ThomBassmonkey Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Just did a search on 6 string MM pickups and could only find one, I never really see any 6ers with J pups either, they all seem to be soapbars. How come? Thom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Maybe they give the tone that 6er players (a limited group in the grand scheme of things) generally go for - market forces. Not having held or played one, what style of music is 6 string bass generally for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted November 29, 2010 Author Share Posted November 29, 2010 They can be used for any, I used mine in prog heavy rock type stuff, though they're pretty common in jazz and solo stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 [quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1041194' date='Nov 29 2010, 02:28 PM']Just did a search on 6 string MM pickups and could only find one, I never really see any 6ers with J pups either, they all seem to be soapbars. How come? Thom[/quote] Probably because thats the easiest design option - look at the way J or P type pups are used and you'll see that using them on a 6 string would need a radical redesign... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 [quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1041194' date='Nov 29 2010, 02:28 PM']Just did a search on 6 string MM pickups and could only find one, I never really see any 6ers with J pups either, they all seem to be soapbars. How come? Thom[/quote] Thom, they are out there - but yes, the 'soapbar' casing for a pickup is much easier and cheaper to manufacture - as it is possible to put different configurations inside the same shaped casing. (So, a 'soapbar' doesn't have a particular tone as such). For example - EMG do J pickups, they are just in the same shell as say a P style, or dual rails. - It also makes it easier for us suffering from G.A.S to swap out completely different types of pickups, if they are all in a similar shell! One day I could have a P bass pup, the next a musicman sounding pickup - but with the EMGs, they just slot right in and I don't even need a soldering iron If you are specifically looking for a six string MM pup, then I recommend either Seymour Duncan or Delano off the top of my head as just two companies who manufacture such a beast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted November 29, 2010 Author Share Posted November 29, 2010 Since I'm taking ages to get a new bass, I'm actually quite tempted to get a cheaper 6er (than I've set my budget currently) and kit it out with tappable MMs. Maybe a TRB or maybe even just kit out my Ibanez BTB in my avatar. I expect getting the routing and drilling (for tap switches) would cost a fair bit though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Having come to the conclusion that big, Musicman shaped humbuckers sound best I thik they should find their way into more basses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Hughes Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 The Yamaha 6 that Nathan East plays (possibly a signature, not sure) has J pickups. As does the Fender Steve Bailey signature bass. But, yeah - soapbars just make it easier for upgrades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamPodmore Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Musicman Bongo 6. Prime example of a 6 with MM Humbuckers. Liam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 (edited) I was thinking about this earlier, I'd love a 6 string with a single MM style humbucker (Bongo, or JM2 anybody?) Or two Fat humbuckers (Warwick $$ or Bongo) I guess, soapbars like discussed (and Dood Rightly said!) easy casing design/ convienient and also Soapbars them selves (at least i have always found) to be very versitile pickups, and like all basses can be used how ever, From jazz to pop to metal, Look at Bill Buddah Dickins and other jazz artists (though he has a 7 more often! just the first name to mind) to the bassists from Los Lonely boys and Alien Ant farm to John Myung of Dream Theater and Ryan whatsisname from Mudvyane Edited November 29, 2010 by AttitudeCastle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted November 29, 2010 Author Share Posted November 29, 2010 So if soapbars are used because they can contain any kind of pickup, why aren't they used more on 4 and 5 strings? Also, how are you supposed to know what pups are contained inside the soapbar case if they could potentially be a J or bucker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 [quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1041604' date='Nov 29 2010, 08:33 PM']So if soapbars are used because they can contain any kind of pickup, why aren't they used more on 4 and 5 strings? Also, how are you supposed to know what pups are contained inside the soapbar case if they could potentially be a J or bucker?[/quote] Using a soapbar on a 4 string is a more expensive option given the vast number of P and J type pups that are available to a manufacturer who is trying to create an instrument on a budget that people recognise. Not really studied in depth what pups are on 5 string basses - mine has a pair of Bartolini soapbars that came as standard and work just fine. You can get P & J type pups for a 5 string but, as there is a more limited market for them, I would have guessed that most manufacturers would go for soapbars from a cost and ease of fitting perspective. You don't really need to know what's inside the soapbar - different brands have different characteristics and you (or the instrument manufacturer) just select the ones most suitable for the purpose. I guess it's a bit like you don't need to know how your telly works to be able to enjoy it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted November 29, 2010 Author Share Posted November 29, 2010 5 strings seem to be mostly soapbars, but there are enough other ones that they're avoidable, unlike 6ers where the vast majority are soapbars. I suppose I don't need to know what's happening inside, but it's not really like the difference betwen two buckers where they sound similar. To use your TV comparison, it's more like if it's LCD or Plasma, you'd probably want to know before you bought it which it was. I just have a thing against soapbars, that's what made me wonder. With my rig and my fingers, they always sound a little flatter than MM pups and miss the sparkle of Js. I've only got limited experience with them with this rig so I'm not throwing all soapbars out of the window yet, but I do gravitate to other stuff. I'd love a Bongo 6, but for the difference between a 5 and 6, there's a huge price gap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 [quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1041641' date='Nov 29 2010, 09:01 PM']5 strings seem to be mostly soapbars, but there are enough other ones that they're avoidable, unlike 6ers where the vast majority are soapbars. I suppose I don't need to know what's happening inside, but it's not really like the difference betwen two buckers where they sound similar. To use your TV comparison, it's more like if it's LCD or Plasma, you'd probably want to know before you bought it which it was. I just have a thing against soapbars, that's what made me wonder. With my rig and my fingers, they always sound a little flatter than MM pups and miss the sparkle of Js. I've only got limited experience with them with this rig so I'm not throwing all soapbars out of the window yet, but I do gravitate to other stuff. I'd love a Bongo 6, but for the difference between a 5 and 6, there's a huge price gap.[/quote] Yeah. You can get 5 and 6 versions of P and J pups but the P type are two different sizes (making machining more fiddly) and the J pups are physically longer than the normal 4 string versions (again making machining more fiddly). A soapbar just needs a rectangular shape hole and in it goes! Soapbars are, as you say, avoidable, but I wonder what would happen to the overall price of the instrument? I think there's also a "fashion" element to this as well - back in the 50's shiny chrome plated pups were [b]the[/b] thing - but you hardly ever see them on mass produced basses these days. I find that my three soapbar basses all sound different to each other (which is why I have three of them!) and my JB is totally different again - I just tweak anything that doesn't sound "right" out of the equation using the tone controls. I'm a born again luddite who embraces simplicity... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Someone out there [i]must[/i] have a sixer with 3x split "P" pick-ups in.. 2strings per pick-up. The best way to make them hum-cancel would be a second set, (Buzzard style) and make them RW/RP with those! It'd look like someone had been playing dominoes all over your bass!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 [quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='1041722' date='Nov 29 2010, 10:17 PM']Someone out there [i]must[/i] have a sixer with 3x split "P" pick-ups in.. 2strings per pick-up. The best way to make them hum-cancel would be a second set, (Buzzard style) and make them RW/RP with those! It'd look like someone had been playing dominoes all over your bass!![/quote] Well, the Fender 5 string PB has a "two string" pup and a "three string" pup - so I guess someone could make a 6 string using two of the three string pups... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 [quote name='icastle' post='1041728' date='Nov 29 2010, 10:23 PM']Well, the Fender 5 string PB has a "two string" pup and a "three string" pup - so I guess someone could make a 6 string using two of the three string pups...[/quote] EMG do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) My old Status 6 has single coils, but in soapbar casings with a dummy coil to cancel the hum. The later Status 6s have humbuckers as far as I know. Maybe soapbar 6s are more popular because they just look better proportioned? Edited November 30, 2010 by Fat Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 [quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='1041722' date='Nov 29 2010, 10:17 PM']Someone out there [i]must[/i] have a sixer with 3x split "P" pick-ups in.[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) See! I told me so! Thanks, Mr F! Edit- That's got 7 strings! Hope those "P"s have got blade/s for polepieces... Edited November 30, 2010 by Lfalex v1.1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 [quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='1043166' date='Nov 30 2010, 11:40 PM']See! I told me so! Thanks, Mr F! Edit- That's got 7 strings! Hope those "P"s have got blade/s for polepieces...[/quote] It looks like a Wishbass so it's probably irrelevant if the pickups work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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