Bass: single coils or humbuckers?

[Dexter_prog]

So I will be buying a 5-string bass soon and I am between this 2 ones (used):
- Schecter Stiletto Extreme (made in Korea)
- Fernandes Gravity 5* (made in China)

* the cheap version, not the other one with EMGs or whatever it comes with.

I don't know if there's a whole difference between those 2, but I know the Schecter has humbuckers and the Fernandes has singles, so for future mic-upgrade, is there any big difference between single coil and humbuckers for bass guitars?

I can get the Fernandes for 25% less than the Schecter, so if there are no big differences between those 2 basses I would rather go for the cheapest.

music genres I'm into: mostly metal

 

[muckypup1]

I would have thought that the grindy bass sounds would be smoother with a humbucker, so if thats what your after, choose the Schecter, I wish I had a bass with humbuckers haha

 

[Melb_shredder]

yep! if you want a nice clangy heavy sound that's going to give you the grind and click, humbuckers all the way without a doubt
The schecters are great basses, my bassist has a Custom 6, and it's awesome

 

[Lasse Lammert]

all my basses have single coils.
really liking them, nice bite to cut through thick guitars

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I prefer J pups. Every bass that's come in with active buckers has been a turd sandwitch, to smooth and not enough bite.

 

[Dexter_prog]

So it's 2 vs 2, haha. What's J-pickups?

 

[Rex Rocker]

J-pickups = single coils

You can get single coils in that same housing that the Schecter has from EMG if you want. You can also go for P-style pickups, humbuckers and coil-splitting humbuckers from EMG, so you have much more possibilities with the Schecter.

That, and those Schecters are great. I love them, personally.

 

[BLUElightCory]

Why not just go play both of them? Or if you can't access them, go to a music store and play some similar basses?

 

[Trevoire520]

Personally:

J Pickups - Yay
P Pickups - Yay
Soapbars - Yay
Humbuckers - Boo

Don't ask me why, I've just never managed to get a sound I like out one.

 

[Sickan]

P/J - Yay
Soapbar/Humbucker - Nay

 

[Dexter_prog]

Why not just go play both of them? Or if you can't access them, go to a music store and play some similar basses?

What's the difference between soapbar and humbuckers? Why the hell do basses have such a lotta different types of pickups? haha

 

[PhilR]

Only bass humbuckers I've liked were Musicman pups.

Having humbuckers on a bass just isn't as important as with guitar as you're usually not running the bass through a massive gain stage. J-type pups all the way.

 

[narcossintese]

EMG humbuckers are awesome.

 

[egan.]

What's the difference between soapbar and humbuckers? Why the hell do basses have such a lotta different types of pickups? haha

Soapbar is a form factor. You can get soapbars as singles, humbuckers or splitable humbuckers.
Both of my current main basses sport bartolini soapbar humbuckers but I'm kicking around the idea of some Nordstrand split singles.

 

[Omega_Void]

Humbuckers take the punch out of the notes. So the question really is: how do you want to use the bass?

If you want to bass to be unobtrusively filling out the rhythm guitar tone, humbucker is cool. If you have thick rhythm guitar and want the bass to add a thumping, pulsing throb to the mix, you want single-coil. Both approaches work.

And do bear in mind there's as much variation in bass pups of the same type as there is in guitar pups.

 

[narcossintese]

I think active humbuckers can sound any way you want. From total grind like Lacuna Coil on Karmacode (40P5 - 35P4) to slap like Primus (35DC - 40DC). The only difference is that it does not make shitty unwanted noises like single coils.

 

[Dexter_prog]

Today I went to the music stores in Fuckgentina and I tried them. Gosh, how I hate the stupid clerks, 2 of them asked me if I was going to buy it before they let me try it, assholes. So, I really couldn't tell a lotta difference between the 2 basses (I had to try them in different music stores with different amps because I couldn't find a store that had both). I don't know, I think I am gonna go for the Schecter because it looks nicer and felt kinda more comfortable. And it's also über sexy.