Fender’s new Chrome Cobalt P/J bass pickup set “did not come easily”, says creator Tim Shaw
Fender has unveiled the new Chrome Cobalt P/J pickup set, designed to “unlock the full tonal potential” of Precision and Jazz bass guitars.
Each set includes a split-coil Precision Bass middle pickup and Jazz Bass bridge pickup for “one of the most versatile tone combinations available,” says the firm.
READ MORE: Beatles engineer recalls the song that Paul McCartney liked but “didn’t go down very well with the other three”
Voiced by resident tone guru Tim Shaw — whose creations include the recently released Jason Isbell signature Tele pickup set — the Cobalt Chrome bass pickups use Fender’s own proprietary blend of a FeCrCo magnet, bringing “added punch, hi-fi clarity and dynamic range” for a wide variety of music styles. They also come equipped with Formvar magnet wire which contributes to that bright, glassy tone.
The adjustable pole pieces in the Cobalt Chrome set, meanwhile, allow for custom output balance, enabling players to tailor their sound to their specific preferences. And beyond their aesthetic function, the chrome-ringed cover acts as a shield to help eliminate 60-cycle hum, making these pickups “remarkably quiet” even when in split-coil mode.
Image: Fender
In a launch video introducing the new collection, Shaw explains that the P/J combination is an adaptation that caters to musicians who desire the “additional bite” of a Jazz bass pickup while still enjoying the “fullness and solidity” of a Precision bass.
“The challenge with it is to get a bridge pickup which has enough force to stand on its own to stand against the P, but also to play musically with it, and this whole thing is a balancing act,” he says.
“I ended up with a voicing on the Cobalt Chrome P which still has that very solid attack, and it’s got a little extra something up top — which is interesting musically, but never clicky… It responds very well to your touch, it’s very even all the way up and across the neck.”
“I am very very happy with the way the set came out,” Shaw adds. “It did not come easily, I will tell you that.”
Priced at $349, the Chrome Cobalt P&J Pickup Set is now available for purchase.
Check out the pickups in action below.
Learn more at Fender.
The post Fender’s new Chrome Cobalt P/J bass pickup set “did not come easily”, says creator Tim Shaw appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
