Pj mustang is wired weird.. Doesn't sound great.. There's a pickup series/parallel mod that punches it up.. Use the search feature.. It'll complete the rig and it's not expensive to do.. Do that before getting a pickup.. So preamp di pedal and the wiring mod.. If that don't work new pickup.
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Good Pickups or Good Preamp
- Thread starter Josh Diaz
- Start date
You have no budget for "the greatest thing in the world".
The good news is that it is not needed. Most pick-ups and pre-amps are good enough. Ignorants are led to believe they need to upgrade things by other ignorants. Tweaking the EQ does most of the necessary work.
Regarding your bass, +1 on pickups and keeping it passive. Curious though as to what you find lacking with your stock configuration. If you are open to not altering your bass, but want more tone options, consider investing is a DI with some character I.e. Sansamp Bass Driver or MXR M80 come to mind. If your amp has an effects loop, you can bypass the amp’s preamp and use the DI to dial in your sound using only the amp’s power section.
- Apr 18, 2008
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Actually the first link in that chain is the strings. The sound starts when the string is plucked (or picked, or slapped...).
Some would argue that the first link is the fingers/player. That’s valid in a way. But changing strings can be just as effective as changing pickups, and cheaper and easier too.
This was actually my train of thought. Get a Sansamp and if your not happy get some quarter pounders... I have owned the bass you have. I’m gonna get people annoyed at me for this but it was not aggressive enough stock. I’ll go as far as to say wourthless unlesss both pickups are on. Other than that it’s a great bass. I played it through very nice tube heads and still found the pups lacking but a Sansamp helped a ton and quarter pounders are really will make that bass sing and growl.
It just wouldn't be a Talkbass thread without someone suggesting you try flatwounds. Maybe try a tortoise shell pickguard, too...
You're about to enter the very slippery slope of " chasing bass tone " so be aware that everything matters in some way - be it pickups , strings , amp , DI , interface , general playing technique and plucking / picking position as mentioned . Deciding what the pecking order is as to what 'll help most is not easy nor as you can see - commonly set in stone . What changes things the most is also hardly agreed on by folks with decades of experience as you've discovered but I think it can be said that string changes can have a big effect for sure . When playing with a band - your amp is critical to being heard and how your sound sits in the mix . I don't believe you can answer all your needs with just one piece of new gear right now . You will have to prioritize to fix any one aspect so if you want to record most of all - a good DI is a great start . If adjusting your tone is paramount then consider a string change first . If it's playing live then you need a decent amp .
I wish there was a single magic bullet but there isn't because you are chasing a tone in your head . Many TB'ers have been doing the same thing for decades literally and some are happy campers and others are still searching - at the very least - best of luck and enjoy the journey ! Kelly
I wish there was a single magic bullet but there isn't because you are chasing a tone in your head . Many TB'ers have been doing the same thing for decades literally and some are happy campers and others are still searching - at the very least - best of luck and enjoy the journey ! Kelly
maybe some external preamp with DI will work better? the lesson I learned is that if you count where your money goes, don't upgrade a bass you don't like, as you will only lose money on resale value.
I've played my basses in Ableton, both passive and active and I was okay with the sound. the only thing I needed with my passives was EQ Eight (a preset like 'bassline warm' was like a perfect match).
I've played my basses in Ableton, both passive and active and I was okay with the sound. the only thing I needed with my passives was EQ Eight (a preset like 'bassline warm' was like a perfect match).
You kinda can use the Eq on the PC to do exactly what a preamp would do- so if you can’t fix it there then I doubt an onboard preamp would help massively.
Beyond that if you don’t know what you want pickup swapping can be an easy way to spend money and not fix the problem.
If I were to recommend anything over a change of strings I would suggest a Zoom B3n- it’s a really great little box, cheap secondhand, and will let you try all sorts of preamps and modelled amps and cabs
bland and dull and needing clarity sounds like you need new strings first. Which is nice cos it’s the cheapest thing to change.
Beyond that if you don’t know what you want pickup swapping can be an easy way to spend money and not fix the problem.
If I were to recommend anything over a change of strings I would suggest a Zoom B3n- it’s a really great little box, cheap secondhand, and will let you try all sorts of preamps and modelled amps and cabs
What @sikamikanico said.
At this point, you aren't happy with the sound, and as you've found, there are plenty of options to change that. You want the most bang for the buck. I agree with the posters that have suggested a new amp. Look for one with a DI that sounds to your liking, which will be useful in both live and recorded applications.
I'm not sure where you are and what access you have to music stores that would have different amps to play, but it would be worth a road trip if there's nothing close by. Don't be afraid to try stuff that is currently out of your price range. Your OP requests advice about changing pups or adding a preamp, and to your credit you seem to be expanding your options as the TB brethren weigh in. You've got a decent bass and I'd bet you can get the tones you want out of it with the right rig. But right now, I don't think you know what your current ax is capable of delivering. Checking out your bass with some different amps will answer the first question about what your current pups are capable of delivering. If you can find a tone you like with your current bass and a different amp, you'll know it's not the pups, and you can put that $200 toward a new amp that might better meet your tonal aspirations. And if nothing suits your ear, maybe new pups is the place to start.
I've never made any change in any equipment that affected my tone more than changing my rig. Technique changes tone. Changing strings changes tone. Changing pups changes tone. A pre-amp, whether a pedal, on-board, or in a new amp or combo changes tone. Pedals modify tone but won't help with your quest to sound better both recorded and live. They can all be used to tweak or overhaul tone. But for the biggest return on your investment, you'd be wise to check out some amp options. Plus, it's fun to try out different stuff, especially when you have a specific tonal goal in mind and some different options to check out.
Good luck on your quest!
+1 on Nordy's Fat Stacks with their 3B preamp. Sounds tremendously good... and sooooooooooo versatile!
They really are versatile. Especially since the fat stacks come with the option to short the dummy coils and turn them into single coils.
My Sadowsky has a push pull switch installed under the volume control that allows me to pull up and turn the fat stacks into big singles. Best of both worlds!
