Essex Bass Club - Part 14

[Mastermold]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

That's a cool mod, very well improvised.

I'm considering swapping pickups. Every time I dig in, especially on the lower notes, everything just farts out. I play in a semi-heavy rock band so this really isn't acceptable.

What has everyone swapped out for? I want to retain the Jazz tone as much as possible, and want to stay passive.

The poles on SX pickups are pretty high. Might want to try lowering them and see if it makes a difference.

[Rip Topaz]

I'll give it a shot. I know SX uses GFS pickups, but I'm not as familiar with Jazz basses as I am with P's.

If I go with the creme covers, maybe I'll go all in and swap for Dimarzios.

[DJ Bebop]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

I'll give it a shot. I know SX uses GFS pickups, but I'm not as familiar with Jazz basses as I am with P's.

If I go with the creme covers, maybe I'll go all in and swap for Dimarzios.

How do you know that, the GFS pickups thing?
Not doubtin', just askin'

[dabbler]

Originally Posted by DJ Bebop

How do you know that, the GFS pickups thing?
Not doubtin', just askin'

I wanna know too... cause I don't believe it's true.

[Diesel Kilgore]

I don't believe they are GFS. Although GFS, Dragonfire and others use the same Chinese manufacturer for their pickup building.

I am not positive on this either but aren't the SX jazz pups the same size neck and bridge? So you would have to get 2 neck.pickups.

[DJ Bebop]

Originally Posted by Diesel Kilgore

I don't believe they are GFS. Although GFS, Dragonfire and others use the same Chinese manufacturer for their pickup building.

I am not positive on this either but aren't the SX jazz pups the same size neck and bridge? So you would have to get 2 neck.pickups.

Now they are but, at one time they were like old Fenders.
Neck smaller than bridge pickup.

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by DJ Bebop

How do you know that, the GFS pickups thing?
Not doubtin', just askin'

I seem to remember it being mentioned somewhere, maybe the Basses for newbies thread. I may be wrong.

[Rip Topaz]

So I lowered the pickups, and it sounds better, but it really lost something. I'm gonna have to keep messing with it until I get it just right. It sounded better in the original spot, just distorted when I dig in.

[Kensation]

I remember seeing a thread in another forum, and the dude who runs GFS says that while the GFS pickups and others are all made in the same Chinese manufacturing facility, each person/company has the pickups made to their own specifications. So they are not all the same pickup. Whether that is true or not, I have no idea.

[Scott in Dallas]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

That's a cool mod, very well improvised.

That was a Billy Sheehan mod from way way back. I read it in Bass Player or something. I met him once and we talked about it.

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

I'm considering swapping pickups. Every time I dig in, especially on the lower notes, everything just farts out. I play in a semi-heavy rock band so this really isn't acceptable.

What has everyone swapped out for? I want to retain the Jazz tone as much as possible, and want to stay passive.

It's probably a bad string. Someone else had the same issue on his USA Fender and that's what it was.

[rfslick]

Scott in Dallas

Instead of using a rusty old washer, run down to your hardware store and pick up exactly the right size of Stainless Steel. Never will rust or corrode from sweat and always stay bright silver.

[Rip Topaz]

I don't know for sure but now that I've got the neck dialed in, this thing plays better than my Dillion P-bass, which is in MIM Fender territory. I may have to research some better pickups so I can get the most out of it.

And the modding begins.

[DJ Bebop]

Originally Posted by Diesel Kilgore

I don't believe they are GFS. Although GFS, Dragonfire and others use the same Chinese manufacturer for their pickup building.

I am not positive on this either but aren't the SX jazz pups the same size neck and bridge? So you would have to get 2 neck.pickups.

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

So I lowered the pickups, and it sounds better, but it really lost something. I'm gonna have to keep messing with it until I get it just right. It sounded better in the original spot, just distorted when I dig in.

What I do is, as you use a Phillips screw driver turn it a 1/4 of a turn using the voids of the screw driver tip to keep track of how much you turn. As an example,I turned it up two 1/4's of a turn and it's not enough I go another 1/4 of a turn, too much I try backing off a 1/4. You get what I mean?

[Rip Topaz]

Yeah, these pickups just seem to have a very narrow sweet spot. Too much (even just a little) in either direction and it's crap.

[DJ Bebop]

Originally Posted by Kensation

I remember seeing a thread in another forum, and the dude who runs GFS says that while the GFS pickups and others are all made in the same Chinese manufacturing facility, each person/company has the pickups made to their own specifications. So they are not all the same pickup. Whether that is true or not, I have no idea.

That can be very true. As an example SX basses we get from Rondo Music are made by Team International in China and if you
look on their site, you will see most of the guitars and basses that Rondo sells but at the same time you won't see some. Like the Six String Basses or the Jag Basses or the Short Scales.

I believe Kurt has those made for his shop, as his website indicates.
That these companies that he sources from build for many companies and he has built what he and his customers want
Or I could be wrong

[Scott in Dallas]

Originally Posted by rfslick

Scott in Dallas

Instead of using a rusty old washer, run down to your hardware store and pick up exactly the right size of Stainless Steel. Never will rust or corrode from sweat and always stay bright silver.

That's a great suggestion. I actually have some ss washers left over from a project on my Mach 1. They're all polished up. I pointed it out more to illustrate that it doesn't have to be anything expensive or fancy. I could have polished this one if I really cared. The string retainer on my Squier '51 is a Jefferson nickel with a hole drilled in it.

[Rip Topaz]

I remember seeing that one. Cool bass.

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

So I lowered the pickups, and it sounds better, but it really lost something. I'm gonna have to keep messing with it until I get it just right. It sounded better in the original spot, just distorted when I dig in.

The bad news is that this what chunger called the "SX effect". See his "basses for Newbies" hyperthread for more info. You won't like his solution! He had Nordy build him special SX pickups that did the SX sound but without "SX effect" distortion. (Thread tells more) But I"m sure you do know the kind of prices Nordies bring!

[Rip Topaz]

Yeah, more than the cost of the bass!!

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by bassbenj

The bad news is that this what chunger called the "SX effect". See his "basses for Newbies" hyperthread for more info. You won't like his solution! He had Nordy build him special SX pickups that did the SX sound but without "SX effect" distortion. (Thread tells more) But I"m sure you do know the kind of prices Nordies bring!

You're right. This is my exact problem.

http://studio939.blogspot.com/2012/0...ffect.html?m=1

Now that I'm aware of it, the question is do I live with it or replace? A decent set of pickups will be more than what I paid for the bass.