Musicmaster Replacement Pickup Comparison - Lace Red vs Novak

[whitelines]

I had a Fender Lace Red in my early 70s music master. I replaced it with a Curtis Novak Musicmaster Bass Hum-cancelling pickup, which is humbucker similar to a Mustang. I recorded both combos with three different right hand attack modalities. If I can find a strat pickup, I'll throw it in the mix later too. I lost the one that was originally installed. I remember it not having much beef, but memory is a funny thing...

Bass is strung with LaBella flats. I recorded through a Noble preamp into a Scarlet interface into Logic Pro X. I turned on a slight bit of compression using the Logic compressor plugin with the "Bass Light" default setting. (As recommended to my by @IanAllison ). Drums are a Clyde Stubblefield loop. I post processed it with Ozone to bump up the volume (which will compress it more...).

The Lace Red is panned slightly to the left, the Novak slightly to the right.
The differences are most pronounced on the "fingers" and "pick" tracks. The "foam mute" track is more subtle.

 

[andare]

As always with these comparisons, the lack of rest between the two pickups makes it impossible for me to hear any difference, it all sounds like one performance. I guess I'm deaf

 

[blacktocomm]

I think both pickups sound great. Also, your playing is on point. Nice groove.

 

[jallenbass]

Other than the extended highs with the Novak, they sound very similar. I prefer the darker sounding Lace.

 

[whitelines]

As always with these comparisons, the lack of rest between the two pickups makes it impossible for me to hear any difference, it all sounds like one performance. I guess I'm deaf

It’s hard to tell without headphones. They are panned just a bit each direction.

 

[andare]

It’s hard to tell without headphones. They are panned just a bit each direction.

Ok, on my computer now and I can hear the panning. They are very close. The Lace Sensor sounds cleare with fingers and the Novak wins out with a pick. I suppose the Lace Sensor has a tiny bit of single coil hum?

 

[whitelines]

Ok, on my computer now and I can hear the panning. They are very close. The Lace Sensor sounds cleare with fingers and the Novak wins out with a pick. I suppose the Lace Sensor has a tiny bit of single coil hum?

It does pick up the 60 cycle hum in my house. My house if full of dimming lighting and is very electrically noisy. True single coils are murder.

 

[whitelines]

I think both pickups sound great. Also, your playing is on point. Nice groove.

Thank you.

 

[whitelines]

Other than the extended highs with the Novak, they sound very similar. I prefer the darker sounding Lace.

I think I like the Novak, but there is confirmation bias in my preference since I just bought it.

 

[andare]

It does pick up the 60 cycle hum in my house. My house if full of dimming lighting and is very electrically noisy. True single coils are murder.

My Bronco was driving me crazy with that Strat pickup. I replaced it with a dual rail humbucker and when I split it it's just as noisy. Noisiest bass ever.

Anyway i forgot to compliment your playing. Really made the comparison a pleasure to listen to.

 

[whitelines]

My Bronco was driving me crazy with that Strat pickup. I replaced it with a dual rail humbucker and when I split it it's just as noisy. Noisiest bass ever.

Anyway i forgot to compliment your playing. Really made the comparison a pleasure to listen to.

thank you. Nice to have somebody actually listen to the bass player!

 

[Jefenator]

Thanks for posting this! I've got a '70s Musicmaster with a Lace Red and was mulling whether I should swap it out. (I had the Aero in another one and it sounded amazing.)
Based on your very-well-presented comparison, I think I prefer the Novak. (Dammit - looks like I've got to spend more money...)

 

[whitelines]

Thanks for posting this! I've got a '70s Musicmaster with a Lace Red and was mulling whether I should swap it out. (I had the Aero in another one and it sounded amazing.)
Based on your very-well-presented comparison, I think I prefer the Novak. (Dammit - looks like I've got to spend more money...)

Its fun fiddling with bass stuff for sure.

 

[whitelines]

Thanks for posting this! I've got a '70s Musicmaster with a Lace Red and was mulling whether I should swap it out. (I had the Aero in another one and it sounded amazing.)
Based on your very-well-presented comparison, I think I prefer the Novak. (Dammit - looks like I've got to spend more money...)

fyi, I emailed Chris Novak to see if he could make a humbucking music master form factor and he said he had a few left on the shelf. They are not on his webpage.

 

[Zenbassie]

I have a late 70s MM that I have turned into a piccolo bass. It currently has a dual rail Seymour Duncan Strat-type pickup, but it's not really working for me. Maybe a Curtis Novak is the way to go....

 

[GregT]

The exact Red Lace Sensor you hear in the soundclips above is now in my 1978 Musicmaster Bass. I still can't believe how close it sounds to my American Standard Bass with a Geezer Butler pickup. My Musicmaster Bass is amazing now. So much power and clarity! Thank you again, whitelines!

 

[NHM]

thanks, a really helpful comparison.

 

[Jv-d]

Whitelines/Wally...
Your playing is really, really nice, right there, where it needs to be... Any band would be very welcoming to have you as a member, holding it down! Maybe recording reveal some different nuances, but either would compliment the song!
That being said, it is your playing which stands out, not your PUs in my book... You make then both sound good!
In a band mix, no one is going to say they prefer one PU over another... They're going to say, "damn, that bass player was good!"
Its in your fingers, your chops, brother, not the PUs... You'll sound good using the stock PUs!

I like the foam dampening... I have experimented with different foam n sponges over the years...

Last week I took some 1/4" rubberized foam that I use for footbeds, and cut a piece a bit wider than the width of the strings, and cut slots into the foam for each string... I like it... Out of the way - pushed up against the bridge -- no tuning issues from pressure on the strings... Gives me that McCartney, Carol Kay (etc) thunk!! Asked my little wifey if she noticed any difference, she did, but didn't know what I had done...
After hearing your great clips, I am feeling that I need to fix up my Early/mid(?) 70's Musicmaster...
Haven't played it in decades... Never knew it could sound so good...
My 1st bass... $30.00 and a handful of "go fast tabs"...
Hearing your clips has inspired me to resurrect that oldie, but goodie ...
Wondering what it will sound like through my PJB cabs versus my old Yamaha combo (40+yrs old -- geeze)????
Anyway, keep on, my brother, you sound great!!

 

[whitelines]

Wow, what nice compliments, thank you!
Resserect that thing! Playing short scale is fun, feels like no work. Flats on them were something I’d never retried until recently and lend themselves to the scale length.
The old 80s Yamaha combo amp at my drummers rehersal space is killer. He won’t sell it to me.

 

[Temcat]

Lace all the way for me.