Seymour Duncan SSB-5N Passive Soapbar 5-String Neck Pickup
The SSB-5N captures articulate, balanced fundamentals from the neck position of 5-string bass guitars without any battery dependency. This passive design excels at reproducing clear low-end definition and controlled mid-range presence, making it an ideal choice for home studios and session work where signal transparency and low-noise operation streamline your recording chain.
Tone & Output Character
With a 6.3 kΩ DC resistance and 9.2 kHz resonant peak, the SSB-5N produces moderate output and a balanced EQ curve—6 (Bass) / 4 (Mid) / 7 (Treble)—that integrates cleanly into dense mixes without masking adjacent instruments. The ceramic bar magnets deliver crisp transient detail and frequency-specific definition, helping the neck pickup sit naturally alongside your bridge pickup and other track elements.
Installation & Compatibility
This pickup installs as a direct drop-in replacement into EMG 40 sized pickup slots and accommodates string spacing up to 3.10″ (78.5mm), enabling quick integration into most modern 5-string instruments used in tracking sessions. The two-conductor cable connects with standard wiring schemes, reducing setup time in the studio.
Key Features
- Passive design—no batteries or external power required
- DC Resistance: 6.3 kΩ
- Resonant Peak: 9.2 kHz
- Ceramic bar magnet construction
- EQ Profile: 6 Bass / 4 Mid / 7 Treble
- Maximum string spacing: 3.10″ (78.5mm) for 5-string configuration
- Direct drop-in compatibility with EMG 40 sized cavities
- Two-conductor cable
- Moderate output level
- Purpose-designed for 5-string neck position
The SSB-5N combines reliable passive operation with transparent tone character, making it a dependable choice for recording engineers and producers who value clean, uncolored bass capture without complex electronics in the signal path.
