Lace alumitone question, difference between models?

[madasahatter]

I never looked into the Lace alumitone pickups until recently. From my understanding they are supposed to be clear, silent, have a wider range, and more hi-fi than traditional pickups. They should also have a more flat response, i.e. more transparent than traditional pickups as well. I still haven't been able to find the answer to one question. Lace's marketing hype description on their site is less than helpful. Are there any tonal differences between the different models? Are the bass and guitar pickups engineered differently to fit the tonal range of their respective instrument? Or are they all the same flat response and the only difference is the shape and maybe the output? For example, is a P the same thing as the J only a different shape to fit the respective routes; or do they each have a different tone profile? Would a humbucker be the same as a bass bar or is the only difference the shape?

 

[ctmullins]

I emailed them a few years back and asked the same question. Their answer was that the different models are voiced differently, but only slightly. They all have the same Alumitone DNA, and will all sound like different variations on the same recipe.

 

[madasahatter]

At least they gave you a good response. I emailed them earlier and all I got was call Gabriel, he should know.

Thanks for the response. I picked up a bass bar to put in the neck position of a build I'm doing. That one seemed fitting for what I have in my head. I was considering trying a P & Humbucker in the middle & bridge respectively. If it's going to be almost the same as the bass bar just in a different spot, that's not what I'm after.

 

[Riff Ranger]

I also found Lace’s online descriptions less than helpful, but also found them very helpful via email, pre-COVID-19. I haven’t tried to get a hold of them since, but I would encourage you to try. I had an Aluma-P and wish I had kept it. My LP will wear Dirty Heshers forever

I emailed them a few years back and asked the same question. Their answer was that the different models are voiced differently, but only slightly. They all have the same Alumitone DNA, and will all sound like different variations on the same recipe.

At least they gave you a good response. I emailed them earlier and all I got was call Gabriel, he should know.

Thanks for the response. I picked up a bass bar to put in the neck position of a build I'm doing. That one seemed fitting for what I have in my head. I was considering trying a P & Humbucker in the middle & bridge respectively. If it's going to be almost the same as the bass bar just in a different spot, that's not what I'm after.

 

[airfrank]

I'm really diggin' my lace helix neck-through bass - it has the alumitones which are I believe exactly the same as what is on my richmond dorchester. What really helped to further their appreciation was playing them through a markbass 1x15 and 2x10 stack with an aguilar tonehammer - divine! But even on my ampeg BA115 they can open the sound up. Has tempted me to try popping a lace pup into my EB-3. If anyone's looking to sell theirs let me know.

 

[kevmac]

I'm really diggin' my lace helix neck-through bass - it has the alumitones which are I believe exactly the same as what is on my richmond dorchester. What really helped to further their appreciation was playing them through a markbass 1x15 and 2x10 stack with an aguilar tonehammer - divine! But even on my ampeg BA115 they can open the sound up. Has tempted me to try popping a lace pup into my EB-3. If anyone's looking to sell theirs let me know.

I ordered a Bass Bar to put in the pickupless bridge position of my EB-0.I guess it could work.

 

[madasahatter]

I ended up getting a bassbar. I was going to use it on my current project, but decided to use it in one of my short scale basses. It's definitely a quiet pickup. I can tell that it's more articulate and has good note definition. It seems fairly transparent also, maybe adding a hint of brightness; the perceived brightness could also be the articulation I'm hearing. I'd consider it very hifi and can see why some people would call it sterile. Alumitones may not be to everyone's taste, but I like it well enough that it will stay put in this bass.

 

[A9X]

I was going to use it on my current project, but decided to use it in one of my short scale basses. It's definitely a quiet pickup. I can tell that it's more articulate and has good note definition. It seems fairly transparent also, maybe adding a hint of brightness; the perceived brightness could also be the articulation I'm hearing. I'd consider it very hifi and can see why some people would call it sterile. Alumitones may not be to everyone's taste, but I like it well enough that it will stay put in this bass.

Sound like just what I want. I have a SS with a reverse P and J config.

 

[airfrank]

I ordered a Bass Bar to put in the pickupless bridge position of my EB-0.I guess it could work.

let us know how it sounds.

 

[airfrank]

I ended up getting a bassbar. I was going to use it on my current project, but decided to use it in one of my short scale basses. It's definitely a quiet pickup. I can tell that it's more articulate and has good note definition. It seems fairly transparent also, maybe adding a hint of brightness; the perceived brightness could also be the articulation I'm hearing. I'd consider it very hifi and can see why some people would call it sterile. Alumitones may not be to everyone's taste, but I like it well enough that it will stay put in this bass.

I was initially put off by the low output but realized that is a very minor detail. I can either turn the amp volume up, use a pre-amp or a boost pedal. it certainly has a hi-fi quality.

 

[madasahatter]

The alumitones are no different in volume than any traditional pickup.
The resistance doesn't tell you much about output anyway (you need to look at mV). And alumitones are in a different design ballpark so numbers need to be put in that context vs comparing them to traditional pickups.
They're a different concept for a pickup, but are very well built. The biggest factor is if they fit the sonic profile you are after.

 

[equill]

"Sterile" and "hi-fi" are a couple of ways of phrasing it.
I test-played a bass with Bassbars, to check whether they lived up to my expectations. My impression was that they're 100% unmuffled - they don't hide or cover up anything about your playing. So "unforgiving" is another way of putting it

Then I came home and my own instruments just sounded dull, and I was highly tempted to just install Alumitones on everything. Still am, admittedly.

 

[madasahatter]

"Sterile" and "hi-fi" are a couple of ways of phrasing it.
I test-played a bass with Bassbars, to check whether they lived up to my expectations. My impression was that they're 100% unmuffled - they don't hide or cover up anything about your playing. So "unforgiving" is another way of putting it

Then I came home and my own instruments just sounded dull, and I was highly tempted to just install Alumitones on everything. Still am, admittedly.

After researching and reading reviews the same few descriptive words kept popping up; hi-fi, articulate and sterile.
Though I understand why, I think calling them sterile is a bit unfair. They're extended range flat response, but that doesn't equal sterile. It just means adjusting your amp EQ differently to accentuate any specific frequencies.
They are unforgiving, but I think that description puts too much negative connotation on them. Yeah, they'll make mistakes stick out like a sore thumb, but I like to look at it from the other side. Used the right way they'll pickup the nuances of your style enhancing the feel and dynamics of your playing.

 

[A9X]

Though I understand why, I think calling them sterile is a bit unfair. They're extended range flat response, but that doesn't equal sterile. It just means adjusting your amp EQ differently to accentuate any specific frequencies.

'Sterile' is a codeword for 'it doesn't sound like I'm used to and I don't understand it so it's got to be wrong' and most often used as a sly pejorative. After being told that about my XL2, usually because of the CF construction, I'm not firmly in the DILLIGA* brigade. It tells me far more about the person making the comment than the actual sound.

 

[equill]

They are unforgiving, but I think that description puts too much negative connotation on them. Yeah, they'll make mistakes stick out like a sore thumb, but I like to look at it from the other side. Used the right way they'll pickup the nuances of your style enhancing the feel and dynamics of your playing.

Both things are a plus for me: it tells me exactly where I'm going wrong, so I can fix it, and it also brings out nice and clearly the things I'm doing right (on the rare occasion on which I get stuff right).

However, I do get that this isn't a plus for people who like pickups and an amp that draw a discreet veil over such things. So I'm in the same camp as @A9X here

 

[A9X]

However, I do get that this isn't a plus for people who like pickups and an amp that draw a discreet veil over such things.

Discrete veil? Some of the classic systems I've heard sound more like a wet blanket than a veil. Outraged rebuttals in 5, 4 , 3...

Sure, if you like that tone, great, but some of us don't.

 

[ctmullins]

Totally with you, completely.

It’s similar to the “vinyl vs CD” debate.

 

[A9X]

Totally with you, completely.

It’s similar to the “vinyl vs CD” debate.

Let's not go there, please. I've been in the hifi audio world for decades and my listening is almost completely digital off the server, but I also have a number of high end TTs and several thousand LPs that I bought new back in the day.

 

[airfrank]

I see these pickups as an important part of a vehicle that takes me somewhere I hadn’t thought of going.

 

[A9X]

I see these pickups as an important part of a vehicle that takes me somewhere I hadn’t thought of going.

Are you saying that is bad?