EMG DC, CS, P5 comparison soundclips

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by stflbn

This is a 'hey, I'm doing this 'for me' and you can listen if you want and hopefully it may help you' situation.

Hey, it's very cool to hear them all side by side. I think if you raise them all up to the distance EMG specifies, you will hear more of a difference in them. If you raise them all the same, then the tests will be consistent.

The problem with having the pickups as low as you can get them is the magnetic field drops off with the square of the distance. EMG point out how they have pretty low string pull, so you are losing high end having the pickups too low.

[Rockin Mike]

Originally Posted by stflbn

I'll most likely have the EMG BQS system hooked up in the other Spector tonight. So I 'could' REALLY complicate the test and do one clip with the TonePump, then swap the pickups over to the Rebop with the 3-band EMG preamp. :-0

Not positive that I have two identical sets of the same brand of strings laying around though to keep things as even as possible.

.

I hope you do choose to A/B the TonePump with the BQS.
This has been a very informative thread

Thank you!

p.s. you may already know they sell the trimpot version of the TonePump on the Spector website for $99. I replaced mine and the trimpot made life much easier.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by stflbn

Another reason for the lower pickups "for me" is that the preamp in this spector is a Tonepump without the volume trim pot. They're very hot volume wise... insanely hot... lowering the pickups is a way around some of the output level from the preamp.

We'll see if I feel motivated enough to redo all the clips with the pickups higher. It's more likely that if I did so I'd redo them all with normal Stainless or Nickle strings on the bass rather than the Black Beauties.

Just noticed this about the EMG DC's on a PDF. "EMG Active Pickups have very little magnetism compared to passive pickups. We recommend you adjust the pickups as close to the strings as possible. Sustain and string movement will not be inhibited by close adjustment."

Not a very scientific figure, but I was unaware that EMG's should be that high. I actually prefer my pickups closer to the strings... here's why I'd migrated to lower recently. Most recently I've had musicman's, and the Big Al I owned had so friggen much magnetic pull on the strings that if the pickup was 1/4" from the strings it would deaden the vibration of the B-string and E-string. Wicked pull... so I acknowledge I probably should redo with the pickups higher, and just adapt to the hot Tonepump signal via lowering the Input on my MXR M87 compressor.

Makes perfect sense.

You got a good tome though. I use an old MXR AC Limiter, and they are very transparent sounding, while giving a nice solid tone.

[tubby.twins]

Originally Posted by stflbn

All right... looks like i've located a set of 40J's, and another 40P. that I'm going to buy.

Better make sure it's a 40P5, not a 40P. The latter only works well with 4-string and 6-string basses. I tried one on a 5-string bass, and the "A" string sounded dull and quieter since it passed over the gap between the two coils.

[stflbn]

Checking on that now.

Edit: Good catch... it was a 40P which has same lengths for each split pole piece, which puts the A strings over the split between both poles and not diectly over either. So there should be some audible effect. I'll stick with a P5 (meaning I still need your CS and P5)

[FunkMetalBass]

I really like the articulation of the P in the bridge position. I would be interested to hear them raised higher to see if there is a difference.

Also, I don't know about you, but my DC's are much hotter than my TW or P.

[stflbn]

The re-recordings will be done with the pickups in the EMG instructed 'higher' positions.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by stflbn

The re-recordings will be done with the pickups in the EMG instructed 'higher' positions.

I still have a 40P5 and a very old 40J (before the quick connectors). The old 40J had a longer coil than the newer ones.

[stflbn]

Ya, I'm predicting that I'll likely sell my single CS, and keep some combination of the 4 DC's, 2 J's, and 2 P's around for use in my Spectors.
Pretty sure Rebop #1 is going to stay with the Tonepump and 2x DC's in it. Just something about that combo that I dig.
Rebop #2 will be paired up with whatever I decide fits my needs best with the EMG BQC I finish hooking up tonight.

Likely the others will be sold off, or traded after all the recording mayhem. Still want to try a Hazlab preamp.

[stflbn]

Going to be a delay on at least the EMG BQC system part of the sound clips. I installed the BQC today and all signal is unbelievably distorted, and any time the volume is raised to 100% all signal cuts out, or any time it's then reduced to 0% as well as static in between. So I need to deal with that before the BQC end of things.

I'll still do the Tonepump re-recordings once I receive the 40J's tomorrow, and the additional 40P5 and 40CS from TubbyTwins via mail.

Bleh.

[grendle]

I think that's what emg got right with the dc's . With the bass n treble, boost ,cut systems you can get great p/j tones and still get different tones on the extreme ends.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by grendle

I think that's what emg got right with the dc's . With the bass n treble, boost ,cut systems you can get great p/j tones and still get different tones on the extreme ends.

My experience with the DC was I could never get it to stop sounding like a DC. I had even tried very extreme EQ, and it always had that edgy top end going on.

That's when I realized that EMGs sound like EMGs, and not my basses. Its not a bad tone, but it wasn't what my bass sounded like either.

[stflbn]

I just love that EMG DC tone in this one Rebop. I've got to keep that there with the TonePump, just something about it.

THe other one though has a goal of something different. We'll see if a second BQC system is right... otherwise I'll probably go with an OBP-2 or OBP-3.

[grendle]

Very true. They do definatly have their own sound. I think everyone does though. Otherwise how would we know what they sound like ? Lol

[grendle]

No haz lab?

[stflbn]

Curiosity is why I have 8 different EMG's sitting here being tested out. :-)

I would gladly try a HazLab if I could find a used one.

Not wanting to spend $350 for a new one from Spector just to 'try it' though. And don't want to fiddle with a Kramer potentially needing different pots or not liking the Active EMG's or a Mighty Mite clone being finicky.

[grendle]

True

[TheWoodShed]

If you really want the DC's to shine, you need to run tests with a filter based preamp such as an ACG.

Originally Posted by stflbn

Curiosity is why I have 8 different EMG's sitting here being tested out. :-)

I would gladly try a HazLab if I could find a used one.

Not wanting to spend $350 for a new one from Spector just to 'try it' though. And don't want to fiddle with a Kramer potentially needing different pots or not liking the Active EMG's or a Mighty Mite clone being finicky.

[stflbn]

To foreign to me... not looking to stray that far.

[TheWoodShed]

Originally Posted by stflbn

To foreign to me... not looking to stray that far.

Foreign? It's a pretty easy concept to wrap your head around.