How to make my low B Louder.

[keytthom]

I have tried everything, I search endlessly, i tweak and adjust until I cant think of anything else, then i sit around and do it some more.

Basically, I used to think it was because of my amp, but then tried the bass in a mixer and headphones, and the Low b was still flat.

So... is it the preamp? pickups are closed pole passive MEC's

and the preamp is the stock squire jazz active deluxe.

 

[Rick Auricchio]

Have you tried different brands of strings?

Also, I wouldn't assume headphones are all good at reproducing the low B.

Have you tried a different bass to see if it could be your ears? Seriously. Most people don't hear 20-20KHz evenly across the spectrum.

 

[darthplagis]

i can say you dont hear the low B as much as feel it epecially the ladies

the best advice i have been given and that i pass on is try a tapered string, warwick yellow labels i know for sure are tapered.

i also find that playing the B closer to the bridge helps cut the bloom time down, giving the tone a more even sund.

 

[bongomania]

Definitely look at the abilities of the specific amp or headphone rig, before assuming anything's wrong with the bass.

 

[pickles]

Pickup height and setup would be my first two checks. Sometimes when a B string isn't ringing well people will crank the action up on it, but then its farther from the pickup and you lose output.

 

[walterw]

many of the squier 5 string jazz basses have a problem where the pickups themselves are not long enough to cover all 5 strings, and don't read the B that well in the first place. no amount of EQing is going to fix that, you'd need to look at different pickups, possibly even routing the body to fit something slightly larger.

(edit: you've changed out the pickups to MECs, but you might still have the same problem.)

 

[DaLoCo]

many of the squier 5 string jazz basses have a problem where the pickups themselves are not long enough to cover all 5 strings, and don't read the B that well in the first place. no amount of EQing is going to fix that, you'd need to look at different pickups, possibly even routing the body to fit something slightly larger.

(edit: you've changed out the pickups to MECs, but you might still have the same problem.)

My Warwick $$ has a massive low B (two MM type MEC pickups), My BTB has a softer low B in comparison (Bartolini soapbars). The BTB allows me to brings it out a little stronger with the onboard pre-amp thogh, but it will never be as strong as the Warwick. Both have the same strings on, warwick red labels.

Difference is definitely the pickups....

 

[SGD Lutherie]

What kind of strings are you using? Some low Bs are abysmal.

But it can also be the pickups.

 

[Rano Bass]

Basically, I used to think it was because of my amp, but then tried the bass in a mixer and headphones, and the Low b was still flat.

So... is it the preamp? pickups are closed pole passive MEC's

and the preamp is the stock squire jazz active deluxe.

Those pickups are not designed for basses with wide string spacing, im sure the coils are not wide enough to handle the string spacing on the Squier.
Try some Dimarzio or even some of the new Carvin single coils, those are designed for wider string spacing.

 

[keytthom]

The Pickups on the MEC website said they are ok for 5 strings :S

strings are d'addario 5 string pro steels

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

Some basses have weak B's. Some B strings are lame. If you've tried new strings, and adjusted the bass as best as you can, you might want to start shopping. This is one of those cases where playing before you buy is kinda big...

 

[SGD Lutherie]

The Pickups on the MEC website said they are ok for 5 strings :S

strings are d'addario 5 string pro steels

D'Addario makes a great low B.

How does the bass sound acoustically?

 

[mikezimmerman]

The Pickups on the MEC website said they are ok for 5 strings :S

strings are d'addario 5 string pro steels

That may be true, but the string spacing on the Warwick 5's that these pickups are typically used on is a lot narrower than the Squier 5 that you're installing them on. When I look at the MEC site (Invalid Link Removed), it looks like the maximum string spacing they work for is 74mm, which is about 2.9 inches. How wide is the string spacing on your Squier at the bridge?

Mike

 

[DwaynieAD]

i found drop tuning an e string gets much more ass behind your low b (or low a in my case)

 

[SGD Lutherie]

That may be true, but the string spacing on the Warwick 5's that these pickups are typically used on is a lot narrower than the Squier 5 that you're installing them on. When I look at the MEC site (Invalid Link Removed), it looks like the maximum string spacing they work for is 74mm, which is about 2.9 inches. How wide is the string spacing on your Squier at the bridge?

Mike

I think this is the issue.

 

[Double Agent]

i found drop tuning an e string gets much more ass behind your low b (or low a in my case)

You drop-tune an E string all the way to B? IME it should start flopping inaudibly somewhere between C-C#. If it works, more power to you, but I know it would never work for me.

For strings, DR Lo-Riders have an excellent low B. For EQ, try giving your low mids a bit of boost. Hard to say besides that.

 

[DwaynieAD]

You drop-tune an E string all the way to B? IME it should start flopping inaudibly somewhere between C-C#. If it works, more power to you, but I know it would never work for me.

For strings, DR Lo-Riders have an excellent low B. For EQ, try giving your low mids a bit of boost. Hard to say besides that.

all the way to low A actually.. Ernie Ball Power Slinky's in drop A tuning, action is low, low A is powerful, very playable on all strings, next to no fret buzz and I'm not the cleanest player

not saying its the ideal situation and that I've no need for a 5er, but I like it a heck of a lot better than the soundgear 5 I sold a few months back

 

[mikezimmerman]

I think this is the issue.

Yeah, I used to have the same issue with EMG J's on a couple of Warmoth Wide 5 J's I had. The spacing was 3" at the bridge, and the low Bs were always weak because the pickup's sensing width wasn't wide enough to catch the whole vibrating range of the B.

 

["Q"]

Is it weak on every note or just the open B? I find a lot of basses fail to have a good open E.

 

[ejaggers]

Someone chime in on this because it’s just a thought. Put the E in the B position, and the B in the E position, but tune properly. If E is weak then wouldn’t that point to the pup? But if the B is still weak, wouldn’t that mean a string?