Music Man sound and pickups

[big_teee]

Pickup tone IME, is controlled by the pickup location, and the amount of wire on the pickup.
Underwound pickups are bright, overwound pickups are darker sounding.
The amount of the wire and the size of the wire is important.
The trick is to find the sweet spot with the right size and amount of wire for that pickup location, for the tone you are looking for.
GL,
T

 

[rojo412]

While I've never done it personally, I'd think that if you change out to a different preamp that isn't specifically designed for the 'Ray, you'd have some success changing a few aspects of the tone.

For example, if you put an East U Retro 4k into one, it would change all of the things that make the regulation preamp what it is. You'd still have the general tone of the pickup, you'd have an internal gain control, but you'd also have different high and low frequencies be modified, a parametric mid control, etc.

But yeah, I wouldn't mind also hearing about what the different preamp actually does in a Stingray as well.

 

[Britbonic]

One option would be to switch from a 3 band to a 2 band preamp. Nordstrand and East both make good options here. On my SR5, I swapped in a Nordstrand 2 band and like the results. It still sounds like a stingray but IMO much easier to dial in a tone I like with just the 2 knobs. I set the bass where I like it and adjust the treble to taste, much like a passive tone control. I found with a 3 band I was constantly tweaking the mid and treble and never really getting what I wanted.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

While I've never done it personally, I'd think that if you change out to a different preamp that isn't specifically designed for the 'Ray, you'd have some success changing a few aspects of the tone.

For example, if you put an East U Retro 4k into one, it would change all of the things that make the regulation preamp what it is. You'd still have the general tone of the pickup, you'd have an internal gain control, but you'd also have different high and low frequencies be modified, a parametric mid control, etc.

But yeah, I wouldn't mind also hearing about what the different preamp actually does in a Stingray as well.

That was what I was thinking too but you don't hear about people doing it and what the results are. I know people love the Stingray sound and that's what they buy them for, so you don't often hear about major MODs.

I have a 2-band Stingray as well and like the tone a little better than the 3-band, but it is still in the same ballpark. I was wondering if there are people who have went for something significantly different.

I don't mind spending a bit of money on something that I will like, but I wouldn't want to drop a lot of money on something that doesn't sound good. At this point, it seems like a gamble!

 

[rojo412]

There's a Wal-style MM pickup in the 'fieds right now. I was thinking about that combined with an ACG filter preamp in my graphite-necked SUB Ray. That would certainly make for a different Stingray experience!
The issue is, I like the tone of that as it sits, so there's no real reason to change it. I do have a 2b Ray otherwise and that fits the traditional 2b Ray tones as needed, so it remains a slight possibility... but like you said, most people get a Ray for the Ray sound.
And also like you, I happen to favor my 2b over my 3b, but only slightly. Some people hate on the 3 band, but it's great in a different way than the 2 band. So they can live together, that's all I gotta say about that.

 

[big_teee]

The Wal type Pickups are like you say another option.
Multi-coils are very strong, & IMO sound great.
Usually 10,000 turns of 42AWG on each of the 8 coils.
You can run the two coils per string in series and then tie all 4 string pairs together in Parallel.
Or you can do each of the two rows in series and tie the two rows together in parallel.
The later, is how I make mine.
Depending on the amount of turns per coil will determine the tone.
You can make the bridge pickup with either 10,000 of 42awg per coil, or 12-13,000 turns per coil of 43awg.
Wound on 3/8" x 3/4" Alnico 5 rods, and put in a MM cover they look just like a stock MM.
T

 

[blindrabbit]

The Wal type Pickups are like you say another option.
Multi-coils are very strong, & IMO sound great.
Usually 10,000 turns of 42AWG on each of the 8 coils.
You can run the two coils per string in series and then tie all 4 string pairs together in Parallel.
Or you can do each of the two rows in series and tie the two rows together in parallel.
The later, is how I make mine.
Depending on the amount of turns per coil will determine the tone.
You can make the bridge pickup with either 10,000 of 42awg per coil, or 12-13,000 turns per coil of 43awg.
Wound on 3/8" x 3/4" Alnico 5 rods, and put in a MM cover they look just like a stock MM.
T

Out of curiosity, do you know how it is that Wal wires theirs?

 

[lee m]

Delano p bass pickups like the one on some Sandberg basses. Larger magnets change things. Anyone tried them?

 

[Pacman]

Hey all, question for the group, and my apologies if it's been asked in this thread.

I have the first Roscoe MM style bass made, and have decided I want to add a neck pickup to it. My bass has the Basslines Alnico MM5 pickup. Curious as to your thoughts of a good jazz pickup to add in the neck position. I have an option of a Lull-spec'd Seymore Duncan for free. Thoughts?

 

[Jeff Moote]

Hey all, question for the group, and my apologies if it's been asked in this thread.

I have the first Roscoe MM style bass made, and have decided I want to add a neck pickup to it. My bass has the Basslines Alnico MM5 pickup. Curious as to your thoughts of a good jazz pickup to add in the neck position. I have an option of a Lull-spec'd Seymore Duncan for free. Thoughts?

I can't speak from experience but I would expect that pickup to work well having played those two pickups separately. I am curious who you are going to have do the routing for the new pickup?

 

[Pacman]

I can't speak from experience but I would expect that pickup to work well having played those two pickups separately. I am curious who you are going to have do the routing for the new pickup?

I'll be sending it back to Roscoe to have them do it. They know that platform better than anyone, so why risk disaster?

 

[mikezimmerman]

Hey all, question for the group, and my apologies if it's been asked in this thread.

I have the first Roscoe MM style bass made, and have decided I want to add a neck pickup to it. My bass has the Basslines Alnico MM5 pickup. Curious as to your thoughts of a good jazz pickup to add in the neck position. I have an option of a Lull-spec'd Seymore Duncan for free. Thoughts?

I had a Lakland-spec Basslines J/MM setup in my Curbow Jazz, and they paired very well together, especially using the splitter on the MM when paired with the J, but of course they were intended to be a match.

 

[RiZzBot]

I'm want to install a Semour Duncan SMB-4A into my '04 Stingray. Would I have to change the pre-amp as well? And if so what would you guys suggest? I would like a more balanced tone. Seems that the top end on my MM can be a bit harsh at times. I already had someone answer this question btw, but i'd like to get a few more opinions. Thanks TB.

 

[Dan Bass]

Here's a pic of the Kramer D-1 Disciple Bass with a single Active EMG MMCS Double Humbucker in the same sweet spot as the Music Man Sting Ray Bass.

 

[Mikaelbass]

I've been considering installing some thunderbird reproduction pickups (thunderbuckets) in my ray5. The bass holds sentimental value but the sound is just not for me, while I love how it plays more than most of my other basses.


I don't enjoy how compressed and pokey it sounds, and usually only blend two humbuckers on other basses or solo the neck/p position pickup.

Any thoughts on this? Or examples of someone completely changing the layout on their Ray 5? I can imagine a big retro thunderbird pickup in the p position would kick some ass.

 

[bassman28]

You guys need to check out the Mojotone Musicman pickup and pre. You can get the 3 knob 2 band with a push/pull series/ parallel volume or a 4 knob 2 band with a push/ pull series / parallel volume and the 4th knob is a presence control with push/pull active passive. Very versatile setup modeled after the 70s Rays.

 

[BassLife77]

You guys need to check out the Mojotone Musicman pickup and pre. You can get the 3 knob 2 band with a push/pull series/ parallel volume or a 4 knob 2 band with a push/ pull series / parallel volume and the 4th knob is a presence control with push/pull active passive. Very versatile setup modeled after the 70s Rays.

It looks like the pot on the push/pull is a presence cut that adds more resistance between the pickup and preamp input. When they say the alpha pots are "custom made" is kind of stretching the truth. those alpha pots are $2 at the most and are available, even the 1M reverse log. If you are going to pay over $100 you might as well get a Seymour Duncan and you'll get better pots

 

[bassman28]

These are reverse audio taper pots which are the ones used on the original Pre EBs and are not as easy to access. Dave and the guys at Mojotone cut no corners on quality because of their clientele. They had to special order these particular ones and that was part of the secret to make them a true boost and cut preamp. These are designed to give you an authentic Pre EB tone with some extra options since you can't buy an MM pre from Ernie Ball. I am not comparing it to any other preamp, just another option thats worth every penny. These guys spent 2 years perfecting this pre and it was worth it. They are making Alex's amps and Geddys pickups from Rush, Billy Gibbons pickups and many, many more. Their doing something right. I have tried every version of MM pickup and pre out there and this is the one I'm putting my money on. Everyone who knows me is aware of my love for Stingrays and how many I've owned so I don't know much but I know great electronics when I hear them. You can buy the pickup and pre for cheaper then most preamps alone. Just over $200 gets the whole setup plus its looks and sounds like the pre EB board and it comes prewired with a series/parallel option which Ray fans have been yearning for.The pickups are wound to the same specs as the 70s Pre EB but in a five wire configuration which the originals were 2 wire. Blessings

 

[Acoop]

"These are my personal favorite since they use wire, magnets and DC resistance as the original Music Man pickups."

Please explain, incase you haven't already, what you mean by this comment? Original from when?

 

[bassman28]

These were designed from 2 all oringinal 1977 Stingrays. They measured resistance and wire size on the pickups and used same components as the original small square MM circuit board and matched the value of the reverse audio taper pots that finished out the Leo Fender active pre tone. It was a true boost /cut preamp and sounds like no other. I played them all John East, Nordstrand, Seymour Duncan and Mojotone was the first to get it right. These presence control does not affect the resistance because placement in the circuit but just gives a very subtle boost or cut of the high end bite or you can just get the standard 3 knob 2 band. The presence control is an option. You can get a 4 knob and the presence knob can be an active /passive switch only. Very versatile preamp and you can custom order however you want it. The custom part was they had to order pots with the same taper and value as the original pre which was slightly different then standard.