mcnach

Nice! If it weren't a sunburst, I'd find it hard not to drive to Glasgow today.

I'm looking for a set of pickups for my red Squier Jazz. I currently have a set of some alnico Gotoh pickups that are not bad sounding at all. But I find them a bit lacking in output, and with the nylon tapewound strings I use on this bass I am aiming for that dark midrange grunt on the bridge pickup... which these get close to, but not quite, they sound too "vintagey". It's just a cheap bass but I am liking it more and more. I gigged with it last night and it's definitely not going to be the last... so I'm looking for a way to improve a bit what I have here. Looking at the Wizard pickups, which get great reviews here, I noticed the "Hammers" have a description that seems fitting... anybody has tried them?

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1341648483' post='1722186'] Can I be the one with the big moustache? [/quote] I think it would suit you I had moustache and beard once, but I also loved egg mayonnaise sandwiches... horrible combination. I prefer a fuzz-free face these days

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1341642408' post='1722141'] I'm hoping that it's down to the strings not suiting the bass so I've ordered a different brand in a heavier gauge. What do other Ray players on the forum use on their basses? [/quote] Generally D'Addario XL170 45-105 these days, but I have used DR Hi-Beams 45-105 also, which I like a lot. REgarding the pickup, it is angled towards the G... but the whole thing is not too close to the strings. Experiment a bit, I'm sure you will find that a few minor adjustments help a lot.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1341595958' post='1721658'] Funnily enough I have just done a string change on my blue one ready for tonights gig, I tried holding a string near the pickup and the myth about the pole pieces is totally busted, even when the string is level with the pickup where its never going to be the magnets still have a lot of pull! They overlap from pole piece to pole piece would make it neither here nor there, I'd say you could put the strings between the pieces and hear little to no difference [/quote] Our own Mythbusters team: 1 - Myth: 0

And after reading this trhead... I've decided tonight's gig will be done with my Korean Squier jazz. The original pickups were a bit disappointing but the bass feels great, so I put some better pickups on it and I really like it.

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1341506380' post='1720249'] Tried to buy the vm squire from gumtree... The guy wont post it cos gumtree is for local selling only?? [/quote] yes, generally people expect local deals, in person etc. But if you are persuasive enough you may convince some to post...

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1341513346' post='1720411'] Opened the link and got a Trojan warning.....hmmm! [/quote] it's just a gumtree link, hmmm...

[quote name='OutSpoon' timestamp='1341490955' post='1719907'] So - I have a '78 Fender Jazz, well, it's a '78 neck on an 83 body and an 83 fingerboard (I think) - with Nordy pickups and a Schaller bridge; so already a bit all over the place - but what would make it 'perfect' I think would be block inlays. I know a luthier local to me who already did a great job putting new inlays into an old Ibanez that I had, so thinking to trust him with the Fender. I didn't pay big $$ for the Fender but wondering if it would increase, decrease or destroy the value of it... What do you all think? Keep it original(ish) or continue the journey it has had, and make it personal... [attachment=112250:IMG_1804.jpg] [/quote] I personally love the neck like that... but if I wanted blocks I'd probably try to get a neck with blocks, and see if I am happy with that, before doing the surgery on this neck.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1341425302' post='1718856'] non bass players often can't tell the difference between a P a Jazz, a stingray or anything from sound. The "oh you played an upright tonight, oh i didn't notice", I'm sure happens sometimes too [/quote] This. I remember when i could not tell the difference between a Jazz and a Precision, and "bass is bass, innit?"... then I learnt Jazz has a thinner neck, ok, then I thought "that is the difference that matters then". Ridiculous, I know, how could I not tell??? I had been playing guitar for years at that stage, and I could hear the difference between a tele and a strat, P90 pickups, humbuckers... but I guess I didn't care for bass. That changed rapidly between 2005-2007 'though To the OP: if you hear it, it's what counts the most. In my opinion, cheaper instruments benefit the most (generally, but not always) from pickup changes. Soemtimes teh difference is subtle to the ears of the "non-initiated non-bassplayers"... sometimes it just gives you a more balanced output, with a bit of extra body and that deeper "thump" that most people might not notice, but you feel when playing it. If I hear it, if I feel it, and I like it, I play beter. Simple.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1341434649' post='1719114'] Any idea what the 5 string nut width is? I can see the 38mm nut being a big selling point, a lot of folks ask about options for a Stingray with a narrower nut on here. [/quote] yes, but for me it has the opposite effect... which is a relief, as a 2-band walnut stain looked very very sexy indeed, but I don't *need* one... the narrow nut does it for me. I'm safe However, the 5-string... I don't need a 5-string. But If I were going to get one, I'd definitely check it out, as I am a sucker for maple fingerboards.

spotted on Gumtree (Edinburgh): http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/70s-kay-bass-guitar/105900597

[quote name='Jono Bolton' timestamp='1341313592' post='1716700'] My Precision is Mexican and I love it! I bought it on ebay blind for £180, with a hardcase, and once I'd cleaned it and set it up it was brilliant, nice and comfy to play, and even with the stock pickup my bandmates at the time commented on how good it sounded. I sold it on here in about 2008 and then received it back in a trade last year (I had no idea it was my old bass until I took it out of the box!) I've made a few mods to it, a new bridge, new wiring from KiOgon and a tort scratchplate from The Bass Doc, and when I got the bass back it had a Wizard Thumper instead of the Duncan 1/4 Pounder it had in it when I sold it, and it's my go to bass now, I'm sure this is said about many basses that eventually get sold on but I reckon it's a keeper. I briefly owned a US Standard P Bass and I much prefer the lowly Mex. I've never found that the build quality of Mexican instruments has been poor, the neck pocket on my Jazz has a slight lip on it but I've seen that on higher end instruments too. I'd recommend a Mex Standard, I think they can be great basses, but if you have the cash I'd definitely go for a 50s Classic P Bass, they're outstanding instruments. I tried one in Sound Control up here in Glasgow and actually ordered one online because the shop didn't have black, only Fiesta Red, but due to my impatience I cancelled the order when I found out it wouldn't be instock for about 6 weeks (despite the site saying otherwise), which is what led me to buy the US Standard. In hindsight, I wish I'd waited the 6 weeks, shortly after the price went up and I've never been able to afford another one since [/quote] so, how would you compare the Thumper vs the quarter pounder?

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1341251080' post='1715803'] 15 minutes! You need a lie down my son. Take it easy. We dont want you breaking out in a sweat now do we. Have you told your GF? She will be well impressed and will probably make your tea for you. Pad it out to 20mins and you'll be on a promise. What a hero Same time next year? A [/quote] Maaaaa! apa is making fun of me!!! AGAIN!!!!

Typical... Over a year later and... still not very far along! Well, I decided to apply a power sander to the body and get rid off that supertough coat. It *is* tough! about 15min later using 40 grit, this is how far I got: The paler wood is where I catually reached the naked wood. The rest still has that coat on, to some extent. And I still have the back, and all the roundy bits... why did I start this, why? I don't even need a P-bass! By the way... change of plans... it'll no longer have a MM pickup. Plain P-bass it'll be, only with a SD 3-band preamp. Tune in next year again to see if I have actually finished stripping this thing

For someone looking at the Precision sound, I'd recommend checking out the 50s version with the single coil. Yes, not the same bass -although they are both "Precision" in name... and althoughh they sound in the ballbark of eachother, I personally prefer the sound of the 50s one. In particular, the Squier 50s Precision from the Classic Vibe series is a really nice bass.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1341162688' post='1714546'] Ignore the talk about pole pieces its utter rubbish, If they had covered poles it would never of even been a theory! That thread has been done many times and we found loads of basses with strings that dont run over the pups pole pieces and guitars too, Put it this way does a Fender Strat drop in volume if you bend the strings well out of any pole pieces when playing a solo? I think you could have the whole pickup too close to the strings which sounds like your going to have even less chance of hearing the G string but hear me out, if you lower the pup into the body quite a bit on the E side and lower the G end level to start with then plug it in and try it to see what the overall sound is like then you will need to boost your amp volume wise a little from where it was to compensate and the G will probably be too weak, keep it plugged in use a flat EQ, raise the G end up until it gives a bit more clarity and an even output, I have done this at home before in isolation and actually had to reduce the pup back on the G end a bit at the next rehersal as it was actually over powering on the G&D strings, crazy I know As for the EQ I would take the 2 EQ over a 3 any day, Im saving up for a Classic Ray5 as we speak [/quote] +1 for this man. I do not notice a difference when I bend strings and push the string sideways over the polepiece... I doubt that with those huge poles sliding the string a bit one way or the other makes a big difference... I certainly do not hear it, so I am with stingrayPete about the polepiece position being not very important. I find, however, that string gauge does make a difference. In addition to what is said above abount the pickup height etc... Use a 40 for the G? Move to a 45, and you will notice a difference. Even more so with a 50, although going from 40-50 may not seem nice at first if you are used to thinner gauges. The MM 3EQ is different from the JE 3EQ. The JE 3-band is merely a 2-band, with an added mid-sweep control. The midsweep control alone is wonderful as it allows you to really fine tune your sound. On the MM 2EQ, as in my SUB, I tend to have the bass control just slightly up, and the treble anything from totally down, to quite high, depending on the situation. I find they interact a lot, and sometimes you can control the top end better if you turn down bass, rather than turning up treble... These basses, in passive form, do not sound thin at all. Lots of bottom end. But you need to balance the controls not to unbalance the sound too much. The treble is cut and boost, without centre detent... so no idea where it is flat (unless you have a bypass switch added). The bass control I've heard it said it's boost only. To me it sounds like it is asymmetrical, and can boost a lot more than it can cut. For the Stingray I went with the JE 3-band, and I asked for a bypass switch to be installed. Because of that, I am sure I know what my bass sounds like without the preamp, and so where the "flat" setting is. And believe me, thin is not the word that best describes the sound.

[quote name='far0n' timestamp='1341159124' post='1714480'] I've ripped out the preamp and pickup out of my Sub4. Replaced with a Nordstrand MM4.2 and a John East 3 band parametric eq preamp. Weirdly the chrome plate that came with it didn't fit the screw holes. No idea if this is a Sub4 anomaly or not ?? Anyway, has it cured the weak G ? Yes, although there is a tendancy for the strings to get weaker towards the G, but I've had this same problem on plenty of other basses in the past. It's manageable if you screw the E end down a bit. The Nordstrand is quite a subtle pickup though, certainly not "in your face screaming stingray" as you might want. Me personally I like that, I always thought the original pickup was over the top sound wise. The Bartolini MM replacement is single rails across all four strings so that may be your best bet pickup wise. [/quote] Do you still have the original pickup on the SUB? I like them and I would be interested in it if you were selling... And +1 for the John East MMSR preamp. My Stingray was 2EQ, and I found it a bit too brittle on the high end. I bouught the 3-band from JE, more for the midsweep than anything, but as a bonus, I found the treble seemed a bit less gritting and more useable, while the bottom end seemed... "tighter" somehow. However, I am happy with the 2EQ in my SUB. I think the different pickup in the SUB (wired in series) works better with the 2EQ preamp. For me. Plate not fitting... I encountered the same thing with my 2002 Stingray. So I reused the original plate. I told John East about it. I actually compared the plate to my OLPs, and... it was identical to the OLP plates, but as you found out, the Stingray (and SUB) is a tiny bit different. I guess he has not changed them, or still has a few of those. He said he'd look into it when I sent him pictures... but he also said nobody had mentioned this to him before (hmmm) The Bartolini pickups may be nice, but if a "stingray" tone is desired, perhaps not the best choice.