Quad coil advice for bart XXM56c pups

slaerts · #1 08-14-2007, 02:28 AM

I just received these in the mail today. And judging from the paperwork and from what bassman_rules said...

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassman_rules

OK

I don't know either that's why I started this thread.

It's just that the pickups are said to be "Quad-coil" and (I think) you can switch between humbucker/single/split-single coil. I just wondered how you would do this.

Thanks anyway

It seems to me that I have to choose which one I want. Can anyone describe what the differences may sound like. I'd like to get them in the shop in the morining to have them put in.

James Banner · #2 08-14-2007, 08:51 AM

Wow, I was quoted in a new thread. I feel honoured.

When you say "choose", you mean you can't switch between single/humbucker/split-single? I recently emailed the perfect bass and they told me these pickups can be coil-tapped using a toggle switch.

If you want the complete e-mail, just e-mail me and I will send it to you.

bassman_rules@hotmail.co.uk

The differences between the sounds to me seems obvious:

Single-coil: Jazz bass
Split-coil: Precision bass
Humbucker: Any bass with a humbucker - more beef

By the way, the single-coil sound should be noiseless because I think they utilize an extra coil that is not "turned on" (dummy coil?)

Hope that helps.

S Lewis · #3 08-14-2007, 03:58 PM

i've been thinking about putting one of these pickups in my TBC AP500M

slaerts · #4 08-14-2007, 04:29 PM

I e-mailed Brian at Best bass gear where i got them from. Yes I can tap it if I want or I can choose not to and just pick a particular way to wire them in. he recomended series wiring so I will go that way.

Taking bass to the shop today should be back in a few days. Will post back here when i get it back and let you know how the sound has been changed.

For anyone who was curious: Brian has excellent customer service.

slaerts · #5 09-07-2007, 02:33 AM

Bass arrived back today.

The difference? Fantastic! Beautiful low deep tone without sounding 'farty'. Just beautiful. My original problem was the 'c' string being too tinny and loud compared to the tone of the other strings. On these pickups the low 'b' and the c sound both sound wonderful. The other problem was the OBP-3 sounding too hot and needing to get better control, these pickups have solved that problem too.

Before I wouldn't have considered playing the bass without my Sansamp Bass Driver DI to assist with the sound. But now I don't need it. I bet it does sound even beter though.

I would definitely buy these again. Worth every cent.

WarriorJoe7 · #6 09-07-2007, 06:57 AM

can you post the perfect bass response here? I have a quad coil also.

spiritbass · #7 09-07-2007, 10:09 AM

+1 for Brian's customer service. The man builds a nice bass too!

Ken

slaerts · #8 09-08-2007, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarriorJoe7

can you post the perfect bass response here? I have a quad coil also.

Hey Joe,

I feel like Pauline Hanson - "Please explain?" I don't know what that question means.

The Penguin · #9 09-08-2007, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Banner

The differences between the sounds to me seems obvious:

Single-coil: Jazz bass
Split-coil: Precision bass
Humbucker: Any bass with a humbucker - more beef

The Bart quads are like 2 split coils side by side in one casing. There really is no J style single coil possible like you get when you split a normal 2 coil humbucker. You do get to choose 1 of 4 possible layouts of split coil with the tonal differences being where the coil is placed.

XO XO OX OX
OX XO OX XO

The 4 coil option is not really a standard 2 coil humbucker either but a pair of split coils, more of a double humbucker, kinda. In 4 coil mode you can wire each split coil either series or parallel and then you can also choose series or parallel for how you wire those 2 sets together. So the combinations can be overwhelming.

22pauld22 · #10 09-15-2007, 05:52 AM

ok .. my plans are ever evolving and I have decided getting nordstrands isn't for me as my string spacing is such that if for some reason I don't like them (they don't suit the bass) I won't have many places to sell them ..

so barts it probably will be .. or maybe that SD ssb5 that no one seems to know about

anyway these bart quad coils .. alot of bark .. I'd like to get a Jish Bridge sound ... so other than the sheild there will be eight wires ? 4 coils 2 wires each ?

so if you wanted your bass to look like some 50s computer you could cover it with switches ?
Mr Bartolini really could do with just a bit more info on his site .. it would stop be bothering poor brian and bestbassgear
even just a wiring diag and an idea of parallel series and coil split hehehe ..

maybe he's the strong silent type

I found a sound clip for the classic bass barts on the audere website .. anyone know of a clip for the quad coils ? not that this will be much help if there are really that many wiring options

thanks
Paul

slaerts · #11 09-15-2007, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 22pauld22

ok .. my plans are ever evolving and I have decided getting nordstrands isn't for me as my string spacing is such that if for some reason I don't like them (they don't suit the bass) I won't have many places to sell them ..

so barts it probably will be .. or maybe that SD ssb5 that no one seems to know about

anyway these bart quad coils .. alot of bark .. I'd like to get a Jish Bridge sound ... so other than the sheild there will be eight wires ? 4 coils 2 wires each ?

so if you wanted your bass to look like some 50s computer you could cover it with switches ?
Mr Bartolini really could do with just a bit more info on his site .. it would stop be bothering poor brian and bestbassgear
even just a wiring diag and an idea of parallel series and coil split hehehe ..

maybe he's the strong silent type

I found a sound clip for the classic bass barts on the audere website .. anyone know of a clip for the quad coils ? not that this will be much help if there are really that many wiring options

thanks
Paul

If your worrying about having two 3 way switches on your bass like an old computer then don't. I simply had mine wired in series for the best sound. No switches at all, except for the OBP-3 which i keep in the control cavity. Imagine 3 switches, I have enough trouble playing the thing without worrying about switches. As for a sound byte sorry I'm not that clever.

22pauld22 · #12 09-16-2007, 03:25 AM

Nah slaerts .. not so worried about the switches really ..
I have to admit my maton has two small switches on it and I didn't even work out what they were for until about 8 years after I bought it

and that was only cos one died and I had to open it up and solder a new one in ..

just want to get the right sound .. I think I'll end up with the classic bass dual coils but I'm umming and ahhing about the quad coils (hum cancelling is a great thing)

you don't have a coil split on yours at all ?
or series and parallel ?

I don't mind what sound I end up with as long as its warm and I can find a nice j growl in there somewhere .. which I can with the classic basses but I'm not sure about the quads ..

I guess no one can tell me what I'm going to hear but you can't help trying ..

glad your enjoying your barts so much .. I'll soon be exiting the emg club and joining the barts

The Penguin · #13 09-16-2007, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 22pauld22

e bart quad coils .. alot of bark .. I'd like to get a Jish Bridge sound ... so other than the sheild there will be eight wires ? 4 coils 2 wires each ?

Bark & J bridge tones? Not how I'd describe it, more of a Tobias/MTD tone. I think the dual coils are more barky and they split to a single coil which is a bit more J to my ears.

8 wires sounds right, it's a shame the Bart site is such a mess, they used to have these schematics up there with all the switching diagrams.

maurilio · #14 09-16-2007, 05:02 AM

something like this?

M

WarriorJoe7 · #15 09-16-2007, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slaerts

Hey Joe,

I feel like Pauline Hanson - "Please explain?" I don't know what that question means.

When James Banner said "If you want the complete e-mail, just e-mail me and I will send it to you.

bassman_rules@hotmail.co.uk"

I was asking him to post the response here!

22pauld22 · #16 09-16-2007, 05:08 AM

Thanks penguin .. thats what I wanted to here .. classic basses it is for me on this bass anyway .. thanks for everyones opinions .. I can't wait to here the difference between the emgs and the barts .. I hope its like night and day .. pleeeease ahahhah

thanks maurilio .. I actually have that one .. thats the one for the 4 wire pickups .. which is what I'll be getting it seems ahhaha

thanks again

The Penguin · #17 09-16-2007, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maurilio

something like this?

M

No but that's a good one, the only one left I think. They used to have many drawings for the quad coil switching and obscure stuff like the EZ-Q, their old notch filter Wal style thingy. Up until a few years ago you could browse the server directory and they have tons of stuff in there.

We should hack their servers for their own good

22pauld22 · #18 09-20-2007, 01:59 PM

Hmmm emailed perfect bass after I read the comment about their comments on them .. brandt there advises that the quad coils are already wired into pairs and to get a pair of wires for each coil would be a custom order ..

so there you go .. the options are the same for the quad coils series and parallel HB and two different single coil .. but in this case hum cancelling ..

well unless you go the custom jobs .. if what brandt is telling me is the truth anyway ..

thought I'd put it here just incase someone else wants to know at sometime