Annoying popping sound with PJ bass

[cullendean]

I just got a used LTD VINTAGE-204 PJ Bass. It has Bassline Quarter Pounder pickups instead of the stock ESP pickups, SPB-3 and SJB-3 to be exact. The controls are P Volume/J Volume/ Master Tone. First you can't really hear the J when the P is up all the way unless the J itself is up all the way as well. And when both pickups are up all the way, low notes have annoying popping sound when played hard with a pick. This only happens when both pickups are run at full volume, not when either are soloed or one is louder than the other. plus there is a slight volume loss when both pick ups are fully turned up.

My amp is an Ampeg V4bh run through an Ampeg SVT 410he cab. The eq is pretty much flat, all at 12:00 and the gain is at 11:30 with the master volume at 12:00. Ultra lo and ultra hi are disengaged.

[cullendean]

bump

[Tommorichards]

The slight drop in volume is to be expected with both pickups at full. Not sure of the exact technical reason behind it, just back one off slightly, or turn the amp up a tad.

With regards to the popping, i can only guess that the pups have exposed polepieces, and somehow the strings are hitting them, although im not sure why it doesnt do it with solo'd pickups.

[4Mal]

On a PJ you kind of consider the J pickup as a tone control. It is pretty typical for it to be weak sounding in comparison to the P. There are a few reasons for it. Pickup position as it relates to where the string is vibrating. Magnet & coil strength - bigger magnet, bigger coil, more output ... The tone variations are IMO sublte but useful with a good P J set.

For the best balance, be sure to have the J pickup up toward the strings but not so close as to get the kind of clicking you descrie. Back the P down towards the body to make it weaker.

IMO - lose the QP's and go for a lower output, more 'evenly' balanced set. The SPB-1 & SJB-1 are great if you want to stay with Duncan. You'll find that along with the lower output, you'll also get a much more even balance between the low's, the mid's and hi's. You'll be losing some mud and that should make that V4b shine!