Music Man sound and pickups

[lowfreqfreak]

Awesome, thanks for the info JIO!

[theblackshades]

I have the electronics/pots from a 92 Musicman. I took em out of mine and put in pots of a pbass.

I'd consider selling this. It's a circuit board. Pretty neat.

[walterw]

Originally Posted by walterw

electrical tape will not affect the sound of any pickup, and tells us nothing.

Originally Posted by GrapeApe

Actually, it gets rid of the clanking for those of us with low action and heavy right hands...

well, that just means you have the pickup too close! MM pickups with their big-ass polepieces have a lot of magnet-pull, and are meant to be further away from the strings than a typical fender pickup.

(doesn't change the fact that tape or any other non-magnetic, non-conductive material over a pickup has no effect on its actual sound.)

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

It also helps with tapewound strings, if you touch the poles while playing, you get a loud hum as the stings aren't grounding anymore.

i'll buy that, though

[rojo412]

Because I've never seen it asked, I want to ask this...

Anyone ever swapped out the 3 band EQ for a 2 band, but added a passive tone control to fill the extra hole?

I was thinking about doing this to a 4 string that I had, then found the 5 of my dreams, which sounds great and I'm not going to mod it. And the 4 is gone.

But just for curiosity's sake, it seemed like something to at least figure out how to do. There's a lot of people who tout the benefits of the 2 band EQ and I'm sure you can upgrade (downgrade?) easily enough... but there's an extra hole.

With the 2 band, you could wire it up like:
Volume
Passive tone (with optional push/pull for bypass)
Treble
Bass

Has it been done? Or is anyone willing to try it?

[walterw]

that's not ridiculous, especially with old-school boost-only preamps.

i wouldn't bother with bypassing the preamp, that just make MM basses sound weak. maybe a push-pull for series/parallel? (unless you already have the 3-way blade switch to do that, in which case i'd skip the push-pull entirely.)

[dustyroadbass]

The Music mans with the roasted necks sound like a dream

[basswave]

Originally Posted by dustyroadbass

The Music mans with the roasted necks sound like a dream

I have one and they are a little darker then standard maple.
(Even with an Ebony board).

[basswave]

Originally Posted by rojo412

Because I've never seen it asked, I want to ask this...

Anyone ever swapped out the 3 band EQ for a 2 band, but added a passive tone control to fill the extra hole?

Has it been done? Or is anyone willing to try it?

Hey A
I have been meaning to write you...I'm thinking about doing this to one of my Stingray 5s since I really love the John East so much.

Its funny because I dig both the SD and the East pres, but they are different.

The East nails the older sound but a touch smoother in the upper mids. (not lamer but no clank if that makes sense) at least in my experience.

I think if you want an older Ray sound get a Nordstrand pickup and East pre all the way.

[rojo412]

Did you hear that Norstrand is working on an MM replacement onboard EQ?

[Rano Bass]

Originally Posted by rojo412

Did you hear that Norstrand is working on an MM replacement onboard EQ?

Thats great, 2 or 3 band?

[rojo412]

In the later pages of this thread, Carey chimes in about it.
Sounds to me like there's going to be both, but you could always PM him for more info, as I'm just guessing.

Which boutique brand will do a Stingray-style first?

[basswave]

Originally Posted by Rano Bass

Thats great, 2 or 3 band?

I know Nordstrand will be releasing a 2 band.
I would not be surprised if they do a 3.

To be honest I have had Nordstrand pre in J bass and its very open without any heavy impedance going on. Its great for those who want that type of sound, also His Pres are very subtle with the changes more like the Audere is subtle will you boost and gain and not like Aguilar at all, but it does not have the Audere impedance thing going on (which is something that I like).

Not sure what the pre is going to be like, however at this point I'm pretty happy with the SD and East. I bet they will be great none the less.

[rojo412]

You have the East in an MM?

[basswave]

Originally Posted by rojo412

You have the East in an MM?

Ray34CA
I wanted a classic type and 4 string is little easier for some of the more aggressive slap parts.

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by basswave

Hey A
I have been meaning to write you...I'm thinking about doing this to one of my Stingray 5s since I really love the John East so much.

Its funny because I dig both the SD and the East pres, but they are different.

The East nails the older sound but a touch smoother in the upper mids. (not lamer but no clank if that makes sense) at least in my experience.

I think if you want an older Ray sound get a Nordstrand pickup and East pre all the way.

They're different, that's for sure, but they're both very nice pre-amps. I don't notice anything happening with the "bright mode" on the East, though.

[basswave]

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

They're different, that's for sure, but they're both very nice pre-amps. I don't notice anything happening with the "bright mode" on the East, though.

Hey DS
I'm just using the East 2-band so I don't have anything with a switch or push pull.

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by basswave

Hey DS
I'm just using the East 2-band so I don't have anything with a switch or push pull.

Ah, cool. I went with the 3 band for the extra options, plus, I wanted the center detents on the bass/treble.

The bright push/pull is at 5k, and supposed to sound like the Saber's bright switch, but to me ear, it's not doing anything...

[basswave]

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

Ah, cool. I went with the 3 band for the extra options, plus, I wanted the center detents on the bass/treble.

The bright push/pull is at 5k, and supposed to sound like the Saber's bright switch, but to me ear, it's not doing anything...

There is push pull with SD basslines pre as well that a slap contour. What I have heard when it is used is minimal if there is anything at all. Definitely not there in a mix, but thats ok...It does not bother me at all.
It might have a trim pot for the contour, but I have not bothered with it all nor I have investigated for it.

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by basswave

There is push pull with SD basslines pre as well that a slap contour. What I have heard when it is used is minimal if there is anything at all. Definitely not there in a mix, but thats ok...It does not bother me at all.
It might have a trim pot for the contour, but I have not bothered with it all nor I have investigated for it.

Ahh! This I know, there's two trimpots for it, one to adjust how much mid scoop happens, and one for overall boost, mine has a pretty noticeable effect, funnily enough I don't like it for slap, but do for other stuff, like pick playing.

[wyg]

Just a thought, with the mm pickup being a humbucker does anyone have any diagrams for wiring it into a blend pot.