• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Agathis-Built Basses?

isher1992

isher1992

Nov 27, 2008
1,209
200
Little Rock, Arkansas
#1
I own a Squier Affinity P-bass...and I'm curious. Does it cause a muddy tone on the lows? Everyone that's owned says it does, but I can't tell. All I can tell is I can't turn the tone knob back to 0 without it sounding too low, with absolutely no true highs and hi-mids at all.

I mean, I'm going to change the pickups to DiMarzio DP127's, to try and fix that, but all in all, is the wood really that bad?
 
#7
PilbaraBass said:
IMO...agathis is about halfway between mahogany and alder in terms of density and tone...

muddy? no...

my guess the source of your tone issues is 3 fold

1) Pickup...
2) that blasted tone-sucking grease bucket tone control (main culprit)
3) your strings...GET SOME DECENT STRINGS ALREADY ! :)
Click to expand...
It WAS Better with DR strings. But there's still no high-end shine at all.

But these new DiMarzio's I'm looking at are, supposedly, EQ'ed and boosted. So they're supposed to put out like active electronics, while being passive.

I mean, I'm not saying I want a really bright high end, that's not why I still have my P-bass. I wanted it because I wanted a punchy sound. But even then, there needs to be some high-end, with this there is none. But I have heard of people that replaced the same bass with this pickup and had better luck.
 
#10
Sorry guys, if I sound ******** in this, it's just I've never really had to mess with electronics before, minus a resolder on the connection to the output jack.

So I'm needing some help here to know, if it's just the bass's wood.

But after reading your replies, okay, so Agathis isn't too bad. I'd just heard that it was a really bad wood.
 
#15
Darkstrike said:
A brighter output, nothing major, but it'll make a difference.
Click to expand...

Thanks...

I've always loved that Dusty Hill/Roger Waters type bass tone (Even though those are two different types of P-basses...). but I like bright too.

Thanks, man. I'll get those pots first, considering they're cheap and I can put those on first. I most likely won't get the pickups till after Christmas.
 
#16
Experiment by wiring your pickup directly to your output jack and adjust the pickup height up until it starts warbling and then back off. Make sure you have fresh strings. Then you will hear what your bass might be capable off. I have an Ibanez GSR205 that's made with Agathis and it sounds amazing to me. Not muddy to my ears.
 
#17
WingKL said:
Experiment by wiring your pickup directly to your output jack and adjust the pickup height up until it starts warbling and then back off. Make sure you have fresh strings. Then you will hear what your bass might be capable off. I have an Ibanez GSR205 that's made with Agathis and it sounds amazing to me. Not muddy to my ears.
Click to expand...

It's the pickup, or a dirty pot or something. It's really fuzzy when I play. ESPECIALLY when I hit a string with my finger.
 
#18
I'm sorry guys, but this bass has been a major repair project from the time I got it. I bought a new pickguard for it, and had to sand it down to get it to fit on the goofy thing and then the output jack's wiring broke because it was soldered weakly at the factory, and then we had to extend the wire to get it to attach back, and the threads were stripped on the nut that held the out put jack in place, so we had to take the one from the bottom and put it on top to hold it better.

Don't buy a Squier if you don't want to put more money in it.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back