Kiwi Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Hi there, I've just installed a custom set of Wizard GEM's and a U-retro in my Spector NS5 and taken out the EMG DC40's. However I'm left with a bit of a problem over the earthing. Normally a bass equipped with passive pickups will come with a bridge earthing wire so that the strings are earthed. EMG's don't need a bridge earth so any bass that comes with them factory installed doesn't normally have a hole drilled from the bridge to the control cavity. Now before I go to the trouble of getting one done, does anyone know if there's a clever alternative to deal with the earthing which avoids having to drill the bass? Seems there isn't but I thought I'd ask anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 You have to find a way of getting the bridge or something metal in contact with it connected to your common earth. Might be able to do the Fender style earth strip from bridge of bridge pickup hole, think of a cunning way to make it look right. Depending on colour, a straight narrow strip of copper foil will do it, if you have one of those stripey through necks, it could blend really well. Or if its black colour it black, it will be in the dusty under pickups and strings bit anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 It shouldn't be so bad really. It's just a case of drilling a hole from the electronics cavity to the start of the bridge, which isn't usually very far away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 (edited) Yes drilling shouldn't be a problem, just seating the bridge on a splayed wire should make sufficient contact. Bridge and cavity are very close. As an aside, what is it about the EMG's you don't like CK? I know the maple winged NS5's can be brighter than the walnut ones like mine but I love the tone and I'm totally in love with this bass. Saying that I miss the mids and I'm following in Sean's footsteps and yours too with a U-Retro with the switches tucked into the control cavity. Mine doesn't have the Tonepump but the HAZLabs 2EQ. I'm totally in love with this bass (Oops I've already said that). Peter - Totally nuts about this ba...... Edited September 21, 2009 by GreeneKing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 Pete, I just found the attack on the EMG's to be a bit gritty and although the bass sounds fantastically growly, I was deliberately hunting for more solidity in the low end. Andy at Wizard delivered on every count plus I got coil taps thrown in for single coil/series/parallel modes as well when I solder up and fit the mini toggle switches. The attack is a bit more natural sounding and the u-retro bass and mid controls are much more effective. So now I have a warm, growly and sweet sounding bass with enhanced versatility. I have plans to upgrade the U-retro to a 3 band parametric eq at some point in the future for even more versatility. Just waiting for the supplier to get back to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 That sounds good CK. I think the maple wings may account for some of that grittiness but I suspect that's open to debate I know the bridge pup on my NS5 sounds so sublime I just couldn't stop noodling at a recent band practice. The guys probably think I'm weird but I'm not, I'm just 'special'. I'm hoping my U-Retro will arrive tomorrow and I'll fit it straight away and update here. It's mids, particularly lower mids that I like to dial in and I'm a bit lost with 2EQ to be honest. Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted September 22, 2009 Author Share Posted September 22, 2009 I haven't noticed any grittiness with other pickups. I have a set of SD passive soapbars as well which were nice but not as warm. Are you going to drill a hole in your instrument for the earthing wire? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 No, I'm keeping the EMG's in place and will earth just the U-Retro. Sean is the man re this and his thread is here somewhere. Found it. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=52704&hl=Spector"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...&hl=Spector[/url] He hasn't created a bridge ground and I don't intent to unless it proves necessary due to noise. Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 (edited) [quote name='GreeneKing' post='605400' date='Sep 22 2009, 11:27 AM']No, I'm keeping the EMG's in place and will earth just the U-Retro. Sean is the man re this and his thread is here somewhere. Found it. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=52704&hl=Spector"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...&hl=Spector[/url] He hasn't created a bridge ground and I don't intent to unless it proves necessary due to noise. Peter[/quote] I haven't made a bridge ground and I get no noise. In fact it's a remarkably quiet bass. The cavity is copper lined and everything earths to this The maple wings make a heck of a difference when compared to say, the poplar/walnut/alder of my Euro, which has the same pups and a U-retro. The Euro is warmer and friendlier sounding whereas the NS is snarls and rasps a bit more and sounds slightly compressed, in fact I was happily slapping my way through It's Raining Men at a wedding at the weekend (please don't ask ) thinking that I couldn't remember putting the compressor on and it wasn't. [that sounded a bit Catherine Tate's WHAT AM I LIKE sketch] Anyway, IMO the maple is more hard sounding and cuts through better than the poplar/walnut/alder sandwich. Edited September 22, 2009 by Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 I fitted the U-Retro to the NS5 today. All went well, I re-used the Spector quick connectors where I could and the fit was straightforward. Given that I've not swapped out the EMG's there is no bridge earth and there is no buzzing, snap, crackle or popping whatsoever. It sounds good at home practice volume particularly dialling in a whole dose of low mids. Trying in earnest on Sunday: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 She's a beauty! Is that gold on black knobs, Peter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Yes Sean, very bling innit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 I agonised over gold rings with black knobs or black rings with gold knobs, I think we both got it right for the respective woods ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 [quote name='Sean' post='607925' date='Sep 24 2009, 05:30 PM']I agonised over gold rings with black knobs or black rings with gold knobs, I think we both got it right for the respective woods ;-)[/quote] Sometimes, life is tough. Retired Naval Officer so gold on black is soooo me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted September 26, 2009 Author Share Posted September 26, 2009 Update: drilled the hole for the earthing wire today and you guys were right, it was pretty easy to do. So now I've heat shrinked all the connections, earthed the instrument and its shielded, there's much less buzz although the treble still puts out a lot when maxed (but I don't think I'm going to need a lot of treble given its an all maple instrument.) Nevertheless, its as close as I've come to the sounding like a velvet brick. Great job! It's my favourite sounding bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 Glad it's working out for you CK. I can't put mine down and it's no lightweight, unlike myself. Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 Peter, Any reason why you went for an East pre rather than ACG? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 If I could have obtained an ACG01 Stuart it would have been a no brainer as they say. The opportunity to set up each pup with it's own low pass is important to me. Mids and sweepable are the other reason. I'm refining my sound now I get up and make noise in front of people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted October 4, 2009 Author Share Posted October 4, 2009 I finally finished the customisations today after the three way double pole switches arrived from the US. I followed this wiring guide along with Andy's guide to the wiring in his pickups. [url="http://www.guitarelectronics.com/category/wiringresources.wiring_faqs.mini_switch_wiring___usage/"]http://www.guitarelectronics.com/category/...wiring___usage/[/url] The bridge pickup switch is wired humbucker/single coil (N)/parallel, the neck pickup switch is wired humbucker/single coil (S)/parallel. This way when both pickups are in single coil mode, the two 'outside' coils in the humbuckers are selected for a jazz bass type approximation (sounds more like a Tobias or Yamaha BBNEII bass than a Jazz though). I thought the East preamp with its buffered inputs would mean there was no variation in output level between series and parallel mode as a result of the impedance change but this isn't the case. There's still a variation. Nevertheless the sounds are all very useable even when varieties of single coil/parallel mode are selected. The sweepable mids are really helpful. This bass has a particularly prominent mid peak in its response and the sweepable mids help nail that peak and make it even more prominent for that lovely, warm, chewy kind of growl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Did you get EMG 40TWs? I can't see how the DCs can be tapped/split, what with them being in enclosed units. If they can, how did you do it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted October 4, 2009 Author Share Posted October 4, 2009 [quote name='JimBobTTD' post='616221' date='Oct 4 2009, 08:41 AM']Did you get EMG 40TWs? I can't see how the DCs can be tapped/split, what with them being in enclosed units. If they can, how did you do it?[/quote] [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='604913' date='Sep 21 2009, 08:07 PM']Hi there, I've just installed a custom set of Wizard GEM's and a U-retro in my Spector NS5...[/quote] ? They sound much better to my ears than EMGs. Its made the bass sound a lot less aggressive and much sweeter in the highs. I was playing about with the series/parallel settings just now and suspect I will probably rewire the toggle switches to select single coil (S)/parallel/single coil (N) as I'm not really finding the differences between series and parallel to be all that helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Sorry. My brain must have been in the other room when I posted. I understood it as you had installed a cool preamp which somehow managed to split the EMGs or samfink. See? My shame was so complete that it took me the best part of a week to confess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 [quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='604925' date='Sep 21 2009, 08:24 PM']You have to find a way of getting the bridge or something metal in contact with it connected to your common earth. Might be able to do the Fender style earth strip from bridge of bridge pickup hole, think of a cunning way to make it look right. Depending on colour, a straight narrow strip of copper foil will do it, if you have one of those stripey through necks, it could blend really well. Or if its black colour it black, it will be in the dusty under pickups and strings bit anyway.[/quote] this is what i did on a through neck i hammered a piece of copper wire till it was really thin and stuck it to the body with a slight film of glue being so thin it didnt affect the bridge height or was too obvious on the surface of the bass and went under the splt i pinned it to the bridge pup cavity floor and soldered to the pin with the earth from the pup and then to the pot so as not to have two cables or any slack there it worked fine [url="http://img94.imageshack.us/i/mansonbody.jpg/"][/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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