jaydentaku Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Hello everybody peeps Need some advice on pickups. I have a four string dearmond jet star. It’s a decent bass and I don’t really see the need to replace it. But I need a different sound from it. I am in a doom band and as some of you may know, it generally requires a heafty bass sound. We have detuned our strings to ‘drop G’ and I want my setup to match this. Currently my strings are ‘normal’ for a four string, but I am going to buy a set (heavy gauge, given the rattle) for a five string and use them in what I assume to be an obvious combination. The dearmond has two single coil pickups and they just aren’t given the sound I want. I have looked emg’s and their MMCS’s and MMTW’s seem to be the way forward for “thunderous” bass. The tw, giving the option of switching between single and double coil, this maybe the more versatile option. I intend to replace only one (at the bridge). Is there a better pickup out there for the job? Or a better setup? Maybe I should just buy a new bass? God knows how much fitting would cost, should I bottle and decide to get somebody to do it. Your thoughts please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 [quote name='jaydentaku' post='244502' date='Jul 21 2008, 03:55 PM']Hello everybody peeps Need some advice on pickups. I have a four string dearmond jet star. It’s a decent bass and I don’t really see the need to replace it. But I need a different sound from it. I am in a doom band and as some of you may know, it generally requires a heafty bass sound. We have detuned our strings to ‘drop G’ and I want my setup to match this. Currently my strings are ‘normal’ for a four string, but I am going to buy a set (heavy gauge, given the rattle) for a five string and use them in what I assume to be an obvious combination. The dearmond has two single coil pickups and they just aren’t given the sound I want. I have looked emg’s and their MMCS’s and MMTW’s seem to be the way forward for “thunderous” bass. The tw, giving the option of switching between single and double coil, this maybe the more versatile option. I intend to replace only one (at the bridge). Is there a better pickup out there for the job? Or a better setup? Maybe I should just buy a new bass? God knows how much fitting would cost, should I bottle and decide to get somebody to do it. Your thoughts please?[/quote] Are you sure about playing in dropped G tuning? - That's quite low - or am I just getting old! You might need an ERB to fiddle around in that register. Hamster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 well, if you're only going to replace one pup, do the neck one, as that one will have more of the fundamental and so will sound 'bassier'. also, a normal E string tuned down to G has got to be pretty floppy, you'll probably get a much better sound when you switch to the heavier gauge strings as well. fitting pickups is pretty easy, if you can solder and are patient about it. just make sure you get the right ones, and they should go in easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Epiphone Thunderbird springs to mind. Biggest sound I ever produced was from one. Get the goth version for your dark satanic look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydentaku Posted July 21, 2008 Author Share Posted July 21, 2008 interesting stuff chaps. Hamster, if you take a listen to some Grand Magus and Celtic Frost you will understand the need for such a drop. Its working fine with the e string actually for recording at least. it does get annoying after a while though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 your gunna need a new nut for your 4 string if your puttin 135 guage B strings on it, which is what iv sussed out from your post, the string will be too large Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 The Jet Star is a short scale isn't it? If you're tuning to G I'm not really suprised you've got fret rattle as the strings are going to be awfully loose. Given that you're not really happy with the sound and, as Kev points out, that it'll probably need the nut recutting you might be better off biting the bullet and getting another bass. You'll save long term just on the extra cost of the heavy guage strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydentaku Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 hmm, it is a short scale yes. I think the idea is to get a new bass chappies. I am looking at the Ibanez SRX305... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilmour Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Have to agree with Kev, Hamster and Musky. On all the G Tuning points. I think you'll struggle to have any tonal control on your bass with it tuned down that low, irrespective of what Pup's and Pre are in there. When the strings tuned down that much (9 steps it will be hard to get any punch, clarity or sustain from the note). Even using B sting that's still down 4 steps (almost another sting), if I tune my 5 down that much I get little more than an irritating rattle as the string hit's the Pup and that's on a 35" scale bass. Part of me thinks you could try getting whatever stinrgs 7 string players use (tuned to F# normally) and tune it up, but I don't know if that would work. However most of me thinks you should invest in a 5 string, with a longer scale legth. Sorry to be so negative, one of my students tunes down to A for his band and we have this same conversation every week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) If its short scale, get a new bass, you'll get naff-all tension for low tunings out of anything shorter than 34" (except maybe a well made custom 33"....thats my disclaimer Eude ). And yeah, Drop G is pretty low (although Sikth were in drop G for DOADD, and I'm sure Meshuggah are around that area, and their guy just uses a 5 string Stingray I think), 35" would be preferable. If you're running a 4 string, use the lowest four strings from a five string set (BEAD) and tune down, re-cutting the nut while you're at it, u don't need to necessarily bother with heavier gauges, just higher tension strings....check out Newtone Strings. If you're running a 5 string, just a standard five string set (BEADG) and tune down with the same high tension strings! My band tunes to Drop C standard (C,F,Bb,Eb), and with the high tension strings I get a similar action and tension to my standard tuned basses, very little rattle, and all on 45-105 gauges at 34" scale To answer the original point though, if you're bass is active, try looking into having it changed to an 18v circuit, that usually fattens up any sound. I'm trying to move away from Active stuff, so my current project is a passive bass for my band, I've gone for some really high-powered passive Dimarzios, and with a little extra work from my amp, should get just as fat a tone as I get from my 18v Stingray Si Edited July 22, 2008 by Sibob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullrangebass Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) From my experience (I've been in the 7str territory three times over) and having tried many pickups out there, apart from the obvious issue of a properly set up (for the task) bass, thundering lows come with Villex pickups. They are passive, yet they allow notes to shine. They sound full, organic, balanced and HUGE www.villex.com Edited July 22, 2008 by fullrangebass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I have a bit of experience with going down that low on a 4 string. We tune down to A. I use an 86 NJ series mockingbird with stock Dimarzios, hex polepiece jobs. I had some strings made by newtone with a .145 Low string, and had them all taper wound so the thickness wouldn't kill the sustain, I think thats pretty important. I like high string tension, so that should cheefully drop another tone and be happy. Bigger problem once I'd done that (am experience bass tinkerer, generally know how to get the sound I want there) was amplifying that low note. Generally stuff ain't made to cope so well down there. I use a very large ported 15" cab and sometimes another one, and a 4x10, along with a Firebass head running at 475w, and that is still generally going flat out to cope with guitarists 5150 stack. Hit me up on msn or something if you want to have a long in depth on doom bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydentaku Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 all very interesting opinions. thanks. I am looking into passive pups, I keep hearing they are they way to go. Interesting points from gilmour, I have no trouble with sustain at the moment and that's with the regular 4 strings at drop G. Bare in mind that the music we are creating is doom and very sludgy doom for that matter. Clarity and punch is far from what I am after I am noticing only minor rapping of the frets and certainly not on the pups. Bah, this is far too complicated. we could just tune to c# and stop making things difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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