May your collective wisdom shed some light on a Quarter Pound question.

nuno.ka · #1 02-18-2007, 04:22 PM

Hi there! This is my second post here. I have this '93 Fortress One with passive MECs which sound ok. I love the way this bass plays but the sound still isn't THE SOUND.

This bass has very nice woods and construction and I don't really think I need to buy another one. I wonder if a Basslines Quarter Pounder PJ set would make it my perfect bass.

The style I play is mostly 80's influenced alternative rock and stuff on the same wavelength as Muse, Radiohead, Interpol...

So what do you say? Is this bass worth a Pickup upgrade?

Thanks for your attention.

BassoP · #2 02-18-2007, 05:30 PM

If you like the rest of the bass, it is definitely worth upgrading the pickups. Whether the 1/4s are what you want is more subjective. I have one in my P copy and it sounds much better than stock, but whether it is the sound you want, I don't know. It has more bottom than the stock pickup did, and maybe a little more high end, but I dont' entirely recall how the old one sounded. They are very high output. I have to run my bass to the active input to keep my amp from overdriving. One thing to consider in a PJ is that it will hum unless you get a hum cancelling bridge pickup. I don't know if there is a 1/4 humbucking J

Ian Perge · #3 02-18-2007, 05:59 PM

I found Quarter Pounders to be all lows and highs with very little midrange to their sound (I personally prefer the "Hot" series below QPs). The bass is absolutely worth working with to find the right pickup combination.

You might want to try EMGs - I've always found MECs to sound like low-rent EMGs, personally. I think a great deal of help with pups is knowing what woods the bass is made of.

m.oreilly · #4 02-18-2007, 06:05 PM

i just pulled a set of emg out of my fortress...and went with barts this time around, with an agi pre. very nice. and a very nice fortress you have there, nuno.ka

nuno.ka · #5 02-19-2007, 04:28 AM

Thanks for your input guys!

The bass has a maple body and wenge neck with bell brass frets and nut.
I like a sound with cutting mids, so I can hear the notes I'm playing .
The QPs have a really nice price and I've read so many good reviews on them... although I've never heard them.

thanks for the compliment m.oreilly, I really love this bass.

62bass · #6 02-19-2007, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nuno.ka

Hi there! This is my second post here. I have this '93 Fortress One with passive MECs which sound ok. I love the way this bass plays but the sound still isn't THE SOUND.

This bass has very nice woods and construction and I don't really think I need to buy another one. I wonder if a Basslines Quarter Pounder PJ set would make it my perfect bass.

The style I play is mostly 80's influenced alternative rock and stuff on the same wavelength as Muse, Radiohead, Interpol...

So what do you say? Is this bass worth a Pickup upgrade?

Thanks for your attention.

I played one once, and while it was a nice bass to play, I couldn't get any warmth out of it. I think a pickup upgrade would help. I prefer the Quarter Pounders, at least for the P pickup. They have more meat in the midrange than others I've tried and compliment any P equipped bass I've tried them in. I definitely don't find them to be all lows and highs. I don't know if the bridge J Quarter Pounder would be the best match. The Quarter Pounder J pickup is a single coil and will pick up hum. Seymour Duncan does make a hum cancelling J pickup though, as do several other companies.

**NOLA Bass** · #7 02-19-2007, 08:56 AM

I had an old Fortress and would have changed the p/u's as well but I ended up trading it for another bass. That neck was fantastic though!. I definitely think it is worth an upgrade. I have a 1/4# in my P-Bass. I'm going to add a J at the bridge, but go Dimarzio b/c I want a stacked J so it does not hum.
If I had the Fortress still, I'd probably go EMG or Bartolini but that is just personal preference. I have a feeling that whether you'll find improved tone with any of the choices mentioned so far. I've never been impressed with MEC's.

nuno.ka · #8 02-19-2007, 04:14 PM

What if I just put the P QuarterPound and keep the MEC J? Maybe the output level difference will be too much right?

seanm · #9 02-19-2007, 06:01 PM

I would try that to start. I am a real fan of changing one thing at a time. If you like it, the search is over. If not, you might have a better idea what to look for.

You might even decide to just turn off the J pickup

AAdropout · #10 02-19-2007, 08:25 PM

Iplay Rancid style punk, and changed the pups in my Geddy Lee to QPs, and I love the sound, great lows, cutting highs, and not all that crap in the middle. (sorry mid lovers)

nuno.ka · #11 02-20-2007, 05:49 AM

Now I'm getting confused. Is there a well known song I can listen where the bassist is playing QPs?

If the bass was yours what passive pickups would you put in there?