Frank Blank Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 The E string on my Ibanez is louder than the other strings. I emailed my luthier expecting it to be a simple pickup tweak, it seems not. The problem appears to be too much of a radius on the pole and the fingerboard having a quite flat radius. There was talk of placing a metal disk over the pole to reduce the magnetic pull. Please excuse my ignorance but it’s apparently a known thing on some Ibanez/Bartolini basses. Anyone else had such a thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Could you not lower your pickup just one side ,just below the e string it may only need a few turns 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 47 minutes ago, Reggaebass said: Could you not lower your pickup just one side ,just below the e string it may only need a few turns Apparently not, this is exactly what I thought would remedy the problem but apparently not. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinny Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Which Ibanez do you have? I have a BTB675 with the licenced Barts in - I'll compare any bits with yours if it's any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Frank Blank said: The E string on my Ibanez is louder than the other strings. I emailed my luthier expecting it to be a simple pickup tweak, it seems not. The problem appears to be too much of a radius on the pole and the fingerboard having a quite flat radius. There was talk of placing a metal disk over the pole to reduce the magnetic pull. Please excuse my ignorance but it’s apparently a known thing on some Ibanez/Bartolini basses. Anyone else had such a thing? Which seems a little odd. A flat board and a radius on the pickup would have the poles further away from the string at the E and G positions. If the board were more radiused and the pickup was dead flat, that would indeed yield the issues you speak of. In the latter case I would certainly look at either a radiused poled pickup or one with adjustable poles as an alternative. I know Carvin do them (Kiesel use them in the custom basses) and funnily Ibanez have used radiused pickups too! Hmm, maybe Nordstrand do radiused pickup poles too, I'd have to check. Edited October 10, 2018 by Dood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totorbass Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 A good compressor fixes that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 13 minutes ago, totorbass said: A good compressor fixes that. Ah yes, I have compression built in to my amp! Why didn’t I think of theat, duh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 20 minutes ago, Dood said: Which seems a little odd. A flat board and a radius on the pickup would have the poles further away from the string at the E and G positions. If the board were more radiused and the pickup was dead flat, that would indeed yield the issues you speak of. In the latter case I would certainly look at either a radiused poled pickup or one with adjustable poles as an alternative. I know Carvin do them (Kiesel use them in the custom basses) and funnily Ibanez have used radiused pickups too! Hmm, maybe Nordstrand do radiused pickup poles too, I'd have to check. Again I assumed this but it is apparently also to do with the mass of the E string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 38 minutes ago, totorbass said: A good compressor hides that. Fixed it for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 10 minutes ago, Frank Blank said: Again I assumed this but it is apparently also to do with the mass of the E string. Something doesn't sit well with me there. Especially as the bass has a flatter radius. I am expecting the pickup poles to be flat - what is the bass model? Are they MKI Bartolini pickups? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Just now, Dood said: Something doesn't sit well with me there. Especially as the bass has a flatter radius. I am expecting the pickup poles to be flat - what is the bass model? Are they MKI Bartolini pickups? I don't buy the E string mass either as I am used to playing up to a .190 gauge at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 Don't Bartolini pickups have blade magnets? Not sure how this information will help though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted October 13, 2018 Author Share Posted October 13, 2018 Well I tried out the metal disk theory by simply placing a 2p piece underneath the E string (as suggested by my luthier as a test) and it did indeed rectify the problem, I’m just surprised that this appears to be the only option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 On 10/10/2018 at 21:47, totorbass said: A good compressor fixes that. It helps, but this kind of thing is better fixed at source. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 On 10/10/2018 at 20:29, Reggaebass said: Could you not lower your pickup just one side ,just below the e string it may only need a few turns This does affect the A string it appears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted October 21, 2018 Author Share Posted October 21, 2018 I took the Ibanez up to my luthier, by this time I was wondering if I’d imagined the volume disparity. However, we did some tests and the E string was 7dB louder than the rest, we placed 2p pieces under the E on both pickups and it brought the disparity down. We are experimented with various discs of varying size and thickness and I left him to experiment. Years ago he had a customer with a similar problem but the customer sold the bass before the luthier had a chance to fix it. I think he’s going to do a piece in his Workshop Blog about the problem and the remedy, if so I’ll post a link here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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