discreet Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) [quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1458136081' post='3005011'] It looks great, but I'm not big on the sound. [/quote] It's very subjective, of course. I sound pretty much the same regardless of which bass I'm playing and what pickups it's fitted with, so it could be that you just don't like the sound I'm making, you don't like the sound of flats, you don't like the way it's been recorded, or any of the many other variables at work. Having said that, I am quite tempted to try an upgrade pickup, but I'm not entirely sure it will be enough of an improvement to justify the cost. If I spend too much upgrading this bass I may as well have bought something better in the first place. But then I probably would want to upgrade [i]that[/i], so on and on it goes... [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1458137771' post='3005026'] Yup, sounds like bass to me [/quote] Secretly I think most basses sound pretty much the same, 'it's in the fingers' is where it's at, imho. At the end of the day you want to sound like a bass guitarist playing a bass - and you don't need to spend a fortune on gear for that to happen. Even though over the years, I have. Edited March 16, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefbaker Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1458139011' post='3005038'] It's very subjective, of course. I sound pretty much the same regardless of which bass I'm playing and what pickups it's fitted with, so it could be that you just don't like the sound I'm making, you don't like the sound of flats, you don't like the way it's been recorded, or any of the many other variables at work. [/quote] I love flats. I even love the tone rolled all the way back, but it just sounds like the pickup is throwing out more low mid than my personal taste agrees with so it sounds woolly to me. Like you say, personal taste, but I have tapes on my P and when I record with the tone rolled off like that it doesn't sound quite so woolly. And it doesn't sound like finger tone that's causing it to my ears. But like you say, subjective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1458139011' post='3005038'] Secretly I think most basses sound pretty much the same, 'it's in the fingers' is where it's at, imho. At the end of the day you want to sound like a bass guitarist playing a bass - and you don't need to spend a fortune on gear for that to happen. Even though over the years, I have. [/quote] It's not so much that, it's the rapscallions playing other instruments at the same time as the bass who render the nuances which you can hear from a soloed bass rather moot, at least as far as my ears are concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qlank Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Nice looking machine. Don't really like pick-guards on sunburst (or any other finish) but that's just my preference. Have to say though, the bass does sound good in the clip there, fits the music tidy. Or it could be your playing. Anyway, nice bass, enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) [quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1458140423' post='3005050'] ...sounds like the pickup is throwing out more low mid than my personal taste agrees with so it sounds woolly to me. [/quote] I could try another SC pickup, as I was half-toying with the notion anyway. Anyone know what the established upgrade path in this situation? Any suggestions before I start a 'Which SC P Pickup?' thread? SD? Fralin? Lollar? Regardless of cost I really like the neck and the way it plays, so it could be worth doing. Edited March 16, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1458141324' post='3005054'] ...it's the rapscallions playing other instruments at the same time as the bass who render the nuances which you can hear from a soloed bass rather moot, at least as far as my ears are concerned. [/quote] I should have said, 'sound like a bass guitarist playing a bass - [i]in a band situation[/i].' Not being of the Michael Manring persuasion. Edited March 16, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Fella I know bought T-bird's PB-50 with a Duncan SC in it. When I swapped out the Wilkinson for the SF I sent it to him over in Kenya. Couldn't tell much difference myself apart from the Wilkinson being louder. https://soundcloud.com/subdude67/seymour-duncan-pickup https://soundcloud.com/subdude67/wilkinson-pickup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 [quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1458162973' post='3005287'] Fella I know bought T-bird's PB-50 with a Duncan SC in it. When I swapped out the Wilkinson for the SF I sent it to him over in Kenya. Couldn't tell much difference myself apart from the Wilkinson being louder. [url="https://soundcloud.com/subdude67/seymour-duncan-pickup"]https://soundcloud.c...r-duncan-pickup[/url] [url="https://soundcloud.com/subdude67/wilkinson-pickup"]https://soundcloud.c...ilkinson-pickup[/url] [/quote] Thanks for the links Davie, I'll have a listen tomorrow (today!) when everyone's left the house. I don't have much personal experience of the 50s-type SC 4-pole P pickup, so it will be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 (edited) [quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1458162973' post='3005287'] Fella I know bought T-bird's PB-50 with a Duncan SC in it. When I swapped out the Wilkinson for the SF I sent it to him over in Kenya. Couldn't tell much difference myself apart from the Wilkinson being louder. https://soundcloud.com/subdude67/seymour-duncan-pickup https://soundcloud.com/subdude67/wilkinson-pickup [/quote] Have to agree with you there. Thanks for posting. Such direct comparisons are few and far between. Nice playing too. Edited March 17, 2016 by Grangur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefbaker Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 See, I can hear a lot more in the 3-5k range on the wilkinson. Weirdly I prefer the darker seymour duncan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Nice work, although I would do that top screw up before you catch yourself on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1458203049' post='3005458'] Nice work, although I would do that top screw up before you catch yourself on it! [/quote] Hehe. Spotted that, and the tug-bar screws, but not before taking the pics. All good now though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 (edited) [quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1458202993' post='3005456'] See, I can hear a lot more in the 3-5k range on the wilkinson. Weirdly I prefer the darker seymour duncan [/quote] Having just listened at volume on full-range studio monitors I'd have to agree that the Wilkinson pickup is definitely brighter than the Seymour Duncan - which is certainly darker, as you say. But it does seem to have just as much bottom end (which is quite extreme in both cases!). I don't think it's necessarily a negative trait though and is something that could be easily sorted with EQ, both live and in the studio - if it were considered a problem. I don't think the difference warrants investment in a replacement pickup, I'll take the Wilkinson. It is a budget bass after all and the object of the game was to see what you could get for little money, and the answer to that is 'quite a lot'. That is if you're prepared to put a bit of fettling work in initially and be happy to return the bass under warranty if you get a bit of a dog! You pays your money and you takes your choice. But the two sound clips are obviously played on the stock D'Addario Rounds and there doesn't seem to be as much woolliness in evidence as there is on my audio clip. I can only conclude that this is due to the La Bella flats, though I haven't previously noticed this problem with them. It could be banana-fingeredness on my part during the recording, which I did in a hurry... I'll check the original file later and see if there's anything up with it. Thanks to Kodiakblair for the comparison files, very interesting. Edited March 17, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefbaker Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Definitely. I know it may not sound it but I am massively impressed with these, especially given the outlay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 (edited) [quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1458206320' post='3005499'] I am massively impressed with these, especially given the outlay. [/quote] The neck in particular is exceptional - a proper P-Bass handful, plays beautifully, straight as a die, nicely-finished frets and a truss rod that works perfectly in both directions. Great bit of timber, too - worth at least twice what the entire bass cost, imho. Edited March 18, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 (edited) UPDATE: Ahem... Long story short, I used an existing FL Studio file for the HB demo to save time and didn't notice there was an EQ plugin on the bass channel... which I have now removed. Here's the updated audio file for anyone who's interested... [url="https://www.mediafire.com/?uo7r65oi7ysll7e"]https://www.mediafir...uo7r65oi7ysll7e[/url] I've made it a .wav file as SoundCloud compresses everything to a 128kbps .mp3 file... I think you'd have to agree it's a lot smoother and less 'grainy'. It could even be less 'woolly', who knows..? Point is, the Wilkinson pickup is perfectly adequate in my opinion, so if you were thinking about buying a HB PB-50 you shouldn't have to factor in the cost of an upgrade pickup. In theory you don't need to spend any money on it at all if roundwounds are your thing. Just a little time setting up and a bit of a fettle if you're that way inclined... bargain! Edited March 19, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 18, 2016 Author Share Posted March 18, 2016 (edited) [quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1457991368' post='3003800'] I'm with young master Discreet about the white scratchplate, quite fancy one on my modded PB-50 [/quote] I finally bowed to pressure from the offspring and painted the guard white. Technically it's 'Royal Ivory', but I think 'white' covers it. I know more people expressed a preference for gold, but I have to live with the great moaning git, so here it is. I think it's not half bad actually... to be more 'authentic' it would need to be a two-tone burst, not a three-tone. And have a two-saddle through-body bridge. And the horn shape is too pointed... and on and on. But I'm hoping it's going to be enough to stem the 50s P-GAS I've been suffering from. Here's the previous gold version, for an easy comparison: I think they both have their merits. Also it was cloudy today, so the white guard pic is a much more accurate real-world colour representation. The pics in full sunlight are very lush - but in reality the bass just isn't that bright. Edited March 19, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 [quote name='darren' timestamp='1457990390' post='3003781'] I too couldn't resist one of these. I intend to reshape the headstock at some point. I was thinking of using a coping saw but may go jigsaw now. I prefer mine without the pickguard but the gold and those bridge saddles work nicely. [/quote]If you use the really thin jigsaw blades and take care, a jigsaw will be fine. Most people use the wide blades and they do not turn easily. If you want to reduce sanding time, do not use the scroller feature. It is quick but leaves a mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1458210013' post='3005550'] UPDATE: Ahem... Long story short, I used an existing FL Studio file for the HB demo to save time and didn't notice there was an EQ plugin on the bass channel... which I have now removed. Here's the updated audio file for anyone who's interested... [url="https://www.mediafire.com/?uo7r65oi7ysll7e"]https://www.mediafir...uo7r65oi7ysll7e[/url] I've made it a .wav file as SoundCloud compresses everything to a 128kbps .mp3 file... I think you'd have to agree it's a lot smoother and less 'grainy'. It could even be less 'woolly', who knows..? Point is, the Wilkinson pickup is perfectly adequate in my opinion, so if you were thinking about buying a HB PB-50 you shouldn't have to factor in the cost of an upgrade pickup. In theory you don't need to spend any money on it at all if roundwounds are your thing. Just a little time setting up and a bit of a fettle if you're that way inclined... bargain! [/quote] A wise choice. A pickup is only a coil of wire around a magnet, no matter how much fairy dust you sprinkle on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howdenspur Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1458210013' post='3005550'] UPDATE: Ahem... Long story short, I used an existing FL Studio file for the HB demo to save time and didn't notice there was an EQ plugin on the bass channel... which I have now removed. Here's the updated audio file for anyone who's interested... [url="https://www.mediafire.com/?uo7r65oi7ysll7e"]https://www.mediafir...uo7r65oi7ysll7e[/url] I've made it a .wav file as SoundCloud compresses everything to a 128kbps .mp3 file... I think you'd have to agree it's a lot smoother and less 'grainy'. It could even be less 'woolly', who knows..? Point is, the Wilkinson pickup is perfectly adequate in my opinion, so if you were thinking about buying a HB PB-50 you shouldn't have to factor in the cost of an upgrade pickup. In theory you don't need to spend any money on it at all if roundwounds are your thing. Just a little time setting up and a bit of a fettle if you're that way inclined... bargain! [/quote] Sounds great...nice playing too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howdenspur Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1458321232' post='3006663'] I finally bowed to pressure from the offspring and painted the guard white. Technically it's 'Royal Ivory', but I think 'white' covers it. I know more people expressed a preference for gold, but I have to live with the great moaning git, so here it is. I think it's not half bad actually... to be more 'authentic' it would need to be a two-tone burst, not a three-tone. And have a two-saddle through-body bridge. And the horn shape is too pointed... and on and on. But I'm hoping it's going to be enough to stem the 50s P-GAS I've been suffering from. Here's the previous gold version, for an easy comparison: I think they both have their merits. Also it was cloudy today, so the white guard pic is a much more accurate real-world colour representation. The pics in full sunlight are very lush - but in reality the bass just isn't that bright. [/quote] The gold PG is nice, the white is lush IMHO - nice work that man! Oh and kudos to young Master Discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 19, 2016 Author Share Posted March 19, 2016 (edited) [quote name='bcbass' timestamp='1458023031' post='3003903'] Is it heavy, some geezers complained about? [/quote] Sorry, I missed this... no, not excessively... it comes in at 8.9lb (using the bathroom scales method), which means it's no featherweight, but by no means a boat anchor either. It balances well on my suede strap and there's very little neck dive. I'll report back when I've done a couple of one-hour sets with it. Edited March 19, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 (edited) [quote name='howdenspur' timestamp='1458388778' post='3007152'] Sounds great...nice playing too. [/quote] +1 I think the very nice playing is bringing out the absolute best the bass has to offer.. Edited March 21, 2016 by silverfoxnik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 [quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1458383963' post='3007108'] If you use the really thin jigsaw blades and take care, a jigsaw will be fine. Most people use the wide blades and they do not turn easily. If you want to reduce sanding time, do not use the scroller feature. It is quick but leaves a mess. [/quote] Thanks! I'll do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 23, 2016 Author Share Posted March 23, 2016 (edited) [quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1458383963' post='3007108'] If you use the really thin jigsaw blades and take care, a jigsaw will be fine. Most people use the wide blades and they do not turn easily. [/quote] [quote name='darren' timestamp='1458563915' post='3008564'] Thanks! I'll do that. [/quote] +1 Great advice, for my next attempt I'll do that too and try to get much closer to the headstock shape before sanding. [quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1458384128' post='3007109'] A wise choice. A pickup is only a coil of wire around a magnet, no matter how much fairy dust you sprinkle on it. [/quote] +1 I've heard nothing so far that makes me want to spend fifty-odd quid to swap out the stock single-coil Wilkinson. It's a good pickup. A second HB PB-50 on order! Going for a body refin this time... HB PB-50 Mod v2.0 will be posted in due course. Edited March 23, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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