bartolini cf vs. bartolini m4

[capnsandwich]

ok, so i put a new bartolini ntbt preamp in my tobias toby pro and now i'm stuck between 2 different types of bart pickups. the cf5cbc soapbar and the m4 soapbar. no one i know has ever tried out the cf5cbc and can't give me any information on it. even the local luthier here in town who specializes in bartolini said that when i showed him on the bartolini website that was the first time he had even seen it so no help there. anyone out there know anything or have any suggestions?

 

[maurilio]

ok, so i put a new bartolini ntbt preamp in my tobias toby pro and now i'm stuck between 2 different types of bart pickups. the cf5cbc soapbar and the m4 soapbar. no one i know has ever tried out the cf5cbc and can't give me any information on it. even the local luthier here in town who specializes in bartolini said that when i showed him on the bartolini website that was the first time he had even seen it so no help there. anyone out there know anything or have any suggestions?

Hello,
if you are talking about standard Bartolini, P, M, BC, CF etc... are only shapes. Dual coil, split coil, quad coil etc... are the inside type of coils. C, K, CX, CBC are the voice of the pups.
So, in theory, if you have a dual coil "C", what ever shape/size don't matter, they sound the same. And so it is for the rest, CBC etc....

Than you have the Bart custom brand production. Means that like MTD, Pedulla, Roscoe etc... have a different/ proprietary winding, voice, shape... whatever it is!

Hope this help.

M

 

[capnsandwich]

thanks for the info about that. now i understand how the m4's work but now i just need some understanding on how the cf's work. i guess i'll just call someone at bartolini and get some information. they guy at the fret shop here in town said he's been working with bartolini for years and has never seen bartolini cf. he said he could get them for me, after i showed him where they were on the website, and i could be a guinea pig for him on what to tell the other customers. i don't think i want to embark on that challenge with $180 at stake, (price of 2 pups). so if they're similar in sound and fit my pup cavity better then maybe i'll get the cf's but i just want to know what i'm deciding on before i decide. so far i'm leaning toward the m4's.

 

[capnsandwich]

well, i made my decision and got the XXM45C which is a quad coil ceramic pickup. the only problem is that they run $180 a piece. oh well, you can't put a price on your tone. around $600 for the whole deal.

 

[maurilio]

quad coil... if you're NOT going to use them mainly as single coil humcancelling or split coil for a "P" bass sound, they ain't worth it!

If your intention are to use them as humbucking series or parallel, with occasional single coil, I would use a standart dual coil (~$100 each)

M

 

[capnsandwich]

well, here's the low down on why i chose these pickups. i went in to the local guitar repair shop here in town. i told the guy there exactly the sound i was looking for, which is kind of a low, tight jazz bass sound, kind of like jimmy johnson or tom kennedy. he first mentioned the dual coil m4's but then he emailed me later and said he showed me the dual coils but really meant the quad coils. so, in my trusting manner, i went along with his advice, realizing that he is a well respected luthier not only locally but also nationwide, doing set ups for for national acts like the allman bros, bono of u2, kiss, etc. hey, if i can get that same sound with less money, i'm all for it. i don't physically have the pickups in my possesion as of yet so i can always tell him to order the other ones. to be honest, i'm clueless when it comes to pickups and electronics. i know wood a little better, but electronics are a foreign object. the more advice i get, the better.

 

[maurilio]

..... Jimmy J and tom K Now we're talking!

Great, gigantic players!

Either way you'll be fine, I personally wanted to save you some money, but in the end it's more important that you feel happy/confident! What "voice" are you getting (C, K, CBC...)?
Let us know how you like them, once you get them.

M

 

[capnsandwich]

wow, i finally got them in there and boy they sound huge! i love the way they bring out every little sound out of my bass. if i need a lot of high end for slapping, i got it, or if i need a subtle yet present sound for some slow jazz stuff, that's there too. i think my next journey into this is maybe to get some switches so i can use them in a single coil jazz or precision bass configuration. let me save up some money first.