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Can't decide between these 2 Nordstrand Pickups

Riki323

Riki323

Dec 24, 2016
84
71
Mostar Bosnia and Herzegovina
#1
I'm building a bass with my grandfather (a Wal lookalike ) and i have set my eyes on these 2 pickups:
-The new Big Blade Man pickups (made for Justin Chancellor himself)
-The Nordstrand MM4.2 Dual coil pickups
Now you are probably thinking why would I even ask since the Big Blade Man pickups are made to emulate the Wal tone.Well the thing is that I play a variety of Styles and I am a huge fan of Vulfpeck (I love Joe Darts classic EBMM tone),RATM (That MM tone is killer) and of course TOOL.I'm not really a bass tone expert (i'm still learning a lot) but I'm not sure if the Big Blade Man pickups could deliver me the Classic MM tone plus the Wal punch (i'm probably gonna buy the new Nordstrand JC preamp that was inspired by the Wal preamp).So can you guys help with this? Here's 2 videos of each pickups:




Thank you!
 
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#2
While you have all the freedom to choose where to put things, I’d say pay attention to where the pickups are on the original designs. Pickup location has a big influence on the sound.

As far as I can tell, Wal positions pickups closer to the bridge. If you’re copying that look, you won’t have the pickup (regardless which model) in the right location for the MM sound. So you might as well go with the Blades for he Wal vibe.

That said, I wonder if you put the pickups close enough to each other, you could perhaps combine the neck coil of the bridge pickup with the bridge coil of the neck pickup and approximate the MM position (and sound)? It would be an approximation, but it might still sound good.

But either way, I wouldn’t get hung up on nailing either sound. They’re very specific and if you get close enough, you should be fine.
 
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#4
sikamikanico said:
While you have all the freedom to choose where to put things, I’d say pay attention to where the pickups are on the original designs. Pickup location has a big influence on the sound.

As far as I can tell, Wal positions pickups closer to the bridge. If you’re copying that look, you won’t have the pickup (regardless which model) in the right location for the MM sound. So you might as well go with the Blades for he Wal vibe.

That said, I wonder if you put the pickups close enough to each other, you could perhaps combine the neck coil of the bridge pickup with the bridge coil of the neck pickup and approximate the MM position (and sound)? It would be an approximation, but it might still sound good.

But either way, I wouldn’t get hung up on nailing either sound. They’re very specific and if you get close enough, you should be fine.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tips mate! I might try putting the Bridge pickup in the musicman position and adding the neck pickup right next to it,I might get the most out of the 2 sounds like that.
 
#5
TrevorR said:
If you want a Wal vibe, why not consider a filter based preamp rather than the bass/middle/treble boost/cut option? ACG in the U.K. sell one developed in conjunction with John East...

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

All Wals use that type of EQ... not B/M/T.
Click to expand...
Those are a bit too pricey for me at the moment but maybe I replace the pre-amp in the future :) Thank you for answering!
 
#6
IMO, the Wal sound is all about the pickups. The Big Blademan is really cool and the pre-amp combo sounds great. I would never confuse it with a Wal. It's some new thing, which is great.

I would first try the MM4.2 in the bridge and a big blademan in the neck.
 
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#8
Riki323 said:
I'm building a bass with my grandfather (a Wal lookalike ) and i have set my eyes on these 2 pickups:
-The new Big Blade Man pickups (made for Justin Chancellor himself)
-The Nordstrand MM4.2 Dual coil pickups
Now you are probably thinking why would I even ask since the Big Blade Man pickups are made to emulate the Wal tone.Well the thing is that I play a variety of Styles and I am a huge fan of Vulfpeck (I love Joe Darts classic EBMM tone),RATM (That MM tone is killer) and of course TOOL.I'm not really a bass tone expert (i'm still learning a lot) but I'm not sure if the Big Blade Man pickups could deliver me the Classic MM tone plus the Wal punch (i'm probably gonna buy the new Nordstrand JC preamp that was inspired by the Wal preamp).So can you guys help with this? Here's 2 videos of each pickups:




Thank you!
Click to expand...

Sorry, but I couldn't resist. In the background there's a Shriner fez on top of a lampshade with glass beads dangling below. I've got a mental picture of Carey wearing the lampshade and fez as an ensemble. I dare ya Carey, do it.
 
#9
@Riki323 The Wal and the Nordstrand pickups and preamps are different animals, with some similar traits.

As far as your options go, the short answer is if you want to nail the mm sound order the MM. If you want a version of MM and have more versatility go Big Blademan with the JC3-b. If you want a more in-depth answer and options I urge you to email adrian or stew @nordstrandpickups.com They will best answer your questions and help you narrow it down.
 
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