NBD - ESP-LTD-NYC

[Sundogue]

OK, so it's not really a new bass for me, but it is newly redone.

It's my ESP-LTD B205SM. Which is now no longer a spalted maple (there was very little "spalting" to it to begin with) so I sanded the extremely thin veneer down to the Ash body.

I also replaced the stock ESP pickups with Seymour Duncan NYC 5's and added two On/On/On switches and wired them up as Series/Single Coil/Parallel.

And I reshaped the headstock, sanded off the logo and replaced it with my own Om symbol design.

Plays beautifully, with extremely low action. Looks great (IMO) and with the new pups sounds fabulous with a lot of tonal versatility.

Best bass I've owned in many years. There isn't anything I don't love about it .

 

[Sundogue]

After I work with this new pickup configuration a little more through my amp, I'll write up a review of the SD NYC pickups. Thus far, they are really powerful and versatile. They are a direct drop-in replacement for EMG size 40 pups and they come in 4 and 5 string sets or individually (neck or bridge).

 

[jeff7bass]

Wow.. VERY impressive work! Looks amazing.

 

[Sundogue]

Wow.. VERY impressive work! Looks amazing.

Thanks. Originally the "spalted" maple was very minimal (at least the dark striping through it). It had more of a non-descript light grain that was more mustard colored and I really didn't care for it much.

Plus the pickups were a little thin sounding. Not very beefy nor high output. Just the stock ESP soapbars. The headstock had that ugly (IMO) pointy tip to it that I really hated. I reshaped it to look more like MTD headstocks, which I kind of like.

Here's a pic of it before...

 

[Sundogue]

Now that I have new, hotter pickups with a decidedly different tonal output, I'll have to redo how my amp is setup. Every setting on my amp was for the weaker, thinner sounding stock ESP pickups. I'm playing through a GB ShuttleMax 9.2 and utilize both channels (separately and combined), along with a VT Deluxe Bass pedal. Should be fun to set this up.

Having a glossy poly finished neck now along with the new pickups gives me a very bright and mid forward sound that will allow me to probably set my amp more flat and dial in the tone I want. So far, it's everything I expected the upgrade to be.

 

[Doctor J]

Good work, fella

 

[Sundogue]

Thanks. Now if I had more time to play it than just like ten minutes a day! Seems every time I get some new gear, my time gets compromised where I can't spend much with it for a while. It's like being a kid and looking at the gifts under the Christmas tree, but you can't open them! Ugh!

 

[jmcgliss]

Nice work. I have an incoming LTD B5E to try 34" scale instead of my 35's. Had already Photoshopped a headstock mod similar to yours when I found this post. I'll consider the SD NYC's after only finding youtube videos that are too clank-y (though I suspect some of that is poor cellphone audio quality.

 

[Sundogue]

Nice work. I have an incoming LTD B5E to try 34" scale instead of my 35's. Had already Photoshopped a headstock mod similar to yours when I found this post. I'll consider the SD NYC's after only finding youtube videos that are too clank-y (though I suspect some of that is poor cellphone audio quality.

Well, my bass is pretty bright to begin with. Solid Ash body, and I glossed the rosewood neck and if I want clank, I got it in spades. The NYC Phase II pickups warmed it up a lot, especially when I switch them to Series. Single Coil sounds more like both pups full on, on a Jazz and Parallel is a little in between. But in Series these pups are warm and have some real depth and low end, and punchier than hell.

 

[jmcgliss]

Well, my bass is pretty bright to begin with. Solid Ash body, and I glossed the rosewood neck and if I want clank, I got it in spades. The NYC Phase II pickups warmed it up a lot, especially when I switch them to Series. Single Coil sounds more like both pups full on, on a Jazz and Parallel is a little in between. But in Series these pups are warm and have some real depth and low end, and punchier than hell.

Thanks for the rapid reply. I agree with having a Series option, based on my Lakland 55-02 with Chi-Sonics. The B5E will be my 34" scale project. I assume you sourced the switches separately - they're not part of Seymour Duncan's kit, right?

 

[Sundogue]

Thanks for the rapid reply. I agree with having a Series option, based on my Lakland 55-02 with Chi-Sonics. The B5E will be my 34" scale project. I assume you sourced the switches separately - they're not part of Seymour Duncan's kit, right?

Yes. I bought two switches (one for each pup) that are DPDT On/On/On mini switches from Best Bass Gear. I also bought the pups from them. SD had a very clear wiring diagram in with the pups. And I bought the pair (neck/bridge) together. 4 wire pups.

Note in my pics (and even the video online) that the two outer strings do not line up centered between the poles as the other three strings do. Though these are direct EMG Size 40 replacements, I'm sure they are for a bit wider string spacing. But the fact that they are not centered makes absolutely no difference in sound or output. One nice thing about these NYC pups is the pole heights match my fretboard radius perfectly. The outer poles are more flush with the center poles gradually raised a little higher. The balance from string to string is very even.

I would guess that these NYC pups would be even warmer sounding if I had wired them up passive instead of to the ESP's preamp.

 

[jmcgliss]

Yes. I bought two switches (one for each pup) that are DPDT On/On/On mini switches from Best Bass Gear. I also bought the pups from them. SD had a very clear wiring diagram in with the pups. And I bought the pair (neck/bridge) together. 4 wire pups.

Note in my pics (and even the video online) that the two outer strings do not line up centered between the poles as the other three strings do. Though these are direct EMG Size 40 replacements, I'm sure they are for a bit wider string spacing. But the fact that they are not centered makes absolutely no difference in sound or output. One nice thing about these NYC pups is the pole heights match my fretboard radius perfectly. The outer poles are more flush with the center poles gradually raised a little higher. The balance from string to string is very even.

I would guess that these NYC pups would be even warmer sounding if I had wired them up passive instead of to the ESP's preamp.

Now just have a wait until my B5E arrives. I'm encouraged by your mods, so thanks!