Curtis Novak Pickups- Has anyone tried these?

tweezed · #1 06-14-2011, 12:46 PM

Can anyone give me their thoughts on Curtis Novak's pickups? They look pretty wild and I might throw the charlie-christian p-bass ones in my next thud-staff.

brachal · #2 06-14-2011, 07:12 PM

Just put a PB-V in my P ... Phenomenal. Sounds like Entwistle on Live at Leeds.

praisegig · #3 06-15-2011, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tweezed

They look pretty wild and I might throw the charlie-christian p-bass ones in my next thud-staff.

Friends that I know who have used any of his pups were not disappointed. Contact him with your needs and he will dial in the pups to your specs.

Cory · #4 07-27-2011, 06:47 PM

Curtis just built me a single coil for a 51 P bass that I was putting together. Incredible pickup. I am really really pleased with it. I will certainly order a J set from him for the next build I am working on.

I really like how he took the time to visit with me and ask what I wanted out of the pickup. He nailed it in spades.

Thanks Curtis!!!

Mark Olson · #5 07-27-2011, 06:50 PM

I've got his EB-0 Mudbucker. Having a custom bass built to put it in. Construction seems solid, can't wait to see about the tone!

NKBassman · #6 07-28-2011, 08:35 AM

brachal, was that a stock wind PB-V, or did you have him adjust it at all?

Johnny F · #7 07-30-2011, 11:57 AM

He makes great strat pickups.

basslinejam · #8 07-30-2011, 03:38 PM

The CC Pbass pickup is what I dropped in my number one about a year ago (Ash / maple parts P). It is a great pickup for thick fingerstyle tone, especially with a dirty or wooly sound (i.e. VT bass pedal) It doesn't have that sparkling top that Nordstrands have, or the high middy grind that Fralins have. What it does have is great low mids that keep the fundamentals tight up and down the fingerboard. I use flats too, so YMMV with your playing style and sound preferences etc.
He is a nice guy to deal with and personally replies to emails promptly and in a friendly manner.

basslinejam · #9 07-30-2011, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tweezed

... I might throw the charlie-christian p-bass ones in my next thud-staff.

Are you Mike Watt?

redstrand · #10 07-30-2011, 04:49 PM

PB-V for me in my Nash P. It now has the soul and vibe I always wanted. Articulate, takes tubes and dirt pedals like no other. Curtis will make you anything you need, Super guy to deal with.

T-34 · #11 01-09-2013, 03:53 PM

I've installed an EB-AA "Fatbucker" few months ago in a friend's Jazz-like bass.

Gong from this

to this

The pickup is a side-by-side double coil, large and heavy!

the apparent poles are cosmetic only, the true poles (4 per coil like on '51 pb) are hidden under the cover.

ctmullins · #12 01-09-2013, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-34

I've installed an EB-AA "Fatbucker" few months ago in a friend's Jazz-like bass.

Aaaaaaand??? Don't tease me like that, man! You can't just throw that out there and not tell us how it sounds!

Seriously, I've been highly intrigued by this one and his BiSonic, but reviews are a bit thin on the ground. Whaddaya think?

ric4682 · #13 01-09-2013, 05:56 PM

I'd also love to know how that thing sounds!

T-34 · #14 01-10-2013, 12:42 AM

I won't have many clips to share, the friend has the bass now.
I've made some before handing the bass to him, but don't expect grand review-grade quality

Just for information, the electronics we've decided to install is unusual: it has master volume; the pickup switching is done by the middle pot, it goes continuously from "Neck+bridge in parallel" to "Neck only" to "Neck+Bridge in series". There is no bridge-only mode.
The tone control is a home-made tonestyler-like 12 position rotary switch, engaging 11 different capacitors.
By the way, the bridge pickup is a Dimarzio Ultra Jazz.

a little slap, pickups in parallel, then neck only, then pickups in series.
http://dolganov.free.fr/bass/chang-lala/IC_L_015.MP3
You'll hear that there is not much difference between neck only and neck in series with bridge. My theory is that Novak is completely overpowering the other pickup in this configuration. However, the parallel mode is very distinctively different, crisp and loud.

another slap line, both pups in parallel
http://dolganov.free.fr/bass/chang-lala/IC_L_019.MP3

fingerstyle with harmonics, pups in parallel, showing tone control action.
http://dolganov.free.fr/bass/chang-l...n+dm_boost.mp3

I am not sure I am allowed to post covers on this forum?
If yes, I could post one played with neck pickup only, fingerstyle...

astack · #15 01-10-2013, 12:05 PM

I'm talking to him now about a pup for my next project bass.

Quick reply and offered some helpful advice right away. So far so good. Looking like it'll be the EB Bisonic clone.

ctmullins · #16 01-10-2013, 02:19 PM

Thanks for the clips, T-34 - sounds good to my ears!

astack, if/when you get your Novak BiSonic, if you could post clips of that as well, I'd be forever indebted to you!

astack · #17 01-10-2013, 02:55 PM

Clips for sure, but I need to build the bass first! Doing the body from scratch, so it could be a while...

T-34 · #18 01-10-2013, 04:12 PM

Almost forgot.
Not strictly speaking a cover: it is a piece "Climb" I've worked on few years ago for Cirque du Soleil audition (they provide "minus bass" monitoring mixes, they are freely available on their site for many other instruments too). I can play it in my sleep since then, so I've played it this time too

Both pickups in parallel, tone 100% open, fingerstyle.
The bass is tuned DADG, the drop D can be heard on the last quarter of the piece.

http://dolganov.free.fr/bass/chang-l..._changlala.mp3