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Dark Star

OriginalCrash

OriginalCrash

Apr 5, 2007
1,007
10
Metro Atlanta
#1
I'm intrigued by the Dark Stars. Question, if your bass didn't come with 'em, how easy is it to route out the pickup cavity for it? I guess this question could apply to doing so for any p'up that doesn't drop right in. Does anyone know if a Dark Star would fit in place of the humbucker on the new Squier Vintage Modified Precision Bass TB? Thanks for your help.

Brian

P.S. Anyone wanna share their opinion of/experience with Dark Stars, please do!
 
#4
They are very powerful. They have a very p-like vibe when mounted in the p bass sweet spot. I'd love to try a Decade some time but I really can't imagine needing a bass with 2 DS pickups unless it were a something like a Starfire.

The DS is very 'full range' tonally. There seems to be more low end and there seems to be more high end and there seems to be more mid range. It's a weird and wonderful experience when you get used to it. IME - it does take a little getting used to.

The DS is super sensitive to your picking hand position and dynamics. To me that is it's most defining attribute. As a player you get to interact with your instrument and it's sound in a more intimate manner than before was my experience.

I'm currently 'Dark Starless' as Bart bought my DSP. (well his DSP now...) I won't be for too much longer though. A new pretty cool bass in the works ... couple of months and it will be turning some heads!

I will caution that you have to have good materials to start with. A bass is more than a pickup a bridge and some strings. A DS isn't going to take a not very good bass and make it wonderful. Better than it was ? Probably. Wonderful - probably not. I personally would not bother with a Squire ... I'd be thinking in terms of a Mity Mite body & neck and do a build up if I were working with a restrictive budget... Ymmv.

Fred has the dimensions for the pickup cavity on his site. If you are uncomfortable with the oiea of taking a router to your bass. Hire a luthier to do it for you. It isn't difficult to install or to find the luthier ...

G' luck
 
#6
I just got a Lakland Hollowbody with the 2 DS upgrade. I will agree, you will hear more everything. But more isn't quite right, let's say they are wider. It is almost like an active sound, but very organic and nasty as opposed to hi fi and sterile. Very hot signal too, you will find your current amp settings need to be rethought. Perhaps your current amp will need to be rethought. This bass is testing the limits of what my amp can do.
I can see how the whole Alembic/ active school was born of these old Bi Sonics. Something was gained, but something was lost too. I am loving these DarkStars.
 
#7
I've spent a lot of time recording basses with DarkStars for various projects with Lakland. I totally agree with Tom above who said they're "wider." Perfect adjective to describe them. However, there are some dudes out there who claim they sound just like a P but MORE. They don't. They have their own thing, but if you're looking for P - get a P!

But they do deliver something super cool - and they sound just absolutely huge in a mix - especially in that neck position. But beware of the notion that they'll be an IMPROVEMENT over what you may already have. They'll be a unique voice in your line up for sure - but not necesarilly BETTER than other voices.

Ian
 
#8
Since the original review of the DS pickups I posted on TB, which referenced the Dark Star pickup installed in my Lakland Bob Glaub P-style bass, I have added two more basses to my collection with Dark Star pickups a Bud LeCompte VB-4 modeled after the old Gibson EB-1 with a single pickup in the neck position (it is on the LeCompte website in the VB-4 section) and a 1976 Fender Jazz bass with dual Dark Stars.

I can say also that the Dark Stars are unique in their sound, but you can hear the fact that they retain the sonic signature of the bass/position that they are installed in ie: a Dark Starred Jazz Bass still sounds like a Jazz ... just much bigger and wider.

:) ... The only thing that beats a Dark Starred bass is having THREE of them!
 
#9
Im thinking of building a parts DS bass. It will have a single DS and I can't decide where I want it positioned (on the body). Right now I'm leaning towards middle or neck (for warmth).

Has anyone experienced the DS pup in both placements/positions? What were the main tonal differences?

Also how do Darkstars do with all-tube amps (Orange AD200B, Traynor YBA200, Ampeg V4B-H, etc.)?

My idea is a shortscaled, passive, Walnut SG bass if that helps. Probably a maple neck.
 
#10
Thanks for the review, Kenny. I hadn't thought of a Jazz with Dark Stars... at least, not in place of the regular pickups. What I had thought about was a Jazz with its two pickups and a Dark Star at the extreme neck position. From what I've read and heard of the Dark Stars, they pick up the string attack well enough that having it there wouldn't result in too muddy a sound, and I like the idea of the variety that such a bass would give you. I do wonder about two things, though... Is there enough room to do that? And how would it look? I like the chrome surrounds on the Dark Stars, but how would it look not having that around the Jazz pickups? For that matter, could you get custom-made Jazz pickups to match the look... Too many ideas lol.

Brian

P.S. For the record, I rarely ever slap, so the obvious disadvantage in not having the room between the pickups and the neck wouldn't bother me much there.
 
#11
The Dark Star in the LeCompte is in the neck position and sounds just great!

As for building a bass far and away the "easy button" on these is to get a Peavey T-45 http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Peavey-...15QQihZ003QQcategoryZ4713QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem and it drops right in (you will need a ring from Jeannie pickguards) but that's about it ...

A Jazz with a DS (actually a Bi-Sonic) was the signature bass of Barry Oakley with the Allman Bros. band ... pictures of it are everywhere ... it was known as the "Tractor Bass" and had a Bi-Sonic and two stock Jazz pickups in the bridge position.


:) ... Other than that I think a P-bass is the other way to go.
 
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#12
I picked up this Lakland Skyline Limited Edition with a Darkstar and am happy that I did. I find myself playing it more and more. I also find that it's tone puts a big smile on my face, each tiime I play it. I agree that the Darkstar is an impressive pickup. It has strong output, a very wide bandwidth, plus a lot of other nice features. I doubt that this will be my only Darkstar equipped bass for long.........

Guitars005.jpg
 
#13
Not to be a bother, any idea where pics of Barry's bass are? I did a quick search on Google Image but couldn't come up with anything. As for P's, they're great. I've just found myself lately wanting more mids, less thump. Plus, I haven't seen much (besides maybe a few women lol) that's sexier than a Jazz...

Brian
 

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