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Help with pickups on two basses

Discussion in 'Pickups & Electronics [BG]' started by thevintagesound, Dec 6, 2007.

  1. Dec 6, 2007 #1
    thevintagesound

    thevintagesound

    Sep 23, 2006
    Wilmington, NC
    I have a SX jazz bass with Dimarzio Model J's, 500k pots as my backup bass. My main bass is an Epi Tbird. I AB'd the two basses and my jazz was about half the volume of the tbird. What could I do to fix this? The Tbird just sounds huge, the dimarzio's are supposed to sound big as well.

    If I could only find a set of Epi Tbird pickups ... :crying:
     
  2. Dec 6, 2007 #2
    A9X

    A9X Inactive

    Dec 27, 2003
    Turn up the volume control on your amp.
     
  3. Dec 6, 2007 #3
    WashburnBasser

    WashburnBasser

    Feb 19, 2006
    Massachusetts USA
    Raise the pickups?
     
  4. Dec 6, 2007 #4
    thevintagesound

    thevintagesound

    Sep 23, 2006
    Wilmington, NC
    Generally when you AB something or want to use them both at a show, you dont want to have to worry about adjusting the amp or pedals. That defeats the purpose.
     
  5. Dec 6, 2007 #5
    sonicnuance

    sonicnuance Supporting Member Commercial User

    Aug 30, 2003
    California, USA
    Engineer & Owner, Sonic Nuance Electronics
    I had a similar issue which I solved. I recommend the following solutions:

    1) a boost pedal and an ab switch (I use a Boss GE7B to adjust the volume and eq my passive bass). I built a passive AB switch but several companies make these.

    2) Radial Bassbone. Very nice but I wanted more eq control and have a Jensen xformer DI so I didn't need it. Expensive but quality stuff.

    3) EBS Microbass II - never tried it, very expensive

    4) ab switch in front of a multi effect pedal where you hit a patch that changes volumes.

    5) put a preamp in the low volume bass

    good luck
     
  6. Dec 6, 2007 #6
    A9X

    A9X Inactive

    Dec 27, 2003
    Changing the pickups for ones that are hotter will change the tone. Use a grease pencil and mark the settings for the two basses on the amp. Will take 2 secs and you're already changing instruments which will take longer than that.
     
  7. Dec 7, 2007 #7
    thevintagesound

    thevintagesound

    Sep 23, 2006
    Wilmington, NC
    I'm not too worried about changing a jazz bass' tone to something else. I'd love to see what a set of tbird pickups sound like in a jazz bass.