Spoombung Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 I've got a little tired of the sound of the neck pickup on my custom Iceni bass. It's an EMG Hz (chosen by myself). After having the bass for a few months now, I find the pickup has a slightly synthetic top end (reminiscent of a cheap piezo) and quite a heavy bottom end. I'm looking for something that 'barks' a bit and has more bite (to complete the canine analogies) and catches harmonics easily. I'm used to a Wal pickups, afterall. It [i]has[/i] to fit the EMG footprint which is 89mm and individual pole pieces are out the question due to the narrow string spacing. People have mentioned Bartolinis and suchlike but I thought I'd check out Basschatters opinions first...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nash Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 what about real EMG's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted October 6, 2009 Author Share Posted October 6, 2009 [quote name='nash' post='619014' date='Oct 6 2009, 09:03 PM']what about real EMG's?[/quote] What about 'em? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkypenguin Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 if its more bite you're after, i recommend an EMG DC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwilym Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 +1 EMG 40DC pups will give you bark... The Hz are their budget line? I played a Cort/Elrick once with the Hz pups - nowhere near as good the real thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 [quote name='Gwilym' post='619245' date='Oct 7 2009, 02:24 AM']+1 EMG 40DC pups will give you bark... The Hz are their budget line? I played a Cort/Elrick once with the Hz pups - nowhere near as good the real thing.[/quote] Okay, I've got the DC's on a short list, then. Anyone got Barts on the their bass...or something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 Bump for any more opinions. Anyone tried the EMG CS's...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Culture Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 There's going to be more glamorous suggestions but I had a pair of Kent Armstrong humbuckers installed on a Les Evans custom of mine and they sounded immense. I had exactly the same HZ's on a second bass and they sounded nowhere as full and rounded. I think KA's are often overlooked because we generally assume there is a relationship between price and quality and therefore convince ourselves that something esoteric and preferably American is always going to be better than something half the price and 'British'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwilym Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 [quote name='Bass Culture' post='620107' date='Oct 7 2009, 11:28 PM']There's going to be more glamorous suggestions but I had a pair of Kent Armstrong humbuckers installed on a Les Evans custom of mine and they sounded immense. I had exactly the same HZ's on a second bass and they sounded nowhere as full and rounded. I think KA's are often overlooked because we generally assume there is a relationship between price and quality and therefore convince ourselves that something esoteric and preferably American is always going to be better than something half the price and 'British'.[/quote] EMGs may be glamourous but I've no experience of Kent Armstrong pups so couldn't comment on them either way. The two basses (Shuker & MPG Level 5) I had with the EMG 40 DC pups both had tons of mid-range growl/bark. I really liked the sound, but the basses didn't quite fit. The Spectors I've played that had EMGs also sounded very similar. Re. Bartolinis. I've played/owned various basses with them on. IMO they sound a lot smoother than the EMGs. If I was after mid-range bark, EMG 40DCs all the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 [quote name='Bass Culture' post='620107' date='Oct 7 2009, 11:28 PM']There's going to be more glamorous suggestions but I had a pair of Kent Armstrong humbuckers installed on a Les Evans custom of mine and they sounded immense. I had exactly the same HZ's on a second bass and they sounded nowhere as full and rounded. I think KA's are often overlooked because we generally assume there is a relationship between price and quality and therefore convince ourselves that something esoteric and preferably American is always going to be better than something half the price and 'British'.[/quote] The website says they're 100mm so they won't fit into the EMG 89mm space, unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I'm trotting out the old line of giving Wizard Pickups a call. Google them, very highly rated here on BC, they're a much more custom service, so I expect at the very least if you *need* it to fit the EMG HZ size pups it would be possible to the folks at Wizard to rewind the pups to your needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nash Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 i'm not sure on why an EMG is glamorous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifi2112 Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I've EMG 40 HB on Steiny but dont like it (also EMG's on DWB3 also not too fond) .. got Nordstrand Big Singles (EMG 35 size) to replace but ended up having new bass built around Nordie pups ! .. Just got some more for next project .. I prefer passive single coils, so strongly recommend these ! my 2c Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 whatever fits if you havent tried EMG actives...try before you buy...imho they are the pup equivalent of marmite without correct eq being fitted..EMG preferably have you tried other amps/combo's...i think most pups go in the bin unjustly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted October 9, 2009 Author Share Posted October 9, 2009 Anybody got any experience with [b]Delano pickups[/b]? I was looking this today: Blurb reads: "We took the development of our soapbar bass humbuckers another big step further by incorporating four separate coils. [i] The result is the same great bass tone of our SBC4 HE/S, plus options, options, and options. And they all make sense: do you want a P-bass™ type, cross coils in series pattern for that great old school vibe in your neck pickup, or inverse, like the old YAMAHA BB series™ just to give you an idea what is possible. With a pair of SBC4 HE/S-4 quad coil humbuckers properly placed, having the characters of all your favorite basses on hand in one instrument is not just a dream anymore. But that is just the beginning…."[/i] Anyone know a dealer in the UK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted October 9, 2009 Author Share Posted October 9, 2009 [quote name='mrcrow' post='621847' date='Oct 9 2009, 05:38 PM']whatever fits if you havent tried EMG actives...try before you buy...imho they are the pup equivalent of marmite without correct eq being fitted..EMG preferably have you tried other amps/combo's...i think most pups go in the bin unjustly[/quote] Well, I can't 'try before I buy' because the pickups need to be put in the bass first and I don't have any spare ones lying around and I can't borrow any and solder them in. The only basses that seem to have them in already are Spectors and Metal basses. Yes, I've tried other amps and I'm still looking for something more agreeable to my ears. I originally heard the EMG Hz's in a cheap bass and they sounded pretty good. However, in mine, the John East pre seems to bring out the 'quack' quality - the sound you hear when you lift your finger from the string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raze Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 im in the same boat I got a schecter with hz which is why it doesnt get used nordstrand will make any of there pickups in the 35 shape so you can have big singles , splits, or dual coils all of them are suppossed to sound emmense talk to a guy called brian at best bass gear for a price either that or aaron armstrong Kents son will custom wind you a pair to your description of tone for a measly £75 per pickup and they are also amazing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 [quote name='Spoombung' post='621865' date='Oct 9 2009, 05:54 PM']Well, I can't 'try before I buy' because the pickups need to be put in the bass first and I don't have any spare ones lying around and I can't borrow any and solder them in. The only basses that seem to have them in already are Spectors and Metal basses. Yes, I've tried other amps and I'm still looking for something more agreeable to my ears. I originally heard the EMG Hz's in a cheap bass and they sounded pretty good. However, in mine, the John East pre seems to bring out the 'quack' quality - the sound you hear when you lift your finger from the string.[/quote] i would vote you concentrate on perhaps fine tuning the east beast i use a sansamp bddi and like the warm tone..but mainly you can dial out the skiffle effect by using the prescence knob sorry i was a bit offhand but emg actives...for me ..are like scraping your fingernails down a blackboard....no thanks i have had them and tried my best but they are to alive for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raze Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Just thought id add I bought a set of Emg 35dc's mainly from everyone else reccomendations on talkbass and I absolutly hated them They were way over the top on the output I couldnt use most of my pedals because they were constantly clipping recording direct was real hard work yes they are loud but the noise that they produce is just a sterile boom i had them in a week then sold em and put the hz's back in which I may add produce a better tone just at a lower volume my advice dude let your amp do the volume boosting work thats what its made for Go Passive with a preamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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