions?
Cheers Dan, i got in touch with Reech who made me a beutiful E1 Jazz bridge single coil.. After hearing the E1 bridge on this video i had to get one for my Fender Jazz, great sounding and well made pick-ups, a good price, brilliant build quality and sounds brilliant, it does cut through a mix better with the larger pole pieces... & i got it made and sent in just over a week.. impressed... thanks
You need to demo the Black Golds please !!
Great job. Let me know if you have a video on a tele bass pickup. Looking at Seymours 51 P bass stack and Franlin Split 51 P bass pick up. Im putting together a kit that you recommended. I would prefer a noiseless Pup. I just don't want to pay a ton of $. Any recommendations? Thanks
WHAT, how I haven't seen this video yet?
Could you also review some soap bar, humbucker and other pickups as well? Budget ones, like you can find on ebay.
Can't find any reviews on them, I'd be happy for a reliable one from you :D
Great find Dan! Hand wound pickups are normally quite expensive. awesome vid as always, keep 'em coming!
I agree, these are a steal for what you get
Thanks for the heads up on these! I just ordered a set of F1s for my Precision bass. Can’t go wrong for $45!
I took your advice and ordered a pretty nice Tone Monster preamp and just ordered the PJ1 set for my 92 Ibanez Soundgear, we’ll see how she sounds when I reassemble her.
Updates? I just pulled the trigger on the same set and I’m crossing my fingers I didn’t just waste my money
@@hvze9848 never received more compliments on sound in my life! I put these in and have never seen so much output from an Ibanez on passive mode, the preamp is amazing as well but the growl it has now is insane. Clarity, punch depth it’s all there, these are a blessing. I’m no way affiliated just very impressed with my purchase.
@@KindredCliff well now, that certainly puts me at ease. Thank you!
Ordered a set of Black Golds last week. They came in the mail today. Can’t wait to get them installed.
Dat bass lick though! Sounds badass with any pickups !
Thanks man
About the proto bass: what are your ideas behind putting the P pickup on the bridge side and what about the angle for the J pickup? Don't you think the J pickup would sound a bit better being less close to the neck (it would be also easier to slap / pop)?
Sounds like using in a PJ set to try the F1 - P and E-2 -J to get the best of both worlds .
That is exactly what I thought !
I just got my first bass kit last week. If I decide to mod it, I know where to get some cool pickups now! Thanks Dan!👍😎🎸🎶
I think these are probably the best upgrade you can make to the cheap kit pickups. They sound so killer and unlike other brands, they won’t cost more than the kit!
@@GunsandGuitars that's awesome! So many are overpriced!👍😎🎸🎶
@74dartman13, how did you kit turn out?
Thanks Dan for doing the work for most of us who don't have the time and means to do the things you do. Practical, and nice playing as always. God bless.
Thanks so much! I appreciate this comment, made my day
Great demo..!! would you mind sharing which set that you tested did you like better for the Jazz Bass..? I'm looking for a replacement to my Fender Geddy Lee Jazz bass.. Thanks in advance for your response and please keep posting new videos.
So....
I know this is an older video but, I really enjoyed it. I am actually working on a rig to do just this same thing. I am a bass player and want to start my own channel to review and test bass strings, bridges, top nuts, pickups, etc.
I want to go a little more in-depth though. My rig will have test equipment hooked up for many facets of testing. Tensiometets for string tension and hownit affects neck and intonation, top nuts of different material and how they affect sound, btidges and how they affect playability, sustain, etc., pickups for SO many reasons, and so on.
I really enjoy your work and am inspired by what you do. I too am a Christian, am a veteran that enjoys 🔫s...and a bass player that over analyzes everything there is about basses🤣🤣
I always look forward to your videos and builds. Thanks for all the insight and may reach out when I get my thing going.
Be well and always be blessed🤘🏽😎🤘🏽
Can you compare some cheap mm pickups?
That sounds like a fun video!
I love Warman and Wilkinson MM's myself but I find them a bit warm as my idea of a good bass tone is a tank driving over rubble in a warzone 🤣
I bought the F2’s for a satin honey burst p bass. I absolutely love the sound now! Definitely more punch with a great noticeable open sound! I’ve used in the studio and the sound man was very impressed with how little he had to do to get the sound he wanted. Live performances it cuts through easily against two guitars and a heavy handed drummer! Thanks for the heads up and the discount!! Joe
two notes: 1, that is one huge neck pocket dude! Love the shape of the body, like a Fender Aerodyne. 2, one factor in the tone of the pickups come down to the type of bridge used , I installed a Duncan Quarter Pounder in my Squier CV Precision and did find it to be way darker than the original one, but after replacing the Gotoh hi-mass bridge copy with a 60s repro Fender bridge from AllParts, that pickup brightened up and sounded snappier. I found out later from a bassist friend that hi-mass bridges are designed to increase mids as well as sustain, and the mids in a hotter pickup just piles onto what a HM bridge adds.
That’s interesting. All the times I’ve used quarter point pickups I’ve always had a high mass bridge. I’ve only heard that they increase sustain, never heard that they color the tone. I’ll have to test this theory. Btw that body is a 5 string jazz bass body, with a 4 string neck, that’s the reason for the huge neck pocket lol.
You do comparisons the best imo. Back to back with different techniques, positions and techniques. May take a long time to edit, but I'm sure we all appreciate it :)
I also like your thumb picking technique (or whatever it's called). Just curious, is this more of a "reverse slap" or more of a thumb pluck?
I call it a “pop” it’s basically what I’m doing with my other fingers, just with my thumb. It’s easier to catch the next string on an up stroke after I’ve slapped the string on top of it. Handy tool when used properly!
That riff you played sounded like Fugazi especially with the drums.
The Pbass sounds so much more stank faced.
Hey @gunsandguitars great video. Also you know if the jazz variant are noise canceling??
The set up reminds me of a set up Leo fender had for testing out new pups and stuff
I took your advice on these when this video came out so I installed two Epic Customs p bass pups ( an F1 and an f2)on a bass build.All I can say is Wow! I have used a ton of pickups and these are for real.Not to mention the ridiculous price.They blow my Geezer pup away. Thanks for the tip and discount!
Cool. I bought a cheap Harley Benton bass I bought to mod. I’m going to check out these pickups.
Those f and e 1's are on point by far!!!! I want them NOW!!!!!
Those DO sound pretty sweet! I am a big GFS fan. I have never had a problem with anything from them, customer service included. I've refurbed and built many guitars using their products with outstanding results. I refurbed my Hamer Standard with all gold hardware and their Fat & Crunchy Pat pickups and the guitar is now a visual and audio beast! I have a Korina V in the works presently that will be just as outstanding. But these bass pickups have peaked my interest. I have plans for a new bass that might be able to use them. Thanks for the look!
I’m very glad you have had good experience with gfs. I wish I liked them more, they have a lot of fun products I’d like to try.
Thanks Dan. Got a custom build P Bass coming up and will definitely give these a look see.
I got the F2's for a late 50's early 60's p bass build. Shell pink swamp ash body with a mint pickguard, maple neck with Madagascar rosewood 7.5" radius 1" thick neck with a 1.75" nut width.
Sorry i havnt commented in a while, been super busy, anyhoo still love all your videos, i used to get the squire bass pickups,and completely rewind them by hand, best live sound, thanks for another great video
That’s a great idea!
I liked the slightly darker more bottom end of the PBass F2s for use in a precision fretless..
Thanks!
I'll give them a shot in my P- Bass builds. :-)
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed
Are you playing original bass lines or stuff from existing music? Either way I think your playing is quite good and pretty tasty too!!!!
It’s all original stuff that I come up with for my videos. Thanks for the compliment!
Man those E1s would be perfect for reggae. I'm imagining a set of 3 pickups... E1s with an F2 in the middle 🔥
I bet the E1s would sound monstrous with an active preamp too
What do you suggest
i picked up a p bass set i think i paid 40 bucks and its killer ive been playing for years and have tried so many but for the price cant beat them i also out a set into my marcus miller jazz bass with the pre amp you gotta here them they are sinister ecveryone ask what pick ups are you using they cant believe it also a nice thing about these is if you have alot of basses as i do i dont feel like spending hundreds up dollars so i reccomend these they are high quality pick ups for half the price
I have a 1994 Washburn Mercury II with Alder body and Sycamore top...USA Wilkinson and locking keys with Motor City Pickups. It rocks!
Dan that was a chill bass riff, I know you don’t think your that good at guitar but you gotta know your nice on a bass
Ordered a custom set today! Thank you...from the fffuuutttuuurrreee!!!
Seeing as I overlooked the preamp hole layout and need to add a hole to fit the ToneMonster preamp a video on how to properly seal the existing holes and layout new ones would rock. The new preamp is a five pot system and the bass is only drilled for four, two of those four are damaged “almost pushed through” so that needs repaired. It’s a fun learning process but when you want to go out and gig with it the learning time sucks...
Great content I am thinking about trying to replace my 72' jazz bass pickups but trying to stay with the same pickup sound and this video helped a lot. I found another maker and another option thanks a bunch!
Do you have a new discount code ? One given does not work - like to order pickups and take advantage of discount! ? Thanks Mark
Thanks for the great demo... I just ordered an F-1 set!
These are cool pups! Does Reach make a 5 string P-Bass pickup? I'm about to do a buildout of one, and I've been looking for some cool pickups.
I heard he’s coming out with some in January. You might want to email him for more details.
Guns and Guitars will do. Thanks for the info!
What pickups do you recommend if you're playing punk new metal metal stuff like that
Do you have any videos comparing the F1’s to any name brand pups? I’m possibly grabbing a bass for gigging tomorrow. Standard MIM p bass. First thing will be upgrading the pickup. I’ve got a set of Steve Harris signature’s in my G&L. My plan was to buy another pair. But after watching this video… I might have to try the F1 instead.
They are also advertising a "Black Gold" P-bass pickup with 1/4" pole pieces
Yes, those are wax potted though, so I passed. I bet they sound killer though
Hey Dan, I got a PJ1 set from Epic after watching this and put them into my build. Absolutely love them!! They've got a ton of depth and punch for sure. Thanks for all the detail and comparison.
Are there any good Soapbar pickups that sound like Pbass? Epic custom shop or else where? Approx 39mm x 103mm
I like them all but if I had to choose one it would be E-1 and F-1. Great sounding pickups.
Good choice
I just ordered a PJ F1 set after watching this video! thanks for posting
How are you liking the PJ set?
@@bobt5778 love them. I have basses with Lollars, Fralins, nordstrand. I find these pickups to be on par with them. each has its own 'vibe' but tones are very good in each.
Awesome review man !
Dan, built a Jbass DIY kit after your review (came out AWESOME) and have upgraded pots and various other bits, now looking for pickups. The code now works, but do you know if there is anything i need to know about them fitting in the pickguard..?
Hey, Guns and Guitars, I always wanted to make an experiment, which I think would be worthy of you. How would a tone sound if you bring one pick up ALL the way up to the neck, and another pick up all the way down to the bridge. I seen some MIJ basses, from 70s, made like this.
God, i love your bass playing. So clean.
Thanks!
😉 A Me too ! I was like that is some of the best bass sound I've heard in a long time.
F1’s for me, but it would be cool to hear hybrid F1/F2 F2 for the higher end and the F1 for the low, possibly the same for the E series
Hey Dan, it would be nice a video from you covering diferent types of oils and it´s uses; from raw lubricants in springs to diferent wood care products...thanks! love this channel
Great stuff! I like to find great value too. SD, emg etc and other brand of pickups are great but I don't always want what many others use.
Exactly!
Thanks. I am another one of those guys that wants to build my own electric bass for quality sound. I prefer the F1 due to the extra punch. Where can I find these to purchase?
I know you like the smaller magnets, but the F1's were the most compelling for me.
Not sure how you got that, I do prefer the 1’s as well.
@@GunsandGuitars I misunderstood. For some reason I felt like I was being sold the F1's. Regardless, great review (as per yoozh).
I wish he made 5 string bass soapbars. I'd seriously consider putting those up against Nordstrands for my I'm just going to buy them even though I know I'm only going to get a small tonal benefit pickup purchase.
Lindy pickups are custom and amazing!
Great demo!
E1 seem better for a lesser player like myself as it was more forgiving with good bottom even with a pick.
Might get these or licensed fender ones, which one would be best ?
Those F1s have a great midrange. Digging it!
Dan-You are awesome, and even more so because you address the people "correcting" you! Keep doing what you are, it works man!!
Ended up scoring a set of F1s for my project bass, the tone is killer thank you for the awesome vid!
Okat Dan, The P-bass pickups: I prefer the punch and overall depth of the F1's for pick & slap, but prefer the cleanness of the F2's for finger plucking where the F1's sounded a bit noisy when plucked. On the J-bass pickups I think the E-2's sound just as good as the E1's. In other words I found only a very slight bump in the E-1's punch, really not worth mentioning, the E2's were just fine.
The F-1 is nice. I'm totally going to get a cheap bass off CL and slap them in. Cheaper than the Fender vintage '63 I just bought this afternoon by nearly $70
Have you try Warman pickups from UK. They are cheaper.
They are also brilliant!
I would love to, but they are only cheaper if you live in the UK. Still though, I do want to try them, I’ve heard great things
I (in UK) also had the same problem, when I bought a set of pickups from GFS it came to:
Pickups £30
+ Shipping £80!!
I have tried the Warman 5 string MM humbuckers and they kick ass! Love those things
@@GunsandGuitars The Warman MM pickups are $24 on ebay with $8 shipping to USA.
@11:29 FYI I just emailed with Ruiqi at Epic and he mentioned the P/J set is $90 not $80... Not a deal breaker for me personally, but I don't want peeps thinking they are getting the shaft if there was a miscommunication. He responded to my inquiry in under 6 hours... :)
I've bought 2 sets of these pickups and they are AWESOME. I've had Fralins and Fender Custom shops, the Epic custom shop pickups as good or better at half the price.
Wilkinson pickups are quite good! 👍
do you have any knowledge about Wal bass pickups? and what makes them so special? ive heard people describe them as basically multi coil pickups and every string on the bass essentially has its own pickup to eliminate "cross talk"...but I have no idea what that means. im wanting to build my own "dream" bass and would love to have something comparable to that as im a big Justin chancellor fan. thanks! love your channel!
Interesting video! Informative, well organized, you do a a good job of showcasing the pickups. But - here's a problem. I have an old Peavey bass I got at a pawnshop for $80. And the darn thing sounds exactly like the P-bass pickups you demoed! Should I try for a different sound, or would it be better to use similar pickups for a slightly more forqward sound?
If it sounds the same and you like the tone, why change the pickups?
@@GunsandGuitars You are absolutely right! I guess that wish for the next big thing would come under "The grass is always greener ...!" Thanks!
NICE SHIRT
Wow F1s sound amazing! Pease do a comparison E1s and E2s positioned together in the exact double coil MM Stingray humbucker position :) I realise the screw lugs will get in the way and you might not want to cut them off so maybe without the covers?
Hmmm...sounds cool, but without the covers there is no way to mount them (the screws go thru the covers, not the pickup bobbins)
@@GunsandGuitars Ok. I reckon just positioned together so they're touching. You've got some wiggle room to slide them around. I usually do pickup placement by finding the corresponding string harmonic on the strings above pickup and poles. Forward end pole pieces on a Ray sit below and directly between G and A pinch harmonics on the G string.
Sounds very good 👍
I found the F2 to be a little to brittle for my liking. Definitely could be adjusted with an amp EQ but I really was digging the classic vibe of the F1 set. Nice and fat with a heavy amount of low mids. The E series I did not have much preference to either more over the other, but then again, I am a P bass kind of dude.
As another suggestion for pickups that are very inexpensive but great sounding, check out Guitar Madness pickups. They are on eBay and Reverb I know for sure. I have a set of humbuckers in my Jackson Dinky and they are killer. Only $30 for the pair. I may have mentioned these before on a different video of yours.
I do really like GM pickups. They, like gfs, are made in Korea, and like I said in my video, I actually do like Korean pickups. I’ve used a few GM pickups and liked them a lot.
Guns and Guitars right on. Once these guys get some humbuckers in their catalog I think I may give em a try. Thinking about changing my pbass pickups now.
I just ordered the E1 for jazz bass and used the coupon code, thanks!
Are you sure that they are handmade in USA? Their website says there is a 3 week lead time on all pickup orders. Could that be too cover the time that it take to ship to USA from overseas?
I tried to message their website and email and no response, but the website it dated 2021. Are they still in business?
this is standup comedy material ! thank you
I like the F2 p-bass for its vintage sound, I think I would buy the F1 for use on a P/J because when you slightly roll off the Jazz/bridge pickup you get a deep vintage tone anyway.
so I choose the F1 for modern and vintage. F1!
Have you looked into wiring your own pickups? It doesn't seem too difficult (in theory) and you could probably make some cool sounding pickups or maybe a new design
I did built my own with half black magnet from speaker and cut nails for inside the winding, sounded really good. Main complication counting windings and not to break extremely thin wire.
What software are you playing through?Sounds great!also,i cannot find these pickups for sale anywhere?
Logic Pro X
Also, links in the description
Thanks!
Sounds good
Whoa !! You have the Ric behind you that you customized on a budget that sounds AMAZING !!! I can't wait to hear this video. My Amazon Creative Technology speakers are ready !!
I just installed F1s in my squier jazz with new 500k pots as well. I love the sound. Slightly bigger than a vintage spec pickup but not as hot or powerful as a Seymour Duncan quarter pounder (which is good. Like slightly hotter than vintage and a balance of clarity and body).
I'm actually tempted to get their p bass pickup but I don't know e1 or e2, or try a 500k tone pot first
I like them F1 but for some reason F2 for the slap for me, the jazz id put E1 on the bridge and aE2 on the neck
Maybe its me but when you were finger playing the jazz pickups they were virtually inaudible.
Hi! Can you make a video in how to swap pickups in detail?
Thanks.
That's funny I recently did a old Decca guitar the exact same way to play with experimental pick-ups right down to the twisted wires and hacked up pickguard. Friggin works great pick-up changes in 20 seconds. Settled on soft wood glued in PU cavity I can push tacks into to help hold PUs in place
Straight through I like the 1s a lot both types. That is the right and only way to do the demo. However being an annoying type the 2s to me sound like they have more potential to bring out more range with a bit more power added and tweaking. Either way, they are nice
That’s a great idea with the softwood in the cavity. I used foam on the back of the pickups, and the screw holes were predrilled so I can stick them wherever I want easily without struggling with springs at all. And I agree, the 2’s probably have a wider frequency response, but as they lay, the 1’s have the right frequencies that I want to hear, especially the ones that punch thru the mix.