Pickups, preamps, etc... for METAL!

Carax · #1 09-18-2008, 10:55 AM

I'll buy another bass, a 4 strings explorer like the LTDs, but im left handed...so a luthier will make it as its hard to find a good left handed here...

so... i was thinking about the elctronics and stuff... i want a "metal sound " like children of bodom , killswitch engage, etc...
do you think the EMG dc35 will fit this sound? i want only 1 pickup , the bridge one...and want this only for playing metal.... would i need a preamp? can you suggest me one?!

what will i need?

thanks in advance!

Carax · #2 09-18-2008, 11:01 AM

any tip on wood would be apreciated too!

im thinking on cedar(which is cheaper here) or even ash...

broadblik · #3 09-18-2008, 11:04 AM

For metal, Basswood, single Passive EMG will do the trick, don't even need a tone knob...

Or a volume one for that matter.

BigOldHarry · #4 09-18-2008, 11:11 AM

yup. The question shouldn't be "Metal" but should be where do you want to sit in the mix? Do you want a muddy sound like Geezer Butler, or a more ringing tone like Justin Chancellor? Metal can be anything, but if you want to stand out in the band (rather than just be a bass-provider like Duff McCagan) then you need to think on your sound, rather then the genre of music.

Carax · #5 09-18-2008, 11:27 AM

really? passive will be enough!?
i want my sound to stand out... not sou muddy and bassy...because the guitars will do this job

it has to be more treble like...but still with a full body! like this?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPW9AbRMwFU

maybe ill use a sansamp bass driver in front of th amp to add a little of drive and sparckle

if it helps!

thanks for the suggestions!

oh.. and there will be only a bass and a guitar live...so it has to be punchy!

porkchop[ · #6 09-18-2008, 11:43 AM

I'd recommend an EMG-HZ with a 3-band active pre.
It'll give you some versatility to dial it in based on the room you play in. Just my thought.

http://www.emginc.com/displayproduct...&categoryid=31

http://www.emginc.com/displayproduct...&catalogid=142

Willem · #7 09-18-2008, 12:52 PM

the emg35DC is not suited for the bridge position.
it needs to be in the MM position.

Carax · #8 09-18-2008, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willem

the emg35DC is not suited for the bridge position.
it needs to be in the MM position.

really? i saw them on esp basses in bridge and neck position http://www.espguitars.com/basses_henkka.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by porkchop[

I'd recommend an EMG-HZ with a 3-band active pre.
It'll give you some versatility to dial it in based on the room you play in. Just my thought.

http://www.emginc.com/displayproduct...&categoryid=31

http://www.emginc.com/displayproduct...&catalogid=142

can i use the bqs control alone? or do i need the bqs system?! the diference of the bqs and bqc is that the BQC has the treble and bass locked? like... when you turn the knob you scoop the sound? is this it?

porkchop[ · #9 09-18-2008, 06:24 PM

All the EQ knobs have a flat (Center detente) setting which will sound like straight passive, It's cut/boost at what ever frequency for bass and treble and the mid on some of them has cut/boost and frequency (sweep).

Most of the higher end schector basses have this set up in them,
I'd hit a store and try one. You can get a nice metallic growl out of em.

porkchop[ · #10 09-18-2008, 06:32 PM

With one pickup only you'd probobly only need the "control"
and a volume pot. The system has a vol and a blend for 2 pickups.

The bass and treble are not locked together, they are just stacked
one on top of the other. U get which ever one fits your bass by the amount of holes to mount the knobs/pots in.

NKUSigEp · #11 09-18-2008, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carax

I'll buy another bass, a 4 strings explorer like the LTDs, but im left handed...so a luthier will make it as its hard to find a good left handed here...

so... i was thinking about the elctronics and stuff... i want a "metal sound " like children of bodom , killswitch engage, etc...
do you think the EMG dc35 will fit this sound? i want only 1 pickup , the bridge one...and want this only for playing metal.... would i need a preamp? can you suggest me one?!

what will i need?

thanks in advance!

Some posts in this thread really exhibit some stereotypical preconceived notions of what things are and aren't.

-Passive pickups aren't as hot as active (there are many passives that are WAY hotter than any active I've played)
-Metal music? Go with cheap wood and pickups (because tone doesn't matter?)

...And Geezer Butler's tone was muddy? I thought it was pretty dominant in the mix and never muddy but hey, just one man's opinion right?

My suggestion: look at your amp first. When you're playing loud music, a mediocre bass and a great amp will cut it. A crappy amp and super high end bass will not. And if you're set on the getting bass, the single DC35 in the bridge probably isn't going to cut it. Your tone will lack the depth that a neck placement or dual pickup bass will have. Think of Les Claypool, is that the tone you want or better, will that tone work for your band situation? From the bands you've listed, none of them have a bass tone like what the single bridge DC35 will give you.

Carax · #12 09-18-2008, 08:13 PM

oh my....now im lost! lol

porkchop[, thanks for explaining me how this preamp/eq thing works! now i can se clear! lol

but if DC35 won give what i need, what do you suggest me? 2 pick ups? is there anyone that will do the job alone? im really lost!

NKUSigEp, yeah, its like Les Claypoolthe! and i heard your band (cool sounds

) the tone I want is almost like yours, but with a little drive...just a little... and with that svt4 growl you know?

ill use a hartke lh500 with hx410 or vx410 and maybe a sansamp bass driver. what will i need? 2 pickups, 1, active, passive..preamps... oh damn...

REALLY APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION!

NKUSigEp · #13 09-19-2008, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carax

oh my....now im lost! lol

porkchop[, thanks for explaining me how this preamp/eq thing works! now i can se clear! lol

but if DC35 won give what i need, what do you suggest me? 2 pick ups? is there anyone that will do the job alone? im really lost!

NKUSigEp, yeah, its like Les Claypoolthe! and i heard your band (cool sounds

) the tone I want is almost like yours, but with a little drive...just a little... and with that svt4 growl you know?

ill use a hartke lh500 with hx410 or vx410 and maybe a sansamp bass driver. what will i need? 2 pickups, 1, active, passive..preamps... oh damn...

REALLY APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION!

Thanks man! I know ya didn't mean it the way I'm taking it but a little drive!?!?

Listen more closely my friend. If you're talking about my Dirty Morning Band then that's one of the most overdriven bass tones you'll ever hear! That IS dirty bass!!!!

Edit: maybe that's not the tone you're looking for then. If you want more bass, you'll want something a little less distorted. When you drive a signal really hard, the mids naturally come out more than everything else.

EviscerateNick · #14 09-19-2008, 04:13 PM

for metal i would recommend the aguilar obp3 with some active emg's.

Human Bass · #15 09-19-2008, 08:27 PM

I really like passive tones in metal. There is something very cool in hear a J or P with some badass plucking.

magickbass · #16 09-19-2008, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Human Bass

I really like passive tones in metal. There is something very cool in hear a J or P with some badass plucking.

+1 for passive tone.

Ach · #17 09-19-2008, 11:44 PM

EMGs in the bridge sounds very nasal! I have had a bass with active EMGs: bridge pickup sounds very close to Primus' recordings.
But the neck one is more aggressive than my Stingray's bridge p/up. It sounds very full, it has all the metal: it sizzles, it makes a boom, and it do growl (in any position)!

One more thing, If you want a simple EQ i highly recommend you a EMG EXB, a control wich scoops mids and adds lows and highs. I found that the only EQing i'd done with EMGs was just a mid scooping and boosting the rest.

ps: can send you samples, just pm to me.

Willem · #18 09-21-2008, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carax

really? i saw them on esp basses in bridge and neck position http://www.espguitars.com/basses_henkka.html

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner on this one, but I have a bass with the DC in the bridge position. It is just too thin sounding there. It's a pickup designed for the MM position. It works in the neck position, but is a little boomy there IMO/IME.

If you make your own bass, you can pull it off with just one DC pickup, but don't put it too close to the bridge.