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Help with a pick up decision

slapagroov

slapagroov

Apr 24, 2007
353
142
Fort Myers, FL
www.coatpocketmusic.com
#1
Hey all,

I am considering changing pick ups in my Modulus Funk Unltd. 5. I had it custom made with a jazz neck pu and a MM bridge pu. They are active Bartolini with the 3 band eq. I want a more "vintage" sound. I also have a VJ with passive Barts. I like its tone much more. Is it crazy to think of putting passive pu's in it? Or at least ones that I can switch between passive and active. What are your recommendations?

There's a zing I've grown not to like in many modern active basses I've owned. I've had Pedulla MVP, Warrior, Quantum Sweet Spot, etc. Maybe I just really like the Jazz tone (which I do), but it seems like I could get a tone that I like with this bass. I guess I'm not liking "Modern" tones as much as I once did.

Thanks for any insight
 
#2
Pickups do change the sound and can sometimes turn a bass' character around, but I wouldn't say it's going to suddenly stop sounding like a modern bass if you put passives on it. Might like it better but it'll still be a Modulus. Still, I won't try to talk you out of it because you could love it. .
 
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#3
Thanks. I've been playing for a living since college and have never replaced pickups in a bass! Wasn't sure since the Modulus VJ has Barts and it is much less modern sounding if it would help. Not that modern is bad. It's just not where I'm at right now. Also, I'm not really attached other than I special ordered it. I've been considering selling it but not sure. Actually, I've been eyeing the Mike Lull V4 or 5. Possibly the MV series as well
 
#4
Which Bartolini J and MM pickups are in the bass?

The "Classic" series are described as having an extended frequency range compared to the "Original" series:

Invalid Link Removed

Both of these series of pickups are described as passive.

The pre-amp in the bass is another consideration.
 
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#7
He probably meant that he didn't offer a switch to turn the pre-amp on or off and still play the bass.

The switch is useful to use or bypass the active pre-amp EQ, or to keep playing if the pre-amp battery dies.
 
#8
JimmyM said:
Pickups do change the sound and can sometimes turn a bass' character around, but I wouldn't say it's going to suddenly stop sounding like a modern bass if you put passives on it. Might like it better but it'll still be a Modulus. Still, I won't try to talk you out of it because you could love it. .
Click to expand...

EXACTLY. Getting a "vintage" (lord I loath that word!) sound out of a modern design like a Modulus will be... problematic.

In fact, that Bart would actually be the pickup I'd recommend to get a warmer sound. The truth is (or so I believe), if you want a older sounding bass, get an older design like a Fender or something.
 
#9
Ok, that makes sense. Yeah, vintage is the only thing I could think of. Basically, I don't want the sound of a Fodera, MTD, etc. not that it's bad, just not what I want. Especially in recording, the VJ just kills.
It's just surprising to me that the VJ can sound so different than the other Modulus basses I've owned. Same Neck, Bart's, etc. They really did a great job with those. Mine sounds very similar to an old fender.
 
#10
May just be in a different string choice- they can color the tone, or eliminate some undesired aspects of it, or add what other strings don't produce.
Which have you tried and liked or disliked? On that bass? On other basses?
 
#12
for the mm pickup i'd look into a seymour duncan, with the alnico v magnets. it is strong enough to sound good in passive as well as with an active preamp. you get the leads for both coils, meaning you can wire series or parallel as you wish (i have a series/parallel switch). do a little youtube search to see if you can get what you want from it..
there is also the same kind of pickup, but with ceramic magnets. a little bit hotter output, and a bit brighter too...
 
#13
"Vintage" JB-like sound means single coils without noise suppression (stacked, fake coil, it doesn't matter) for me. A friend of mine has tried to replace original Fender pickups with stacked Lindy's on his 75 (or 76, I don't remember) JB and switched them back.

I know lots of people hate EMG but they can sound very classical without hum. They produce the MM5TW pickup so you can switch your Modulus to the SS mode and CS pickups from EMG sound pretty "vintage".

But I have to say Modulus is Modulus. I have three: Q6 fretted with Barts (it's a f*** metal hate machine), Q6 fretless with EMG DC, Geoff Gould 5-string Sweet Spot with EMG CS and a custom EMG pre (but Geoff is repairing it now), my friend has Q5 fretted with Lane Poor + Aguilar pre and very early Q5 Turbo fretless with EMG. So I can compare the five Modulus basses with very different pickups, strings and even fretted and fretless face to face. They are very very very different but all of them have signature "Modulus sound" that you can't ignore. So if you want a JB you should buy a JB. But I've never heard B string from Fender which was as good as Modulus'. A 35' JB replica with a carbon reinforced neck would be an answer in this case. Spector Coda, something like this.
 
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#15
mc4hy.jpg

How about one of these hybrids?
 
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#16
It sounds like you prefer the sound of a passive pickup. Changing pickups is hardly an invasive modification, so why not swap the fancy active pickups for passive ones? Worst case scenario is you do not like it as much so then you can put the old pickups back in and sell the passive ones.

However, like others have said, the Modulus will always sound like a Modulus. That could be a good or bad thing for you.

I say go for the pickup swap!
 
#19
DudeMann said:
It sounds like you prefer the sound of a passive pickup. Changing pickups is hardly an invasive modification, so why not swap the fancy active pickups for passive ones? Worst case scenario is you do not like it as much so then you can put the old pickups back in and sell the passive ones.

However, like others have said, the Modulus will always sound like a Modulus. That could be a good or bad thing for you.

I say go for the pickup swap!
Click to expand...

We think he already has passive Bartolini pickups.

The pickups may not be his problem, rather the pre-amp in the bass, etc.
 

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