5 string Ricken-Musicman Bass.

[Videojunkie]

I'm returning to the pickup debate...

The current pickup is a ceramic version. Should I order another ceramic version, or an alnico version?

Correlating question, if I get the alnico pickup, should it go in the neck or bridge position?

My thought was to get an alnico one and put it at the bridge location, but I'd love to get some second opinions.

 

[NKBassman]

From my experience with pickup swapping, and speaking very generally, I find ceramic pickups to be a little harsher and more aggressive sounding, and alnico softer and warmer. My gut would be to put the ceramic in the bridge position.

 

[Videojunkie]

From my experience with pickup swapping, and speaking very generally, I find ceramic pickups to be a little harsher and more aggressive sounding, and alnico softer and warmer. My gut would be to put the ceramic in the bridge position.

That's why I was thinking the Alnico at the bridge (which tends to be more treble-y) that it would round out that tone, while the ceramic would brighten up the 'mudbucker' neck position.

Or it doesn't really work that way...

 

[Max Bogosity]

I guess it depends on whether your goal is a wide spectrum of tones or if you're seeking one particular sound that is somewhere in the middle.

 

[Reedt2000]

That's why I was thinking the Alnico at the bridge (which tends to be more treble-y) that it would round out that tone, while the ceramic would brighten up the 'mudbucker' neck position.

Or it doesn't really work that way...

I've got a SBMM Ray35 with an Alnico pickup (single H so not in the bridge position). It is pretty warm and full sounding while still having that SR punch, would probably make for a good bridge-position pickup.

 

[NKBassman]

That's why I was thinking the Alnico at the bridge (which tends to be more treble-y) that it would round out that tone, while the ceramic would brighten up the 'mudbucker' neck position.

Or it doesn't really work that way...

I guess there's two ways to think about it... you can either try to accentuate the character of the location placement (ie. putting brighter pickup in the bridge position ), or you can try to even out the response by putting opposite tonality pickups in each location (ie. putting warmer pickup in the bridge position).... depends on what you're after I guess.

Or you could double down on the ceramic pickups and eliminate the "problem" altogether .
Maybe try the one pickup you have in both positions and see where/if it sounds best, and then decide what you want to order for second pickup.

From skimming the SD product pages just now, I'd still lean towards putting the ceramic one in the bridge position. My thinking is that you want that position to be tight and punchy, and a neck position pickup is supposed to be warm and fat. So I'd move to accentuate those characteristics with ceramic:bridge and alnico:neck

 

[RichterScale]

I would probably do something boring, like, use the same pup in both spots and simply let the difference in location be the difference in sound.

 

[NKBassman]

I would probably do something boring, like, use the same pup in both spots and simply let the difference in location be the difference in sound.

How pedestrian lol. But yes. I have enough problems with Analysis Paralysis as it is. I had a hard enough time settling on one pickup for my main Fender P... My head would explode with the options of mixing and matching two different pickups in something like a jazz bass. I love that my Dingwall Super P5 has proprietary-shaped pickups so I can't even think about changing them. I'm honestly happier for it.

/end derail

 

[Videojunkie]

I would probably do something boring, like, use the same pup in both spots and simply let the difference in location be the difference in sound.

Maybe this is the way. I'll have a ton of control between the 3 band eq and the coil tapping switches. Additional variables between pickup types is probably best left alone.

I guess it depends on whether your goal is a wide spectrum of tones or if you're seeking one particular sound that is somewhere in the middle.

I think the MM that inspired this was all ceramic pickups, so there's that too.

Thanks for the answers and help!

 

[RichterScale]

Thanks for the answers and help!

Don't thank me. My answer was based on laziness and knowing very little about pickupology.

 

[ctmullins]

I guess there's two ways to think about it... you can either try to accentuate the character of the location placement (ie. putting brighter pickup in the bridge position ), or you can try to even out the response by putting opposite tonality pickups in each location (ie. putting warmer pickup in the bridge position).... depends on what you're after I guess.

Or you could double down on the ceramic pickups and eliminate the "problem" altogether .
Maybe try the one pickup you have in both positions and see where/if it sounds best, and then decide what you want to order for second pickup.

From skimming the SD product pages just now, I'd still lean towards putting the ceramic one in the bridge position. My thinking is that you want that position to be tight and punchy, and a neck position pickup is supposed to be warm and fat. So I'd move to accentuate those characteristics with ceramic:bridge and alnico:neck

I would (and always do) take the opposite approach. I put warmer/thicker pickups at the bridge, and clearer pickups at the neck.

But I also have plenty of good tones from using two (or three) identical pickups.

 

[Videojunkie]

Tonight I was able to spend a little time in the shop and got the body bound.
Overall it went well, a little bit of an issue with the horns.

My plan to make the binding in 2 pieces worked perfectly! A little bit of chisel work to clean up where the router couldn't reach.


Pleased with the progress!

 

[Videojunkie]

After spending months visualizing this, and thinking about how it would look when I was done, it's very exciting to be ->] [<- close to the finish line! I'm trying very hard not to rush anything and screw up now!

To do list:
Re route the end of the truss rod channel that is under the top.
Finish the frets
Order 2nd pickup
Stain the burst
Glue the fretboard
Finish
Install hardware
Rock!

 

[Videojunkie]

I have noticed that as I prepare to glue the fretboard, somehow I have induced a very small neck angle into the bass. This means that the end of the fretboard is proud of the body about 1/32nd of an inch (I could probably fit a credit card under end)

I see 2 options,
1 ignore it, and bend the last few frets of the fretboard flush with the face of the body. Also knowing it only affects frets that are difficult to play to begin with.

2 carefully sand the body and neck to a new flush plane so that the fretboard is level all the way to the end.

 

[ctmullins]

That’s a beneficial angle; much better than having the opposite problem.

Lay a straightedge down the neck, and measure from the straightedge to the body at the bridge location. Compare than to the minimum saddle height adjustment on your bridge. Report back.

 

[Reedt2000]

Could always add a thin veneer under the fretboard where the gap is, though I think ignoring it is a viable option.

 

[Videojunkie]

It's well within the adjustment of the bridge. This is before fretting, so the final surface will be almost perfectly in line with the bridge.

 

[ctmullins]

Oh good! Then it’s just cosmetic. I thought perhaps it was something serious….

 

[Videojunkie]

Could always add a thin veneer under the fretboard where the gap is, though I think ignoring it is a viable option.

I'll see if I can find a scrap of something that I can get this thin!

Otherwise I might just ignore it (remembering when I level the frets that the last few will be different )

 

[ctmullins]

I’m not following. Why would the last few frets be different?