matybigfro Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 (edited) I play a MIM Jazz with I think stock pickup and what I think is a parts P Bass with some powered by Lace pickups that seem to have a bit of distortion or clipping when the volume is full. For the last few years to get he sound I was after in my bands I've been boosting the treble heavily. Initially with a berhinger BDI21 I had the treble almost dimed and bass as 11, it would always get very noisy at these settings. now I'm running a Boss GT-1000 core and my amp settings on there are usually still pretty high for treble and presence, the noise level is not as bad as the BDI but even with smart noise getting it's an irritation. I have been considering upgrading the pickups or electronics as a way to get the sound I desire with better signal to noise ratio. I've been watching a fair amount of videos for ideas of which ones may get me the sound I am after but it hards to find videos of them being compared to each other so if anyone has any experience of some of these I'd appreciate your thoughts. Bill Lawrence/Wilde J46 Lace aluma J Dimarizo Relentless J Seymour Duncan Apollo Jazz EMG active J While a general extended tonality is desirable I'm mainly wanting to not loose any low end while increasing treble and reducing noise. I'd like to avoid needing batteries but if it gives the best results I'll get with it. Edited June 21 by matybigfro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 (edited) I'd go with EMG J-X set. The X set have increased headroom. Then add the BQC EQ Control (not the system) and the ABCX active balance control. The balance has to be the X version for the X pickups. You will need a battery of course, but you should get at least a year out of it as long as you unplug when not playing. The EMGs are about as low noise as you can get. But with extreme treble settings there's always going to be some. Edited June 21 by fretmeister Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matybigfro Posted June 21 Author Share Posted June 21 What sort of benefits do the active blend and tone control upgrades deliver Vs the EMG's into passive controls and using the EQ on my pedal board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 And what about your ears, did you test them? Sorry, but it's the first thing to do, especially when you need to push the treble. Otherwise put some EMG JX (the basic ones) pickups, that would be your best option, even if there's a battery. 1 minute ago, matybigfro said: What sort of benefits do the active blend and tone control upgrades deliver Vs the EMG's into passive controls and using the EQ on my pedal board? No insertion loss with the ABCX, meaning that wherever you are on the blend position the output level will be the same. It's really a great plus. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 (edited) Add Nordstrand NJ4SE to the list, you can get them with a 7.25" radius as well. If you want a lot of treble then a drop in preamp such as an East J-Tone allows you to configure the bass and treble frequency spectrums via internal jog wheels, the treble shelving goes from 1khz to 7.5khz. As long as the cavity in your bass is at least 32mm deep there's no routing needed. Edited June 21 by lemmywinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd56hawk Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 (edited) The Dimarzio Relentless Jazz pickups came as a big surprise to me...and I didn't even have the pots changed, though I'm thinking of going with Stellartone. No need for a battery and its complications, either. I see more and more bassists realizing just how good these pickups are. Edited June 21 by jd56hawk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 (edited) DiMarzio DP123? https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/jazz-bass-hum-canceling/dimarzio-model-j These are twin wound, so hum cancelling Single Bridge Pup... Got a pair in a Ibby SR Passive Jazz Conversion... Nice Edited June 21 by PaulThePlug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolo Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 What strings are you using and how old are they? What's the rest of your signal path, preamp straight to desk or to an amp? If so what amp and cab? What other effects on your board if any? Hellzero has a good point about the ears, ever done a hearing test? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matybigfro Posted June 24 Author Share Posted June 24 Current strings are super slinkies just coming up to 6 months old, was using D'addario NYXL before that. Have had consistent EQ for the last 4/5 years, I tend to bring the treble down notch when strings are brand new and within a couple of weeks it'll be back up. Initially I was running a berhinger BDI21 (sansamp clone) as floorboard preamp into the FX return/power amp in of various practice room spaces house amps. I would run the BDI pretty high if not maxed out on treble at times and bass in about 11 0'clock sometimes lower. Then we got our own practice space so I got a old Citrinix PPX 450 power amp into a Peavey 410 tx (tweeter between 60% and 100%) and then replaced the BDI and a fair few other pedals with the Boss Gt-1000 core. i still run treble and presence fairly high on the amp Sims but not full anymore. I've also run my Core through studio mons and a full range PA to sound check my settings and have maintained fairly consistent results across those. Live the Boss goes direct to front of house. Did a hearing test about 2/3 years ago last which showed no major issues which I was fairly surprised by given the couple of decades to abuse they'd got by then. Irony is when I played guitar I was a little treble averse and all about that low end chunky distorted sound. I don't think it's a hearing issue as it's about the sound for me, I'm not boosting treble when mixing our vocalists or setting the eq on the hi-fi in my car but it is the sound I want/like for this particular band/musical project for my bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 Good point for your hearing, I do a test each year and I still have amazing results according to my age and the ENT specialist. 6 months old strings are completely dead, so I think it's the lead... Try some Elixir Stainless Steel, yes they do exist, so you'll keep the same tone for ages, ... well months. 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 Definitely move to Stainless Steel strings as a starter. What is your signal path in the Boss unit? Are you using cab sims / IRs? Even with a PA as your main amp if you are using IRs then they will attenuate the top end, just like any real bass cab. Ditch any cab sis / IR and run an EQ last in the chain instead to get full control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matybigfro Posted June 25 Author Share Posted June 25 Signal chain is Korg Pitchblack tuner > Source Audio C4 Input/Output 1 > Boss GT-1000 Core Input GT-1000 Send 1 > Boss OC-2 > GT 100 Return 1 GT-1000 Snd2 > Myrtle Pedals Corvid Fuzz > Hotone Krush > C4 In/Out 2 > GT-1000 Rtn2 Boss GT-1000 Left Output > Citronix PPX450 (or whatever bass amp venue/headliner provides) Boss GT-1000 Right > DI front of house The signal processing and EQing in the Boss is pretty complex, I have multiple split paths running essentially giving me separate processing over three bands everything below 80hz, and everything above 2.5hz, mostly clean or octave effects, some compression, natural amp sim and blend of cab IR and direct signal, everything above everything above 80hz goes through a guitar amp sim and IR with the drives and distortions applied. As well as up to 4 blocks or parametric or graphic equalisation that i can place in the signal chain in the boss's routing it also has a stereo master EQ section so I can EQ the left output to my amp and leave the front of house DI flat. New Strings will be on order as soon as i get paid (I'm a skinflint so normally wait to upgrade before any recording sessions or big gigs) any recommendations for steels that balance price and longevity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 Elixirs. I get about 8 months use from a set before they dull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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