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alternative Jack Casady epiphone pick up

B

buff

Jun 5, 2005
39
3
#1
I love my bass, but really hate the sound that comes out of it. Ive sent email's to both fred hammond and also tv jones(more than once) neither have replied. I think im right in saying that the standard pick up has an output around 6K. So im looking for something with a bit more ball's. Only pick up's ive found that would fit the existing hole is either a single coil seymour duncan P pick up or a rickenbacker pick up. I'd love some advice:bassist: im after a brighter less muddy sound.
 
#7
With a high output pup youll get even less bright than you already have

Jack Cassady designed himself the pup to get the tone he want. Actually the low impedance you mention (6 k) is necesary to give some bright and definition to a semi hollow bass with only one pickup in that position... So.. If you dont like it, why did you buy a Jack Cassady bass???
 
#9
Because i liked the look of the bass, ive alway's wanted a hollow body. And it was a good price. Ive only ever changed pick up's on solid body basses before and dont claim to or understand how everything work's. But have noticed that be putting a higher output pick up's on a cheap solid bodied bass with little sustain or definition, they can be transformed. Ive noticed the sound clip's on the lakland site of they're hollow body sound's nicer, even with only one pick up.
 
#10
buff said:
I think im right in saying that the standard pick up has an output around 6K. So im looking for something with a bit more ball's.
Click to expand...

It's a low impedance (actually medium) pickup, but the built in transformer boosts the level up. The transformer has three taps for different tones. That's what the three position tone switch does.

You didn't remove the transformer, did you?

On a related topic, the Jack Casady bass is a copy of the Gibson Les Paul Signature bass. The Signature's pickup was designed by Bill Lawrence, and was also low impedance. The Jack Casady pickup is different and was designed with help from Casady. The JC uses heavier gauge wire than the original LPS pickup.
 
#11
Nothing's been removed, just finding it boomy and dull. I know most people rave about them. I'd be gutted to part with it, just want a better (to my ear's ) sound from it. The switch is working etc. Like i say ive only ever changed pick ups on solid bodied basses. My current second bass a squier jaguar has wizard pick up's fitted (a P thumper and hotter J pick up) and really growl's without distorting. I would have gladly bought something from them, but they dont do anything to fit. Just after advice, as to what other people have fitted. Other than dark star's. Found a picture on the net a while back of a guy with a split P pick up fitted, but dont want to butcher the body that much to fit something else.
 
#12
buff said:
Nothing's been removed, just finding it boomy and dull. I know most people rave about them. I'd be gutted to part with it, just want a better (to my ear's ) sound from it. The switch is working etc. Like i say ive only ever changed pick ups on solid bodied basses. My current second bass a squier jaguar has wizard pick up's fitted (a P thumper and hotter J pick up) and really growl's without distorting. I would have gladly bought something from them, but they dont do anything to fit. Just after advice, as to what other people have fitted. Other than dark star's. Found a picture on the net a while back of a guy with a split P pick up fitted, but dont want to butcher the body that much to fit something else.
Click to expand...

The first thing I'd do is change the strings. What do you have on it? Put brighter strings on it. The thing is that's a very flat sounding pickup. A regular passive hi-z pickup might be boomier. Hollow body basses sound that way. You wont get it to sound like the Jaguar. A Darkstar on the bass will also be about the same as the stock pickup. They are round and mellow sounding.

You have the tone control up all the way, right? One of the transformer switch settings should be brighter than the others.
 
#13
Just standard string's at present, tone is up all the way. I'd say the brightest setting is the lowest on the transformer. I'd be happy with a ricki type clank from it. Have also seen a picture in another thread of one fitted with a darkstar and a big D varitone switch.
 
#14
buff said:
Just standard string's at present, tone is up all the way. I'd say the brightest setting is the lowest on the transformer. I'd be happy with a ricki type clank from it. Have also seen a picture in another thread of one fitted with a darkstar and a big D varitone switch.
Click to expand...

What are the "standard strings"? Are they round wounds? Flat wounds? Are these the strings it came with? How old is the bass? You need a new set of round wounds to get a Rick clank from that bass.

The Darkstar and varitone wont get that tone.
 
#18
buff said:
It sound's smooth and brite, not overly clanky. Lot's of sustain, with a slight hollowness. Plugged in it sound's more like a bad mexican precision i once owned.
Click to expand...

That's interesting. Obviously the pickup/electronics is coloring the acoustic tone, probably in a manner that Jack Casady liked.

What's the dimensions of that pickup?
 

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