funkle

New video coming soon…just editing it now…sorry for the delay!

You’re too kind! The problem is, I sort of get an idea in my head and I can’t leave it alone. This one’s been knocking around since my last double P attempt, which morphed into the Wal-ish. It’s expensive…

J Tone in my Squier Jazz. Brilliant bit of kit.

I’ll start a new thread and post a video when I’ve actually got the new bass up and going. It’s still being worked on. Both pickups will be reversed compared to the normal orientation. The EA coil on each will be centred on where 60’s Jazz Bass positions are, and the DG coils will be north of that in each. Like this bass - https://www.talkbass.com/threads/nbd-double-reverse-p.1143531/ It will be on a Jazz body like the Fender Blacktop Jazz basses.

I’m busy having another go at a Dual Precision pickup bass. My first attempt eventually foundered because I put the rear pickup too close to the bridge. I went throughs lot of the same agonies over pickup choice as the OP even then. Great to see this thread now, I think the advice is spot on. I have a Fender CS 62 in my ‘flats’ bass now. Because my new project needs two pickups and that could get expensive for the top name stuff, and I like the CS 62, I went for two Tonerider Precision pickups. The rumour is they are quite similar to the CS 62 I have. It’s good to see that opinion in this thread too. I can only hope!

Just bought Jason's Squier VMJ 77 Bass, easy transaction with smooth comms and quick shipping. The bass is utterly pristine. Thanks again Jason! Pete

Morning all. Just wanted to post an apology for less activity. Turns out the gastroenteritis I thought I had was actually a form of colitis. Bit of a rough summer with a few trips to hospital, tests, etc etc. However I’m coming back to life again and will shoot some video and post some updates. I’ve had a while to live with the bass as it is and it’s been useful.

Whoa. £5k is ambitious. I’m doubtful of that getting achieved. The colour is…not for me, either.

How did you work out how far the numbers had to go round to match the limits of how far the pots can turn? Do different pots have different rotational travel distances?

Just sold a Hipshot D Tuner to Kenny, very straightforward transaction with easy communications and quick payment. Thanks again Kenny!

Another brief aside. I'll repeat myself. The way the Wal pickups set their pickup heights is very intelligent. I would, if I were doing this all again, now choose the Wal pickup casing/mounting over the MM shape. The MM shape is cooler, but I can achieve a much wider range of pickup heights more easily using the Wal design than the MM shape/present mounting method. Live and learn!

Ok, I am wrong again. The Wal does not behave differently. Just tested out more detail on pickup heights using the Wal Mk1. It behaves exactly the same to my ears and under the scope as Chris' pickups in terms of my findings above re: frequency response and volume. I varied the height from 10mm away from the underside of a fretted string right down to 2mm away. Output changes significantly with height but the frequency response to my ears and under the frequency analyser, once level-matched, is the same. I don't get this; Wal themselves say in their materials that higher pickup heights make their pickups sound darker, but I cannot hear it or see it under the scope, so...This also contradicts my experiences earlier in the thread with lower pickup height improving tone on a Wal. I'm not sure what to make of this either. I definitely heard the change...hmm. I'll now focus more on just getting more comparisons of the latest version of the Wal-ish recorded alongside the Wal.

Ok, I have recovered enough to do some more testing with pickup heights, and have surprised myself with the conclusions. With this present set of pickups wired in parallel, when setting the polepiece anywhere from 5.5mm to within 1mm of the fretted string underside, I see no meaningful difference in frequency content. Volume changes significantly, but treble response does not. My ears have been fooling me; I thought they were darker at higher polepiece heights. My issue with my right thumb creating false harmonics is not significantly different at different pickup heights, it's just that they are more audible when the pickups are closer to the string (from the output jump). If I level match recordings done with polepieces set at 5.5mm and at 1mm they have the same amount of 'technique noise'. Proved myself wrong on a few counts. I guess it's why it's good to sit down and record/use a frequency analyser rather than my first subjective impressions. My take away for Chris' pickups (the MC4 SPSC versions I have presently) is that I can safely put them as close to the strings as I'd like. I guess other people's mileage may vary but that's what I've found. I'll need to try and do the same experiment with the Wal. My hypothesis from previous experiences is that it will behave differently.

Ah, thanks. Didn’t realise the underline was a link.

Nice. where'd you get them?