Bartolini 6 string pickups - any experience?

[lozbass]

I was having my hand-built six set-up a few days ago when the tech (a renowned luthier and builder himself) noticed that the D string (the bass is strung B-C) was relatively quiet. No obvious reason for this until he passed a polarity tester over the Bartolini pickups - it appears that inside each cover are two pickups arranged end-to-end, one 4 plus one 2 (...err...equals 6). As a result of the slight gap and the polarity change across the two coils, I have the quiet D. Not a really big deal, but not exactly brilliant. The bass was built around six or seven years ago (I'm not sure if the pickups were a custom wind...or a custom assemblage...) - has anyone else come across this kind of arrangement (and if so, were you similarly dischuffed)? Hand-built, high-ends eh...'just love those idiosyncracies!

Edited June 25, 2008 by lozbass

[6stringbassist]

I have Barts on my Sei, I don't have that problem, maybe it's just a fault on your particular pickup.

[lozbass]

Hi Kev, thanks for this - I suspect the problem arises as the pickups are (as far as I know) an early attempt at doing a sixer. I wouldn't be surprised to find that more recent models (for instance those on your Sei) are a single continuous coil rather than a 4+2. It's not easy to tell what's going on inside the pickup case as a lot of higher-end pickups appear to be sealed (with epoxy or something similar). I'll have to try to find some older sixers and see if they have the same problem as mine. Incidentally, I've been using Wizard customs on a recently acquired five and have been massively impressed. If I find it difficult to live with the quiet D on the six, I may approach Wizard to build a couple of new pickups (probably cheaper that replacing the old Barts with newer ones!)

I hope the new Sei is all you'd hoped for (I suspect it's more than you'd hoped for - it looks absolutely bloody gorgeous!)



[quote name='6stringbassist' post='226930' date='Jun 25 2008, 09:14 PM']I have Barts on my Sei, I don't have that problem, maybe it's just a fault on your particular pickup.[/quote]

[BigRedX]

If you look on the [url="http://www.bartolini.net/"]Bartolini[/url] site you'll see that they offer many of their "single coil" shape pickups wound as humbuckers with two coils side by side. It's strange though that your pickups appear to be wound 4 and 2 rather than 3 and 3. It might be worth getting in touch with Bartolini.

[bnt]

I have a sneaking feeling that what you have there is (internally) a 5-string pickup, 3+2 with the D-string falling in the gap. Do you have the pickup model number, to check?

According to the website, Bartolini definitely do that kind of asymmetrical split on the 5-string pickups, but I can't see any info that suggests any of their 6-string pickups are split internally. (They do have 6-string pickups that look like bigger P-bass pickups, of course.)

[BigRedX]

bnt - you could be right there. Bartolini pickups have the model number scratched into the plastic on the bottom of the unit.

[wulf]

I've got Barts in my Sei and haven't noticed this problem. My bass is Flamboyant headless #003 - I don't know the date but it is six years since I bought it second hand and it had been around a bit before them (AFAIK with the same pickups). It is a bit quieter on the treble side but that is a gradual thing from string to string, which I have put down to string mass and fixed by making a small height adjustment (pickups are lower on the bass side and higher on the treble side).

Wulf

[lozbass]

Hi all, brilliantly helpful and informative as ever! I've checked the Bartolini site and the pickups appear to be of the G6 narrow soapbar type. I suspect strongly that there's an in-line humbucking 3+2, 3+3, or 4+2 (it appears to be the latter) inside the case - I'm a bit loathe to take the pickups out just now as the bass has just received a lovely set-up (Ged Green here in Manchester - highly recommended). I'll ask Ged if he noted the number on the underside of the units whilst he had the bass apart. It's interesting to note that others haven't suffered the same problems as myself - maybe there's been some change/improvement in production in recent years. Cheers!

[tauzero]

[quote name='lozbass' post='227285' date='Jun 26 2008, 12:35 PM']Hi all, brilliantly helpful and informative as ever! I've checked the Bartolini site and the pickups appear to be of the G6 narrow soapbar type.[/quote]
My G6 soapbars are 3+3 (so they didn't work very well on a 7 - never mind, I've got a 6 to put them on now...).

[guyl]

My Warwick 6 still has the bart pickups that were orginally fitted about 12 years ago. Very even, tasty sound (especially when you upgrade the pre to an Aguilar!)

[6stringbassist]

If you fancy something different, I should soon have a pair of Q-tuner 6 string pickups.

It's a long, long story, but they were for my Sei, and were ordered in January, I was told they would take four weeks to build.

In April I was told they had shipped, only to be told two hours later that they'd sent the wrong ones, they were way bigger than I'd ordered, but I could keep them, and they'd send me another set, they are supposed to ship this week.

They seem to have had a long run of bad luck, beset with production problems.

I now have my Sei and couldn't be happier with the sound she produces.

[lozbass]

Again, thanks to all - the explanation for the dull D is certainly contained in the knowledgeable replies (further investigation indicates I almost certainly have a 4+2 in the bridge position). The Q-tuners sound like an excellent option but with possible extra routing etc., it's probably not viable. After playing the six for a good few hours following an (excellent) set-up, I'm beginning to think it's maybe time for us to part company. The slightly dead D apart, it's a beautiful instrument, but some of its characteristics and specs are maybe just not for me. I'll give it another couple of weeks and if one of us doesn't adapt, then an amicable split is on the cards. Thanks again for all the help and inputs.