Ah, the brand-new MM-style bridge PU in "single coil mode only" to adapt to the weaker output of the J neck PU?
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NBD: Sire Z7-5
- Thread starter GreyBeard
- Start date
I guess I should talk to my sweetwater guy again... who I bought my Z7 new from in 2024... he told me Sire wasn't offering the new neck pickup by itself. @eli would you mind DMing me info about your order that you feel comfortable letting me sharing with my rep?
Based on Lobster's video with the updated pickup, the new neck pickup solo gets a pretty convincing p-bass tone (to me at least; I think it's the low-mids), the bridge humbucker already nails the Stingray tone, and if we can get a coil tap to get a legit J-bass tone, we'd have Leo's Holy Trinity of Tone in one bass with a phenomenally thin comfortable neck.
You laugh, but my 2nd most-desired mod for this bass is a coil tap for the bridge pickup to get a true parallel-single-coil J-bass tone.Ah, the brand-new MM-style bridge PU in "single coil mode only" to adapt to the weaker output of the J neck PU?
Based on Lobster's video with the updated pickup, the new neck pickup solo gets a pretty convincing p-bass tone (to me at least; I think it's the low-mids), the bridge humbucker already nails the Stingray tone, and if we can get a coil tap to get a legit J-bass tone, we'd have Leo's Holy Trinity of Tone in one bass with a phenomenally thin comfortable neck.
Well, NUTS...
Sire sent Sweetwater the old style pickup. Can't use it, it's same as what I have. Hoping they will take it back.
Sire sent Sweetwater the old style pickup. Can't use it, it's same as what I have. Hoping they will take it back.
SWEETWATER FTW!!!
They got me the right one from Sire! And despite being one of the world's worst solderers...
I managed to install it, and it is WONDERFUL! PLENTY of output to match the bridge PU. Thanks to @LowEndLobster for the suggestion to go through Sweetwater!
I had originally said I did not buy this bass from Sweetwater... and they went ahead and got me this pickup from Sire anyway. Turns out, believe it or not, I bought it on Reverb... from GearNuts, which is Sweetwater's Reverb seller identity! Even so, neither SW nor Sire knew that, but I got the pickup I needed!
Off to an open mic tomorrow to run it through some real-life (well, sorta...) paces!
They got me the right one from Sire! And despite being one of the world's worst solderers...
I managed to install it, and it is WONDERFUL! PLENTY of output to match the bridge PU. Thanks to @LowEndLobster for the suggestion to go through Sweetwater!
I had originally said I did not buy this bass from Sweetwater... and they went ahead and got me this pickup from Sire anyway. Turns out, believe it or not, I bought it on Reverb... from GearNuts, which is Sweetwater's Reverb seller identity! Even so, neither SW nor Sire knew that, but I got the pickup I needed!
Off to an open mic tomorrow to run it through some real-life (well, sorta...) paces!
And by the way... THIS trick like sorta worked on the original pickup, but not really -- hadda raise the PU so close to the strings to get the output that it was warbling.
I then tried a more powerful bar magnet, but oddly enough, the D string was almost completely dead... put these back on and it again sorta worked.
I then tried a more powerful bar magnet, but oddly enough, the D string was almost completely dead... put these back on and it again sorta worked.
UPDATE REPORT:
After a few open mics and rehearsals, I have to say this new neck pickup sounds REALLY good! A lovely rich J sound on this fretless! And, as previously noted, PLENTY of output to match the big MM bridge, plus there's even a little more treble output from the new pickup than the MM bridge! NO problems switching back and forth. Really makes the Z7 the bass I had hoped it would be! Surprisingly, I'm also getting no noise from it soloed, even under my fluorescent home lights.
This may actually have cured my GAS for a fretless J, one of which is not currently in the stable. Though that %&^#! red sparkle V7 keeps grabbing my attention...
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FINAL PHASE COMPLETE!
Got a sheet of white pearl 3-ply w/b/w pg material MONTHS ago (maybe even a year?) intending to cut a new guard because I really didn't like the stock black guard on the beautiful burgundy mist. Been putting it off as making a pg is a LOT of work with my tools (normal hand tools and a Dremel).
So a week or so ago I see a thick adhesive-backed vinyl sheet in white pearl on line. Not like contact paper wrap, but .070" thick, can still cut it with scissors. Ordered a sheet of that, and when it arrived, I was relieved to see that it has the visual depth of the solid sheet material. So I stuck it to my old black guard earlier this afternoon, and went to work with the scissors, X-Acto, and Dremel. Came out pretty nice, I must say! And bonus -- my imperfect pickup corner cuts actually hold the whole thing in place, so no screws!
At long last, my Misty is finally dressed demurely!
Got a sheet of white pearl 3-ply w/b/w pg material MONTHS ago (maybe even a year?) intending to cut a new guard because I really didn't like the stock black guard on the beautiful burgundy mist. Been putting it off as making a pg is a LOT of work with my tools (normal hand tools and a Dremel).
So a week or so ago I see a thick adhesive-backed vinyl sheet in white pearl on line. Not like contact paper wrap, but .070" thick, can still cut it with scissors. Ordered a sheet of that, and when it arrived, I was relieved to see that it has the visual depth of the solid sheet material. So I stuck it to my old black guard earlier this afternoon, and went to work with the scissors, X-Acto, and Dremel. Came out pretty nice, I must say! And bonus -- my imperfect pickup corner cuts actually hold the whole thing in place, so no screws!
At long last, my Misty is finally dressed demurely!
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