Bassbucker Position?

[SurferJoe46]

What's the general consensus for placing a Schaller Bassbucker in a new build?

Working on my next Tuxedo Bass here and I'm lining up designs and such as soon as I finish my new workshop in the next few days.

The Schaller unit has a S/P switch, so I can change the voice somewhat.

FWIW - I like low and boom-y Motown and Surf stuff for this bass I think. I've got some clear talking basses and some that cross both lines, so this will be a little different this time. .

 

[SGD Lutherie]

I've used them, and the DiMarzio Model G, which they are copied off of. I think they are muddy and wound too hot. I never cared for the way they sounded. I had a Model G at the neck position on an 8-string, and the Bassbucker on a Kramer Duke.

 

[SurferJoe46]

You think that it's be best in the neck position - relatively? I was wondering if it should be closer to the bridge like the lower Jazz p'up.

I recognize that it should be boomier and darker, so I though nearer to the bridge would be more correct.

Do you think the S-P switch will make it more versatile?

'Wound too hot' kinda mystifies me. I always though HOT was more clarity and definition plus more powerful HIGHs and less scoop in the MIDs.

If HOT is just a 'more power' or greater output voltage statement, I can EQ for that - but I don't want something too tinny.

Would overwound cause 'HOT' too?

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Lower wind pickups sound clearer, and have more highs and lows. The treble is more open, and the bass and mids are not so exaggerated.

As you wind the pickup hotter you lower the resonant peak to the upper mids. It sounds brighter because of that peak, but the treble response drops off right after that. You also don't get the very deep lows because the response starts to resemble a band pass.

As an example, take a Musicman pickup, which is only 4k per coil, and it's very bright wired in parallel to 2k. The Bassbucker is a copy of the DiMarzio Model G, which was an X2N guitar pickup, but with 8 poles. I think they were around 16k. Replacing the blades with poles lowered the inductance a little to clean up the tone, but it's still a murky sounding pickup IMO. An extreme overwound pickup is the Gibson EB-0 "mudbucker". Almost no high end at all.

I also don't like overwound pickups like Quarter Pounders, but obviously other people do. Once you get past a certain point you get diminishing returns on output, an the tone starts to suffer.

 

[SurferJoe46]

Just checking the dimensions here too against a known bridge, and they (the poles) are pretty close - closer than the barrels on the bridge. That may limit position for the p'up somewhat.

OK - I understand the message you posted and will try to design-in the best position with the physical width and size now too.

Thanks.