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Need thoughts about Modulus Q6

#5
I'd go the other way... I'm very happy with Barts is my Q6 and the Bart NTMB eq. It sits in the mix so well.

Don't know anything about Kent Armstrong pickups though, maybe I'm missing out.
 
#8
Could be the preamp. However i have played q6 with emg dcs and they cut through the mix very well with a more focused high- mid presence. However in my q6 I have bartolini pickups and bartolini preamp and i love it.
 
#9
I have a Q6 with the Bart's and OBP3 and a Q5 with EMG pups and pre. The Q6 is is very warm and big sounding while the Q5 is very articulate and lively. I think if I ever switch things up with either of those I'd change the pre in the Q6 to a Bart or maybe Audere. However, the OBP would just get reassigned to another bass needing some more heft probably. If I wanted to go further, I've read of some folks having Nordstrand big splits or dual coils made and working well.

With that said, I've come to a point where I'm using each of them for what they do well and that's all. I've been lucky to acquire the variety I need to do that though. Neither of those basses are my go to for gigs covering a lot of styles, however many people could use them successfully that way I'm sure.
 
#10
I owned a Q5 and have tried the EMG P, CS, and DC's. I agree with David- the DC's will be harsh. However, The EMG CS's paired very well with my modulus, as they have less going on in the upper midrange and treble. If you like a bass sound that is forward in the mix, you will probably like these.

Since you already have the Aguilar, there are many other pickups that will pair nicely with it that can get the tone you are after.
+1 on the strings suggestion- that could get you closer to your sound...
 
#12
Bassman8416 said:
hey guys,
I just got a new Modulus Q6 about a month ago with an aguilar obp-3 and Bart pick-ups. The Barts seem to be lacking in the punch department and just a little to mellow for my taste. How would the aguilar pair up with EMG DC's? Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...

I've got a Q6 with barts and yes, they are mellow and I am a Bart lover and I really don't like EMGs, but all I want to suggest is to first TRY your bass in a band in a mix. My Q6 isn't really all that impressive when played alone, but in a mix that sucker cuts through like a hot knife in butter!

Just try a few situations first before switching to those bright EMGs, that's all I'm saying.
 
#14
I have a Q6 and I've gone through a bunch of pickups. I started with Lane Poor and they were the hands down best sounding of the bunch, except for the extreme susceptibility to noise. I sent them back to Lane for replacements, which he promised me right before he went out of business. Damn. I then went with EMG DCs. They seemed kind of vanilla when playing them but always sounded good in the room and on recording. Next I went with Barts, although I don't remember the specific model. I have Barts in a lot of other basses and love them, but they always felt like it added a layer of something between me and the bass. Next was a set of EMGs again, with a 45J and 45TW. I tried them both in both positions. I couldn't really feel comfortable with them. Next was a pair of Seymour Duncans. I really wanted to like these, but for some reason the tone was never there. Where am I now? Back to the EMG DCs. They just work right with this bass. I know they have a reputation of being sterile, harsh and bright, but that has not really been my experience. I've gotten some great dub reggae sounds out of them, without even having to crank the low end on the preamp (even to the point of sending smoke billowing out of my fEARful), just by altering how I play. Eventually I'm going to put my ACG EQ01 preamp in there as well, but I think they are very nice pickups, as much as I've tried to avoid using them over the years. They are staying.
 
#15
I have 2 Q6's one has flamed maple top/phenolic fingerboard/EMG DC's/EMG BQC the other has purpleheart top/chechen fingerboard/Lane Poor/Bartolini NTMB. The Barts may seem to be lacking punch because you aren't using a Bart pre with them. The pickups on their own are fairly low output, the gain is made up in the preamp. I personally love the EMG DC's with a Modulus - with that setup and an Eden WT800, there is nothing you can't dial in (or out). I think the reputation of them being sterile has more to do with string choice than anything else. If you use stainless steel rounds - its gonna be bright, but you'd be surprised at the tones you can get with compression wounds (I use Ken Smith Slick Rounds). If I was going to buy something to work with your Aguilar preamp I'd try Nordstrand Big Singles or Big Splits.

...And if you ever do decide to try EMG's, get the BQC preamp with the sweepable mid frequency - it's invaluable IMO.
 
#17
I have a Q5 that has had a number of pickups over the years. So far I am most impressed with the Barts I have recently installed for both pickup and preamp. As for strings I couldn't agree more with the Sunbeams. They just really work with Modulus basses !!
 
#18
Put me in the category of liking the Barts. My fretted Q6 has the Bartolinis with the NTMB pre as well as switching (P Bass, Humbucking, Humbucking out of phase) and it works very well as a recording bass.
My fretless (a duplicate of Marcus Miller's old Q6) has EMG DCs with an 18v system with sweepable midrange. It's a little hard to get a really warm tone out of it and the EMGs can be a little nasal. Here are the two basses:
Barts:
 

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