Bartolini

Bartolini

Also known as: Bartolini Pickups, Bartolini Pickups & Electronics, Bartolini Pickups and Electronics

Unclaimed

Bartolini Pickups & Electronics is a San Luis Obispo, California manufacturer of pickups and onboard preamps, best known for its work on bass guitars. The company traces its roots to 1973, when founder Bill Bartolini began making magnetic pickups after more than a decade of research into instrument acoustics. His early designs appeared under the "Hi-A" brand before adopting the Bartolini name i...

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Bartolini Pickups & Electronics is a San Luis Obispo, California manufacturer of pickups and onboard preamps, best known for its work on bass guitars. The company traces its roots to 1973, when founder Bill Bartolini began making magnetic pickups after more than a decade of research into instrument acoustics. His early designs appeared under the "Hi-A" brand before adopting the Bartolini name in 1978. Bill and Pat Bartolini retired in the early 2010s, and Clyde Clark took ownership of the company and expanded manufacturing.

Bartolini's catalog spans J-Bass, P-Bass, PJ sets, MusicMan-style soapbars, "Candybar" and "Classic Bass" models, plus guitar pickups in humbucker, Strat-style, soapbar and acoustic configurations. The electronics side is equally central to the brand's identity, with preamps like the NTMB, NTMB+FL, XTCT and TCT that are commonly found in boutique and production basses. A more recent development is the "b-axis" line, a modern reinterpretation of Bill Bartolini's original Hi-A design.

The pickups are closely associated with high-end bass luthiers and production builders — brands like Ibanez, MTD, Roscoe, Fodera and Warwick have long used Bartolini electronics as OEM parts. The overall sonic reputation centers on a smooth, warm, hi-fi voicing with extended low-end response, which has made Bartolini a frequent choice among players in fusion, jazz, progressive and modern session contexts.

Bartolini has 9 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Bass Guitar Pickups, Solid Body Electric Guitars, and Acoustic Guitar Pickups. Their gear is featured by 6 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Metal, and Blues. Notable users include Dick Lövgren, Kurt Cobain, and Pat Smear.

Artists Who Use Bartolini

Dick Lövgren uses 2 Bartolini products

Dick Lövgren

Bassist · Meshuggah

Kurt Cobain uses 1 Bartolini product

Kurt Cobain

Singer, Guitarist · Nirvana

Pat Smear uses 1 Bartolini product

Pat Smear

Guitarist · Nirvana

Bruce Springsteen uses 1 Bartolini product

Bruce Springsteen

Guitarist, Singer · Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes

Kevin Otten uses 1 Bartolini product

Kevin Otten

Bassist · KNocked Loose

Hubert Sumlin uses 1 Bartolini product

Hubert Sumlin

Guitarist · Savoy Brown

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