Basslines SMB-4D... not Sterling tone

[MikeyB]

So... I routed out my SX "testbed" bass and plopped in a Basslines SMB-4D pickup (ceramic MM humbucker) and wired it in series to the passive tone stack. Was hoping to get reasonably close to my Sterling tone, but not even close at all really.

I realize the MM eq has a lot to do with the sound, but I tried messing with EQ on board my amp and while it affects the overall tone, it just won't get the same timbre as the Sterling.

Any suggestions?

I'm also thinking about Delano's MM pickups and the John East preamp which is a good reproduction of the MM preamp voicing, but with parametric mids.

Thanks,

-Mike

 

[grumpy_dog666]

Pre-amp colours the tone a lot in the MM IMO

 

[Rano Bass]

So... I routed out my SX "testbed" bass and plopped in a Basslines SMB-4D pickup (ceramic MM humbucker) and wired it in series to the passive tone stack. Was hoping to get reasonably close to my Sterling tone, but not even close at all really.

I realize the MM eq has a lot to do with the sound, but I tried messing with EQ on board my amp and while it affects the overall tone, it just won't get the same timbre as the Sterling.

The pickup needs to be in the same exact spot that it is on the Sterling, i have used that pickup and it sounded exactly like a Musicman. Also i dont know why you wired the pup in series... maybe you should have tried parallel first.

The preamp matters but not that much.

 

[grumpy_dog666]

The pickup needs to be in the same exact spot that it is on the Sterling, i have used that pickup and it sounded exactly like a Musicman. Also i dont know why you wired the pup in series... maybe you should have tried parallel first.

The preamp matters but not that much.

Pickup not being placed in the MM sweetspot is also important. I just assumed it was placed in the same position

 

[MikeyB]

I have the pickup in the exact same position as my Sterling, and I wired it in series because I play my Sterling in series 90% of the time.

 

[Rano Bass]

Series is with the switch pointing to the pickup, parallel is with the switch pointing to the bridge. If you play with your switch pointing to the pickup it should sound similar... if not then thats weird.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

It's not just the p'up. It has to sit in good piece of wood, with a well-joined neck. It's in an SX. If it were *that* easy, who would actually buy a real Music Man?

 

[MikeyB]

The SX is a decent Ash body. And for that matter, though it is an SX, it was a very nice Jazz bass... read the plethora of SX threads.

As for it not sounding like my Sterling... that's just my point. I found a couple of other threads where TB'ers replaced their stock MusicMan pickup with a Basslines and felt like it had no balls. Maybe that's the problem - the SMB-4D looks like it has the goods on paper, but maybe it just doesn't cut it.