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Moon Owners Club
- Thread starter gimmeagig
- Start date
It's 5.13 kg or 11 lbs 5 oz. The board is maple under the white lacquer, the body is white ash. The Bartolini preamp is a NTBT, just treble and bass shelves. The pickups are Bartolini 9S, their classic single coils.
I have spent a lot of time comparing the EMG and the Bartolini setup and they are complimentary while at the same time being quite different in their voicing. The Bartolinis just sound "finished" in an incredible way. As you know well, EMGs have the potential to be bright from the start, especially if your amp has too much tweeter going on. The Barts, they are much more about the low end, but you can coax a beautiful, sweet high end out of them. Trouble is, for my taste, I can't coax it out with the treble circuit in the NTBT. It's too brash for me.
I have found over the years that I dislike treble circuits in bass gear (onboard preamps, outboard preamps, amp tone stacks) which seem to focus their corner frequency around 3-6kHz, and they all seem to be like this more or less. NTBT is 6k. To my ears, it emphasizes too much of the note itself on the top two strings and can get ganky real quick. Cranking the treble also changes too much of the fundamental tonal balance of the bass. I want to hear a high shelf more like 12k or above, which is emphasizing the very upper harmonic structure of what a roundwound string can produce, giving you a nice "air" which EMGs do with no effort, and no preamp needed. So rather than use an outboard EQ, I'm experimenting with adding different value capacitors to the treble circuit in the Bartolini (Bart's lead designer took me seriously and was very kind in offering me some ideas of how to do this) in order to raise the high shelf frequency so that it more closely resembles the sweet high end you get from a studio EQ. If I have any success in this, I will report back.
I am also really surprised at the strings that came on the bass, because I emailed Moon about them: D'Addario Pro Steels 45-130. I absolutely detest steel strings; they feel gross on my hands and I've avoided them forever. I was convinced the strings that came were D'Addario XL nickels (the rainbow ball-ends gave it away), but these Pro Steels feel and sound amazing. I'm really shocked at how good they are, I ordered a 4-string set for my JJ to try. I'm not sure how they managed it, but they are really smooth to the touch and sound wonderful.
Twenty bucks says these are really XLs. I bought a set of Pro Steels and they're not the same strings I was told were on the bass. They are clearly nickels and these Pro Steels don't feel amazing. Oh well, it tells me to trust my experience.
I think the EMGs on the old passive preamp Moons (I have no idea if they are the same as on later Moons?) sound really good. They are not harsh or brittle at all like some Fender jazz basses can be. My experience with Bartolinis is that they can be a bit too dark sometimes. But that depends on which bass you put them. Would be nice to compare them side by side on the same bass. What do you think?
- Apr 26, 2011
- 172
- 217
- 30
- Disclosures
- Jim Dunlop, Moollon, Origin Effects
- Apr 26, 2011
- 172
- 217
- 30
- Disclosures
- Jim Dunlop, Moollon, Origin Effects
Making way for a new Pensa! Amazing bass though one of my favorites I’ve had.
I agree, would be nice to compare. They are just about the same measurements so it can be done. The EMG is still my favorite overall, but I’m interested to try this capacitor thing to see if I can get Bartolinis more expansive in the top end.
So are the EMGs in the 80s and 90s Moons exactly the same as they use nowadays? Or are there different versions of EMG jazz pickups?
Somewhere I have a photo of the back of the EMGs when I took them out to replace the foam underneath. Wish I could find it. It had a sticker saying the model.
But my understanding is that the EMG J model is essentially the same as the first generation models that we have in these basses. I first started to suspect that EMGs might be the thing for me when I saw this video
This sounds pretty close to my bass, but his pickups are only a few years old and mine are circa 1984.
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The Darkglass did a lot of wonder there as well, I own one and I can't stress how good of a compressor it can be. Very versatile and adaptive to all types of playing style.
I have often wondered about it. I think I should give it a shot, although I love my Empress.
The Empress is great too, I know a lot of people love em along with the Source Audio one. I went with the Darkglass because having 3 compressor types in one tiny pedal with full adjustments is really useful to me. I play with many different playstyle and genre, having one compressor that works for all of them is really nice. The size is a big plus for me, I try to keep my board as small as I can. I think if you know the type of compressor you like and know that you won't need the others, the Darkglass will be less appealing.
I’m really excited to become part of the Moon Owners’ Club sometime this year! I ordered a DJB5 through Bass Japan Direct (website picture) but I’m having the bass built with Jazz pickups and a 3 band EQ in Alder. Hoping it will sound a lot like the Sutoh Signature JJ’s! Can’t wait to post the picture of the real thing here when it comes in!
Congrats! Also Im wondering, why not get the Sutoh signature? There's a few available right now. Was it the color?
Thanks!
Yes, I really like the finish and binding on the DJB. I figured it’s probably easier to order a DJB in Alder, with MJB575 pickups as seen on Sutoh models. The preamp is the XTCT on either model. The only sonic difference between mine and a Sutoh at this point should be the brass nut on the Sutoh model. but I prefer bone anyway.
Yes, I really like the finish and binding on the DJB. I figured it’s probably easier to order a DJB in Alder, with MJB575 pickups as seen on Sutoh models. The preamp is the XTCT on either model. The only sonic difference between mine and a Sutoh at this point should be the brass nut on the Sutoh model. but I prefer bone anyway.
I guess it's time to join this club. Last year I became the owner of this 80's ?? Moon JJ4. I haven't seen many maple neck/fretboard combinations on a Moon. Don't have any specs of this bass, but the serial on the neckplate is 10986, and the neckpocket has a stamp with PGM and the numbers 06 (or is it 08?) 11 20. The pups are non-originals active Seymour Duncans with an active EQ equalization system. With the different switch settings the sound can be altered. Not sure if I'm happy with these pups, only one setting sounds Ok (imho). Thinking of replace them with EMGs. Advise about what EMG's to use are more than welcome!!
Have you thought about adding original Moon pickups? Talk to Danny from JapanBassDirect (or BassJapanDirect), and tell him you are looking for a vintage and original Moon JB pickup!
