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05-30-2009, 07:32 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia | | | Pickups for Drop Tunings
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Have got a few basses and with varying pickups, and wanted to know which would work best for a Drop C tuning.
I've found in the past, some basses really struggle to keep up with a drop C tuning, with the C string sounding very empty.
My basses include:
MM Stingray
Fender Jazz
G&L Climax
Lakland Skyline Glaub
The only other question is, is it the pickups causing the poor sound in drop C or rig? I run a Mark Bass LMII and Mark Bass 410 Cab?
Are some pickups better suited to lower tunings? |
05-30-2009, 07:38 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2005 Location: Europe | | | It's a sum of bass' construction, setup, strings, speakers and last (but definitely NOT least) pickups. My vote goes to thicker strings (to compensated for proper tension) and Villex pickups to properly project the low notes
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05-30-2009, 07:39 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Philly | | | +1 to the above reply
The pickups are not the issue, proper EQ of your gear is what will be heard. Also remember if you drop tune any string you slaken the design tension of where the string was intended to play therefore causing a little variance in tone. What string are you dropping to C? If its the E then obviously a 2 whole step drop in tension will sound floppy with any pickup. Buy a 5 string and dont worry about dropping anything.
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05-30-2009, 07:45 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia | | | I use 105's for standard, but 115's for the Drop C (GHS Bass Boomer)......
i have a 5 stringer, and which is fine....but i prefer a 4 stringer........still umming and arring over a 4 or 5 string warwick streamer stage 2
basically c string lacks punch..........not like the e string..........eq some more low mids in? |
05-30-2009, 07:48 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia | | | i've tried both the Glaub and climax at drop c. good sounds when standard, but not as good at drop c........ |
05-30-2009, 08:01 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Philly | | Quote:
Originally Posted by grumpy_dog666  i've tried both the Glaub and climax at drop c. good sounds when standard, but not as good at drop c........ | Thats because you didnt comprehend the design tension statement above. Its still not a pick up issue. Use the 5 string set on the 4 string utilizing the B E A D strings if your more comfortable playing the thinner necks. Also you'll have to re-intonate the strings after that. No matter how you cut it, dropping string tension more than a whole step is self defeating.
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05-30-2009, 12:40 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Chico, CA | |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vakmere +1 to the above reply
The pickups are not the issue, proper EQ of your gear is what will be heard. Also remember if you drop tune any string you slaken the design tension of where the string was intended to play therefore causing a little variance in tone. What string are you dropping to C? If its the E then obviously a 2 whole step drop in tension will sound floppy with any pickup. Buy a 5 string and dont worry about dropping anything. | Bingo!!!!!....and save yourself the psychosis of trying to figure out where the heck you are on the fret board!!! 
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05-30-2009, 01:25 PM
| | | | I use a 125. for drop low C (perfect amount of tension IMO), I throw out the E string, and string the rest for G C F. |
05-30-2009, 01:27 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by grumpy_dog666 I use 105's for standard, but 115's for the Drop C (GHS Bass Boomer)......
i have a 5 stringer, and which is fine....but i prefer a 4 stringer........still umming and arring over a 4 or 5 string warwick streamer stage 2
basically c string lacks punch..........not like the e string..........eq some more low mids in? | I doubt your EQ settings are whats causing the weak C problem, I would imagine a 115. is too light for drop C, IMO  |
05-30-2009, 02:03 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Princeton, NJ | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Fieldy Snuts I use a 125. for drop low C (perfect amount of tension IMO), I throw out the E string, and string the rest for G C F. | Sounds about right! |
05-30-2009, 02:44 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia | | | bugger, didn't really want to go as far as .125, but i might have too......
i will have to file the nut a bit as .125 will not fit properly on my 4 stringers......i have tried...... |
05-30-2009, 03:42 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Philadelphia Ohio USA | | | try a different brand heavy gadge string like ernie ball power slinkys they are a lil brighter and thats what I use on a 34 in scale 4 string tuned cgcf
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05-30-2009, 04:35 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by grumpy_dog666 bugger, didn't really want to go as far as .125, but i might have too......
i will have to file the nut a bit as .125 will not fit properly on my 4 stringers......i have tried...... | Its really not that hard, due to my lack of tools I had use the actual 125. and use it as its own file for the E string slot  , it worked out ok 
Last edited by Fieldy Snuts : 05-30-2009 at 04:39 PM.
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