bakerster135

I had the [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]AG4j70s in my 75 Jazz. On their own I thought they sounded great - really tight bass and growly highs,[/font][/color] but found I was getting lost and having to boost some midrange in any band that had more than one guitar...They have quite a scooped sound, and a bit lacking in the low mids I reckon. Tried Nordstrand 70s winds, but I've settled on Bare Knuckle PE Jazz for the minute. Great sounding pickups!

[quote name='No. 8 Wire' timestamp='1458292397' post='3006258'] Alex, Musicman's setup instructions have changed slightly. They now recommend you drop the bass side of the pickup right down to the pickguard. Scroll down a bit on this link: [url="http://www.music-man.com/faq"]http://www.music-man.com/faq[/url] I've set up mine following that and is does help with evenness across the strings. On the front to back, can't really help as my strings are pretty much parallel to the bass body. I have a low action and my frets have been dressed down over the years (by an over enthusiastic tech) , so not as tall as new. [/quote] Ah, thank you!

Thanks guys, very helpful!

[quote name='mrn1989' timestamp='1458127514' post='3004901'] I angle my pickup close to the G and further away from the E to try and even out the sting volume. Im using an Aguilar pickup with flat pole pieces but still find it has a better balance than the original pu, even though i still angle it. I will take a pic and stick it up in a bit [/quote] Thanks mrn1989! I do that too, top to bottom, but here I'm specifically asking about whether anyone angles their pickup towards the fretboard (front to back) so it follows the line of the strings when you're looking down at it (i.e. when you're looking at the pickup from the top, it leans towards the fretboard and away from the bridge). Do you do this with your pickup, or keep it straight?

Hi all, I've been adjusting the pickup height on my Stingray, and usually go by the factory settings using my 6" metal ruler (i.e. 8/64 bass side, 6/64 treble side) and adjust from there... As the Stingray pickup's quite wide however, I've been slanting it slightly towards the fretboard (so front to back, not top to bottom) so it follows the line of the strings, and is at an angle to the body when you look down at it from the top. I just wondered if this is the correct thing to do, and whether other Stingray players do the same, or if the pickup should be in line with the body, i.e. straight and not at an angle? Would appreciate some advice. Please do let me know if this doesn't make sense, and you need some further clarification on what I mean!... Cheers, Alex

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1457958905' post='3003307'] I guess it's a weird one but it's not going to make a huge difference unless they're really canted over. [/quote] Nah, they're not, and they sound great. It's still annoying me though ... Gonna get hold of some new pickup foam, and see if that makes a difference.

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1457955039' post='3003241'] Could it be corrected by using some fairly sturdy foam under the pickups? [/quote] Pretty substantial block under each, which is straight and giving adequate push to each pickup, so it really should be the screws that dictate the position of the pickups...Confused

Thanks guys! Although the lean is definitely there, it's not particularly serious...Although nothing was apparent when playing the bass, I guess I'm mainly concerned about whether this is likely to cause me any issues sound-wise, etc?

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1457952497' post='3003208'] Ok...um....are the screwholes sunk into the body nice and straight ? (Sure you've done all this tho....haven't you ?) [/quote] Yeah, I've examined pretty much every possibility I could think of...The screwholes are nice and straight, yeah, and the previous (original) pickups didn't have a lean. Thank you for the ideas though, they are appreciated!

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1457951756' post='3003201'] That's weird...are the pickup covers bent or mis-moulded in any way ? [/quote] Don't appear to be. I checked them with a small metal ruler and both appear to be totally straight...

Hi all, So I installed a pair of Bare Knuckle pickups in my Jazz Bass over the weekend, and loving them! Bizzarely however, I have noticed that each pickup has a slight lean to it - i.e. the neck pickup leans towards the fretboard, and the bridge pickup leans towards the bridge, no matter how I set the adjustment screws. I've even gone in and adjusted the foam underneath each pickup, so it's sitting completely straight, but the lean's still there!... I just wondered if anyone's aware of any problems this might cause me, sound-wise, now or in the future!? I'm willing to accept the very minor cosmetic aspect, and this doesn't cause me any issues when playing and seems to sound fine and balanced... Strange question, I know, but would appreciate any advice on this. Alex

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1457802355' post='3001945'] Each to their own I use the B7K Ultra as a master preamp so it has to be last in line, but even if I wasn't using it for that I prefer a filter going into drive. I put fuzz pedals before filter, but drives are always usually after. [/quote] Oh yes, fuzz before filter for sure! I always like a little bit of gritty mild overdrive before a filter though, just to eccentuate the Moog-esque analog-sounding squelch! :-) Definitely each to their own as you say though! Really want a Protostar though, very envious indeed!

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1457802355' post='3001945'] Each to their own I use the B7K Ultra as a master preamp so it has to be last in line, but even if I wasn't using it for that I prefer a filter going into drive. I put fuzz pedals before filter, but drives are always usually after. [/quote] Oh yes, fuzz before filter for sure! I always like a little bit of gritty mild overdrive before a filter though, just to eccentuate the Moog-esque analog - sounding squelch! :-) Definitely each to their own as you say though! Really want a Protostar though, very envious indeed!

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1457628335' post='3000397'] [URL=http://s741.photobucket.com/user/Bassmankev/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpscyie1l0q.jpeg.html][IMG]http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx59/Bassmankev/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpscyie1l0q.jpeg[/IMG][/URL] Gigrig on top as new homemade board isn't large enough underneath to fit 🙄 [/quote] Filter before overdrive!? Well that's just not right at all... N.b. Don't take seriously ;-)

Really tragic...Sad loss of a very talented and inventive pedal-smith.

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1456923974' post='2993552'] I've always thought cheap = heavyweight.... [/quote] I've played a ton of Alembics, Ken Smiths, etc that totally dispel this idea ...

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1456919569' post='2993481'] It's the same with Sadowsky. Jason Newsted received a freebie after ordering his 8th or something [/quote] I don't imagine a luthier loses out too badly on having a "buy eight, get one free" offer!

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1456874031' post='2993214'] I'm completely calm. Otherwise I would have used an exclamation mark like yourself. [/quote] Ah, I see. Just seemed like an overreaction.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1456873471' post='2993206'] Totally stupid comment. [/quote] Woah, calm down!...:-s

[quote name='Treb' timestamp='1455647862' post='2981137'] The Aguilar obp-1 (just like the Sadowsky preamp a design by Alex Aguilar) is supposed to sound a bit warmer than the Sadowsky which is considered a bit more hi-fi-ish. Both the Sadowsky and the Aguilar are boost-only (bass @ 40Hz, treble @ 4000Hz). I still have my Aguilar DB924, great preamp (in essence an obp-1 in a box). Look into the John East preamps too! Very good sounding stuff, I have a DJ-Retro in my Lakland. That mid-sweep is sweet! [/quote] I use the Aguilar DB924 with my Jazz Basses too, and love it! Discontinued now, and the Tone Hammer just doesn't sound as good...They pop up on Ebay and Gumtree now and then, and can be had for a bargain! Just to note, I compared the DB924 with the on-board OBP1 that was on my old Spector, and I didn't notice any signal or power degradation by using a cable, or for the fact that it's an external unit.

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1455628698' post='2980822'] Despite this http://basschat.co.uk/topic/277583-83-wal-mk-1-for-under-l2000-anyone-sold-sorry/page__fromsearch__1 it give me great pleasure to be able to report that the mongrel is back where it belongs. And many thanks to Alex for being such a gent about it also! [/quote] No worries Chris, it was a pleasure to have looked after her for a short time! :-) You're lucky I've got a little one on the way, it's the finest bass I've ever laid hands on and there's no chance I would've let go of it otherwise! ;-)

Yeah, it's a really mean, dirty tone!

Well, he does have those two Dunlop wahs stuck together on his board, so perhaps they're part of the tone?...

Sounds similar to the sound he has in RATM for Testify: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nw3gzAnBiA I really reckon it could be a clean (but still gritty) bass track mixed with a fuzz. Really nasal-sounding fuzz too, so perhaps it's a modded Big Muff or something?

Would REALLY recommend the Aguilar AG-4J 70s pickups for a really Marcus Miller-esque tone! I'm currently using them in my '75 Jazz with the Aguilar DB-924 preamp, and the tone is spot on! Had the Nordstrand "70s wind" NJ4s in before these, but they were a bit too warm and low-middy if anything! More Geddy than Marcus...