The bass, the wood...the electronics...

[Kongo]

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='663348' date='Nov 24 2009, 12:10 AM']If you were near Edinburgh I'd say come over and try my pickups in your bass. As it is, why not ask your friend with the Nordies if he'd mind doing a little experiment? Or anyone else you know with pickups that'd drop in. You don't even have to screw them down to get a rough idea of what they sound like. Based on my own experience I'd say it will definitely improve things swapping out the Korean Barts, and if the bass sounds good acoustically that's gotta be a good sign.

Be interested to hear what you decide and how it goes.[/quote]

Not a friend, more a bass acquaintance and I would but he's native to Ireland...a bit far lol!
Yeah I spose I could try switching out but what for? I REALLY love MM pups but that'd take some work...and then getting ones to suit 17mm spacing...Well...So it looks like it's soap bars again...Hmmm but so many companies to look into.
I jus want something that has some good gain to it...weak pickups dont work for me...for some delicate Jazz nuances and such maybe but not for my play style...Maybe the preamp wont be so bad when it's not trying to colour an already bad tone...well not bad just flat and overall...Flat...LOL!

Can't do it for a while yet but yes I do love the play and feel of the bass so we'll see...in the new year I may switch out the pups...

Edited November 24, 2009 by Kongo

[markdavid]

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='663005' date='Nov 23 2009, 06:28 PM']I swapped out the Bart MK1s on my Ibanez SR500 and replaced them with Nordstrand Big Singles. They're slightly narrower than the Barts but I wasn't bothered about cosmetics at all. If I was, I'd fit a pickguard to hide the gaps. At first I ran it through the MK1 pre but have now gone passive, and much prefer the single coil passive sound. However there is something of the 'dark' character of the bass that remains, giving it quite a thick tone. I assume this is due to the body (mahogany) and neck (bubinga/wenge with rosewood). When I flip the S1 switch I fitted when I converted to passive, it sounds massive.

My conclusion was that bad/poorly matched electronics can really 'choke' the tone of the wood, conversely a good bit will bring out the best in the wood's sonic properties. But the wood's fundamental tone is always there and you can't make mahogany sound like maple. I could be wrong.[/quote]

How is the stock tone of the SR500 , ive got a maple Sr505 (5 string version of the Sr500) which is quite bright and bouncy sounding and would be interested to hear how it compares tonewise

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='markdavid' post='664544' date='Nov 24 2009, 11:46 PM']How is the stock tone of the SR500 , ive got a maple Sr505 (5 string version of the Sr500) which is quite bright and bouncy sounding and would be interested to hear how it compares tonewise[/quote]

That's interesting - I'd say it has a pretty dark, thick stock tone. Which is why I swapped out the pickups. Tone is still dark/warm but a lot less boring to my ears. I didn't know they did a maple version, when does it date from? Mine must be around 2005-ish

[retroman]

Good thread

I seem to favour Mahogony bodied basses. Seem to give a much deeper, thicker, fatter tone to my ears. The three I have that are built this was are my Thunderbird, Stingray, and Ibanez IC200. The Stingray, and the Ibanez both have bolt on maple necks, with rosewood boards.

Another real tone monster I have is my old faithful Rickenbacker 4001, which dates to 1980. Totally different tone to the above, and tends to have much more of a "voice" in the midrange frequency, and sounds awesome when playing chords. Pickups are a bit on the quiet side in this one though.

Also have several lumps of Fenderesque type timber floating about. 3 P's, and a Jazz. 2 of the P's, and the Jazz are pretty much the same umplugged, and have rosewood boards. But the one that stands out is my old Aria Legend, which was my first bass. It's got a maple neck and board, and a ply body. don't ask me why, but it's the loudest bass I have for playing unplugged! It plays really nice, and has a good fat tone when plugged in too.

As far as electronics go, for tone, I seem to favour good old fashioned passive. But I have to admit, I have recently gone into the world of active, and they do make life easier if the backline is supplied, and you're not sure what you will be getting on the night. Pickups certainly can make a huge difference, as I have found out with my Squier Jazz bass, and Squier Precision Special. The Jazz has the EMG active setup, and the P has SD Quarter Pounders.

Then there is always the debate on construction. Bolt on v's through neck, different laminates, bridges, nuts, use of composite materials, headstock angle, etc

[markdavid]

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='664641' date='Nov 25 2009, 02:28 AM']That's interesting - I'd say it has a pretty dark, thick stock tone. Which is why I swapped out the pickups. Tone is still dark/warm but a lot less boring to my ears. I didn't know they did a maple version, when does it date from? Mine must be around 2005-ish[/quote]


I believe mine is a 1995 SR505 , Ibanez discontinued the maple SR505's , I think they were around only from 95 - 96 . Im at work so cant upload a picture of mine but theres a good pic here [url="http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/us/1996/96031.jpg"]http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/us/1996/96031.jpg[/url] The SR705 seems to be a good middle ground as it uses Mahogany with Maple wings IIRC. Interesting you should say the tone is pretty dark , I remember when I owned an SR900 the MK1 pickups and preamp seemed pretty bright with the tone set flat, just goes to show how much the wood affects the tone.

Edited November 25, 2009 by markdavid

[Kongo]

Am I perhaps a rare breed that still likes Alder? O jus think it has a nice all round tone to it...I know it's a boring wood in todays terms but so far I don't like these exotic woods...Or maybe it's the pickup combination with them maybe that's wrong?

I really must try some Warwicks as they use exotic woods with good electronics...Some companies, like Ibanez which I do like BTW, have gone exotic woods and now give you cheap electronics instead...still, makes them VERY mod friendly I guess...Better to have good wood first.

So, I need a 2nd 6-string to accompany my BTB556MP as I'm coming back to 6-string full time...should something go wrong a 5-string isn't a good backup...and my first 6-string is being de-fretted (A Peavey Grind...seems EVERYONE defrets these).
I was looking at the new BTB676:

[url="http://www.ibanez.co.jp/world/country/frame_uk.html"]http://www.ibanez.co.jp/world/country/frame_uk.html[/url]

A thru-neck, just like my Grind back in the day, I like the feel of not having a neck join...the pickups, is it just my eyes or are they thinner than the Bart MK2's on my BTB556? They are right?
The wood, walnut and light ash...that's a nice combo! I got basses made of walnut and one of ash...Jazz basses...Nice tone wood IMO...are they good combined?

Either way, for now whilst money is tight (As my band is picking up rapidly I have gone part time to spend more time with it) it's a good 2nd, if not 1st 6-string bass...And for £600 and think that's good...not many others, if any, can compare in that price bracket.
The pups may be equally crap but it's the wood I care about...If only it was made of Alder....LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!
I have literally just noticed though that they don't use the vari mid any more...Hmm and it's been replaced by the Bartolini MK2 3-band...I have heard BAD things about these...But again, can't be that bad and if the woods good, the electronics are EASY to upgrade!

Edited November 26, 2009 by Kongo

[markdavid]

I would be interested to hear peoples thoughts on how the finish of the wood affects tone , it seems a lot of basses seem to have a finish half an inch thick , surely this has an affect on tone, sustain etc .

Edit: And if an unfinshed wood does sound better, how much of that is due to the fact that the manafacturer cannot get away with using shoddy wood like they could do with a painted finish ?

Edited November 26, 2009 by markdavid

[Kongo]

[quote name='markdavid' post='665924' date='Nov 26 2009, 09:14 AM']I would be interested to hear peoples thoughts on how the finish of the wood affects tone , it seems a lot of basses seem to have a finish half an inch thick , surely this has an affect on tone, sustain etc .

Edit: And if an unfinshed wood does sound better, how much of that is due to the fact that the manafacturer cannot get away with using shoddy wood like they could do with a painted finish ?[/quote]

It definatly does. I often think finish when choosing a bass and yes, the cheaper woods that are covered in paint (mostly to hide the unmatched grain and glue joins) do too...They always sound denser to me and unfinished woods sound like the breathe more...The wood seems to vibrate more freely and unplugged sustain seems longer whereas finished basses seem opposite...not bad but it does affect tone I think.
These finishes that allow wood to breathe? I dunno...I don't own one.

I chop and change...once I went off finished and prefered natural wood...now I like finished cause some woods are great but too bright...If you wear dark colours on stage and wear a mostly maple bass like I do...well it certainly stands out but hey, never mind.
But I'm not too keen on paint...I think stain finishes are nice...one thing Warwick's speak to me with, I don't own one but I love how they foucs on stain finished more than paint, that you can get both most are stained....at least from what I've seen.

I'd love to stain my Ibanez BTB556MP but as 2 wood colours show...what would you stain it as?

Edited November 27, 2009 by Kongo

[russell.catchpole]

[quote name='KiOgon' post='660959' date='Nov 21 2009, 01:13 PM']Yes it sounded fantastic, it was the only bass I had for many years, many bands, many gigs - in fact until 1973 I think, when I had saved enough, (I thought), about £400 IIRC, to get my dream - A Rickenbacker. Went to that London, every frigginbacker I tried was a piece of crap compared to what I'd been playing, I was so gutted, my aspirations shattered. Eventually I found my new love - Blonde of course - Italian I'd never heard of, my lovely Gherson Blonde Jazz bass.[/quote]

Wow! I hardley ever heard any mention of a Gherson bass before. I bought a fretless like yours except rosewood fretboard and humbuckers, in 1980 2nd hand. I still have it. I have played many ther basses & nothing seems to have the soul like this one! A luthier freind set it up with mazing low action some years back so it really growls! Its probably worthless, but priceless.