Bullet Bass pick-up replacement - Page 2

AnRK · #21 08-16-2007, 05:38 AM

Just out of curiosity, what kinda music are you wanting to play with it? I can see why they might be awful for alot of kinds of music but I can get a really nice deep aggressive sound out of it.

bassface11 · #22 08-16-2007, 09:07 AM

The music is best described as urban rock...rock with lots of R&B and hip-hop influence.

Right now, the bass sounds very rock, without a lot of bass presence. It gets a mid-growly sound and has some natural overdrive built in when I turn the bass volume up to 10. I'm looking to balance the rock sound with some low end thump...and smooth out some "dead spots," which there are several of.

So far, it seems that the Sadowsky preamp definitely helps add some tight thump without any muddiness, which is a big step in the right direction.

I'll be rehearsing with the preamp today to see how it does in a real playing situation...

GlennW · #23 08-16-2007, 12:02 PM

LaBella flats might help.

bassface11 · #24 08-16-2007, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlennW

LaBella flats might help.

The black nylon LaBellas? Or the flatwound "Jamerson" set?

I dig flatwound.

ihateusernames · #25 08-16-2007, 01:15 PM

ton of wdmusic bullet pickguards on ebay right now for low money.

GlennW · #26 08-16-2007, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassface11

The black nylon LaBellas? Or the flatwound "Jamerson" set?

I dig flatwound.

I'd say neither and try the .049"-.109" 760FM set, or the .045"-.105" 760FS set if you'd prefer something lighter. Those strings will change the sound in a good way, and when you consider they'll last for years they aren't more expensive than other strings.

luknfur · #27 08-17-2007, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassface11

...So far, it seems that the Sadowsky preamp definitely helps add some tight thump without any muddiness, which is a big step in the right direction....

Interesting that you found the Sad to help cause that’s a very transparent pre so whatever I ran through it sounded like what I ran through it. I had to hit the by-pass on it when I first fired it up to tell that it was doing anything at all and even then it amounted to a subtle addition of presence. You had to get up above 10:00 or 11:00 on the B/T to clearly hear it kick in. In my experience it made a good pup sound better and was no help to one that sucked. With a good pup the tone was more appealing below 11:00. I don’t remember what it did for cranking it more for a less desirable pup but must not have made much (or enough) difference or I’d think I’d remember that. The Sans did make a suck pup (or rig) sound better cause it colored tone so heavily.

I’m assuming you’ve played other basses through the rig you use and it met your needs so you know the issue is with this bass.

The first thing I would do is run the pup straight to the jack to know what the pup itself sounds like. I’ve heard pups that sounded a lot better straight to the jack but I recall none that sounded worse (than through a passive harness that is). My guess is it won't matter but you don't know that.

Next I’d run it through a flexible piece of EQ, preferably a 3 band parametric or better but at minimal something like a GEB-7 (to get some feel).

Next I’d find out what strings guys that play the style are using, get some, and try the EQ again. Strings can make a big difference.

Once you've done the above then there's a bass choice to be made. If the bass has resale value than you're probably better off moving it on down the road - unless you're just nuts about it otherwise.

These days you can buy a bass that meets your needs for little more than the time and effort your looking to invest in making this bass useable for this application - which may not be useable for the next one. For less than a Sad for sure. If you have to route it, you may as well just gut out under the strings and make a pickgaurd to fit whatever configuration you settle on. Then routes will no longer be an issue and you’ll have a bass you that will work for any situation that arises. I did that years ago and haven’t looked at another bass since - in fact sold several I had cause the different routes no longer served a purpose. Then find out what pups guys are using for the syle and get some.

bassface11 · #28 08-20-2007, 11:19 AM

Just an update for anyone who cares...

I played the Bullet thru my rig late last week, with the addition of the Sadosky preamp. In short, the preamp was a definite improvement...though I still found that I needed to do quite a bit of tweaking with my EQ and processing in my rig.

FYI - I play an SVT 3 Pro head, Aphex 204 Aural Exciter, Aphex Easyrider compressor...thru an Acme Low B2 cabinet.

I started out with the Aphex units OFF and my Ampeg EQ flat. Without the Sadowsky, it sounded like garbage. With the Sadowsky, it sounded better, but still not close to the tone I'm looking for. After a lot of tweaking, I managed to get the best sound out of the Bullet that I've ever gotten...so far.

Tonight, I'll be playing at our rehearsal studio, so I'll be playing the Bullet thru the Sadowsky and a completely different amp. It'll be a good test to see how much (if any) of the poor tone is a result of my rig.

The next step will be strings...and then, finally, pickups.

...and yes, I'm married to this bass...I absolutely love it for every reason other than its tone. I'm truly dedicated to getting the tonal awesomeness to match the rest of its awesomeness

ihateusernames · #29 08-20-2007, 01:54 PM

keep us posted, i've got my pickup, pots, jack, and hardware ready to go in mine....just awaiting pickguard.

SwamiRob · #30 08-24-2007, 05:32 PM

You tried lowering the pickups yet? Helped me out loads balancing the tone (That and some stupidly fat strings). Got a Badass II bridge for it which will help give it a bit more sustain once I get it sorted out. That's the only thing that seems to really lack from it for me at the moment, should also help balance the top heaviness cos it's a pretty hefty chunk of metal... By the way I'm finding it difficult to find screws for the pickup in hardware stores. Lowered my pickups a little too much and lost 2 of them and apparently they "don't make screws that size anymore". They standard Fender screw sizes or are they some vintage ones I'm gonna have to have specially made somehow?

I understand you wanting to change the pickups now though playing stuff with R&B and rap kinda sound as well as rock. I use mine for a little Surf/Hardcore Punk recording project I do on the side and It sounds perfect for it, just cut some of the really high mids and give it plenty of bass and and other lower end and it sounds pretty well suited (Get to use my Danelectro and my bros sweet Japanese Strat too once I get somewhere to record sorted, a suitable guitar amp might help too...)

By the way I posted under AnRK before but decided it was stupid to use my piss-take computer game pseudonym for a bass forum... If anyone cares.

ihateusernames · #31 10-14-2007, 04:45 PM

Does anyone know if a Jazz neck will fit onto a Bullet? I'd like to convert the one I'm playing to a lined fretless.

fenderhutz · #32 10-14-2007, 04:49 PM

You know that a standard guitar pickup just about fits in that slot?

My drummer put a Seymore Duncan humbucking single coil (rails) for guitar in his and it sounded really good.

Ever thought of that route?

A9X · #33 10-14-2007, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

You know that a standard guitar pickup just about fits in that slot?

My drummer put a Seymore Duncan humbucking single coil (rails) for guitar in his and it sounded really good.

Ever thought of that route?

I've posted on this many times and it works very well. The DM Fast Track 1 or ProTrack are the best starting points. The SD Coolrails is pretty good too.

ihateusernames · #34 06-15-2008, 01:41 PM

back from the dead thread - I'll be putting a Reverend 8.7 into my Bullet at the end of the month, requires just a touch of Dremel work to route a wider opening. Got a fake tort 3-ply to make the switch. Hopefully it ends up sounding like an angry P....keep you all posted.

Austin Manny · #35 06-15-2008, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassface11

the existing pickups on this Bullet just sound so...terrible...for the music I play. I need a thick, bumping R&B sound and these pickups, while loud, distort and sound generally crappy...very low-fi.

I will try the Sadowsky outboard preamp/DI first, but I'm not super hopeful.

I love EVERYTHING about my Bullet Bass, with the exception of its lackluster sound...I'm dedicated to finding the right tonal solution for this bass.

If anyone has any other bright ideas, please pass them along - I'm all ears.

No pun intended!

SwamiRob · #36 06-16-2008, 05:57 AM

You do mean that it IS really bright don't you? Maybe it's me not being a fan of trebley bass but I find it to be more the bright enough, and usually cut the high on my amp when using it.

To all the people getting new electrics, seriously try lowering your pickups to an insane degree, it gets rid of ALOT of the nasty compression/distortion/whatever it is and gives the bass a much more rounded sound.