Fender Custom Shop 62 P-Bass Pickup

I got these to replace a Seymour Duncan SPB-1 in a really nice MIJ Fender Precision. I never really connected with the SPB-1. I found it a bit too relaxed/scooped in the mids, the output was on the low side and it didn't snarl the way I expect from a vintage P-bass when digging in.

So I got the Fender CS62 instead.

Pros:

-The sound is great! Personally I prefer the slightly more aggressive/forward sounding Fender Originals but that's just a matter of taste. Of all the currently available Fender P-bass pickups I think this CS62 is the one that best nails the early/mid 60s sound.

Cons:

-The construction is disappointing. Quality control must have slipped at Fender (again!). The pole pieces are supposed to sit flush with the cover on these pickups. Well they're not. The pole pieces are protruding 1-2mm out of the covers. Which makes it easier to hit them with the strings and get that nasty crackle when digging in hard close to the neck. It's not a big problem in most situations but sadly it is an indication that quality control is still a problem at Fender USA.

-I also find Fender's gimmicky marketing for their pickups to be totally ridiculous. They've currently got three pickups that they all claim is a faithful reproduction of the early 60s P-bass sound: The Originals, the Pure Vintage 63 and these Custom Shop 62. Come on Fender, can't you at least try to describe how these three COMPLETELY DIFFERENT pickups actually sound? Personally I love the Original and this CS62 but I'm not a huge fan of the much mellower PV63. Simply calling them all a faithful reproduction of the 60s sound is misleading in my opinion.

Still, if we're speaking strictly about sound quality I see no reason to pay more for boutique offerings. These Fender pickups sound just as good as anything out there if you want the classic, vintage P-bass tone. But be aware that these pickups are mass manufactured and there's a chance you may get a bad one, something that would probably not happen from a boutique manufacturer.

I'm both slightly disappointed and really happy with these pickups. I'm giving them top rating for sound and not so great for the rest.

I've had a Japanese-made Fender '62 Reissue Precision bass for 20-odd years. Japanese Fenders are great instruments, but often let down (on purpose, allegedly, so they don't make US Fenders look bad) by having inferior pickups and electrics installed. So, a few months back, I upgraded mine with a vintage-style tone-harness (Emerson Custom), and one of these pickups.

And the bass now sounds exactly the way it should. The sound quality has improved markedly, the balance of frequencies is just right, the dynamics and responsiveness are great, it's easy to dial in whatever flavours of classic Precision tone you want (whether it's Motown, heavy rock or something else entirely - you can get a tremendous Stranglers sound with new strings on the bass, for example...), and it sits great in the mix every time.

Overall it's turned a decent/affordable type of bass into a seriously useful instrument. In fact, when I'm recording there's usually a Rickenbacker 4003 and a nice G&L L-2000 around, and I tend to try them first. But I end up going with the Precision anyway because it's the one that just works...

Was customizing a P-Bass fitted with a DiMarzio Split P (DP127), which was way too dark for my taste.

After listening to almost every sound comparison out there, decided on the CS62 as it seemed to be the best bang for the buck.

Can't say I'm dissappointed. Plenty of clear highs (WAY more than the Split P) if I so choose and a close enough vintage sound with flats once I roll the tone off.

Can play with the amp EQ flat and still find the sounds I need.
Also seems to have more output than I expeceted from a 'vintage' pickup as I had to screw them quite a way down.

If I remember correctly, Fender recommends a 1µf cap. Went with the 047uF Sprague and it's plenty for my taste as I hardly ever used it with the tone all the way off.

The only complaint is that the Fender could really have done a better job with the foam. Being the least expensive part of this, they could have put some bigger pieces under there as mounting the pickups was a bit of a balancing act.

As a bonus – as the bass is a put together from parts and therefore a no-name, the 'Custom Shop' in the name is probably going to do a lot of heavy lifting should I choose to sell it :)