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emg 35dc in pbass

M

marchisgonebass

Aug 31, 2009
57
0
#1
i have an old pbass copy that plays incredible but sounds like ass, and recently i decided i was going to put some new pickups in it to make it sound decent and i think im pretty much settled on the Emg 35dc.

questions...

#1 whats your opinion about the 35dc?

#2 and where would an active soapbar pickup like the 35dc sound good in a pbass, where is its sweetspot? should i route out the body a little bit and put it directly where the pbass pickups are or route out near the bridge and put it in the MM sweetspot
 
#2
I did this on a Warmoth bass I had built a few years ago. Sounded great. Not sure on the exact dimensions but the pic will give you some idea.

I recorded all the stuff here with it: Link Removed

telebassbody.gif
 
#4
That was one of the old 2-Tek bridges. Hard to find these days but they do pop up on eBay now and then. They are getting up in the $300 range though. It's a shame they don't make those anymore. Although I've read they can be had from Boogie Bodies. May just be a rumor though.

There are comparable alternatives. Hipshot makes a single string bridge. Not as massive as the 2-Tek but pretty cool I'd say.
http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=24
 
#5
i had an older peavey p-bass come in with a dead pickup, and the stock unit was sort of oddly-shaped, so a normal replacement wouldn't really fit. for laughs, the customer had me rout over the cavity at an angle so a 35DC would totally cover the old hole, so basically it was in the same place as a P pickup, with the bass side a little towards the neck and the treble side towards the bridge.

it sounded really good as i recall, aggressive and balanced.
 
#6
marchisgonebass said:
questions...

#1 whats your opinion about the 35dc?

#2 and where would an active soapbar pickup like the 35dc sound good in a pbass, where is its sweetspot? should i route out the body a little bit and put it directly where the pbass pickups are or route out near the bridge and put it in the MM sweetspot
Click to expand...

Just curious... what leads you to think that the 35DC is the right pickup for you?

Personally, I find that particular pickup to be loud, sterile, and harsh... doesn't sound natural or organic at all, IMO. There are a number of other high output pickups which would drop right in, like the SD Quarter Pound SPB-3.
 
#7
i think its the right pickup for me because iv heard great things about it from people who play the same style of music that i do. i dont really like a natural organic tone, i really prefer an agressive in your face type tone and thats what iv heard about the 35dc
 
#8
walterw said:
i had an older peavey p-bass come in with a dead pickup, and the stock unit was sort of oddly-shaped, so a normal replacement wouldn't really fit. for laughs, the customer had me rout over the cavity at an angle so a 35DC would totally cover the old hole, so basically it was in the same place as a P pickup, with the bass side a little towards the neck and the treble side towards the bridge.

it sounded really good as i recall, aggressive and balanced.
Click to expand...

hmm thats what im thinking about doing. does tilting it like that have any affect on the tone?
 
#9
marchisgonebass said:
i think its the right pickup for me because iv heard great things about it from people who play the same style of music that i do. i dont really like a natural organic tone, i really prefer an agressive in your face type tone and thats what iv heard about the 35dc
Click to expand...

It sounds aggressive, but not in a good way, IMO... brash in the upper midrange. On the other hand, there are some more aggressive pickups like MusicMan humbuckers, which are punchy and bright, but don't have that sterile sound. There are some pretty aggressive P-type pickups as well. Perhaps it is more a matter of taste than anything. Years ago I thought I liked the EMG sound, but now they couldn't pay me to use their pickups.

BTW, what sort of music do you play? And what sort of tone are you after?
 
#10
12bass said:
It sounds aggressive, but not in a good way, IMO... brash in the upper midrange. On the other hand, there are some more aggressive pickups like MusicMan humbuckers, which are punchy and bright, but don't have that sterile sound. There are some pretty aggressive P-type pickups as well. Perhaps it is more a matter of taste than anything. Years ago I thought I liked the EMG sound, but now they couldn't pay me to use their pickups.

BTW, what sort of music do you play? And what sort of tone are you after?
Click to expand...

i play like heavy metal/harcore-ish music, but my band deffinitaly doesnt sound like other bands in our genre because i do alot of quick fills and alot of slapping. i love the sound of stingrays but i dont know where to get an actual stingray pickup and preamp, becuase i havent really liked any of the replacement MM pups that iv heard. im really looking for something that is really agressive and that has enough bite to cut through the mix of a metal band. i like my tone to be kind of like fleas in alot of their songs like "by the way" and "give it away".
 
#11
12bass...lots of people use the EMG DC pickups and are happy with them. It's cool that you don't like it, but you've stated your case. No need to go on a personal crusade against it. I like the EMG DC pickups in the Spectors I've had, especially for aggressive styles of music. OTOH, I hate the Duncan 1/4-pounder P-bass pickup. I think it is the most unmusical pickup I've ever had. Nothing but thud and clank, almost no midrange. Different strokes for different folks. Just because it didn't work for you doesn't mean that it isn't the perfect pickup for someone else.

If the OP gets the 35DC and hates it, you can say I told you so.
 

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