LOL - how about a little more variety on that wheel-o-pickups?
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Is a modular bass a dumb idea?
- Thread starter DeanGallberry
- Start date
This.
The idea is great, but it is like having a two pickup bass with an active pre. Theoretically a lot of tones in there, but most people will fumble around with the settings once and then leave them for all eternity.
Devon, Brubaker, and a couple other builders offer this. I'm not sure there's a mass market for it, but it is cool.
I get the allure, but IME most people just want a P/J/MM, and with basses like the L2000 you can get close enough to only need that.
I really like what Devon is doing. Brubaker had the idea out first, not to say that Devon hadn't already been developing the idea.
The thing I like about the Devon concept is swappable pups and swappable preamps. Granted, you have to purchase the modules from Devon, but it's pretty cool. It'd be neat to try out different combinations in one bass to get ideas of what to do with other basses. And the string tension thing is a really cool idea, too. Devon's a pretty cool dude with some interesting ideas.
There's the Verso bass, the body is a bent piece of metal, and the pickup is magnetic and can slide around to various positions. Seems like you could have as many pickups on there that would fit, slide em all around to get different configurations.
While I think my point about using the same pickups and pre-amp in a couple of basses is being somewhat missed, there are still some interesting thoughts and opinions.
I have been considering buying a couple of basses to mod, so when I'm looking at a pair of pickups and a pre-amp around $1000/£800 it's a fair chunk of money.
But it does mean more thought/time/effort/money going in to making it happen. Plus how long it will function for, with plugging/unplugging.
It would have been kinda cool. I had a number of ideas, but I guess it's better to stick to each bass having their own pickups/electronics. At least when one dies at some point, I'd still have one working while I get the other fixed.
I have been considering buying a couple of basses to mod, so when I'm looking at a pair of pickups and a pre-amp around $1000/£800 it's a fair chunk of money.
But it does mean more thought/time/effort/money going in to making it happen. Plus how long it will function for, with plugging/unplugging.
It would have been kinda cool. I had a number of ideas, but I guess it's better to stick to each bass having their own pickups/electronics. At least when one dies at some point, I'd still have one working while I get the other fixed.
Or you could get a really flexible electronics system like an Alembic Series 2, which when you learn how to use it, gets you close enough to many others that it's good enough for me. A filter pre on conventional pickups isn't the same thing.
My T40 is pretty good in the flexibility regard too, but sounds very different. Same with some of the G&Ls, but I've only heard clips not had one in my hands.
My T40 is pretty good in the flexibility regard too, but sounds very different. Same with some of the G&Ls, but I've only heard clips not had one in my hands.
Fodera/Mike Pope had a modular neck to change from 20 to 24 fret
TV Jones had the quick change pickup guitar on their NAMM booth
My knowledge is very limited, but trying to find out more. I have many questions, but will probably start a new thread after some searching.
And one pickup/jack/etc failure takes out 2 or more basses nowMight be a good solution in a "can only have one" scenario.
OTOH J+MM pickups with a good active/passive wiring scheme should cover most bases for us - without getting all mechanically elaborate.
I don't think this modular thing would hold up so well over 4 decades of bar gigs.
Also, I switch between 4 and 5 strings a lot, and sometimes bust out the fretless. Not sure how one could easily snap those things on & off. (I do recall someone once devised a magnetic / reversible fingerboard.)
A Dingwall 3 pickup system will give you a ton of versatility with the rotary selector alone. A P with a pick and your fingers will also cover just about anything you would ever need. I wouldn't want to swap pickup modules during a gig. "Wait guys! This song sound better with overwound J pickups and a Audere preamp." Click, click, click, pop, POP. Ok, I'm ready!
There was a Korean bass floating around a few years ago with a P in the neck position, J in the middle, MM at the bridge. Lots of switches. The neck looked cheap so I passed.
A bass like that would be the ultimate Swiss army knife. Not cutting through the mix? Flick a switch or two.
The modular stuff makes me nervous. After 30 years of club dates I've seen anything and everything go wrong electronically. I'd be waiting for the other pickup to fall out...
A bass like that would be the ultimate Swiss army knife. Not cutting through the mix? Flick a switch or two.
The modular stuff makes me nervous. After 30 years of club dates I've seen anything and everything go wrong electronically. I'd be waiting for the other pickup to fall out...
I have been looking more at Bite basses because they sell them with easily removable pickups.
I remember seeing Mike Pope at a Bass Camp many years ago and his bass had two full active preamps, the top 3 frets were removable on a magnetic plate (to accommodate slapping with more space) and I believe the pickups had some kind of rail or adjustment system to move them around.
But, anything that dude picks up sounds like magic, so YMMV.
Shergold pushed the concept pretty far. It's fun but really how many control sets do you need ?
Seems pretty unnecessary for the whole lower left block of the guitar body to detach, just to change the preamp and pots!
