Tvrtastic

Thanks for the good advice guys.

This is proving to be a very expensive thread for me. I am just about to start a P Bass bitsa project using old bits left over from upgrades. Planned a simple P for classic rock running flats. I’ve got a modern J with Kent Armstrong handwounds so I just want a clean old tone . Was planning to use Entwhistle PBXNs. I’ve used his pickups in 6 sting guitars and they are stunning for the cost. But with all the praise for CS 62s I’m now thinking that the PBXNs will be too bright and modern. This was supposed to be a cheap project but I get the “buy cheap buy twice” thing. 😞

I just took a jig saw to my Sire. Certainly better for me.

Yes, not sure what to do about the chopped decal. Plan is to sand area back and try to re lacquer over and polish smooth. If it looks pants i’ll rub back whole headstock and spray it black (bass is brown sunburst) Or maybe put some carbon wrap over it. But then I may be getting silly.... await the haters.

I’m contemplating taking a jig saw to mine.

Nice 4 string Bongo https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Left-Handed-Lefty-Ernie-Ball-Musicman-Bongo-Bass/253453114708?hash=item3b02fb9d54:g:i5YAAOSwf~JalBYd

Had to route out for the humbucker and I had a new scratch plate made as I wanted the option to go back to orginal jazz pickup if humbucker did not sound right. Humbucker is actually a Kent Armstrong pup I bought in the 80’s that I previously had in a homemade bass! But as it was the humbucker shone so much that I had to replace the bridge sire pickup as it was just not cutting it against the KA pup. Is the KA jazz / Sire pup standard Fender size? ‘Probably’. I sent Kent the dimensions so it could have need made to order for me but I somehow doubt it and I think that we both just got lucky. Talkbass has people who seem to have put Nordstrang pups in V7s without any drama. Orginal Site pups were fine but never quite made the sound that I wanted. Yes I bought a Marcus Miller bass, but I don’t want to sound like Marcus Miller. ;-).

Well the Kickass is fitted and looking great. Has it changed the sound of the Sire? Yes. I purposely kept the old strings on bass while I was fitting and setting it up to try to keep changes to a minimum for comparison. I know that there is always a placebo effect but to me there is a big sound difference. Neck pickup is notacibly punchier and defined. TBH initially I did not like it. Thought i’d lost the nice warm tone of the Kend Armstrong handwound. But I soon realised that I just needed to roll off the treble (not currently using the a Sire preamp atm) to get it back to being warm. I also softened my playing a bit as perhaps I was over plucking due to the more solid mounting of the strings. Not so sure about bridge pup sound as it’s only a few days old to me and the sounds still have not settled in my brain, bit it’s really cutting and ‘honky’ It’s got new strings on it now and a full fret polish so it’s all zingy and sparkly. Not much left on the Sire that I could or would want to change now. Apart from maybe taking a large file to the headstock and making it less bloody ugly. ;-) Think I could get it looking like a Tele Bass headstock?

I was going to update with pics when fitted :-) but as I’ve actually just his week upgradedthe bridge pickup I think I’ll just get used to the new sound of that until I fit my new bridge. I went for the Kickass in the end. TBH seem the safest option. Certainly looks great and I like the option of being able to change saddles easy. Also as my Kent Armstrong humbucker (neck) has Allen key poles rather than bars it is really fussy about string spacing. Kickass will garentee this I think. Thanks for everyone’s advice, I’mm sure that it steered me in the right direction. I’ll post picks when fitted.

Thanks for the good advice. I’m a big fan of engineering and quality so if one looks better engineered and made than the other then again it would be a major factor in my decision. I was a little consurned about the lighter weight of the Babicz as unlike some people do not crave a lightweight bass but do like balance. I just fitted some unfortunately hefty shaller M4S tuners and although there’s no neck dive yet it would not do any harm to put a little weight into the bridge.

Vote for Kickass then. Looks like my pendulum is swinging AGAIN! So you did not swap for any tone reason? No decernable difference?

I’m popping into Bassdirect at the weekend to pick up a new bridge for my Sire V7 (Alder). But after weeks of reading forums and comments I’m still undecided on either a Hipshot Kickass or Babicz FCH. I’m thinking that I’ll decide on the day when I get them in my hands to compare. Anybody got anything that may help sway or influence my decision? Thanks

Ampkit certainly does. Not 100% on GarageBand I’ll test it tomorrow. but for me Ampkit sounds better so that’s the one I use when I don’t want to scare the neighbors.

Define cheap? Secondhand Apogee Jam in gumtee for about £40? Then you have a massive choice of iPad apps and garage band with cheap or free amp models.

I guess you could contact Aaron Armstrong directly as he makes these pickups for ACG. http://www.armstrongpickups.co.uk/ Not sure if they have any exclusivity agreement with Aaron but I’m sure he could make you whatever you wanted even if it was not a direct ACG clone.

I just swapped out the neck pickup on my Sire Marcus Miller V7 with a 1980's Kent Armstrong handwround soap bar pickup that I had in an old bass not worthy of the pickup. OMG what a sound! Think that many would say that the standard V7 sounds great and Marcus himself reputedly plays an Ash V7 with stock pickups, but my does this pickup sound great in this bass! Hardly bothered with the preamp since installing pickup as it sounds just so sweet and the tone pot gives me all the variation I need. Tone and dynamics out of this world. I hoped that it would sound good but it's just turned a great bass into something special. Chuffed to say the least! Kent is still making handwrounds in America and is on Facebook if you search for him. This is what inspired me to dig out the old pickup. Tempted to contact him to get a jazz pickup for the bridge but certainly for now the soapbar in the neck is all I need. Stunned. :-)

[quote name='hen barn' timestamp='1455051230' post='2975519'] I have a sire on order but I tried a mates last week and when you turn up the volume bass and treble etc it really distorts?? Does yours do this? It's as if too powerful?? Or just needs the pick ups adjusting? [/quote] I'd say it was more a case of your mates amp freaking out at the massive bass and/or treble you are dialling into it by turning pre amp to 10. With my sire I just use fine +/- 2 or 3 on the bass and treble and the tone change is massive. If I turn bass up to 10 then it a massive floor shaker which is fine (if you like that type of thing) but you have to adjust amp or guitar volume to suit. I just think that you have to be a little more subtle with the preamp settings. It is by far the most powerful preamp I have ever used :-)

[quote name='Tvrtastic' timestamp='1453899090' post='2963942'] Email sent to thomann. Dilemma. Don't really want to send it back :-( I'll await their response. [/quote] Thomann have asked for a video showing the the fault and no response from sire whatsoever. My dilemma with thoman is that I am sure that they will just want me to return bass and they ship me another. Problem is that even with the dicky pan pot the bass sounds bloody great! It don't want to send this one back and then get another with different density / sound etc. I know it's unlikely but I'd kick myself. I guess the question is how often do you guys really use that pan pot? Since owning this bass I have been more than happy to just stick it on the neck pickup and change tone from the preamp. I never even desire flicking to the bridge. Both pickup work ok and can be selected. It's just the pan seems to be on/off with muted centre (both) Am I missing out?

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1453908205' post='2964080'] I would email Sire themselves. They will have more of an idea and it could mean a simple fix rather than sending the bass back and havimg to wait another few weeks or more. Sire offer outstanding CS. They even sent me two free gig bags, you cant get better than that. [/quote] Good idea. Email sent to the infamous Micky Cho!

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1453896929' post='2963908'] Mine doesn't do the volume drop either. Tvr, I reckon with that and the binding issue you've got perfectly valid reasons to request a replacement from Thomann. Get in touch with them, I reckon. [/quote] Email sent to thomann. Dilemma. Don't really want to send it back :-( I'll await their response.

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1453319090' post='2958449'] It will be a Sire, that's all that really matters ;-) [/quote] My V7 arrived yesterday. As feared it's a China one but tbh the build is great. One fret sneaking out of the binding at the 11th but you only feel it if purposely looking. Perhaps the alder is a bit notty in places and may have been better in a painted guitar rathur than tobacco burst one but I think I am being fussy when you look at the money it cost!!!! Sound? Omg it is good. The reviews and comments are not wrong. I played for 6 hours straight last night. Weight is a dead 9 and this is light for me as my normal play is a 6 string fretless at 11.4! One consurn is the pan pot on the preamp. When the pick up blend is dead centre there is a noticeable drop in signal. I set it to 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock and each pickup is clear and strong. But centre is muted. Does not seem to be much blending going on either. Sounds to my ears that the selection is either on or off. Anyone else get this too or do I need to be contacting sire or Thomann?

[quote name='Tvrtastic' timestamp='1453305372' post='2958283'] I wonder if when it arrives if it was be an Indonesian or Chinese built one. :-s [/quote] Sire was due to arrive today but Thomann did not enter my address in correctly (no post code) and parcel force did not even bother to deliver (or try contact me). Oh well anoth 24 hours wait.....

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1453319090' post='2958449'] It will be a Sire, that's all that really matters ;-) [/quote] Where's the 'Like' button? :-)

[quote name='chickenjames' timestamp='1453322396' post='2958501'] coool! which one are you getting? [/quote] Alder 4 TS. I'm a leftie so had to wait patiently for them to start making them and ship to Europe. Really really cannot wait. Been looking around for a leftie MIA jazz but just never found one that made me want to actually part with all the cash. I even went to the Fender factory but bottled it! But when the reviews started rolling in about the MM and that they were to be LH it was a no brainer. Now suffering from paramomia over the fact that sire have started to make V7 in their Chinese factory to keep up with demand and I could see them making the lefties out there so to concentrate on RH in the normal factory. I'll be gutted if mine is not as well made as others report. Not many reports here or talk bass on the quality of the Chinese ones. Only time will tell.....