EMG Pickups for 5 Strings Bass: need advice and guidance

[Lau Rent]

Hi everyone,
I would like to ask for advices and guidance in choosing my EMG pickups.

I would like to install EMG pickups on my 5 strings Ibanez SR405 (21 years old).
I therefore need 4” pickups and need to narrow the choice more according to some of my criteria, as I would like to have:
A pot to control Bass
A pot to control Mid
A pot to control Treble

A balance knob to switch between Bridge and Neck PU
A master volume knob
(See the volume pot question)


my favorite config would be Humbuckers for both B and N Pu
If not possible I’d go for alternatives solutions:
1. J for bridge and P for neck
2. P for both

mid prefer active electronics but it should not be the most decisive criteria.

what shall I go for?
I first thought the TWX but it looks like they’re optimized for one pickup only.

So I guess 2x 40 DC or DCX is my best choice, right?
What would be then the wiring for having the 3 knobs Bass MiD Treble?

Volume pot question:
I see every pickup is delivered with a volume pot. does that mean that I have to go with 2 volume pot (1 per pickup) and respectively adjust the volume of each pick up and have no master volume pickup? That would be fine and actually even offering a more customizable setup if my understanding is right.

thanks in advance for your time and answers.

 

[rwkeating]

If you go with the DCX, you can use this blend pot Invalid Link Removed
For separate bass mid treble controls you could use this Invalid Link Removed
For more tone options check out all they have available here: Invalid Link Removed
All of their products have PDFs available with different wiring. You may have to combine two of those diagrams to get exactly what you want.

 

[Lau Rent]

Thanks for your answer rwkeating.

I still didn’t really made my mind regarding the pickups. I could use some advices here too.
i believe the 40DC for bridge and 40CS for neck would be a good choice for pickups. Would you say they are?

I’ve seen the B30EQ and it looks to provide exactly what I described. The only downside is that all knobs are in the same e-board. Therefore I will be unable to install them on my bass. I’d rather need all knobs to be independent.
Therefore I was thinking that the BQS system would be more adapted. (?)

Is it better to have a master volume and a balance or would 2 independent pickup volume knobs offer more control?

Last but not least if I use active pickups and active electronics, how many 9V batteries would this system need?
Thanks in advance

 

[Jeremias Paul]

If you plan on adjusting your eq, go with 18 volts, so two 9 volt batteries. I’ve always found that running just 9 volts isn’t enough headroom if you want to adjust any eq with EMG.

 

[J Wilson]

(IF they fit your bass . . . )

40J and 40P5 pickups (active low impedance Jazz and Precision pickups in a rectangular shell for 5-string) and the B30EQ System (master volume, balancer, treble, mids, bass). All these are simply modular plug ins, and it will run on a single 9v, but I would prefer 18v (two 9v batteries) for the most headroom. Simple install, no shielding or grounding necessary, all plug and play, may need assistance to rout and install a double battery holder.

If the Ibanez has only 4 control holes, use the BTS System (vol, fade, treble, bass) or the BQC System (vol, fade, stacked Bass+Treble, stacked mid cut/boost over mid freq select). Again, these are all plug-in systems.

BTW, it would sound great and be exceptionally quiet.

 

[Lau Rent]

Thanks for this detailed answer.

My concern with PJ or JP is the J.
I am no fan of the the J sound at all.
Nevertheless from my findings on YouTube I must say I like the P sound, but the CS sound.
Found one video with 40CSX at bridge and P5CX at neck position. I love this fat yet clear, present yet humble, clacking yet round sound!
I am now wondering (and YouTube results aint of much help here):
A) What’s the big difference between CS and CSX (from user experience)
B) should I go with double CS, P&CS, DC&CS?
C) should I go with CS on bridge or neck? Pros and cons?

now the preamp:
I definitely can’t use any preamp that does not have independent knobs as no knob is aligned.
Coming to the double battery I have to see whether there is enough space in the bass already. I’d like not to make use of my Makita DRT50X here, unless strictly necessary.
Thanks in advance for your guidance!

 

[rwkeating]

I like a master volume and blend, but that is up to you to decide.

Not sure what advice to give on the pickups, it depends what sound you are going for and trying to determine which pickups would give you that sound. I haven't tried them all so maybe others will chime in.

9 volts is fine and others have given their opinion on 18. nothing wrong with 18 if you have the space.

 

[Jeremias Paul]

I have found with EMG that if you do use 9v you just have to be prepared to turn down your master volume to avoid the lack of headroom, other than that 9v will totally work.

 

[Lau Rent]

I like a master volume and blend, but that is up to you to decide.

So far all instruments I’ve played on were having a master volume and a pot that allows to balance Neck and Bridge Pickup
Is that what blend is?
But as I have never used any EMG system so far I’m fully noob and I’m still not sure to understand this volume pots thing.
Could you confirm one thing to me please? Thus:
Every pickup comes along with a volume pot. I understand that offers the possibly to independently adjust the volume of every single pickup respectively. Does it mean more control in the end than the blend? As in possible to have 100% neck and bridge at 50% as well as 40% neck 50% bridge? And if yes I guess this is not possible with blend that is supposedly going proportionally, do I get this right?
Yet the system comes with master volume and blend pot. Does it mean I have to purchase every pot independently if I wanna have the separated volume adjustment?

Not sure what advice to give on the pickups, it depends what sound you are going for and trying to determine which pickups would give you that sound. I haven't tried them all so maybe others will chime in.

I was hoping for advices on the pickups like which pickup will deliver what sound and so on. It’s really a pity that EMG does not have these “test” records for their pickups on their page.

anyhow I think I have almost decided: 40P5 for neck pickup

and for bridge I am still hesitating between:
40CS
40CSX
40P5 … any comment anyone?

 

[ctmullins]

The original series and the X series have different output impedances, so mixing the two is not recommended. That’s why EMG have two different versions of their ABC blend control, and also why they include the VLPF active tone knob with the X series pickups instead of a normal passive tone knob.

The DC and CS are full dual coils, and have the highest output. As dual coils, their tone is full of low frequencies, with slightly muted mids. The different magnetic architectures give the DC a more prominent upper-frequency presence, with the CS being slightly warmer and more polite sounding.

The P is all about the growly midrange, while still having plenty of lows and the famous EMG high-frequency clarity. The J is the quietest of them all, and the most polite sounding.

The original series are still great pickups, and I enjoy mine. The X series is a newer design that is intended to deliver more dynamic range; some people also hear an expanded frequency response.

A blend with a master volume can do everything that two volume controls can do, but is more user friendly.

My recommendation is a 40P5 in the neck and a 40CS or 40DC in the bridge. Or the X series of both if you’re so inclined. Pair that with the correct BQS System. The System includes the proper blend control and a master volume control. All of these require no soldering, which is a nice bonus.

 

[Lau Rent]

The original series and the X series have different output impedances, so mixing the two is not recommended. That’s why EMG have two different versions of their ABC blend control, and also why they include the VLPF active tone knob with the X series pickups instead of a normal passive tone knob.

The DC and CS are full dual coils, and have the highest output. As dual coils, their tone is full of low frequencies, with slightly muted mids. The different magnetic architectures give the DC a more prominent upper-frequency presence, with the CS being slightly warmer and more polite sounding.

The P is all about the growly midrange, while still having plenty of lows and the famous EMG high-frequency clarity. The J is the quietest of them all, and the most polite sounding.

The original series are still great pickups, and I enjoy mine. The X series is a newer design that is intended to deliver more dynamic range; some people also hear an expanded frequency response.

A blend with a master volume can do everything that two volume controls can do, but is more user friendly.

My recommendation is a 40P5 in the neck and a 40CS or 40DC in the bridge. Or the X series of both if you’re so inclined. Pair that with the correct BQS System. The System includes the proper blend control and a master volume control. All of these require no soldering, which is a nice bonus.

thanks a lot for your time and this very comprehensive answer.
the no soldering is definitely and that’s why I am considering changing the electronic of this 23 years old instrument
i will follow your recommendation and go with P5 neck and CS bridge!
I will make more focused researches to make 100% sure I don’t go with the P5X neck and CSX bridge, but I’m already quite convinced I’d go with the original version. Knowing that at this moment I don’t see any need for wider dynamic when I play. And the videos I found in addition with your answer convinced me that it is not needed for me to go with the X version.

With the original P5-n and CS-b I guess the corresponding BQS system is this one:
Invalid Link Removed
is that correct? how many batteries will I have to go for with this setup?

next steps I will have to measure to make sure the mid board and the treble can be installed beside each other, can the inside part of the treble fit right in front of the mid board?
Thanks a lot again and in advance!

 

[rwkeating]

@Lau Rent , yes the pickups come with volume controls, but if you use a blend, you use just one volume control. You are correct, the blend splits from 100% (so you couldn't have just 20% neck and 20% bridge if using a blend control.) I personally don't find limiting.

The thing I like about a blend control is that you can quickly change your volume with one control rather that twisting 2 volume controls and trying to keep the mix you had. To each their own.

 

[ctmullins]

@Lau Rent , that looks correct. You don’t want the HZ version, as that is for passive pickups. And be sure to read the instructions (which you can do online, before ordering). There is a battery buss that will allow you to power everything with a single 9V battery, or (as recommended) a single 18V power source (two 9V in series).

@Lau Rent , yes the pickups come with volume controls, but if you use a blend, you use just one volume control. You are correct, the blend splits from 100% (so you couldn't have just 20% neck and 20% bridge if using a blend control.) I personally don't find limiting.

Sure you can. You put the blend in the center and roll the master volume down to 20%.

The thing I like about a blend control is that you can quickly change your volume with one control rather that twisting 2 volume controls and trying to keep the mix you had. To each their own.

Exactly!