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Precision pick up to give a musicman sound....


Guest Jecklin
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Guest Jecklin

Yes yes I know you can't make a precision sound like a stingray.

I love the fretless bass I'm currently playing, except the sound.
A single precision pick up Yamaha.
Alas it's very much everything I dislike about the precision sound (and I'm sure a lot of that is due to pick up placement and orientation).

I'd like to replace the pick up with something that has more low and high mids in the sound while I wait to acquire a fretless stingray (type) bass.

Can anyone give some suggestions on precision pickups that have an emphasis in the mid frequencies?

Cheers
Thomas

Edited by Jecklin
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Maybe a SD 1/4 pounder?

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zois23LFNAU"]https://www.youtube....h?v=Zois23LFNAU[/url]

Scratch that - it's a seymour duncan J not P.

Try [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NraEEOArsPs"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NraEEOArsPs[/url]
Not a fretless however.

Edited by PlungerModerno
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Mid-emphasis Precision pickup says DiMarzio Model P to me. Might also be worth looking up Herrick pickups, and messaging Martin, the owner, he no doubt will be able to recommend one of his products that would do the job:

https://www.herrickpickups.com/

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I have done this the other way around - put a Precision pickup into a MM Sterling. I reversed the two halves of the pickup, shoving the treble side forwards, so I now have both pups (well, bass side of P pup) in their respective sweet spots.

I say 'I' but I got Andyjr1515 to do it! For me it was worth doing - the bass suits me in every other way. Sounds like you might want to consider doing this?

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Bit of a minefield, this. If you want to find a P pickup with a specific EQ, then the Seymour Duncan site is probably the best guide because it quotes both the output and the comparative EQ characteristics of each of their pretty wide range. If the link works, it's here http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickups/bass/p-bass

However, it might not give you the answer you are looking for. The pickup position has a much greater impact on the tone than the pickup itself. Also, as Paul_S and I found out, the Musicman pickup is VERY low powered - it gets its volume entirely through the active EQ. An active EQ again can make a big, big difference, but they are pricey and have to be fitted.

The cheapest and easiest first step is as geoffbyrne says above - try a cheap EQ pedal for starters (I gigged with a dirt cheap Behringer for years with a tonally troublesome instrument). If you want to experiment with a different pickup, then I agree the DiMarzio Model P has some merits or you could pick one of the closest EQ'd S Duncan ones. Or fit a bridge pickup....but the costs can start getting close to just buying another bass that suits you better.

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Guest Jecklin

Thanks everyone for the replies :)

Yes it's more than an eq thing, the pickup just doesn't seem to respond tonally in the way I'd Like.

I won't go the route of adding another bpick up as I will eventually acquire a new bass, so I will investigate some of the precision pick up suggestions.

Cheers
Thomas

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[quote name='Jecklin' timestamp='1483274717' post='3205774']
Thanks everyone for the replies :)

Yes it's more than an eq thing, the pickup just doesn't seem to respond tonally in the way I'd Like.

I won't go the route of adding another bpick up as I will eventually acquire a new bass, so I will investigate some of the precision pick up suggestions.

Cheers
Thomas
[/quote]
Just had a listen on your website, Thomas. Some very interesting music...I've never heard contrabassoon played like that - sounds really good.

Is it the Yamaha on Incantation? If so, I would have thought a bit of external EQ-ing (pedal or amp) could make a significant difference. Mind you, sounds pretty good as it is :)

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...oh, and by the way, I've now fitted two Aquilar P pickups - one for Paul_S's 5 string and more recently a 4-string version for jonnythenotes...and in both cases they sounded fantastic. LOTS of oooumph and clarity. They should also be on your list of possibles.... :)

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Guest Jecklin

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1483276689' post='3205801']

Just had a listen on your website, Thomas. Some very interesting music...I've never heard contrabassoon played like that - sounds really good.

Is it the Yamaha on Incantation? If so, I would have thought a bit of external EQ-ing (pedal or amp) could make a significant difference. Mind you, sounds pretty good as it is :)
[/quote]

Hi Andy, thank you for me kinD words.
The contrabassoon is my main instrument these days and I really enjoy using it in a very minimal understated way in my own music.

Ah, no if I could get my Yamaha to sound & respond like the bass in Incantation I would be VERY happy :D

That's my fretted Warwick fortress masterman. I love it, bar the frets.
I have um'd and ah'd for a couple of years about defretting it, but have resisted.

Thanks for the heads up on Aguilar pick ups.
I will check them out

Edited by Jecklin
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maybe some Delano's [url="http://www.delano.de/products.html?&cHash=ddc58fffeb&tx_smtdelano_pi1[cat]=1&tx_smtdelano_pi1[series]=6&tx_smtdelano_pi1[strings]=5&tx_smtdelano_pi1[system]=45"]http://www.delano.de/products.html?&cHash=ddc58fffeb&tx_smtdelano_pi1[cat]=1&tx_smtdelano_pi1[series]=6&tx_smtdelano_pi1[strings]=5&tx_smtdelano_pi1[system]=45[/url]

[url="http://www.delano.de/products.html?&cHash=c7556b3fe5&tx_smtdelano_pi1[cat]=1&tx_smtdelano_pi1[series]=6&tx_smtdelano_pi1[strings]=5&tx_smtdelano_pi1[system]=98"]http://www.delano.de/products.html?&cHash=c7556b3fe5&tx_smtdelano_pi1[cat]=1&tx_smtdelano_pi1[series]=6&tx_smtdelano_pi1[strings]=5&tx_smtdelano_pi1[system]=98[/url]

they describe them as having "in your face stingray style grind"

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