Fodera Club Part XVI

[phishaholik]

Im a huge fan of Jason Lollar pickups...takes alittle time to get your PUPs but very much worth the wait...call him ..and ask any question...he usually answers.

Good luck

Thanks for the info! I've never heard anything but rave reviews of Lollars and that's one reason I'm very interested in them.

i was gonna say nordstrand, but you're not into them. maybe watson?

I loved the Nordy single coils I had, but never really got along with my Nordy loaded P. Maybe it was just the bass I had because my experience seems to be the opposite of what most people say.

The Watson pickups seem interesting. I've never heard of them before. Any idea of what they sound like compared to other makers?


Thanks guys!


Michael

 

[Just Thumpin']

Keep in mind that you are going to need to change some settings on your preamp and run a bridge ground (depending on when your bass was built) or you will have problems running different pups.

Regards,

J

I just posted this over in the Pickup section, but I wanted to get opinions from the Fodera club as well and I know a lot of people don't frequent that section.


I'm finally going to switch out the EMG PJ's on my Fodera Monarch. I've never really been happy with them and I know the bass can sound so much better than it does now. The EMG's are seriously over compressed and I'm missing that P-bass punch, since the pickups are wired in parallel instead of series.

I picked up a bridge pickup from Best Bass Gear. It's a 5% over Lindy Fralin Split Coil. They have a great price on it right now and I couldn't pass it up. This also seems to be the best bridge pickup available for a PJ setup as it's both hum cancelling and overwound, which will help with volume disparity often found in the PJ setup. I was going to get a Fralin Precision pickup, but all the clips I hear make it sound like it has very little low mids and a ton of upper mids. Very grindy and not nearly as punchy as other P pickups I've had.

I was looking at the Bill Lawrence Wylde pickups, but I was put off by a couple things. I didn't know how long it would take to get the pickups, I would have to order the flat radius which would take longer and I've heard that the P pickup is larger than most others and there is no way in hell I'm routing my bass. I am probably going to pick up a set at some point though.

I also tried the Nordstrand pickup in the past and I found it to be very scooped and modern sounding. I've heard a lot of people say the opposite, but that's definitely how it sounded to me.





So at this point, I'm trying to decide on which P pickup to get to go with the Fralin bridge pickup. I think I have it down to either the D. Allen pickup or the Lollar.





I'm happy to hear an ideas or thoughts.


Thanks!

Michael

 

[steubig]

Thanks for the info! I've never heard anything but rave reviews of Lollars and that's one reason I'm very interested in them.



I loved the Nordy single coils I had, but never really got along with my Nordy loaded P. Maybe it was just the bass I had because my experience seems to be the opposite of what most people say.

The Watson pickups seem interesting. I've never heard of them before. Any idea of what they sound like compared to other makers?

the guy runs the watson shop used to run carey's shop for him. he has some cool ideas. i'm using some custom stuff we came up with when he was at nordstrand.

might be worth perusal of their site.

 

[phishaholik]

Keep in mind that you are going to need to change some settings on your preamp and run a bridge ground (depending on when your bass was built) or you will have problems running different pups.

Regards,

J

Thanks for the heads up!

I have a late 90's Monarch New Standard, so it doesn't have the ground hole. I have a local luthier, who builds acoustic guitars, that is going to drill the ground hole for me as well as a hole for the active passive switch. I wish I could have y'all do it, but I'm not going to be in New York any time soon.

Other than that, I just need to switch the jumper from active pick-ups to passive, right?


Thanks


Michael

 

[iwearpumas]

Im still having a hard time trying to decide whether I should get a 5 or 6 string custom. Its gonna take a while before I decide. I'm big on thumping and stuff which is why I like the 5 string, but I like the melodic playing I can do with a 6 string. Decisions, decisions, decisions. I currently have a 5 string, and I just got a 6 string recently, but I don't know how many strings my Custom Fodera should be.

 

[Randyt]

Im still having a hard time trying to decide whether I should get a 5 or 6 string custom. Its gonna take a while before I decide. I'm big on thumping and stuff which is why I like the 5 string, but I like the melodic playing I can do with a 6 string. Decisions, decisions, decisions. I currently have a 5 string, and I just got a 6 string recently, but I don't know how many strings my Custom Fodera should be.

Personally, if you are comfortable with a 6xer...I would go with the 6 string!!...

 

[kamakiriad7]

Get a 5-string tuned E-C!

 

[steubig]

Im still having a hard time trying to decide whether I should get a 5 or 6 string custom. Its gonna take a while before I decide. I'm big on thumping and stuff which is why I like the 5 string, but I like the melodic playing I can do with a 6 string. Decisions, decisions, decisions. I currently have a 5 string, and I just got a 6 string recently, but I don't know how many strings my Custom Fodera should be.

how do you like the 6 you currently have?

my 2¢ = 6-string, but stay committed when you get it; don't let the frustration wear you down.

 

[Damian Coccio]

Im still having a hard time trying to decide whether I should get a 5 or 6 string custom. Its gonna take a while before I decide. I'm big on thumping and stuff which is why I like the 5 string, but I like the melodic playing I can do with a 6 string. Decisions, decisions, decisions. I currently have a 5 string, and I just got a 6 string recently, but I don't know how many strings my Custom Fodera should be.

This has always been a tough decision for me too. I ended up with all 5s because I couldn't get super comfortable on a 6 due to wrist pain/small hands. some guys can do it though. I'd be really handicapped though if I only had a 5 tuned e to c so I have a few fives tuned standard and e to c.

 

[gkbass13]

The more I toy with ideas the more I'm leaning towards a 5 tuned E-C with a drop tuner on the E. That's how I have my Emperor currently and am loving it.

 

[xabicho]

This has always been a tough decision for me too. I ended up with all 5s because I couldn't get super comfortable on a 6 due to wrist pain/small hands. some guys can do it though. I'd be really handicapped though if I only had a 5 tuned e to c so I have a few fives tuned standard and e to c.

Perhaps a Mat Garrison with the shorter scale would help you. I have been playing an NYC5 for the last two years and I just sold it and did some trades and now have a YYS and a NYC4 and it is very comfortable. Just thinking.

 

[iwearpumas]

I just got the 6 string a couple of weeks ago, so im not fully acquainted with it yet. I getting better and more comfortable with it day by day. Its to the point where my 5 string feels small now. Most likely I will go with the 6 string.

 

[steubig]

I just got the 6 string a couple of weeks ago, so im not fully acquainted with it yet. I getting better and more comfortable with it day by day. Its to the point where my 5 string feels small now. Most likely I will go with the 6 string.

here's my deal with the 6, and i know it's not for everyone.

play only the 6. don't trade back and forth. go full-bore.

if nothing else, you'll have a better feel for it before you have to finalize with the boyz from brooklyn.

 

[emjazz]

here's my deal with the 6, and i know it's not for everyone.

play only the 6. don't trade back and forth. go full-bore.

if nothing else, you'll have a better feel for it before you have to finalize with the boyz from brooklyn.

+1

 

[nostatic]

+2

If I was in a different situation with my bands and instruments, I would have ordered 6'ers and then not played anything else. But I have both the Rob Allen Deep 4 and Yin Yang Deluxe that I love, so unless I wanted to give up playing those, I couldn't do the "only 6" approach. In messing around with 6'ers, I suspect that I would have a hard time swapping between 6 and a 4. I have been pretty comfortable swapping between 4 and 5'er strung E-C, even in the middle of songs (looper run post tuner mute enables silly things).

Everyone is different though - depends on the gigs you do and your body and mind mechanics. Both my body and mind can be a bit rigid...

 

[steubig]

Everyone is different though - depends on the gigs you do and your body and mind mechanics. Both my body and mind can be a bit rigid...

indeed, and some people will *not* hire you if you play a 6. pure and simple.

i forgot to mention that . . . something to think about, possibly.

 

[iwearpumas]

My 5er is still my #1 bass. It looks like ima have to put it down for some time so I can be fully acclimated with my 6er.

 

[jasonbraatz]

indeed, and some people will *not* hire you if you play a 6. pure and simple.

i forgot to mention that . . . something to think about, possibly.

Those people probably would prefer you play a P anyways.

 

[xabicho]

It get a little bit confusion switching from 6 to 5 at the beginning and also you get use to travel more on the vertical way accross the gingerboard, but 6ers are great for chords and soloing. I will say stick with the 6.

 

[steubig]

Those people probably would prefer you play a P anyways.

indeed. but a 5 is probably easier for them to deal with, for whatever reason.

i've been passed over for gigs where i actually played the right parts because my bass didn't look right. they hired a guy who played the wrong style with the wrong parts cause he had a p.

some people hear with their eyes. it's an amazing talent.