Upgrading Pedulla Rapture J 5 String

[socialleper]

Originally Posted by jza57

My vote is on the DiMarzio Ultra Jazz with a side note, I had it set up with a Sadowsky pre. I put OG guts back in because I was going to sell bass stock but I may just go back to that setup. The Rapture J5 is so much lighter than any 5 string bass I own.

Its a very easy to play instrument; nice neck, good ergonomics. I just can't seem to get the tone out of it that I want. That's why I'm thinking about dumping the pickups. I really want to find a way to get more use out of it.

[capnsandwich]

There are tons of great sounding jazz pups out there. Even Bartolini pickups are voiced differently in the same shape. It really depends on what you get when it comes to Barts. I've heard some Bartolinis that made even the most aggressive pups out there sound weak. It really helps to pair it with a good, hot preamp to bring out the highs. Aguilar OBP-3's are a good preamp for this.

As far as pickups go, Fralin, EMG, Delano, Sadowsky SC, or Aero all make great sounding, aggressive pickups that give you a tone like you're describing. But really, you need to match them up with a good preamp to get a nice, hot, aggressive tone. IME, Bart NTMB preamps are more of a quieter and more polite preamp.

[bgartist]

All of those other pickups are great. The Ultra jazz and Sadowskys have always received great reviews but the Pedulla pickups are in a smaller housing. Most of those pickups recommended come in a larger shell and will require the bass to be routed to retrofit. My bass has 19mm spacing. I looked at Nordstrand and Sadowsky but don't want to rout the bass. I've seen a couple pf Raptures that had EMGs that dropped right in. The Delanos come in a size that will fit.

[socialleper]

Originally Posted by bgartist

All of those other pickups are great. The Ultra jazz and Sadowskys have always received great reviews but the Pedulla pickups are in a smaller housing. Most of those pickups recommended come in a larger shell and will require the bass to be routed to retrofit. My bass has 19mm spacing. I looked at Nordstrand and Sadowsky but don't want to rout the bass. I've seen a couple pf Raptures that had EMGs that dropped right in. The Delanos come in a size that will fit.

Good to know. I thought the Barts were a standard size. I guess I'll need to check some diagrams before I make a decision.

[bgartist]

Originally Posted by socialleper

Good to know. I thought the Barts were a standard size. I guess I'll need to check some diagrams before I make a decision.

It is a standard size but I think its its a 4 string size. I believe Mike Pedulla uses 1 pickup size that will work for both 4 and 5 string basses. All other 19mm spaced pickups are wider.

[12bass]

Although not a J2, the humbucker that came in my Rapture 5 has a custom 66 mm coil length inside a standard BD shell (which normally has 72 mm coils). Other than that, I think it is a normal Bartolini C (deep) humbucker. If you look on the bottom of the pickups in your J2, the model number should be indicated.

[jza57]

The Ultra Jazz and the Sadowsky 5 string pickups drop right in Pedullas J5.

[Doug Parent]

Originally Posted by jza57

The Ultra Jazz and the Sadowsky 5 string pickups drop right in Pedullas J5.

The OP didn't post pickup size or string spacing. If this is true, these are good choices. Nordstrand singles will get snarly nicely as well. Your preamp isn't the problem. Have fun.

[bgartist]

Originally Posted by jza57

The Ultra Jazz and the Sadowsky 5 string pickups drop right in Pedullas J5.

Have you personally tried this? My 19mm Pedulla's bridge pickup measures .625 x 3.625. The Sadowsky site quotes their measurements as .730 x 3.7.

[capnsandwich]

I think there's a Pedulla club somewhere on TB. Have you tried to post your question in there?

[socialleper]

Originally Posted by Doug Parent

The OP didn't post pickup size or string spacing. If this is true, these are good choices. Nordstrand singles will get snarly nicely as well. Your preamp isn't the problem. Have fun.

Sorry, I didn't think to post that.

String spacing: I'm not 100% sure on the exact way to measure that, but if you measure the middle of each string from each other it is definitely less than 19mm, its closer to 17mm I guess.

Existing pickup size: Neck 3.6 inches x .7 inches; bridge 3.7 inches x .7 inches (very rough measuring.) When I looked at a diagram of the Ultra Jazz Pickups I believe the measurements are OK.

[socialleper]

Originally Posted by capnsandwich

I think there's a Pedulla club somewhere on TB. Have you tried to post your question in there?

I am technically a member, but I've never really looked at it for anything. The "owners groups" seem to be mostly a place for people to show pictures of their basses.

[azzyrazzy]

Originally Posted by BruceRichardson

If you decide to sell instead of modify, I've just had a J2-5 stolen, and am trying to secure a replacement. My apologies for jumping into your thread...it popped up on my sad daily search...

Best regards,
Bruce

True test of how much you like a bass; If it were stolen, would you get another one exactly like it?

[socialleper]

Originally Posted by azzyrazzy

True test of how much you like a bass; If it were stolen, would you get another one exactly like it?

Hmmm...a very interesting question. That's a tough one because I think I might have more of an emotional attachment to the instrument than a working relationship. It was the first bass I bought with my own money. Its always been sort of a source of pride for me, when people see it they are always impressed with its color and shape. I've always had trouble getting a sound out of it that I really liked; it is a very particular instrument. If you try to use a pick or play too hard it just sounds bad.

This is really the only time I was able to get a really good recording of it.
http://soundcloud.com/jeffdclark/taleonis-small-clip

[pickles]

I honestly suggest you do what i did, bite the bullet and sell the pedulla. J basses need big alder or ash bodies, maple bodies are good for neck throughs and EMG/smith type setups. The rapture J2 was a good idea that just doesnt work all that well tonally. Its a mashup fail.

[12bass]

Originally Posted by pickles

I honestly suggest you do what i did, bite the bullet and sell the pedulla. J basses need big alder or ash bodies, maple bodies are good for neck throughs and EMG/smith type setups. The rapture J2 was a good idea that just doesnt work all that well tonally. Its a mashup fail.

Perhaps... though the above seems to be taking the Rapture J2 as a Jazz bass rather than as a unique Pedulla which happens to have a couple of J pickups in it. Originally, the Rapture came only with a single soapbar, which suggests that it wasn't designed as a J-bass. Personally, I see the Rapture as its own thing....

[pickles]

For sure, it's just a problem when somebody expects a big J style rock tone, and instead they get a tone that is very polite, with a small natural sonic footprint, and the bass control adds ultra lows, so there is no way to get a meaty rock tone. The J2 would be great for many things, low volume jazz groups, backing an acoustic etc ...

[12bass]

Hmmm.... my single pickup Rapture 5 seems to serve up a fat rock sound, somewhat akin to a cross between a StingRay and a P-bass. I wouldn't say that it sounds small. With a bit of EQ, the bottom end can be huge. However, the voicing is not nearly as "in your face" as my Rickenbacker 4001. In comparison, the Pedulla sounds smoother and more refined. So, my point is that the J2 is basically the same bass, except that it uses different pickups. I don't think that the acoustic sound of the bass is a big a factor as suggested. More aggressive pickups might just be the solution, depending upon what the OP is looking for. Also, FWIW, I tend to find dual Js to be sort of scooped, regardless of body type, at least when both pickups are used. The single pickup model doesn't have that problem.

[socialleper]

Trying to come to a resolution about this bass is still rolling around in my noggin. I thought about the general design of the instrument and how maybe it wasn't for me. I went to the old Stand By, YouTube, and watched some videos. To me these sound great, so I don't think it is an inherent issue with the design.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ-F4_zxJ4Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVEq6EklG1Y

That said, my Rapture doesn't have the same jazzy snap in the high end that these do. Especially the B, which is infamously tight, but is very rubbery or muddy sounding none the less (I've tried A LOT of different strings on this bass over the years with no change.) Now I'm wondering if there hasn't been something wrong with my electronics the entire time. Can something in the pickups, preamp or pots be just a little off?

[pickles]

Could definitely be a setup issue.

Highly unlikely to be any electronic issue.