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Looking for custom pickups - 6 string with small spacing

B

BassBen

Apr 19, 2008
9
0
Israel
#1
Hi,

I've been searching the web for quiet some time I couldn't come up with an answer.
I'm looking for a replacement pickup for my Schecter ultra VI (which essentially is a guitar tuned octave lower with guitar string spacing)
The problem I have is this : on the higher register, the instrument sounds fine. on the lower registers it sounds very muddy and with nearly no punch at all, Feels like I'm playing a six string bass with guitar pickups.
I contacted some pickups manufacturers and got the same answer from all of them - all our guitar pickups are not suited for bass, and we do not make 6 strings bass pickups with that spacing at the moment.

So I need help, and this might be the place! (!?)
the answer might be if there is a set of guitar pickups that would sound good on bass register (I doubt that because the answers I got)
or if there is a custom pickup manufacturer that can create a 6 strings bass pickup with guitar spacing.
Essentially, I want it to sound like a bass- Punchy lows with definition and clear sound overall.

Thanks,
Ben
 
#2
There are plenty of guitar pickups that work great for bass. Ignore the marketing categorizations, and understand that they operate on exactly the same principles. The issue is that overwound guitar pickups tend to have a mid-focused sound, which, if used on a bass, would sacrifice the lowest octave and a half and over-emphasize the midrange frequencies above that. Probably not what you want. Look for guitar pickups that are geared towards "full-spectrum" or "wide-range" or even "flat" frequency response. For example, the Wilde L90 is a killer pickup for bass.
 
#5
BassBen said:
Hi,

I've been searching the web for quiet some time I couldn't come up with an answer.
I'm looking for a replacement pickup for my Schecter ultra VI (which essentially is a guitar tuned octave lower with guitar string spacing)
The problem I have is this : on the higher register, the instrument sounds fine. on the lower registers it sounds very muddy and with nearly no punch at all, Feels like I'm playing a six string bass with guitar pickups.
I contacted some pickups manufacturers and got the same answer from all of them - all our guitar pickups are not suited for bass, and we do not make 6 strings bass pickups with that spacing at the moment.

So I need help, and this might be the place! (!?)
the answer might be if there is a set of guitar pickups that would sound good on bass register (I doubt that because the answers I got)
or if there is a custom pickup manufacturer that can create a 6 strings bass pickup with guitar spacing.
Essentially, I want it to sound like a bass- Punchy lows with definition and clear sound overall.

Thanks,
Ben
Click to expand...

Hello Ben. You described the sound amplified. Does the instrument sound that way acoustically, too? If you rest you ear on the body, does it sound that way?

If the answer is yes, it does, then I think that's just the sound of that bass. But if it's no, then I agree that the pickups are the bottleneck.

I bet that Nordstrand could make those pickups for you.

Or, if they are available in the dimensions you need, a high quality stock soapbar pickup without poles would obviate the matter of string spacing. It's a switch for me, but these days I am liking Bartolini Classic models, especially the single coils.

Good Luck!

Snaxster
 
#7
I don't know if they are still available, but EMG used to offer a low-priced line of passive pickups called the EMG Select. They had bar pole pieces, so string spacing didn't matter. I used the EMG Select guitar pickups on several narrow-spacing bass projects and they worked great. Strong bottom end and a nice even EQ curve overall.
 

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