Pickup/Preamp for a Modulus Q6SS Turbo?

[bobbykokinos]

Hey all..

I've kind of come to a cross roads. On one side of the spectrum I've been considering getting a custom made bass with everything I want to get the sound I want. On the other side is my trusty 1996 Modulus Q6 Sweet Spot with Turbo Option. If anyone doesnt know what this pickup configuration is, there is a picture below. Here is the deal with this bass: I love how it feels and its a joy to play but I dont care too much for the sound. It has a bartolini pu's and preamp in it now. The sound is too thin for me. At first, I thought it was possibly the pickup positions but the more I read, the more I think it may be the actual pickups and preamp. The pickups now don't have enough "booty" for me and the controls on the preamp dont make enough of a drastic change for my liking.

So, my question is, what pickups could fit in this bass and sound good and what preamp would match?? Ive played Nordstrand pickups and I really like them but dont know if they would fit. Also, I noticed none of their signature series pickups are available in 6 string yet

Anyone have any suggestions?

Here she is:


I never plan on selling this bass. The more I look at custom basses, Id end up just duplicating this bass but with different pickup positions and choices. For the money I've spent on this bass, I dont want it to just collect dust.

Hope you guys can help me out!

[A9X]

Posting the dimensions of the pickups would be a great help as it would eliminate some options as you can only possibly use what wll fit. On the Bart site there is a comprehensive .pdf of pickup dimensions with their better known designations, eg, EMG45, P4 etc.
I really like the Aguilar preamps I've used.

[Luis Fabara]

Beutiful Bass my friend.

I would love a Quantum like yours. (I have a Q6 with Barts too)

IT takes some time to find the sweetspots of the bart EQ. however.. a couple of EMG 45TW with an Aguilar Preamp, all wired to 18volt could be just what you are looking for,

[bobbykokinos]

Originally Posted by Dharmabass

Posting the dimensions of the pickups would be a great help as it would eliminate some options as you can only possibly use what wll fit.

I guess that would help.. Spacing at the bridge is 17mm. I couldn't find any info in the Bart catalog about 6 string pickups. But, I measured it and the pickups looked about 4 1/2in wide and 1 1/2in tall.

Ill email modulus and see if I can get the exact sizes.. Unfortunately, I have had bad luck trying to get a hold of them.

[Luis Fabara]

You have 45 Size pickups (4 and 1/2 inch wide, Standard EMG size for 6 string)

Thats why I suggested the EMG45TW

[A9X]

Originally Posted by bobbykokinos

I guess that would help.. Spacing at the bridge is 17mm. I couldn't find any info in the Bart catalog about 6 string pickups. But, I measured it and the pickups looked about 4 1/2in wide and 1 1/2in tall.

Ill email modulus and see if I can get the exact sizes.. Unfortunately, I have had bad luck trying to get a hold of them.

Measure them with a ruler.
Here's a link to the Bart .pdf I mentioned.
http://bartolini.net/pdf/Pickup%20Drawings_wDims.pdf
Look at p5. From the dimensions you gave above, I'd say EMG45 sized (4.5 x 1.5)

Idf that's correct, then there are other Barts (yours should have a number written or scratched into the bottom plate), various EMGs, Status, Q Tuner, Villex, Delano and probably others.

Ultimately it will be somewhat of a leap of faith no matter what you buy, as you won't really know what they sound like until they're installed, in combination with whatever pre you choose.
People can try to give suggestions about what they think it will sound like, but they don't have your ears/experiences/preferences. In 20 years of doing audio, no one's ever described sound to me truly effectively, especially when we're not in the same room.

Look in the pickups forum and read all the Dimento's threads in the FAQ at the top of the page, and every other post you can find in that forum about Modulii.

[large grain of salt]If it were me, I'd go Villex or EMG45TW and an Aggie 3 pre.[/large grain of salt]

[bobbykokinos]

Actually, I sent an email to Nordstrand to see if he would have anything to fit. I've played a few Nordstrand/Aguilar basses and I really liked the versitility in that combo. I know results will vary depending on bass but I was really impressed by those two products..