Low End Jazz Megathread, post pics and soundbites!!

[Beav]

Those sound good, and the SansAmp is pretty convincing in that application.

It's not quite as dirty as I usually use it, but when I record my basses usually sounds like crap, but fits oh so nicely

The pickups are humbuckers, correct? Benavente "slimbuckers"?

Yeah, they're a "stacked" humbucker as opposed to a side by side humbucker.

It'd be cool if there were a way to coil tap them - been playing my Roscoe Beck 5 a lot again lately and I really love the sound of the bridge pickup as a humbucker and the neck as a single coil.

When I had my Benavente Standard, I did the opposite (leave the neck humbucking and the bridge single coil). You can wire the Slim pickups like that. You would just put a DPDT pot on the volume and you could do it. Some of the other LEJs actually had single coil switches on the volume, but since the slims sound so close to a single coil Brian abandoned it.

One thing I'd dig is if it was more benign that way - like if switching it on or dialing in some bass didn't affect the level of the signal quite so much. I'm more of a "set and forget" kinda guy, so it's no big concern, but I'm thinking that too much change between songs or parts could cause a headache at the sound board. Then again some top-shelf pros are using these, so that speaks for itself.

Yeah, I've been hassling Brian about talking to someone about doing some kind of mod that when you go from active to passive it isn't such a volume drop. Someone with more knowledge of electronics will probably be able to correct this, but when you go active and boost a preamp at 18v you have more headroom which plays a role in how robust the frequencies sound.

Any idea what value the capacitor is on the passive tone? I might increase it. Could use more of the pillow sound with it fully rolled-off, I think. Hard to say.

It's not a traditional looking capacitor. It's actually a capacitor that Brian uses on the preamp circuit board.

The clips are great but the reality of blasting into a room within a mix is always different, as far as what you think will or won't work or sound good.

I whole heartily agree, but I wanted to post them to show the versatility of the bass.

 

[knarleybass]

You can split the pickups in the Low End Jazz, at least you can on mine.

 

[SMASH]

You can split the pickups in the Low End Jazz, at least you can on mine.

The pickups - bridge and neck - yeah, the volume on mine can be set differently too.

I meant the coils within each pickup - if that's the type of humbucker they are. Maybe they're stacked and my idea doesn't make sense. Maybe they're just hot single coils called "slimbuckers".

I'm obviously unsure, and maybe that idea's getting too far away from the J bass. Very cool that there's someone domestically making 6 and 7 string J-style basses.

If you meant that you have a toggle for coil splitting the individual pickups, I'm very interested to hear more about it.

 

[Beav]

Here's my baby playing in the leaves

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[gwx014]

Here's my baby playing in the leaves

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She looks great! You should submit it in the TB Calender thread.

 

[Beav]

Hmm, good idea.

 

[SRT80]

would definatley be a good Sept. month calender pic since fall begins that month.

Steve

 

[knarleybass]

Here's my baby playing in the leaves

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Great looking bass! I love the color...

 

[Beav]

It's my favorite too. I really like black too, but it shows too many scratches.

 

[knarleybass]

So,
can anyone tell me how the Slim Benavente pickups compared to the Wide ones? I have a Benavente SCD with the wide pickups, and I have a Low End Jazz with the slim pickups, the slim pickups seem to have a better midrange. I curious to get some thoughts on this, and it's it possible to get those wide pickups swapped out for the slim ones.

 

[Beav]

So,
can anyone tell me how the Slim Benavente pickups compared to the Wide ones? I have a Benavente SCD with the wide pickups, and I have a Low End Jazz with the slim pickups, the slim pickups seem to have a better midrange. I curious to get some thoughts on this, and it's it possible to get those wide pickups swapped out for the slim ones.

The wide pickups are more of a traditional humbucker, being a side by side orientation. Sound wise, the wides are smoother and a little beefier, where the slims are super punchy with a ton of midrange.

You can actually get the slim pickups in a wide shell for a drop in replacement.

 

[knarleybass]

The wide pickups are more of a traditional humbucker, being a side by side orientation. Sound wise, the wides are smoother and a little beefier, where the slims are super punchy with a ton of midrange.

You can actually get the slim pickups in a wide shell for a drop in replacement.

OH? where can I get a set? I wonder if there is any way I could trade my wide pickups for the slims in the wide shell...

 

[Beav]

Just get in contact with Brian. I don't know if he would have any in stock or if he would have to order them.

 

[ldiezman]

Here is my 6-string that I just got back from being refinished... it was more of an olive green before

... I'll have some new pics as soon as I can.
I have two others.. but I think they have already been posted by others in this thread

Beav I'm glad you got your bass put together without any trouble

 

[Beav]

Jimi, congrats on making it to round two! Why don't you make some sound clips since you have nothing else to do?

 

[ldiezman]

I should. but I don't actually own any recording software... odd isn't it? besides... i just own pretty basses and really have no idea how to play them

thanks for the congrats btw.

 

[Beav]

besides... i just own pretty basses and really have no idea how to play them

Give me lessons!

 

[SMASH]

Idiezman, that looks great ! Is the headstock black now? Unique. I like it. I always thought a good headstock match to a burst would be all black or all middle rather than burst like the body.

Natural always looks great with a maple board too. And with rosewood, really.

Yeah, they're a "stacked" humbucker as opposed to a side by side humbucker.

Sorry I hadn't seen this info. when I posted my last one. Thanks for the info.

When I had my Benavente Standard, I did the opposite (leave the neck humbucking and the bridge single coil). You can wire the Slim pickups like that. You would just put a DPDT pot on the volume and you could do it. ...

That setup makes sense if you're playing more rock. I think for heavier stuff I had both as 'buckers. For pop/funk stuff I find it can get too woolly if the neck is also 'bucking.

How can you affect this wiring with the slims ... aren't they two-wire pickups?

Yeah, I've been hassling Brian about talking to someone about doing some kind of mod that when you go from active to passive it isn't such a volume drop. Someone with more knowledge of electronics will probably be able to correct this, but when you go active and boost a preamp at 18v you have more headroom which plays a role in how robust the frequencies sound.

I think you can do it with some buffering. My Hotwire Big Apple is 18v and unless you have EQ boosted you can't tell when toggling from passive to active.

It's not a traditional looking capacitor. It's actually a capacitor that Brian uses on the preamp circuit board.

Ahhhh, thanks. I guess one could just add a cap between the tone knob and board to bleed off extra highs if desired. Doubt I'd bother.

I whole heartily agree, but I wanted to post them to show the versatility of the bass.

Yeah, very good range of sounds. It wasn't meant as a slag. I meant that my idea for changing the sound (via coil tapping or another capacitor) based on recordings might not make sense if I heard it in a room/mix.

 

[Beav]

How can you affect this wiring with the slims ... aren't they two-wire pickups?

No, they're your standard 4 conductor wire like other humbuckers.

I think you can do it with some buffering. My Hotwire Big Apple is 18v and unless you have EQ boosted you can't tell when toggling from passive to active.

I'm going to do a resistor change on mine and see what kind of difference there is.

Yeah, very good range of sounds. It wasn't meant as a slag. I meant that my idea for changing the sound (via coil tapping or another capacitor) based on recordings might not make sense if I heard it in a room/mix.

No offense taken

 

[Wilbyman]

Schwing!!!

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