hubrad

I never got round to knowing that.. thanks for the tip, itu!

Awesome.. Deffo worth playing through a decent speaker so the neighbours can get the full majesty!

That chart above may help, but probably a multimeter job then. Test for continuity to determine the ends of each coil, then it's a bit trial and error getting the phase right. I did find this forum on ESP gear, so could be worth asking folks who know the basses: https://www.espguitars.com/forums

Casting around, it sound like there's a ESP Designed range of pickups, SB-4B being the bridge pickup of the OEM pair in many ESP/Ltd basses.. is yours one of those, or is it definitely a Seymour Duncan model? SD are a good place to start when looking for clues as to wiring colours, but you may have to go in with a multimeter and your ears to decide just which wire does what.. good luck, it's all part of the fun!

Hi Mihail, welcome to Basschat! As suggested above, a 6.5 inch or 2x5 inch speakers won't give you a heavy sounding (I assume you want really solid) bass. I just looked at a couple of your other posts.. These speakers are way too small if you're looking at drop tunings.. they'll probably fart out really easily, even at front room volume. If the price tags on these two amps are your budget level (we all understand that part!) then you'd be better looking at used gear, but either way get the biggest speaker you can. Preferably at least 10 inch. If you'll be practicing through headphones the speaker doesn't matter, but be prepared to fry your head! Aux In is really useful for a stand alone practice amp, but you can always practice along to a stereo or something else.

You can do this, but as above you'll need to change the nut slots and the setup. I even turned 4 string into 5 string, but I'm told that isn't possible.. I could have saved so much money if I'd done this all those years ago! 😄

A friend in Leeds, years back.. she absolutely swore by the fact her strings were several years old, as she really hated the Zing of new strings. She was dreading the inevitable-one-day string breakage. A few months later, she broke a string, so replaced the set.. LOVED the tone of the new strings! To me, she sounded top notch both with old strings and new! Funny old world.

I think some folks want to sound like x player or y bass.. I prefer the approach of sounding like I sound, depending on choice of bass, and it seems to work almost all the time. I suppose, as a predominantly fretless player, most folks' reference is Pino Palladino, and let's face it I'll never be him(!) so I may as well do me! The Overwater approach definitely works for me, either their 'standard' version or you can really enjoy talking to them re options and personal taste/requirements.

If you're thinking of the possibility of future experiments, then go for the Bartolini as they'll be a standard size thus swappable. My J5 fretless tone monster came with Barts, but currently sports EMG for extra attack. I still have the Barts so I can always put them back in for the rich creaminess. Tbh, my experience of Overwater's own pickups is also splendid; I think they're very versatile, and you can actually get alot out of them by fingers and amp usage. Edit: Check out Ian King for Overwater/Bartolini content.. he told me he's a big fan of Barts, so I'm pretty sure if he's playing an Overwater in a vid then that's what the pickups will be.

Finish.. natural wood. They can take you from plain as you like to as fancy as you can imagine! The folks at Overwater Towers do very nice things with bits of wood, and with or without extra deluxe glitzy bits the beauty remains for all time.

I do, actually, have one of these online gigs.. Live At The Green Note without any of us actually having to drive there! This Wednesday at 8. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4430507943642642&id=100000504396211

Reaper. Even the licence is cheap, but it seems they'd rather you keep 'evaluating than get a cracked copy and slag them off based on faulty software! I fully intend to buy the licence once earning again. I've been using it.. you can get as complicated as you like, but there are endless YouTube tutorials, including by the developers themselves.

Same with alot of country and blues grooves.. not hard to get the notes, but you can spend a lifetime really getting the groove right. Splendid, innit?

As you say, not deadly complex, but this was the song that sold the album to me on first hearing it. An elusively beautiful sleazy groove!

It's one of the classic examples of Jaco Pastorius' fretless playing behind a song, and I've heard it cited as one of those tracks which were influential in people deciding to take up fretless bass. Fretless (he supposedly did the job himself) Jazz bass with distinct leaning to the bridge pickup. Classic tone, although some folks these days really don't go for it. Deffo go for the headphones, though.. I love this track!

You *are* joking, right?

We sold one 4/4 1950 all laminate - the blonde rockabilly model. Tbh, my own double bass, which I bought from a mate as a 'larger-than-average' 3/4, was larger than the Stentor 4/4! Mwahahaaa!

+1 for the Stentor 1950. I sold a few when I worked in a shop. They crop up second hand from time to time. Excellent starter bass but good enough to keep you going a fair while. Eminently giggable, as said above.

Cruiser/Cruzer by Crafter were well in your budget when they were available new, and second hand they're great value.. I have a couple myself! Pickups are ok, but the basses themselves justify upgrading those.. I put Japanese J in one and Fender and Ibanez in another.

Good spot, PTP.. one to file away for those little emergencies!

Sounds fine.. onwards and upwards!

Mwahahaaah.. welcome to our world! 😄

Not heard of Nova. I had a headless 5 string bridge by ABM a while back, excellent German engineering! Iirc ABM was a step up from Schaller at the time.

Did you ever get any further with this? Depending on the dimensions of those soapbars, you may well be able to use one of the readily available replacements with an internal P configuration. I know you said you want to go passive, but certainly EMG do such a pickup cos I've got one in one of mine. Other brands are available.. https://www.emgpickups.com/40p.html