ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ก.ย. 2024
- Iggy Pop bass player Ben Ellis demos the Curtis Novak Classic Pickups PB-90 and PB-CC in two different era vintage Fender Precision basses and talks about the results
/ mrbenellis / mrbenellis
Ben's black 1977 Fender Precision bass is strung with Ernie Ball Stainless Steel roundwound strings .115 .90 .70 .50
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Ben's sunburst 2000 '62 Reissue Fender Precision bass is strung with Ernie Ball Group 1 Flatwounds .110 .90 .75 .55
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All guitar cables are Vovox Sonorous
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All bass guitar recordings were made in Logic using a Radial J48 Active DI plugged into an Apogee Element 46 interface. The recordings are totally flat with no EQ, compression or other FX or plugins used.
All musical material has been copyright approved
These basses sound pretty incredible and the tones you're pushing are just throbbing. The low end on the cc is massive. I like the cc better with the pick as well. In every other respect the 90 has the bark, the mids, really enjoyed listening to you play.
Thanks Mike! :)
i enjoy how well spoken the entire video is, but in the playing footage with Iggy Pop, it’s just balls to the wall rocking out. Wonderful video! I’d love to see more.
Thanks cactus mcjacktus what an excellent name! That’s great you got a kick out of the playing and the other stuff in the vid. There are links to a bunch of the live stuff we did with Iggy on my channel the most fun watch is probably the 2018 Montreaux Jazz show. Check it out! Hope you enjoy it and keep banging that bass guitar :) x
Thank you so much for this demo. I’ve got the mustang fat in my fender bullet and it sounds amazing. I just picked up a pbass that could use a little growl. I was trying to decide between the PB90 and the PBCC and the before and after with your basses was a huge help
Cool! Nice to see people are still vibing from this video :) I'm a nerd what can I say!
Thank you for this! I’m still undecided on pickups, but you remind of I love my P Basses!
Hell Yeah!
Fantastic demo. I actually listened to it twice. So glad I stumbled over this video. Definitely going to get one of them for my '73 Fender P bass (maple neck), but still can't choose!! Argh!
Thanks Greg! I loved both of them - I actually ended up with the PB90 in my black P bass and the PBCC in my sunburst P bass. The sunburst has loads of warmth and flatwounds in it anyway and the black one benefits from the old skool mid boost because it's quite a cold sounding bass. I think youll love either one TBH :) :)
@@lemitten Thanks so much for your reply, Mr. Ellis. Much appreciated. Think I'm going to start with the PB90. Thanks again, stay safe and would love to see another review or video from you in the near future. Peace. ✌
My band has a lot of stooges influences and I find it cool that Iggy Pops bassist is helping me make an informed purchase. Thanks for the video man now I finally know what these two pickups sound like
Nice one Derian! Glad it helped. My band has lots of Stooges influences too ;) if you want to chat bass stuff any time just hit me up :) I’m over on insta at @mrbenellis
Wow, they both give a total new dimension to the sound of the Fender P ... really love that PB-90 clear bottom end sound, brings those frequencies to the fore ground for sure 👍 Must invest in some Curtis Novak pup's for guitar stuff, really amazing sound. Thank you Ben for sharing this information, much appreciated 👍👍👍👍👍
Great video and I'm glad you included your own opinion at the end. Keep making videos Ben. It was interesting.
Thanks for listening and glad you enjoyed it. Cheers for the kind comment :)
Love this video! I ended up getting both, but that wasn’t exactly intentional. I got the PBCC first and put it in my warmoth and just felt it was too tame (I love mids) so I got the pb90 and was going to return the pbcc. But I kept watching this video over and over and loved it more and more. So I’m building a junker pj to throw the pbcc in.
Seriously, great vid…I’d love to see more pickup shoot outs in this format, especially the flats/rounds comparison since I love both!
Thanks for the nice comments Bryce - I loved both pickups too :) I've played with them in various different basses since I made the initial video and they are such a vibe in any instrument. Good luck with the build!
Thank you for pulling this comparison together! It's exactly what I was looking for. I've had great luck with Curtis Novak pickups in my guitars and was deciding if I wanted to go with the CC or 90 for a p-bass build. Based on this video I'm leaning toward the 90 as I love me some vintage p-bass but want something unique.
Thanks for the comment Chris and cheers for watching :) happy you enjoyed it. Yes if you’re after the vintage p sound the PB90 is your guy. It’s definitely unique I don’t think you need to worry about that :) :) :) happy bassing sir and hopefully see you at a live show sometime this millenia!!! X
Hello and thanks from 2024. Wonderful video and great playing. ☮️❤️🎵
Thanks man! :) appreciate the kind words :)
This is one of the best demos I've ever seen - and all the songs played are good & not terrible beer-commercial blues! This is a lot easier, of course, when your day job is playing the Iggy Pop repertoire!
Ta Matt - this is definitely one of the nicest comments I've had about it so thank you very much :) very kind of you to say :)
@@lemitten I mean, I'd say Stooges & Swervedriver are among my fave artists ever... Funhouse #1 album of all time, "Rave Down" among my most listened to songs (next to "Eight Miles High" by Husker Du); I've even covered it in the style of "Ceremony" by New Order (+ a little Tubeway Army). I also should've praised your playing more - mindblowing feel, dynamics, tone, pocket, everything,
P.S. I listened very closely for a long time and while both have great tones I think I'd pick the C.C.s .
I love the PB90 but I wonder if it gets stepped on in the mix? It's super unique tho, I really dig it.
Which one becomes most satisfyingly raucous when sufficiently provoked?
Thx btw!
Thanks man! They are both v similar in terms of harmonic distortion one has that little P bass mid bump which adds to the low end growl - the other is flatter in it's frequency response which brings where it sits in the mix more into the guitar spectrum. That's my feeling anyway. They are both really really cool. I guess when you get into mixing you're probably going to be adding and subtracting a bunch of stuff with EQ anyway so for me it would be down to what sound as a player you are going to vibe with more. Hope this helps :) :) :)
Steak Number Eight! 🔥
Right on! Good friends and a GREAT band!
Quick question on the two pickups - how did having the Jazz pickup factor into your decision? I have a P/J bass that I am looking at what P to put in, and I am leaning towards the CC based on the comments you made, but I also am curious as your thoughts on how each pickup complemented the jazz bridge pickup. Thanks Ben!
Hey Chris thanks for dropping a comment :) I ended up with the PB90 in my black 70s bass and the PBCC in the 62 :) :) :) adding a bit of midrange warmth to the brighter bass worked better and the 62 was so rich with flats and a mute that it didn't need it. The PBCC sounded more 'classic' in that context. I've never used the jazz pickup in that black bass either with the precision pickup or on it's own. I just prefer the P bass tone as it is so I can't give great advice on this question. I would say however that the output level of both the PBCC and the PB90 is considerably higher that the stock Fender pickup so there may be a bit of a mismatch in level between the P and J pickups when you switch betweeen them. If you're doing that during a set or in a song it might be a little weird. It could be worth thinking about upgrading the Jazz pickup to something a little hotter if you want a change in tone rather than in level when you switch between them? But maybe try it and see how you like it first? Hope this helps :) :) :) B.E. :) :) :)
@@lemitten Thanks Ben! Crazy you have that pickup in there and never use it! I thought it was custom retro on it, as the position is really low. Anyway, if you do mess around with it drop me a response and let me know how it goes. Great advice on the output!
One of my P's is a Faux Fender, that is, USACustom slab-body '66 replica, fitted with the PB-CC. It picks up overtones and feeds back and squeals with joy when needed.
(Swamp Ash body)
Thing with this is, if you dig in, the bass HOLLERS like nothing before it.
I can nail the "Live at Leeds" tone of the late John Entwistle with this bass.
Can't recommend it highly enough.
SOUNDS AWESOME!!!
PB90 is clearer and true vintage sounding; it wins hands-down in my opinion ..
It's definitely more of a vintage vibe :)
This was incredibly helpful and really well made, balanced demo - thank you. I am a guitarist thinking of moving over to bass and I actually have had Curtis' pickups in my Jazzmaster for about ten years and sonically speaking they leave the original Fender pups in the dust. It's funny - I was thinking to myself when searching for P Bass tones that I wanted something "modern" sounding, and you shared that exact adjective about the PB-CC's. And the bass you will leave them in is beautiful. Do you know what the body wood is? I'm curious what makes it so heavy. And also, what was the tune you played at 17:19 ? All said thank you for making this. Big Iggy/Stooges fan also, so glad someone like yourself is backing him. Rock on :-)
Hey that's great that you're thinking about moving from guitar to bass - embrace the DEEEEP side of the force! I had a lot of time to think about the noise I wanted to make with the instrument during this crazy year of no gigs and one of the things I was searching for was this more harmonically rich sound. When I started chatting to Curtis he knew exactly what I was talking about and both those pickups were a revelation to me so I wanted to share the experience a bit and I had time to mess around and make a little video and I'm really glad it helped you. The black P bass is 1977 - all those late 70s Fenders - guitars too - are super heavy. I think they're made from Alaskan Ash - in the cold the wood grows slower and denser apparently. It's not as warm or responsive as a regualr swamp ash P bass but it does have a big sort of glassy tone and a lot of sustain. Kind of like a piano with the sustain pedal on :) I think they made them like this from 76 to 79 or 80 or so. That bass weighs in at around 13Ibs so it's a lot to wear in a long rehearsal! The thing I play on the video at 17:19 was just something that came out when I dropped the E string to D and started playing chords. Maybe I should do something more with it it's quite pretty! Thanks for the Iggy & the Stooged love hopefully see you at a show sometime if we're ever allowed to play any!!! x B.E.
@@lemitten Thanks for the encouragement and info - I found a great deal a few years ago on a Squier Fretless Jazz Bass, very Jaco in its stylings. Totally dig his thing, but my first love of bass notes was from the underground 80's and alternative 90's scenes (esp Eric Avery's tones). So that demands a P in my opinion. I may just have to hunt for something similar. Thanks again - and YES I will be at the first show you guys play here on the east coast of the states when the insanity subsides. Rock on!
@@BogoEN yeah it definitely sounds like that P bass tone that you're looking for! I love Janes Addiction too. Mountain Song is one of those big groovy circular bass lines that totally floats my boat. If you're on a bit of a budget maybe buying a Squier P bass and replacing the pickup with a PB90 might be a cool choice? B x
@@lemitten That’s so funny, I was just debating bass tones with a buddy of mine (bass player) and we were trading video clips - I sent him Mountain Song. Also the song that got me into the band. He was arguing for Dee Dee’s tone. My situation is one where I technically could afford a Fender, but probably not the wisest time for that. So a Squier might make sense to start. They make an absurdly cheap “Affinity” with maple neck and alder body, and a “70’s classic vibe” that has more visual flare but with a body wood I’m unfamiliar with. But ultimately I care about tone and longevity. I watched one review that said the 70’s styled models may have quality issues in the neck/truss rod. So maybe go super cheap and just replace everything... and interesting! You’re suggesting the PB-90 over the CC for that tone... I think I’ll need to trust your ear on this one. Loved the sound of the CC here but if that’s closer to that vibe, you can’t go wrong with his pickups. Thank you, Ben!
The black one sound like it was from that run made with Northern Hard Ash.
This type is a Baseball Bat Bass. Do they make Cricket bats similarly?
(Rickenbackers, by the same athletic standard, would be Bowling Pin Basses)
Yes, your videos are good for a re-watch.
Yeah it is a heavy bass - the heaviest Fender P I’ve played for sure. Deffo a baseball bat! I don’t know specifically what the wood is but your assumption sounds right. The wood is hard and dense and has a pure piano-like tone. Thanks for the nice vibes!
Really well done demo, thanks for investing so much time into this! I’ve had my eye on these pickups for awhile, and the side by side helps me hear the differences between the two. Would you say that the low-mids are fatter or heavier than a traditional vintage p pickup? Or just more harmonically complex? And in terms of output, do you think these pickups drive the input of your amp harder than a traditional pickup? Are they any snarlier or growler?
Thanks again!
Thanks Kenneth really cool of you to comment. The low mids of the PB90 are really similar to a vintage P bass pickup in terms of level. The PBCC is flatter sounding without the mid boost. They’re both harmonically more complex and richer. When you dig in there’s harmonic distortion in the tone it’s like a very mild vintage overdrive - quite beautiful and super warm sounding - the PB90 more than the PBCC. With flatwounds it just sounds warm and rich, with rounds and a pick the top end is grainier and more broken up. It’s pretty unique but obviously if you’re looking for a clean p bass sound it’s not that. In terms of level they are hotter than a traditional Fender pickup so as well as what the pickup does tonally it will drive the preamp harder. This isn’t at all unpleasant though they feel very musical and you can play normally and get great sounding results. Hope this helps! If you want to chat any more message back I’m happy to get nerdy!
Thanks Ben, that’s really helpful, and totally makes sense! I’ve been craving a little more heft in the low-mids from my p-bass. But I will still keep these Novak pickups on my list everything else you describe sounds really appealing.
great vid, clear, eloquent, interesting, enlightening, with the perfect balance of laughing nerd and rock god!
The Naked Flames Robert Oliver thank you so much that’s very kind :) it took ages to make but was a really fun process and hopefully I got it right and it helps some people figure out if they’d benefit from having these bits in their bass guitars :)
Ben Ellis look forward to a lot more of these Ben. All the best.
I really enjoyed this demo. You truly understand the greatness and the subtleties of each of those P basses and the pickups sound fantastic. And some nice "real world" rock 'n roll bass playing👍
@@ateace thanks Michael :) it was quite challenging to capture that 'real world' rock n roll bass playing at low volume ;) it has such a different energy loud and in front of an audience. I'm glad you enjoyed the video - I love the harmonic richness the pickups have - and it was a pleasure to demo that for people who are looking for clues to how they might sound in their own p bass :)
I'm looking for that 70's punk p-bass sound. I couldn't ask for a better guy to watch when trying to figure this out. It's not very punk of me as its play what you have type of music, but whatever. Short of shelling out $4-500 for actual 70's pickups I think the PB90 is what I'm after.
It was nuts to see you sitting there first all quite, then going crazy on stage.
Cheers Pal! Really happy it was useful and hope the bass sounds ace!
Also, I slightly came to a different conclusion than Ben - the PBCC sounded more "Motown"/Jamerson to my ears - a fuller deeper bass sound without the mids he described. I ascribe clank to those mids (see Bob Weston for example & his Travis Bean). Ben was totally right tho - in a studio situation the PBCCs open up the mix in terms of EQ. "Pre-EQ" is the best. I did absolutely fucking love the PB90s tho... Sigh.
Get both! I did and def don't regret it!!!
Thanks so much for this. I’m thinking of getting a p bass but won’t be able to get a vintage one. I might get a new made one and get some CN pickups so this was really helpful. Do you have any thoughts on newer fender basses and what’s worth getting?
Hey Mark, great to hear from you. Thank you for your nice words and really glad you found the video helpful. On contemporary P basses I actually did a product demo video for Fender a while ago and played one of their 'Original 60s' Precision basses and I thought it felt and sounded really good and had good character for a modern bass. With vintage basses everything 60s is going to be super expensive but you might find something from the late 70s or early 80s that's not off the scale pricey especially if it's a little beaten up looking but still plays nice.
You can check the Fender vid on my insta here instagram.com/p/Bqo9nDwAghI/ :) :P
Thanks so much man! Thinking it over but will heed your advice. That’s a lovely looking white p bass you play in the video, the colour I’d go for :)
Will think about the older models, am not really a collector as such in terms of wanting vintage basses but do like them when they’re old and beaten looking
So eventually got myself an American professional p bass. Cream body with a maple neck...I love it. Can’t decide between rounds or flats though...
@@ConfordConford if you can’t decide get both! See what works best. With rounds: nickel or stainless steel makes a big difference. Nickel is smoother and steel has more attack and sounds livelier. Also for flats def get yourself some foam and make a mute that’s a great classic sound :)