EMG GZR Geezer Butler vs Seymour Duncan SPB-4 Steve Harris

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  • Опубліковано 20 лис 2020
  • A comparison between the signature pickups of two of the most influential bass players in rock and heavy metal! Which one do you prefer, the Geezer Butler by EMG or the Steve Harris by Seymour Duncan? Leave a comment!
    Gear to demo is expensive! Buy me a beer! www.buymeacoffee.com/olivertobyn
    Follow me on Instagram! @olivertobyn
    Seymour Duncan SPB-4: www.thomann.de/it/seymour_dun...
    EMG GZR P: www.thomann.de/it/emg_geezer_...
    EMG GZR PJ Set: www.thomann.de/it/emg_geezer_...

КОМЕНТАРІ • 121

  • @jkf9167
    @jkf9167 3 роки тому +115

    The Steve Harris pickups sounds better for playing Geezer, and the Geezer pickup sounds better for playing Steve Harris.

    • @chrisparker5278
      @chrisparker5278 2 роки тому +1

      Tell me more

    • @alyxyates655
      @alyxyates655 2 роки тому +3

      Exactly my thought

    • @secularstranger5750
      @secularstranger5750 2 роки тому +15

      Reason that happens is because when playing finger style, he’s playing both pickups Steve Harris position wise, closer to the bridge. Geezer, especially in the early days, played it much closer to the neck for a much dirty low end style.

    • @bassimprovjams3772
      @bassimprovjams3772 Рік тому +3

      I didn’t agree at first but 3/4 way through the video I gotta say I go agree with you on that

    • @guelintonquiu6933
      @guelintonquiu6933 Рік тому +1

      Well if you look at geezer, cisneros, al-issa, even tony levin, they use to play much closer to the neck because you get a lower oversaturated tone with less high notes frequences and a massive mid-range, this tone gets specially familiar with a fuzz. I specially like al cisneros tone, he got it onto meditative states

  • @lavanyavenkatesan3684
    @lavanyavenkatesan3684 3 роки тому +25

    this is the best pickup demo that I have ever seen. keep up the great content.

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  3 роки тому +1

      Thank you very much! Hopefully I'll get better and better :) subscribing to the channel would be very helpful if you haven't done it yet!

    • @lavanyavenkatesan3684
      @lavanyavenkatesan3684 3 роки тому

      @@OliverTobyn I have subscribed to your channel and liked the video. If you have any humbucker pickups, please review those. I know that a humbucker demo will turn out to be a fantastic video.

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  3 роки тому +1

      @@lavanyavenkatesan3684 thank you very much! I very appreciate it! If I could I'd love to demo literally every possible pickup and bass haha! I only have one bass with humbuckers, which is a G&L, but I don't think the amazing pickups Seymour Duncan and EMG make fit in it. In the future I'd definitely love to

  • @HaevyGlow
    @HaevyGlow 3 роки тому +46

    Geezers sound much more "open". Perfect for a P-bass with rounds!

    • @Luthiart
      @Luthiart 2 роки тому +4

      Geezers sound good with flats too.

    • @cliffords2315
      @cliffords2315 Рік тому

      @@Luthiart ever try Ground Wounds? the outer part of the round=wounds are ground down to make them
      Smooth to the touch but still has the Round Sound. Routosound used to make them they are called Solo Bass 55
      now.

  • @raymartin9146
    @raymartin9146 2 роки тому +14

    I put Geezer's on my Mexican Fender P and the sound is awesome. I love them.

    • @cliffords2315
      @cliffords2315 Рік тому +1

      as long as you have good wood on a cheap bass, you can electronically turn it into a super bass

    • @devlintaylor9520
      @devlintaylor9520 11 місяців тому +3

      @@cliffords2315Wood doesnt matter

    • @ionehkontehdiabo7627
      @ionehkontehdiabo7627 Місяць тому

      @@devlintaylor9520the density can very very subtly make a difference, but most of the difference would be acoustic, I used to say the same thing til I realized I didn’t like the way most basses with Poplar bodies sound no matter how I eq’d it or what pickups I tried

  • @GozhouCS
    @GozhouCS 3 роки тому +4

    Useful comparison, it really gives an idea of the differences. Grande!

  • @SprunkCovers
    @SprunkCovers 3 роки тому +2

    Awesome comparasion, I was expecting something like this on youtube

  • @Bassmeister_Jay
    @Bassmeister_Jay Рік тому +4

    I had the EMG GZR PJ set in my fender performer precision. They were good but just found them lacking in the low end. Swapped them for the Seymour Duncan SPB-3'S. Looking to get a second performer precision and put the SPB-4 and a SJB-2 in.
    Fantastic demo Oliver, thanks alot for these!

  • @karlbjornsson9090
    @karlbjornsson9090 Рік тому +8

    They sound both great 👍 just different 😃 I need two basses, thanks for the useful video

  • @wilfredovazquez2942
    @wilfredovazquez2942 3 роки тому +1

    Nice video. Both amazing pickups.

  • @danadane2501
    @danadane2501 2 роки тому +3

    Great comparison vid bro . I saw your vid where you did a shootout with stock pickups in your customized fender P with S.D. Steve Harris pickups . I liked the brightness and cut of the stock pickups . However I know you wanted the fatter sound of the S.D. magnets . I really like how compared Geezer and Harris on this vid . Easily the most influential bassist in Heavy Metal . Lemmy and Cliff not withstanding. Also for my needs I would choose the emg pickups out of these 2 . Just a personal preference . The notes have more clarity in my humble opinion between the 2

  • @jcburn1973
    @jcburn1973 2 роки тому +3

    I own a bass that I put the EMG GZR P in, and I do like the pickup but I am kinda liking the slightly fatter (with subdued treble) of the Harris pickup on this demo. I play with a bit of overdrive and I think the SPB-4 would lend itself to that nicely.

  • @jasontanner5836
    @jasontanner5836 10 місяців тому +1

    Excellent technique. Tones are both amazing too

  • @deanaf
    @deanaf 3 роки тому +4

    I'm sold 100% on the EMGs after this.

  • @pigxstix
    @pigxstix 5 місяців тому +1

    I liked the Geezer pickup through the Harris settings the best.

  • @1thess523
    @1thess523 3 роки тому +6

    I preferred the Steve Harris pick ups 👍

  • @joaquin7010
    @joaquin7010 2 роки тому

    Excellent video 🤟🎸👏👏

  • @facedowngaming
    @facedowngaming 3 роки тому +12

    The Iron Maiden tunes just sounds better on the Duncan’s than the EMG’s. Might as well go out and buy two P Basses to play each band separately 😅

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  3 роки тому +6

      You always need more than one P Bass

  • @charlieburns1385
    @charlieburns1385 10 місяців тому

    Thanks good comparison

  • @knifetothebass1642
    @knifetothebass1642 3 роки тому +7

    I watched your videos and decided to go with the GZR EMG Split coil with kick ass bridge and damn! That thing is HOT ROAST BEEF now! Make my Jackson bass with humbucker sound like little girl crying! Thanks for the demos!

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  3 роки тому +1

      I'm glad the demo was useful, EMG GZRs with a Hi Mass bridge are absolutely killer!

  • @simebaljak8470
    @simebaljak8470 3 роки тому +3

    Hey really loves the video! I have one question: with the geezer pickups, can you also play with a more warm tone (r&b, funkier basslines), and have that classic pbass tone, with not much gain? Or any other sort of pedals and all that. Because most of the video it had that classic metal tone, so I was just wondering. Thanks!

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  3 роки тому +2

      Thanks for watching! I feel like they are quite a versatile pickup, though they do have more output and a tighter sound compared to your usual P Bass sound. But still, they have a nice woody midrange that works well with any genre

    • @simebaljak8470
      @simebaljak8470 3 роки тому

      @@OliverTobyn thanks!!

  • @bassman108
    @bassman108 6 місяців тому

    I love the EMG GZR Geezer Butler pickups so much that I put them in both of my Fender P basses.

  • @samf113
    @samf113 3 роки тому

    I like both player but for MR I prefer the GZB EMG’s. Thank you for this comparison, it was great.

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  3 роки тому

      Thank you for watching! I'm glad it was useful. I really like both, so I have two basses with each one, hah

  • @uslawman1983
    @uslawman1983 Рік тому +1

    I don't necessarily think one is better than the other. It's a matter of personal taste and what tone you're going for the most. I have GZR's on two of my Fender basses (one P-bass and one PJ) and both perfect for my style of play, tone, pick or fingers, the type of strings, amp, pedals, etc. I have SD Quarter Pounds on two other Fender basses (both PJ's) and they sound amazing too. At some point I will try the SH pups but I have no doubt that they'll sound great on whatever I put them on.

  • @nunoharris
    @nunoharris 2 роки тому

    Hi. Do you think that the Steve Harris SPB 4 with Flats can get a more overdrive sound ? Thanks

  • @jasoncherry3404
    @jasoncherry3404 2 місяці тому

    They are both great pickups, it really comes down to the style of music you’re going to play over one pickup being better than the other. With quality hardware like that you’re really curtailing the hardware to the style of music. Both of them sounded great in their own right but I wouldn’t use them for all styles of music.

  • @jimobrien1550
    @jimobrien1550 3 роки тому +2

    Great comp video! Have you tried these pickups with more down tuned songs? Like I would love to hear how these would hold up for a song like “Into the Void” or doom metal.

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  3 роки тому +1

      Thanks! I made a demo of just the Geezers using a bass tuned to DGCF if you're interested. I haven't tried much down tuning on the Harris set but works just fine!

    • @hotwater8473
      @hotwater8473 3 роки тому

      @@OliverTobyn would you mind linking your video where you played the geezers in the D tuning?

  • @peterfischer9751
    @peterfischer9751 2 роки тому +2

    I have decided to go with the Billy Sheehan Pickups from Dimarzio.

    • @iamgribs
      @iamgribs Рік тому

      Those sound amazing

  • @paperclihp3588
    @paperclihp3588 6 місяців тому +1

    Geezer pickup is perfect for rounds and the Harris pickup is good for flats. I thought that the Harris pickup had way too much treble but it seems that you are using rounds.

  • @ushnicyuvnikof2748
    @ushnicyuvnikof2748 Рік тому +1

    GZR with rounds and some distortion are God like!

  • @michaelb.42112
    @michaelb.42112 3 роки тому +2

    I have Seymour Duncans in my Peavey Foundation S P/J bass, but after seeing this, I may want to switch them to Geezers.

  • @DropDee44
    @DropDee44 Рік тому

    I freaking love the tone of the GZR here! I currently use the Duncans SPB3 and really want to change them out just to change things up since I have rocked them for over 10 years now. Been really keen on the GZR P but also on the Dimarzio Model P. Do you like the Dimarzio or the GZR better for nice P Bass Punk tone played with a pick?

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  Рік тому +2

      I've compared the GZRs to the Quarter pound set as well, check it out! The Di Marzio Model P and GZRs are probably my absolute favourites, the Di Marzio has probably some beefier tones and clearer on some dynamics, the GZR is a nice vintage, but focused sounding pickup with some nice woody mids. It's a tough one!

    • @DropDee44
      @DropDee44 Рік тому +1

      @@OliverTobyn I have already checked that out and in both videos I liked the GZRs and the Model P better so this really is a tough one. However I'm kinda leaning towards the Model P because it sounds a little more modern.

  • @Jacob-Laeby
    @Jacob-Laeby 3 роки тому +4

    Love the EMG Geezer P, what I have installed in my main bass.
    So much clearer and defined than the SPB-4 which in comparison sounded somewhat muffled and blanketed in my opinion.
    The Geezer also have a nice amount of snap and bite that I love.
    Possibly the best P pickup out there, and then it is also absolutely dead quiet, even when installed in a bass that has not been properly shielded,thanks to it being internally shielded.
    Must admit I love the DiMarzio Model P too, but that's for if you want a fatter, more aggressive and punchy tone, the Geezer however still wins in clarity, definition, articulation, snap and bite, and also the Model P is also much more noisy in comparison to the Geezer.

    • @Wheresthepepsibismol
      @Wheresthepepsibismol 2 роки тому

      My Ibanez Roadstar II rb650 bass has Dimarzios and telling you they sound good and clacky when the mids are turned all the way up.

  • @Manimal1985
    @Manimal1985 2 роки тому +2

    an EMG P pickup simply cannot be beat

  • @iamgribs
    @iamgribs Рік тому +1

    I like the Emg. This particular sd , in the recordings i have heard on UA-cam, didn't really do it for me. One thing i like about the emg gzr is the top end clarity, and how well it works with overdrive. Spb4 just... i dunno, i think it would sound better for rnb than metal, it doesn't clang the way I'd like it to in this example here.

  • @chrisprecision
    @chrisprecision 3 роки тому +1

    Buongiorno e buona domenica
    Thank for the video , you know i am a huge fan of "Harry"
    and Steve Harris is a fan of geezer !!

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  3 роки тому

      Haha thank you, e anche a te! Unfortunately I had to edit and upload the video again due to some copyright claims

  • @rsaathoff
    @rsaathoff 3 місяці тому

    Geezers sounds more open. I aquiered a p bass that had the Steve Harris in it. This demo shows me all the fuss about the EMG GZR.

  • @jamesbunn4739
    @jamesbunn4739 3 роки тому +4

    The GZR 👍

  • @georgevacca1714
    @georgevacca1714 2 роки тому

    I’d like to hear the geezer pup with flats and with a flanger or chorus..they both sound good for playing rock though the geezer one is definitely more punchy 👍🏻

  • @67NewEngland
    @67NewEngland 3 роки тому +1

    I think I like the Harris SPB-2 better in these sound samples anyway.
    It has a more subdued attack without being bland ,closer to a more vintage or traditional Precision tone. The Geezer seemed to stray a bit from traditional P tone. They sound a little over the top. Or like they’re doing their own thing and straying from the norm, which is ok too, if you like that.

  • @muhammadnoorbinrohani39
    @muhammadnoorbinrohani39 3 роки тому +14

    Black Sabbath Geezer Butler is the world best Bass Guitarist in the world.

    • @DarthCiliatus
      @DarthCiliatus 3 роки тому

      Nah. He’s good but the best is Les Claypool from Primus.

    • @OVS888
      @OVS888 3 роки тому

      Not

  • @stefanos80
    @stefanos80 3 роки тому +3

    I prefer the GZR

  • @pastedtomato
    @pastedtomato 4 місяці тому

    Part of me wonders, how would they compare with some old school flatwounds (Think, LaBella 1954)?

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  4 місяці тому

      I don't usually compare using flats because they really don't cover the whole pickup sound range. Having said that, one could easily download the audio of the video (or plug it in your amp) and try the eq settings you like to have a better idea. Flats usually don't have much above 1kHz

  • @rebelmastermind2350
    @rebelmastermind2350 2 роки тому +4

    Time to get a Steven Harris set and play it only with a pick

  • @joannmannello9158
    @joannmannello9158 Рік тому

    no comparison both guys have thier own sound and geezer has that low snappy sound and harris has the sharp snappy which works for their style both souns excellent!

  • @dodjiegarcia2320
    @dodjiegarcia2320 3 роки тому +2

    GZR PJ

  • @thesteveus
    @thesteveus 5 днів тому

    The EMG GZR pickups sound more Iron Maiden-y.

  • @charlieburns1385
    @charlieburns1385 10 місяців тому

    I prefer the geezer
    They seem to have more articulation in the sound

  • @EmptyDomoKanti99
    @EmptyDomoKanti99 3 роки тому +4

    GZR easily

  • @aliveinlight6604
    @aliveinlight6604 3 роки тому +1

    Im conflicted i was all for the EMG but the Duncan sounds better .. my question is can both these passive pickups be heard over a treble guitar with active EMG and drums.

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  3 роки тому +1

      They both have nice presence in the midrange, around 1kHz, which is one of the frequencies, along with 2kHz, which allows to sound to cut nicely through the mix. As long as you don't cut those frequencies you shouldn't have any problems at all

    • @jgl8552
      @jgl8552 3 роки тому

      @@OliverTobyn Thanks bro. Great video really all the internet needs to make their choice. I think I'm going with SH pickup because I think with some adjustment you can get a Geezer sound out of it all while having a 80's heavy metal pick up. But I suppose you can do that with the Geezer as well lol \\
      Take Care!

  • @joshuamcmichael4121
    @joshuamcmichael4121 3 роки тому +2

    EMG GZR

  • @stevemustard1889
    @stevemustard1889 15 днів тому

    Rounds or flats

  • @thesteveus
    @thesteveus 5 днів тому

    Are these pickups ACTUALLY the pickups used by these artists?

  • @williamdon3442
    @williamdon3442 2 роки тому

    I have to give it to the Duncan’s

  • @HighlanderNorth1
    @HighlanderNorth1 3 роки тому +7

    ☹️ I went out and bought the GZR pickups, but they sounded nothing like Geezer's tone! Reluctantly, I read the manual, only to discover that having the pickups attached to an actual bass guitar was a prerequisite to achieving the desired sound. The news only got worse, as I was told I'd need an amplifier, along with something called "skill"... That last one requires things known as "lessons" and "practice", whatever the hell THAT means!!🥱
    👌🤡👍 So I decided to adopt a musical genre that requires NONE of ^those things! That was my ticket to success! It's how I became the famous rapper known as "Eminem"! 🤑

    • @nategin9009
      @nategin9009 3 роки тому +2

      That's because you aren't geezer butler

  • @NtWarlock
    @NtWarlock 3 роки тому

    Anche a me capita di avere richiami per violazioni, però alla fine non bisogna fare niente. L'unica cosa è che non si possono monetizzare i video.

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  3 роки тому

      Finché si tratta di cover, tanto quanto. Dato che qui dietro c'è stato un bel po' di lavoro, mi secca che tolgano la monentizzazione

  • @muhammadnoorbinrohani39
    @muhammadnoorbinrohani39 3 роки тому +6

    Iron Maiden Steve Harris is the world best master Bass Guitarist in the world.

    • @nategin9009
      @nategin9009 3 роки тому +1

      Nah without geezer, Harris never would have picked up a bass

    • @Jacob-Laeby
      @Jacob-Laeby 3 роки тому

      Hardly. Not even remotely close. Most prog metal and jazz bassists could easily play circles around him.This guy though might be: ua-cam.com/video/Ve37F3Ee9Ow/v-deo.html

    • @nategin9009
      @nategin9009 3 роки тому +1

      @@Jacob-Laeby you're foolish if you think geezer didn't pave the way for those genres to even exist and not even worth my time checking out, because I never said geezer was even the best. Just shut the fuck up

    • @Jacob-Laeby
      @Jacob-Laeby 3 роки тому

      @@nategin9009 No, but the OP (Muhammad Noor...) did, which was who I replied to, not you. - **roll eyes** - And no, while Geezer is a great bass player that in many aspects did pave the way for more modern metal bassist, he hardly had much to do with the invention of progressive rock, and even less jazz, which existed as a genre decades before he even was born. How about you calm down and read what I actually wrote. - **geeze** - No one is attacking you, you are being paranoid!

    • @nategin9009
      @nategin9009 3 роки тому

      @@Jacob-Laeby you came back after five months to say that and project your bullshit?

  • @AugustThor438
    @AugustThor438 2 роки тому +2

    Shouldn’t you have flatwounds on your bass for this kind of test? :)

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  2 роки тому

      Well, I tried to keep it as neutral as possible :) The signature flatwounds have a very characteristic sound

    • @errornosignal
      @errornosignal Рік тому

      especially considering they both run flats....

  • @NodakSavage
    @NodakSavage Рік тому

    Your pick ups look pretty flat. IDK why I was always under the assumption that they need to be angled. I'm gonna flatten mine out and see what happens

    • @OliverTobyn
      @OliverTobyn  Рік тому

      Doesn't make a massive difference, just different volume levels. I always set them so the level is balanced between all strings

  • @joaovictorsilvabernardes2912
    @joaovictorsilvabernardes2912 2 роки тому +1

    Emg

    • @samboyd4393
      @samboyd4393 Рік тому

      I have the EMG's in a Yamaha Attitude Plus P-bass and couldn't be happier.

    • @ushnicyuvnikof2748
      @ushnicyuvnikof2748 Рік тому

      EMG won this by a mile

  • @greyfoxzero
    @greyfoxzero 2 роки тому

    Or just get a Lollar P pickup

  • @13andersons
    @13andersons Рік тому

    Achei o captador da emg bem melhor q o da saymour ducan

  • @Kreln1221
    @Kreln1221 2 роки тому +1

    *The Steve Harris model only sounds like Steve Harris if they're used with monel flatwounds... With roundwounds, they're WAY too bright and clangy...*

    • @alessandroroggiolani9283
      @alessandroroggiolani9283 11 місяців тому

      Salve. Da possessore di un P-Steve Harris posso dire che hai parzialmente ragione; io ho trovato la soluzione ideale per me usando corde D'addario 0.45-1.05 roundw. per un paio di settimane per far perdere un po' di brillantezza e poi le tengo montate per diversi mesi e il loro suono caldo e vintage è fantastico!

  • @rohantiwari7801
    @rohantiwari7801 3 роки тому +1

    Steve Better

  • @jeremiasnovaisteodoro9809
    @jeremiasnovaisteodoro9809 3 місяці тому

    Steve harris , é fraco. Tem milhões de baixistas bem.melhores que ele

  • @dolfanrob262
    @dolfanrob262 Рік тому

    neither one sounds worth the money unless you have extremely cheap pickups in the bass you have now.