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Aguilar Pickups

#61
I'm running a set of Hot J's with an Audere JZ3 Pro 4band pre in a '68 Jazz i picked up a while back, have currently got it strung with D'Ad Tapes.

Definitely liking what i'm hearing, but still sorting things out, plugged into an Eden Navigator, Crest Pro-Lite 3.0, 810e.
 
#62
stingray69 said:
Yesterday afternoon I installed a pair of Aguilar DCB pickups (D2 size) in my Ibanez SR-705, and wow! I like these a lot!

They are everything Aguilar advertises them to be - very powerful, very detailed & very balanced in tone at all points up & down the register. They have a very solid and supporting low end without being mushy and a great attack/growl, just amazing! They are deep & focused without being muddy, nor compressed sounding - I'd say they are aggressive in all the right ways.

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it's that stock preamp?
 
#63
Chace90 said:
DCB set arrived the other day. Dropped them into the GVB36. I can confirm that it doesn't matter which pickup goes in which position. They're universal. I can also report they fit and screwed in without any modifications or drilling to the bass.

Only weird thing to report is that the wires on one pickup were coming out of the opposite side. On one pickup the wires are nearest to the logo (bottom right hand side) as expected, but on the other they came out of the opposite side.

I put that pickup in the neck position and the wires barely stretched from the B string side into the cavity. I had to solder on some extensions so they'd make it to the blend knob on my OBP-3. Not sure why it's wired that way.

Anyway, they're great pickups! Takes that bass up a notch. Ibanez really skimps on the stock electronics on that bass. Which I find annoying considering its $1K+ new.

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are you using stock preamp?
 
#65
CaneyBoniface said:
are you using stock preamp?
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Yes, stock preamp. However, I moved the pickups from my SR705 into my recently purchased SR1305 Premium - also using the stock preamp.

The pickups are incredible sounding and confirms for me that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the stock preamp for my needs. Especially with the 3-way selection of mids on the SR1305 verses the 2-way mid freqs on the SR705. The stock EQ points on the SR1305 work exceptionally well with the DCB pickups and I will not be changing it out.

As far as A vs. B pots, not quite sure. This comes down to mostly personal preference in regards to how they work (linear vs non-linear).

Here is a nice thread explaining other people's take on the debate. I would think 500k for the pots would be in order for the humbuckers, but I would definitely ask Aguilar what they recommend, especially for your preferred passive/active, push/pull wiring.

Here's a TB thread discussing something very similar to what you are looking to do. Hope any of this helps - best of luck with everything!
 
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#66
stingray69 said:
Yes, stock preamp. However, I moved the pickups from my SR705 into my recently purchased SR1305 Premium - also with the stock preamp.

The pickups are incredible sounding and confirms for me that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the stock preamp for my needs. Especially with the 3-way selection of mids on the SR1305 verses the 2-way mid freqs on the SR705. The stock EQ points on the SR1305 work exceptionally well with the DCB pickups and I will not be changing it out.

As far as A vs. B pots, not quite sure. This comes down to mostly personal preference in regards to how they work (linear vs non-linear).

Here is a nice thread explaining other people's take on the debate. I would think 500k for the pots would be in order for the humbuckers, but I would definitely ask Aguilar what they recommend, especially for your preferred passive/active, push/pull wiring.

Here's a TB thread discussing something very similar to what you are looking to do. Hope any of this helps - best of luck with everything!
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thank you
 
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#68
I have a set of 4J-70s Hot pickups in one of my Jazz basses. Some of the best pickups I've ever used, can't wait to get another set for my fretless Jazz.

I sometimes wonder what they'd sound like in my Geddy Lee Jazz, but I really like the stock pickups and don't want to mess around with the pickups too much.
 
#69
jcerio said:
How do Aguilar DBC pickups compare to EMG pickups tone-wise? I love the EMG sound but they don't make any Bartolini sizes.
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Been a very long time since I had EMG's in an instrument, but I can tell you the DCB's are along the same vein. They have a great "air" quality to them, but they are not harsh or brittle in the top end, just fantastic clarity. They are modern and "open" sounding, not compressed.

They have a nice growl/attack when played hard. What I like about them is that while they do have that slight aggressive quality, they are not super or overly colored in any one band of the frequency spectrum. They take EQ extremely well & let you shape your tone however you want, deep bass, low mid punch, scooped, whatever suits you best, the DCB's will deliver and maintain great clarity while doing so. I can't easily think of a better/similar EMG alternative soapbar on the market. Tone is a difficult thing to describe, but I'll just say they are very nice! Worth a look into.
 
#70
That sounds like what I'm looking for. That's what I've always loved about EMG. The clarity. They really let you hear everything that comes out of your strings and technique - good and bad. I bet they'll pair nicely with my MTD Kingston and my TH500. I currently have Bart CBs and preamp. I'd probably get DCBs and an OBP-3 to go with them.
 
#72
CaneyBoniface said:
I just purchase Aguilar OBP-2 and DCB pickup.. i want to make it passive/active push/pull. anyone can help me which blend pot and volume pot should i order? A500k? or B500k? or 250k? thank you
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The DCB pickups are passive, so you're going to want to purchase 250k volume and blend pots.
 
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