Nordstrand - what difference would I hear....

ric stave · #1 11-08-2010, 10:08 PM

....between the Big Splits and the Dual Coil?

I previously had the Big Singles - loved the sound, but had too many locations with way too much SC noise, to the point where I couldn't use the bass for some key shows.

Thanks!

KingRazor · #2 11-09-2010, 08:01 AM

Are your pickup cavities shielded?

ric stave · #3 11-09-2010, 10:23 AM

Yes, they were - it was noisy when I got it, had it completely rewired, sheilded and checked by my tech, and it was great - most places. But there were just a few venues were it didn't make any difference - singles made noise.

KingRazor · #4 11-09-2010, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ric stave

Yes, they were - it was noisy when I got it, had it completely rewired, sheilded and checked by my tech, and it was great - most places. But there were just a few venues were it didn't make any difference - singles made noise.

Have you seen Chunger's SX batch thread? In there he basically over-shields things. Shields the cavities, the tunnel between the pickups and the pots, puts shielding tape beneath the pickups, all of it. Might be worth a read. I don't know much about that stuff, I just go by what I've read. Someone like line6man could probably give further advice.

Here's the thread I mentioned, he talks specifically about his method on pages 11&12:

basses for newbies (SX batch build thread)

From what I've read, star-grounding isn't necessary, though.

ric stave · #5 11-09-2010, 11:39 AM

While I appreciate the response, that bass is long gone, and I'm looking at other pickups now. So what I'm really interested in is the difference between the Nord Big Splits and the Dual Coils - the description on their site doesn't tell me too much, unless I missed a more detailed page for each pickup somewhere.

Thanks!

KingRazor · #6 11-09-2010, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ric stave

While I appreciate the response, that bass is long gone, and I'm looking at other pickups now. So what I'm really interested in is the difference between the Nord Big Splits and the Dual Coils - the description on their site doesn't tell me too much, unless I missed a more detailed page for each pickup somewhere.

Thanks!

No problem. You should give Nordstrand a call, people on here have said their customer service is great.

CrashClint · #7 11-09-2010, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingRazor

No problem. You should give Nordstrand a call, people on here have said their customer service is great.

IMO the DCs do not sound as bright as the singles but they do have plenty of mid growl, you will be heard!

B String · #8 11-09-2010, 12:29 PM

Give Carey a call. He'd be happy to explain the differences between the pickups. Also, there are some pretty good pickup descriptions on bestbassgear.com

ric stave · #9 11-09-2010, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B String

Give Carey a call. He'd be happy to explain the differences between the pickups. Also, there are some pretty good pickup descriptions on bestbassgear.com

Thank you - I know that is an option, and I have heard good things about the customer service from friends, but I am looking for responses here from people who have 'real-world' experience.

tubby.twins · #10 11-10-2010, 12:10 AM

I've only used the "bridge" versions of both of these pickups. Both were tested in the same fretless 5-string bass, which had a bubinga neck, bloodwood fingerboard and a swamp ash body. I wired them both directly to the output jack (no volume or tone controls).

The "Big Split" had a very aggressive, growly and midrange-rich tone. It was like a vintage Jazz sound, but with more fundamental and authority. It was very responsive to very different fingering techniques, and really brought out the fretless "mwah" sound that I was looking for. It is definitely a pickup that stands out in a mix.

The "Dual Coil" pickup had a cleaner and less aggressive midrange, but it was still quite assertive. It sounded a bit "scooped" in the mids, but the fundamentals were very solid and the treble was quite crisp. This is a more modern sounding pickup and would probably lend itself very well to slap or funk.

In summary, I liked both of these pickups, but if I had to choose only one, it would probably be the "Big Split" based on my playing style and the tones I like to hear.

For what it's worth, the "Fat Stack" sounded pretty similar to the "Big Split" but seemed to have a bit less authority in the fundamentals and a slightly thicker midrange.

maurilio · #11 11-10-2010, 12:33 AM

The big question is:

DC wired parallel or series?

maurilio · #12 11-10-2010, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ric stave

....between the Big Splits and the Dual Coil?

I previously had the Big Singles - loved the sound, but had too many locations with way too much SC noise, to the point where I couldn't use the bass for some key shows.

Thanks!

if you liked the BS, the more recent BSp are VERY close in sound...

CrashClint · #13 11-10-2010, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubby.twins

The "Dual Coil" pickup had a cleaner and less aggressive midrange, but it was still quite assertive. It sounded a bit "scooped" in the mids, but the fundamentals were very solid and the treble was quite crisp. This is a more modern sounding pickup and would probably lend itself very well to slap or funk.
.

IME I have to respectfully disagree about the mids. I had both the old DCs and new DCs in the same Roscoe SKB which had an Ash body, Wenge Tone plate, Wenge/Maple neck and Wenge Fingerboard. I was using a Demeter Preamp which is mid scooped and the new DCs still had a lot of mids that equaled the BS pickups. I compared this to Gard's Roscoe which has the Aguilar preamp and the BS pickups and I was getting almost as much mid bite.

My DCs were wired in Series, if you wire in parallel you will get more highs, less mids and a lower output.

ric stave · #14 11-10-2010, 09:47 AM

Thanks guys - I appreciate the responses.

Wilbyman · #15 11-10-2010, 09:55 AM

I had both in the same bass. I found the big singles a little punchier and more fun to play...the dual coils were basically similar but a little more polite. I don't think you can go wrong, they are both good pickups. I have heard that Carey has made some regular j pickups in the Big Single/Dual Coil shell and I would really like to check those out!!!

Aram · #16 11-10-2010, 09:58 AM

I can compare the Big Singles with DC's wired in Series if you're interested....IMO, BIG difference:

The Singles do their thing well...they have a wide, round tone with less in the way of midrange information, and more about clean, round overall sound. I'd almost categorize them as "hollow" sounding, but not at ALL in a bad way...made for a very cool grindy tone when paired with a bit of overdrive or tube sound...

The Series DC's are a whole other beast: lots of mid and lower-mid bark, and a very focused (as opposed to round or hollow) sound. Much more my speed than the BS's, which is why I swapped them out of my NJ6 (you can see a pic in my signature). In that particular bass, it had a Richard Bona vibe on the bridge p/u, an almost P-bass sound on the neck, and an awesome punch with both pickups centered.

Hope this helps?

tubby.twins · #17 11-10-2010, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrashClint

IME I have to respectfully disagree about the mids. I had both the old DCs and new DCs in the same Roscoe SKB which had an Ash body, Wenge Tone plate, Wenge/Maple neck and Wenge Fingerboard. I was using a Demeter Preamp which is mid scooped and the new DCs still had a lot of mids that equaled the BS pickups. I compared this to Gard's Roscoe which has the Aguilar preamp and the BS pickups and I was getting almost as much mid bite.

My DCs were wired in Series, if you wire in parallel you will get more highs, less mids and a lower output.

OK, that makes sense. My DC was wound for parallel and I had the coils connected in parallel. I have not yet tried it in series, nor have I tried the series-wound version.

Please apply this qualification to my earlier comments.