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Dunable bass

Sapatown

Sapatown

Sep 16, 2016
299
237
#1
So Im thinking about ordering a Dunable Yeti bass.
I really would like to have a one pickup bass since my others have two.
And if I would have a bass with one pickup it would be epic to have a Dunable.

Im just want your opinion, do one pickup basses sound weaker than two pickup basses?
I would imagine that two pickups can catch "more", and sound beefier or bigger if you want. My two metal bands plays low tunings in drop A (AEAD) and drop C (CGCF).

So would one pickup be good for that stuff. I would think its not about if its two pickups but how you play it. The volume is in the amp, the sound is in my preamps with EQ, and pedals. Plecter or finger style.

I also want to save some cash by ordering one pickup. And it would be great to have in my arsenal. Since the bass is 35 scale, It will handle low tunings! But Im not quite sure about the pickups! I like to keep things simple, and always find that when Im having two pickups on my Rickenbacker and Fender, I always use both, always.
And with one pickup it will be placed in the middle of the body, which I have little experience about.

PS. its gonna be a P pickup. Considering a J/P.

Cheers!
 
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#2
Sapatown said:
So Im thinking about ordering a Dunable Yeti bass.
I really would like to have a one pickup bass since my others have two.
And if I would have a bass with one pickup it would be epic to have a Dunable.

Im just want your opinion, do one pickup basses sound weaker than two pickup basses?
I would imagine that two pickups can catch "more", and sound beefier or bigger if you want. My two metal bands plays low tunings in drop A (AEAD) and drop C (CGCF).

So would one pickup be good for that stuff. I would think its not about if its two pickups but how you play it. The volume is in the amp, the sound is in my preamps with EQ, and pedals. Plecter or finger style.

I also want to save some cash by ordering one pickup. And it would be great to have in my arsenal. Since the bass is 35 scale, It will handle low tunings! But Im not quite sure about the pickups! I like to keep things simple, and always find that when Im having two pickups on my Rickenbacker and Fender, I always use both, always.
And with one pickup it will be placed in the middle of the body, which I have little experience about.

PS. its gonna be a P pickup. Considering a J/P.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

It won't sound weak unless you get a weak pickup or play it weak. ;)

In my experience, single pickup basses have more open, dynamic sound. I find the sound gets compressed with 2+ pickups. I like each for different purposes. The location of the single pickup will be imperative. Any range from p-bass to stingray should do you well. Great meat, growl, and bite in that range.
 
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#5
deff said:
Chris Johnson from Deafheaven uses a single pickup Yeti since his was basically the first one. He said that he used the Yeti on every song of the unreleased new record. He sounds huge no matter what he plays through. Totally a very heavy Geezer Butler sound.
Click to expand...

Yes! But I also think they mainly play in DADG. Drop D.
I haven't tried a P bass with AEAD tuning. That being said, its my sideproject band.
My main band plays in drop C, CGCF.
And I have heard some people say a P bass will only sound like a huge fart in those low tunings.

But I have a feeling thats not the case. If I play closer to the bridge and its a 35 scale bass, using .120 strings, it should hold well?

I also see the bassist in Wolves in the Throneroom plays a single pup bass, but they are also mainly in drop D!
 
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#9
Yeah it's not going to sound indistinct and too bottom heavy. I almost entirely use a 34 scale with.110s and the neck pickup. Plenty people here use AEAD tuning with pbasses. Sacha makes great basses and tons of metal people use them with a single pickup. I've played Chris's Yeti. It's very nice. His was the first, and I think Dunable just gets better with building over time.
 
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#10
deff said:
Yeah it's not going to sound indistinct and too bottom heavy. I almost entirely use a 34 scale with.110s and the neck pickup. Plenty people here use AEAD tuning with pbasses. Sacha makes great basses and tons of metal people use them with a single pickup. I've played Chris's Yeti. It's very nice. His was the first, and I think Dunable just gets better with building over time.
Click to expand...

Nice! Im considering, since I just ordered, to ask for a second pup, so it could be a P/J Bass. But I already have two basses with two pickups.
Wow, you got to try it?

Since you are saying that plenty people use AEAD with P basses, and you tried almost exactly the same bass we are talking about here, maby I would like the P bass verson.

You say its not gonna sound indistinct or too bottom heavy, meaning too bottom heavy is "bad" in a way, that its not gonna be too muddy right?

I will go try som P basses at my local shops this week.
 
#11
The Yeti might be configured with a P pickup and sound precision like but it isn't a pbass. When I've seen it used, it was woody throaty and organic sounding and very heavy. It didn't sound modern like an active bass or twangy like a Dingwall. Of course all this is dependent on your playing style, and rig. I'm sure there are live things on YouTube showing it. To me it was a really nice vintage feeling and sounding bass. My personal preference for Dunable is the Thunderclapper. Love the look of those.

 
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#12
scuzzy said:
It won't sound weak unless you get a weak pickup or play it weak. ;)

In my experience, single pickup basses have more open, dynamic sound. I find the sound gets compressed with 2+ pickups. I like each for different purposes. The location of the single pickup will be imperative. Any range from p-bass to stingray should do you well. Great meat, growl, and bite in that range.
Click to expand...

Btw, regarding the thread. Funny your avatar have a bass with THREE pickups :D
 
#14
I was playing my passive Squier Affinity Precision today, then when I switched to my active Dean with dual humbuckers, I had to turn up my amp because it was so much quieter. Which is funny, because that Dean is significantly louder than other basses I've had. Blew my mind!

From this I can say that:
1: A single pickup won't necessarily doom you to low volume, and
2: Nothing makes sense and I'll always be nervous to work out my ideal bass because who knows if it'll work the way it should. But good luck to you.

As for low tunings, I have no idea. But I thought the rest was worth mentioning.
 
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#16
Bongripper bassist uses a 35 scale with a single humbucker in the P position, IIRC. They play in vey low tunings.

personally i like that pickup configuration for low tunings. But of course YMMV. I would try and find some soundclips of comparable basses before you lay out the cash.
 
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#17
Ps of course placement of the pickups - if you go for 2 - will have a huge effect on the sound.

i'm assuming the single pickup would be in the P position.... and that we're talking about humbuckers. Purists might get upset about all the variables being reduced to "1 or 2" !!
 
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#18
knumbskull said:
Ps of course placement of the pickups - if you go for 2 - will have a huge effect on the sound.

i'm assuming the single pickup would be in the P position.... and that we're talking about humbuckers. Purists might get upset about all the variables being reduced to "1 or 2" !!
Click to expand...


Cool! I love Bongripper. The bass I ordered is this one:
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But I now start to get cold feet regarding drop tunings after some after toughts. And people seem to be all over the place in that debate, so I guess its totally subjective. Iam just used to two pickups, so MABY its smart of me to add a J pickup since its not too late. I have a Fender Jaguar, and I just love that sound.

BUT, that being said, I haven't played long enough with a single pup P bass to actually know if I like it..
I just asked how much cash it will be to add a J by the bridge. If its like 200 dollars, maaaaaby. But it feels overkill aswell.

Its also hard to find bands to compare with and know if they use a single pickup on their basses.

- Here is an example of my side project (drop A): BRÅDYPT
- This is my main band (drop C):

or bandcamp if you prefer: Revenantian, by JAGGU

Its sometimes a busy mix to play in and not "Doom metal" like Bongripper.
Im also starting to see actually how difficult it is to answer, cause of the subjective matter.

I will see what Dunable have to say
 
#19
Also want to add, when I watch Deafheaven on youtube, he plays the exact same bass in a busy band mix, but I (maby wrong) think they play in drop D. Which is far away from drop C and all the way down to drop A..

He also uses a pick in mostly all the videos I have seen from them. While myself prefer the fingers. But can play with pick aswell, just love to feel the strings in my finger tips instead. And I hit them pretty hard..

Watched Bongripper from 2019 just now, and it looks like a one pickup bass yes! But their music is more about to let the notes "ring out", and often slow tempos, so thats not my case. I think the bassist from Bongripper is on these forums (love your music!)
 

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