hello everybody, because of the poor quality of the electronics in my Dean 4 Edge, i'm thinking on replacing the pickups. i have two problems: - can't seem to find 4" pickups for 4 string basses (the only i found so far was bartolini). i was thinking EMG, because i pretty much only play metal, and i'm looking for that modern, growling bass sound. as far as i know bartolinis are not that good for this, but i might be wrong. so can you recommend a 4" 4-string PU for me? - my bass has passive pickups right now with active EQ electronics (4 pots, balance, volume, bass, treble). is my only chance to replace them with passives, or can i put in two actives without having a second battery in my bass? what are my options? sadly i can't seem to find any good sources about these issues, if you can link me some pages where i can read about it, i would be grateful. also, it would be great if the pickups are available in europe. thanks in advance, cheers
EMG 40 series are 4" EMG 40DC, CS, and Jazz have full-width rails inside, so will work with 4, 5, and 6 strings (narrow) and active.. EMG-HZ are the same, but passive.
If the bass is comfortable, and plays right for you in every other respect, then you can look for an electronics swap. If you'r unhappy with the feel, weight or ergonomics of the bass in any way, then maybe look to change instruments entirely. That being said.... For metal? Go for those EMG DC pickups in the 4" size. After you do the pickup change and live with ir for a bit, if you feel like you need to swap out for another preamp, Aguilar, Nordstrand and EMG all make units that would be dynamite with the EMG DCs.
thanks guys for the answers, you were very helpful, and your insights helped me to be able to google and research the matter better than before! i think i'll go with the 40DC + BTS combination. i found that i could power the whole system with 9V, but for 'extraheadroom', i need 18V. i'm not sure what that means, but i think if i use 18V, i can play harder and more louder without making the EQ clip and distort. if this is the case, i definitely need the 'extra headroom', as this is my main concern with my current setup, that i tend to clip and distort my sound very easily. by preamp, you mean EQ? is the BTS system considered a preamp?
The BTS is an EQ/preamp/buffer, as is the BQS, but the BQS has mids control if you think you'll need it.
Simply, that's what it is/does. EMG DCs have relatively high output, and several people have mentioned clipping issues with them, but IMO (w/ EMGs) there's no need to keep the bass vol fully open when it's plugged into an amp as the amp can be cranked to wherever. Active (low Z) pickups don't suffer from the tone drop when the vol is rolled off like passive (hi-Z) pickups, so they don't need to be run WFO on the bass. Another thing that can cause clipping is adding too much bass boost (at the bass) to an already hot pickup signal. Better to cut the ranges less desired (leaving relatively more of the desired ranges), then turn up the amp.
Yes exactly. Solid choice for your musical goals! See if 9V works for you first. I ran an EMG pickups + preamp (J pickups and BQC system in my case) for years, and I didn't honestly find any difference running it at 18V. It's very easy to add a second battery if you need it, with no changes required to the setup.
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