Bandmates hate my SD Antiquity II's

John Webb · #1 01-18-2009, 04:06 PM

I have a 99 MIA Jazz.
Bandates tell me to leave it home till I put the stock PU's back in.........say the sound is bland and doesn't cut throught the mix............I must say I sorta agree.....what a disappointment.

sandmangeck · #2 01-18-2009, 04:15 PM

your bandmates notice pickup swaps? nice. there keepers. might just need to eq some more though.

Pilgrim · #3 01-18-2009, 04:17 PM

It's only the pickups if you changed NOTHING else - no strings, no effects, and no changes to the EQ or volume on your bass. If you changed anything else, it's not necessarily the pickups.

Dan1099 · #4 01-18-2009, 04:27 PM

Make sure you have the pup height set correctly, this can make a BIG difference with jazz pickups.

62bass · #5 01-18-2009, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Webb

I have a 99 MIA Jazz.
Bandates tell me to leave it home till I put the stock PU's back in.........say the sound is bland and doesn't cut throught the mix............I must say I sorta agree.....what a disappointment.

They must be really young.

vin*tone · #6 01-18-2009, 07:10 PM

Tell them you changed em back, tweak the EQ and turn up a bit more so they can "hear the difference". Done.

Rattman · #7 01-18-2009, 07:16 PM

Hmmmm... I've never heard anyone else here say that Seymour Duncan Antiquity pickups were dull dogs before.. I think you shouldn't give up on those replacement pickups so quickly. Yeah... it just might be a 'tweak' that could bring those in really sweet.

tasty sweeps · #8 01-18-2009, 07:18 PM

since when are other band members concerned with the bassist cutting through the mix? isn't the point to be in the mix?

do you like the pups? tweak this or that on em and see if you can find a more suitable sound for the band. if they still don't like it... tell them to get new pickups.

yeeeaaaaah.

Ryan Mohr · #9 01-18-2009, 07:26 PM

Doesn't make sense to me, they are supposed to be some of the best J pickups out there.

bad_andy · #10 01-18-2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan1099

Make sure you have the pup height set correctly, this can make a BIG difference with jazz pickups.

+1 on that good buddy. I just had to raise a set of aftermarket Bartolini's 9Js much closer to the strings after getting them installed for them to sound right.

lambro · #11 01-18-2009, 10:53 PM

tell them you swapped them back to originals and that they were right...

they wont know the difference

Jimi's tech used to do that with wah pedals Jimi said sounded like crap.....

Jefenator · #12 01-18-2009, 11:03 PM

Maybe the guitar player feels, how do you say... threatened?

anthowl · #13 01-18-2009, 11:06 PM

.. they want you to cut through in the mix?

hallelujah!

John Webb · #14 01-19-2009, 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vin*tone

Tell them you changed em back, tweak the EQ and turn up a bit more so they can "hear the difference". Done.

This is a great idea..I'm gonna try it!

mrhardy · #15 01-19-2009, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Webb

This is a great idea..I'm gonna try it!

You said yourself that you thought it was not sounding right. So how is this going to help?

Several people have given you sound advice, but you going to lie to your friends and yourself?

Spend some time getting your pickups heights adjusted properly. There is no reason you should not be able to have a great sounding bass with those pickups.

Do you know how to dial in a jazzbass?

stewart8980 · #16 01-19-2009, 06:30 AM

how is he lying if he might be solving the problem? in my opinion it's being efficient.

mrhardy · #17 01-19-2009, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stewart8980

how is he lying if he might be solving the problem? in my opinion it's being efficient.

If he did not change the pickups and tells them he did, he is lying. Furthermore, expecting a different result while repeating the same course of action, that has not given a satisfactory result is not a smart time investment.

Time would be better spent properly setting up the bass.

pickles · #18 01-19-2009, 08:29 AM

I'm guessing you're in a rock band. MIA pickups from that era are fantastic for rock ... really mid-punchy and growly, so this makes sense. The Ant IIs are wider and cleaner with tons of bottom end. So swap them back.

SGD Lutherie · #19 01-19-2009, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jefenator

Maybe the guitar player feels, how do you say... threatened?

I was just going to say, tell the guitar player to turn down the bass on his amp. Some use way too much low end and leave no room for the bass, hence the need to "cut through".

New pickups will often require a different EQ setting on the amp. What worked with the old ones wont always work with the new ones. Start with your tone controls flat and go from there.

JB696 · #20 01-19-2009, 09:51 AM

Is the bass drum running through the PA? It's a common source of mud in a live situation. A little bit of bass drum goes a long way.