Musicman sound from precision

[mcnach]

[quote name='buff' post='1302108' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:18 AM']Thats answered a few question's and caused a few arguements as well Have had a jazz with a MM emg in the bridge position but it didnt really give that sound, so the pre amp does help also. Had a MM but found the neck to wide, so i wont be getting a MM in the forseable future.[/quote]

I haven't got experience with the MM style EMGs, but from what I hear in other EMG pickups, I suspect they are voiced very unlike a "normal" MM style pickup (for instance, the alnico, parallel-wired Stingray).

I have a Squier Jazz V DeLuxe that I bought because it's a 5-string with 19mm string spacing at the bridge, wide, which I like.
I'm getting a Seymour Duncan SMB5A-alike (I had to ask their custom shop to make one with the wide spacing, but it should be similar) and when it arrives I'll route the body to take the pickup at the correct Stingray location. I believe it will get me very stingrayish sounds, but we'll see. I'm keeping the original 3-band preamp for now, but again it will eventually be substituted if I decide the bass is a keeper (which I think it will be, it's a surprisingly nice bass, and cheap!) and I'll put a John East MMSR 3-band job. I think that combination will work pretty well... but the crucial part is to get a Stingray-like pickup in the Stingray position. Well, that's if you're after a Stingray type of sound (which I am, in this particular case, since MM won't make a wide-space SR5 and the alternatives like Lakland seem considerably more expensive).

I know what you mean about the MM neck. I assume you talk about the Stingray. I didn't like it when I first tried one. Years later, however, I find it fantastic and it's the thin Jazz types that I don't like so much.

If you liked the Stingray but just not the neck, try a MM Sterling. Much slimmer neck. The sound is not the same, as it uses a ceramic pickup and wired in series... but it's a great sound regardless... and if you *really* wanted a more Stingray like sound you can always change pickups. Not sure what the preamp is like 'though, I suspect it may be different too. Whatever, the Sterling sounds great (to me) too.

[mcnach]

[quote name='simon1964' post='1302110' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:20 AM']Have you tried a Sterling? The neck profile is nearer a Jazz compared to a Stingray[/quote]


ah, you beat me to it! and more concisely

[henry norton]

[quote name='buff' post='1302108' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:18 AM']Thats answered a few question's and caused a few arguements as well Have had a jazz with a MM emg in the bridge position but it didnt really give that sound, so the pre amp does help also. Had a MM but found the neck to wide, so i wont be getting a MM in the forseable future.[/quote]
That's probably because the classic Stingray pickup position [u]isn't[/u] next to the bridge like your 'Jazz with a MM in the bridge position' was. Look at the position of the pickup on a single Humbucker Stingray and you'll see it's way back from the bridge, possibly far enough to clash with a Precision route (close to anyway). There have certainly been a fair few moans from Stingray HH players about not really nailing 'that' sound as the bridge pickup is too close to the bridge and the neck pickup is too far away.


Do you get what I mean......??????

[simon1964]

[quote name='henry norton' post='1302145' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:46 AM']Look at the position of the pickup on a single Humbucker Stingray and you'll see it's way back from the bridge, possibly far enough to clash with a Precision route (close to anyway). There have certainly been a fair few moans from Stingray HH players about not really nailing 'that' sound as the bridge pickup is too close to the bridge and the neck pickup is too far away.[/quote]

This is a very good point. The pickup on a Stingray would actually overlap with the pickup on a Precision. Sandberg's MM / P bassses actually have the MM pickup quite a bit closer to the bridge than on a Stingray - which is why they soundy more Jazz than MM.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='simon1964' post='1302175' date='Jul 13 2011, 12:02 PM']This is a very good point. The pickup on a Stingray would actually overlap with the pickup on a Precision. Sandberg's MM / P bassses actually have the MM pickup quite a bit closer to the bridge than on a Stingray - which is why they soundy more Jazz than MM.[/quote]
I knew this thread would get around to this eventually.

Enter the Pingray. Authentic pup positioning - bar the D/G part of the P pup for obvious reasons...





As above the Sandbergs are a bit of a rip as they don't place the MM pup in the right spot.. which I would have thought should have been the whole point of the exercise.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1302195' date='Jul 13 2011, 12:20 PM']I knew this thread would get around to this eventually.

Enter the Pingray. Authentic pup positioning - bar the D/G part of the P pup for obvious reasons...





As above the Sandbergs are a bit of a rip as they don't place the MM pup in the right spot.. which I would have thought should have been the whole point of the exercise.[/quote]


love that!

Hopefully my old Sue Ryder MM/P project will work as nicely as that one (even if it won't be as pretty). I haven't forgotten about it, in case you're wondering. Just haven't got around to fully strip that body. I suffer from Incomplete Multitask Disorder

[bassmachine2112]

hi,I can get close to the ray sound with my p-bass but I have a Wizard thumper in it and use a sansamp bass driver or a hartke bass attack. i have both so I a/b them but the ray is schitso with the p-bass settings so the answer is yes and no.
No you can,t with the same settings but changing things around you can get very close.
Get both it makes sense.Get a sub bass and save a bit,got rid of ray for a sub and think they,re great,slightly different sound but can,t tell now,got used to it I suppose.
I,ll get on the couch now.

[Musicman20]

[quote name='henry norton' post='1302145' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:46 AM']That's probably because the classic Stingray pickup position [u]isn't[/u] next to the bridge like your 'Jazz with a MM in the bridge position' was. Look at the position of the pickup on a single Humbucker Stingray and you'll see it's way back from the bridge, possibly far enough to clash with a Precision route (close to anyway). There have certainly been a fair few moans from Stingray HH players about not really nailing 'that' sound as the bridge pickup is too close to the bridge and the neck pickup is too far away.


Do you get what I mean......??????[/quote]

The HH and HS Stingray 4/5 Sterling 4/5 have exactly the same position for the bridge H. Only the Bongo HH and HS have a different neck position H (closer to the bridge).

The H and HH/HS Stingrays sound exactly the same at the bridge pup, the variations will be wood, construction, age, etc.

Edited July 13, 2011 by Musicman20

[ThomBassmonkey]

I have a Musicman Ray 5 and a Sandberg HH5, I can honestly say that they don't sound alike. The Sandberg does do a passing impression once in a band mix though with a bit of EQ. Once I ge set up for basic recording on my iPad I intend to do a comparison recording.

Edited July 14, 2011 by ThomBassmonkey