Pickup dilemma

[TRBboy]

I think I'm less sure of what I need now than when I started this thread! 😂

I did have dimarzio ultra jazz in my old Fender years ago, and did enjoy them.... But it was a long time ago so maybe not what I'm looking for now..... 

Starting to wonder if my best choice tonally is to go for some decent hand made pickups, and maybe keep it JJ.... 

@Cuzzie is your Bass culture pickup a DCB humbucker?

Has anyone here heard of or used Catswhisker pickups? A friend and builder recommended them to me years ago, hand built in the UK for a reasonable price.... 

[Cuzzie]

It’s defo a humbucker

[itu]

4 hours ago, Hellzero said:

If you want to have an "authentic" sounding...

These words puzzle me from time to time: authentic, organic etc. Is it possible to get some inorganic sound from a bass?

I do get the idea of HOT pickup, it is just an HO (high output) pickup with an added T (temperature?). But those previously mentioned qualifications are a real mystery to me.

[Hellzero]

4 minutes ago, itu said:

Is it possible to get some inorganic sound from a bass?

Oh yes, it's possible, just give any bass player a bass with a 3 bands bands preamp and get ready for instant inorganic and unauthentic sound ! In my case, there were quotes before and after authentic, meaning close to an original Fender P/J sound.

Taking words out of their context is as useful as having nothing to say but claiming it very hard so everybody knows it.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

6 hours ago, Cuzzie said:

Have a word with Jaime at Creamery pick ups in Manchester - my 58 P he did is hands down probably the best pick up i have ever played.

I was just about to pull the trigger on a set of Fender CS60’s for my jazz build, but looking at the Creamery set, I think I’m going with those instead. Slightly cheaper and I get to buy British too. Thanks for the tip 👍

[itu]

1 minute ago, Hellzero said:

Oh yes, it's possible, just give any bass player a bass with a 3 bands bands preamp and get ready for instant inorganic and unauthentic sound ! In my case, there were quotes before and after authentic, meaning close to an original Fender P/J sound.

This is not against you, sir, not at all. Using terms like "P-sound" would probably be slightly less inaccurate than "authentic". Sure the context is there. I also think that my Passion II could have "authentic and organic" sound, although the terms have pretty different meaning here.

Yes, we lack precise, comparable terminology. If simplified generalizations are all we have, we need to accept that, but do we have to?

[TRBboy]

38 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I was just about to pull the trigger on a set of Fender CS60’s for my jazz build, but looking at the Creamery set, I think I’m going with those instead. Slightly cheaper and I get to buy British too. Thanks for the tip 👍

That's the other thing for me, I'm trying to use British stuff for my build as much as possible, such as native only woods, so UK built pickups would be good. 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

Just now, TRBboy said:

That's the other thing for me, I'm trying to use British stuff for my build as much as possible, such as native only woods, so UK built pickups would be good. 

Commendable 👏👏👏👏

[Cuzzie]

Just now, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Commendable 👏👏👏👏

Exactly my feelings - latest build was a use up the parts draw thing, next one will be English spalted Ash body, and I like the idea of the rest being UK as well - good idea.

[Cuzzie]

41 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I was just about to pull the trigger on a set of Fender CS60’s for my jazz build, but looking at the Creamery set, I think I’m going with those instead. Slightly cheaper and I get to buy British too. Thanks for the tip 👍

I really don’t think you will regret it - when you speak to him you can ask him to vary somewhat from the ‘stock’ pick ups he does, for example leaning a 58 slightly more to a 60’s

[TRBboy]

3 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

Exactly my feelings - latest build was a use up the parts draw thing, next one will be English spalted Ash body, and I like the idea of the rest being UK as well - good idea.

Is there any UK hardware? Doubtful I suppose... Trev Wilkinson is British, but the hardware is all made in China I suspect. May have to compromise on hardware! 😂

 

[Cuzzie]

10 minutes ago, TRBboy said:

Is there any UK hardware? Doubtful I suppose... Trev Wilkinson is British, but the hardware is all made in China I suspect. May have to compromise on hardware! 😂

 

Next mission to search!

[Merton]

37 minutes ago, TRBboy said:

Is there any UK hardware? Doubtful I suppose... Trev Wilkinson is British, but the hardware is all made in China I suspect. May have to compromise on hardware! 😂

 

Grainger make bridges. Not sure about tuners.
Edit: www.graingerguitarparts.com

Edited August 16, 2020 by Merton

[TRBboy]

2 hours ago, Merton said:

Grainger make bridges. Not sure about tuners.
Edit: www.graingerguitarparts.com

Thanks, they look very cool! Again, something I've been agonising over is bridge materials etc.... 🤦🏻‍♂️

I'm leaning towards gotoh at the moment, as they do some nice 18mm bridges in lovely finishes, with lightweight tuners to match. I'm particularly liking their 'X-Nickel' finish.

Edited August 16, 2020 by TRBboy

[TRBboy]

Interestingly, I've just been browsing various pickup websites, and visited Hassuel. I notice that Harry does 5 string P pickups, and also him cancelling J's! 

Not only that, but after seeing them, I'm 99.999% sure that my sandberg TT5 passive has Haussel pickups, and these are probably my favourite pickups I've ever used! I've been curious about the pickups in this TT since I got the bass, they have very rounded edges with a soft feel, and the ones on the Haussel website look identical! 

He does some curious slanted and half slanted pole pieces too, I'm not quite sure what the benefit is though. 

EDIT: Okay, so although I said they're my favourite pickups, I haven't actually been able to gig this bass yet so we'll see! 😂

Edited August 16, 2020 by TRBboy

[TRBboy]

So, another possible option has arisen.... I could get a pair of the sandberg TT pickups for quite a reasonable price actually.... And at least I know what I'm getting with those. 

Also just stumbled across house of tone pickups that look quite good, so I might send them an email. 

[Chopthebass]

Have you considered Lollar Jazz pickups? I recently installed a set in my build and I am blown away by them. Higher output than my other basses including Vigier, Mayones. My bridge is 17.5mm Hipshot, but 18mm - 19mm would be fine too. Worth checking out if you don't mind buying from the US. I have it paired to a 3-Leaf preamp.

 

[TRBboy]

28 minutes ago, Chopthebass said:

Have you considered Lollar Jazz pickups? I recently installed a set in my build and I am blown away by them. Higher output than my other basses including Vigier, Mayones. My bridge is 17.5mm Hipshot, but 18mm - 19mm would be fine too. Worth checking out if you don't mind buying from the US. I have it paired to a 3-Leaf preamp.

 

Nice! I've heard good things about Lollar, and Lindy Fralins also (which I believe Bass Direct do). 

Christ, it's a bloody minefield this is.... 

I think I'm my heart I'd most like a PJ set still (although I have recently fallen nach in love with a 'pure' jazz bass tone!), ah my gut feeling is to get someone like Aaron Armstrong/Creamery/House of Tone to make me something. 

However, someone very saged and experienced with such things advised me earlier that I was disappearing down a rabbit hole, and actually it doesn't matter that much in the end to anyone except me. So then I get to thinking should I just buy some cheap Alnico V jazz pickups and have done with it? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Ffs.... 

[Chopthebass]

Sounds like you need to get at least two basses made! Keep us posted on your final choice. 

[TRBboy]

33 minutes ago, Chopthebass said:

Sounds like you need to get at least two basses made! Keep us posted on your final choice. 

Will do.... If I ever get there! I'm notoriously indecisive at the best of times... 🤦🏻‍♂️

[DiMarco]

Sorry if I am making things worse but if you're having a custom built, imho go completely custom!

This is mine. The bridge pup has its front coil at sixties position, rear coil near seventies. I can switch each coil on/off with two of the 'jaguar style' switches and the third switches between series and parallel mode. Neck pickup sits at original Jazz Bass position where it intersects with the E string and is placed diagonal to get a more even tone between the strings.

It is completely passive but has a lot of different tone options as switching between bridge pup modes makes quite a difference. I am really happy with it!

[DiMarco]

[TRBboy]

16 minutes ago, DiMarco said:

Sorry if I am making things worse but if you're having a custom built, imho go completely custom!

This is mine. The bridge pup has its front coil at sixties position, rear coil near seventies. I can switch each coil on/off with two of the 'jaguar style' switches and the third switches between series and parallel mode. Neck pickup sits at original Jazz Bass position where it intersects with the E string and is placed diagonal to get a more even tone between the strings.

It is completely passive but has a lot of different tone options as switching between bridge pup modes makes quite a difference. I am really happy with it!

Thanks, that's great thinking and what a lovely bass! 

[TRBboy]

So, quick update:

After sending and receiving lots of emails to various companies, and doing more research and Youtubing, I think I'm down to probably House of Tone or Cats whisker. Both represent great value for custom made pickups, both made in UK, and both give me a good level of confidence that they can fulfil my needs. 

My gut feeling at the moment is to go with Allan at Cats whisker, he's very knowledgeable, very responsive and although he was only initially recommended by a friend and bass builder, some goggling has shown that his pickups are highly regarded by those that have tried them. It turns out that he is (or was) making all of the pickups for Alpher too, so that says a lot! 

I'm still a bit undecided on the J pickup, I'd love it to be hum cancelling, but need to accept that it wouldn't give me quite that classic single coil J sound, although how far from that it is in reality remains to be seen. Apparently I could expect it to sound a little less 'open' and dynamic, with some loss of highs and high mids, bit slightly more pronounced lows and low mids. 

Still trying to decide wiring also, I keep fancying stacked VT VT a la early 60's jazz bass, but as I've never tried this layout I'm not sure if it makes most sense. If not will probably just go VBT. 

Waffle over. 😊