Looking for good advice regarding Bass VI pick ups
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2020 3:34 am
Hi All,
I have asked this question before, but I didn't got the answer i was looking for.
I know the topic is personal and in the ear of the beholder, but still, I hope to get to understand a few things about pick ups and how they respond to high and low sound signal.
Here's the deal. I play a DIY Bass VI. Maple neck, maple fretboard (Squier Bronco Bass) on a Mahoganie/Spannish Cedar body. The sound of this instrument can be best discribed as trebly and rather tight sounding. It kind of lacks the natural "vibrato" you usually get. Sustain is not bad but without the usual "woble" as it dies out.
The this is currenly loaded with ceramic strat single coil pick ups. They don't sound bad, but nothing special. Strings are roundwound.
I'm able to get a good "P", "J" and even a "Mustang" kind of sound (with just the middle Pu switched on. So far, so good.
My rig consist of a Ampeg SVT 350 (Solid State amp) on a SLM 15" single speaker. I like the sound this makes.
Now, what do I want? I want a replacement for the ceramic strat pu's. I'm leaning towards a set of "Tonerider" strat pu's. They get good revieuws, are affordable and will hopefully fit the bill.
There are 3 kinds of sets (generally speaking, they have more set's, but that not the current scope)
- Alnico II set (called Blues, I think)
- Alnico III set (Called "Surfari" and is a kind of based on a '54 strat set)
- Alnico V set ( vintage something, they call it a take on the strat tone but modren modified, blah, blah)
All have vintage kind of output (arround the usual 5 to 6K output and between 2.5 and 3.4 Henries, whatever that might be….)
the discriptions of each set are to generic to me to make up my mind. Especially since I will use them for Bass/Baritone kind of sound.
So, now the question? What set would be most suitable for my snappy bass VI? And what do the different AlNiCo magnets do soundwise?
I'm looking for less tight sound and if possible add a bit of that natural "tremolo" to the sound.
Also, what would you suggest to use for a tone cab on the tone pot?
My bass VI does not have the strangle swithc as this switch is now used to put the neck/middle and middle/Bridge or All 3 pu's in serries.
Anyway, thanks for your time reading this and your advice :-)
I have asked this question before, but I didn't got the answer i was looking for.
I know the topic is personal and in the ear of the beholder, but still, I hope to get to understand a few things about pick ups and how they respond to high and low sound signal.
Here's the deal. I play a DIY Bass VI. Maple neck, maple fretboard (Squier Bronco Bass) on a Mahoganie/Spannish Cedar body. The sound of this instrument can be best discribed as trebly and rather tight sounding. It kind of lacks the natural "vibrato" you usually get. Sustain is not bad but without the usual "woble" as it dies out.
The this is currenly loaded with ceramic strat single coil pick ups. They don't sound bad, but nothing special. Strings are roundwound.
I'm able to get a good "P", "J" and even a "Mustang" kind of sound (with just the middle Pu switched on. So far, so good.
My rig consist of a Ampeg SVT 350 (Solid State amp) on a SLM 15" single speaker. I like the sound this makes.
Now, what do I want? I want a replacement for the ceramic strat pu's. I'm leaning towards a set of "Tonerider" strat pu's. They get good revieuws, are affordable and will hopefully fit the bill.
There are 3 kinds of sets (generally speaking, they have more set's, but that not the current scope)
- Alnico II set (called Blues, I think)
- Alnico III set (Called "Surfari" and is a kind of based on a '54 strat set)
- Alnico V set ( vintage something, they call it a take on the strat tone but modren modified, blah, blah)
All have vintage kind of output (arround the usual 5 to 6K output and between 2.5 and 3.4 Henries, whatever that might be….)
the discriptions of each set are to generic to me to make up my mind. Especially since I will use them for Bass/Baritone kind of sound.
So, now the question? What set would be most suitable for my snappy bass VI? And what do the different AlNiCo magnets do soundwise?
I'm looking for less tight sound and if possible add a bit of that natural "tremolo" to the sound.
Also, what would you suggest to use for a tone cab on the tone pot?
My bass VI does not have the strangle swithc as this switch is now used to put the neck/middle and middle/Bridge or All 3 pu's in serries.
Anyway, thanks for your time reading this and your advice :-)