EMG HB pickups

[Melodie]

Hello

I have these installed in my bass, with an EMG BTC preamp.

Not a fan, my bass is a custom and i full on love it but its just to complex, to many controls, each pickup has both bass cut/boost and treble cut boost independent of each other.

I need something easier...

Obviously the HB is a guitar sized pickup... i really dont want to have to have the bass routed so... any suggestions of some pickups andd a good preamp to go with it.

When i boost the bass it gets all boomy and cracky etc, its awful! I play it through a GK MB500... im thinking maybe the amp and these pickups are so simliar its no good...

Cheers

 

[Melodie]

Id quite like to go like passive pickups with a very simple EQ!

 

[evermelon]

Hey I remember you and your custom bass with the crazy dual EMG BTC preamps, one for EACH pickup! Anyways, check these out, they are the only passive bass pickups I know of that are made in the guitar humbucker size.

Bartolini CB Guitar Shape Humbucker Bass Pickup
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] (I have, however, read that there is a potential timely wait for SGD pickups, but things look on the up with the recent SGD deal with BBG)


For a preamp there's a few but I like the Aguilar OBP pre's.
Aguilar Preamps

 

[maxschrek]

Rio Grande Pitbulls will fit and have a nice, fat, vintagey sound
a la Dimarzio. I have a pair in a short scale Greco wired VVT and they flat out KILL!

 

[Melodie]

Awesome thanks guys!

Haha yeh i still havent got round to doing anything about it!

 

[Melodie]

Do you think if i just changed the preamp... this would drastically alter the tone... or maybe just an easier preamp? Or is it more the pickups?

 

[mmbongo]

SGD and Bartolini make bass pickups in that size. But if you go SGD, order them from Best Bass Gear rather than direct.

 

[markanini]

I'm using a Wilde L298SM/N set in my Hohner. Haven't been happier with my tone! These are actually hot strat pickups, the specs are close to their Jazz bass set. Drop right in with an adaptor ring off eBay.

 

[Melodie]

Cool cheers guys!

How different would the SGD pickups be to my HBs... i mean will it be dramatically different?

 

[wcriley]

When i boost the bass it gets all boomy and cracky etc, its awful!

Simple solution = Don't boost the lows.
More expensive solution to "cracky" = get a speaker cabinet that can handle the boosted lows.

or maybe just an easier preamp?

Wire both pickups to a single preamp?

Do you think if i just changed the preamp... this would drastically alter the tone...

In my experience (and to my old and abused ears) EMG preamps are very neutral when the controls are centered. The only thing that a different preamp will alter is the corner frequencies of the bass/treble controls, unless you go to a preamp that has a baked-in color. But...the only way to know if you like the baked-in color is to buy and install it.

 

[Melodie]

Ok cool, i was thinking of getting the SGD pickups with an aguilar obp1...

 

[Primakurtz]

I like the HB pups. I would change your preamp, first.

 

[andertone]

I like them too, preamp is the problem. Note my Starfire II in my avatar. They just absolutely sing with a Sadowsky preamp, I had the old belt clip model and it was bliss. Would love to get the Sadowsky onboard system with VTC, but there is a problem with the 25K pots active EMG's use if I'm not mistaken

I also was interested also in David's SGD neo pickups, that would solve the above problem (if they came in a timely fashion)

 

[Melodie]

mmmm! See i would love to just change the preamp first!

For my HB's is there any particular preamp you would suggest...?

Problem is my HBS both have an individual bass/treble cut & boost so its super complex.. hence why i would rather just get a boost only preamp..

 

[mikezimmerman]

I like them too, preamp is the problem. Note my Starfire II in my avatar. They just absolutely sing with a Sadowsky preamp, I had the old belt clip model and it was bliss. Would love to get the Sadowsky onboard system with VTC, but there is a problem with the 25K pots active EMG's use if I'm not mistaken

Since Sadowsky used to use EMGs with their preamp, I don't think it would be a problem. You just need to use the EMG volume/blend controls instead of the ones that come with the preamp.

 

[JimmyM]

I'd do the BQC. Seems like a crazy amount of controls at first, but it's very intuitive and easy to work. The sweepable mid control is awesome.

 

[wcriley]

Problem is my HBS both have an individual bass/treble cut & boost so its super complex..

Before replacing the preamps, try running both of your pickups through just one of the preamps. That might simplify things enough for you.

 

[Melodie]

Problem is instead of being manual, im good at breaking stuff! Would not have a clue how to run them both through just one!

What i dont understand from reading the BTC spec is... i have no blend control, mine is vol, vol, stacked bass trble boost/cut for neck, same for bridge and then a 3 way pickup selector.

No sweepable mids or blend control at all ;/

 

[Melodie]

The bqc would actually be wayyyy simpler than my current setup!

 

[wcriley]

The BQC will still require you to wire both pickups into a single preamp.