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New Nordstrand BigMan
- Thread starter who
- Start date
I'm not sure about the EA-coil of a Precision lining up with the Jazz neck pup, though it might be close, and I'm pretty sure that a P + MM necessitates one or the other being scooted slightly from its traditional position.
I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. All kinds of conflicting info out there on the traditional pickup placements.
I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. All kinds of conflicting info out there on the traditional pickup placements.
There is conflicting information on traditional pickup placements but that photo was the best I'd seen on a scaled visual comparison. From what I've read it does looks like a P + MM necessitates one or the other being scooted slightly from its traditional position but I think the overlap might only be 2-3 mm. Likewise an MM + J arrangement involves some placement compromise because it looks like the MM bridge coil is about 1/2" farther from the bridge (or closer to the 12th fret) than the 60's jazz bridge coil. What got me thinking about this was post #90 wondering where to place a switchable Big Single with a BigMan mounted in the Stingray "sweet spot". There is no one right answer but the mid-split P-bass location makes sense to me for providing a little more rounded tone without going too far that direction. With a single pickup narrower than the split P set, it should fit.
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Hopefully you can get some idea of how this question is answered with my BigMan demo, now up on Youtube.
I don't think it gets too far into MFD territory. It's quite reminiscent of the MM sound in parallel mode, but it's broader and beefier. Again, not a subtle pickup.
I do like MFD territory. Asked Adrian if they had thought of doing it as 2 big splits or a Quad Coil to allow switching as on their MM5.4 but that seems to not work.
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
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- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
This is the tone I want to check out along with the flexibility of an alternate neck coil placement for a little wider footprint so I just got a build started with Tom Clement with the following spec:
Classic Kim (Clement #354) [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Two piece swamp ash body
10-8-10 black limba top
5-piece laminated neck, maple with wenge stringers
Fretted wenge board (34" scale, 24 fret)
Nordstrand BigMan Pickup in MM sweet spot
Nordstrand Big Single Neck Pickup at split-P midline
Neck coil selector switch
Nordstrand 3b-4a Preamp with 200/800 Hz selectable mid and black knobs
Black HipShot A-Style Bridge, 19mm
Black HipShot UltraLite Tuning Gears
Protec Contego Pro Case
Medium 125 set of DR Sunbeams Nickel Plated Round strings
http://www.talkbass.com/threads/the-music-man-sweet-spot.308157/
I have a 34" scale Valenti PJ5 for reference and did some further workup for pickup placement.
http://www.bestbassgear.com/nordstrand-pickups.htm#nordstrandbigman5
The BigMan 5 with 19mm spacing has MM Ernie Ball dimensions with Length = 4.4150"(112.1mm) Width = 1.95"(49.5mm)
Zero fret to center of pickup = 30-9/16"(776.3mm); 12th fret to center of pickup = 13-9/16"(344.5mm)
The Big Single 5 with 19mm spacing has Bartolini P2 dimensions with Length = 4.27"(108.4mm) Width = 1.27"(32.2mm)
Zero fret to center of pickup = 28-7/16"(722.3mm); 12th fret to center of pickup = 11-7/16"(290.5mm)
Two additional dimensions I got from the Music man sweet spot reference for the EBMM pickup
http://www.talkbass.com/threads/the-music-man-sweet-spot.308157/
12th fret to center of neck side magnets = 13-1/8"(333.4mm); 12th fret to center of bridge side magnets = 14-1/16"(357.2mm)
With this pickup placement and dimensions it looks like the BigMan neck and Big Single coil will be separated by about 1-11/16"(42.9mm) and there will be a gap of about 5/8"(15.9mm) between the edges of the two pickups. Laying this out on my PJ5 it seems accurate and should work well.
The Stingray on the pickup position graphic below has been updated with mid line position markers and dimensions for illustration. The 24th fret line has also been extended over from the Warwick SS II. There should still be enough room to get your fingers under the strings for slap/pop and neck coil switching should cop some of that P-bass roundness.
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Wow that is a lot of information. Mine is similar but somewhat more simple. The bass I am having made is by Cliff Bordwell . Will have the big man and a big split ( do not care for single coil noise). If it was made with 2 splits in it I would order that and put a switch for single row but Nord tell me that it turns out weird whatever that means. 2 volumes and BT circuit but it is a 5 string with 19MM spacing. As for the pickup placement I am leaving that up to Cliff.
This is the tone I want to check out along with the flexibility of an alternate neck coil placement for a little wider footprint so I just got a build started with Tom Clement with the following spec:
Classic Kim (Clement #354) [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Two piece swamp ash body
10-8-10 black limba top
5-piece laminated neck, maple with wenge stringers
Fretted wenge board (34" scale, 24 fret)
Nordstrand BigMan Pickup in MM sweet spot
Nordstrand Big Single Neck Pickup at split-P midline
Neck coil selector switch
Nordstrand 3b-4a Preamp with 200/800 Hz selectable mid and black knobs
Black HipShot A-Style Bridge, 19mm
Black HipShot UltraLite Tuning Gears
Protec Contego Pro Case
Medium 125 set of DR Sunbeams Nickel Plated Round strings
http://www.talkbass.com/threads/the-music-man-sweet-spot.308157/
I have a 34" scale Valenti PJ5 for reference and did some further workup for pickup placement.
http://www.bestbassgear.com/nordstrand-pickups.htm#nordstrandbigman5
The BigMan 5 with 19mm spacing has MM Ernie Ball dimensions with Length = 4.4150"(112.1mm) Width = 1.95"(49.5mm)
Zero fret to center of pickup = 30-9/16"(776.3mm); 12th fret to center of pickup = 13-9/16"(344.5mm)
The Big Single 5 with 19mm spacing has Bartolini P2 dimensions with Length = 4.27"(108.4mm) Width = 1.27"(32.2mm)
Zero fret to center of pickup = 28-7/16"(722.3mm); 12th fret to center of pickup = 11-7/16"(290.5mm)
Two additional dimensions I got from the Music man sweet spot reference for the EBMM pickup
http://www.talkbass.com/threads/the-music-man-sweet-spot.308157/
12th fret to center of neck side magnets = 13-1/8"(333.4mm); 12th fret to center of bridge side magnets = 14-1/16"(357.2mm)
With this pickup placement and dimensions it looks like the BigMan neck and Big Single coil will be separated by about 1-11/16"(42.9mm) and there will be a gap of about 5/8"(15.9mm) between the edges of the two pickups. Laying this out on my PJ5 it seems accurate and should work well.
The Stingray on the pickup position graphic below has been updated with mid line position markers and dimensions for illustration. The 24th fret line has also been extended over from the Warwick SS II. There should still be enough room to get your fingers under the strings for slap/pop and neck coil switching should cop some of that P-bass roundness.
Wow! You've done your homework -- good on you! The Big Single in the P (as opposed to J) position will avoid the overlap you'd get with a split P and an MM shaped pickup in their traditional spots. I've considered building a fretless with a pup in the J bridge position (60s, 70s, or in-between, as on my Power Jazz Bass Special, I'm not sure) and another at the P-midline, but I'm not sure how much of the P-vibe a dual-coil or something similar would cop there. Digression: the split P is an interesting animal. I have a P-bass and one with a reverse-P (the aforementioned PJB Special). Both get that grunt and grind, but you can hear, if you listen, the change in tone between the A and D string when you move from the coil that's closer to the bridge to the one that's closer to the neck. In the context of a line, not so much, but you do hear that full-bottom/thinner top with the traditional placement (which is great for some things) and the tighter bottom/fuller top with the reverse placement (seems more consistent actually, and has its advantages as well, though it loses some of the "pillow" of the trad placement). The idea of a single pup on the midline appeals to the purist in me, but there's bound to be some compromise, no matter which way you go, in the sense that no pickup/placement is going to simultaneously sound like everything you like about every other one -- I don't think so, anyway!.
Anyway, very much looking forward to hearing about the results of your experiment!
Will be interested in hearing about this, too! The pups are leaving the shop and entering the custom field.
For my next Warmoth build I want a solid alternative to my P/J but want simplicity in the controls. Two knobs only (stacked would be fine), single PUP, passive. I was thinking of doing a single MFD (a la G&L L-1000) but this Bigman has me intrigued as well. How do you all think the two would compare? Again, passive only. Any thoughts?
- May 9, 2008
- 4,081
- 1,236
- Disclosures
- Proprietor Springvale Studios
I know this is an old thread but GAS keeps dragging me back. I have a Doug Wilks sliding pickup stingray 5 with a Nordstrand 5.2 and an Aguillar pre now with slightly scratcy pots.
But then there is this "Big Man" pickup and one of there new pre amps with multi position mid band centres.
Nordstrand are tormenting me nearly to the point of reaching for my card, if only it wasn't called a "Big Man".
They could have called it a big dual but maybe I will wait till they produce a big splittable quad 5.
PS Obviously a pickup to be referred to in future as the "Rather Obese Chap".
But then there is this "Big Man" pickup and one of there new pre amps with multi position mid band centres.
Nordstrand are tormenting me nearly to the point of reaching for my card, if only it wasn't called a "Big Man".
They could have called it a big dual but maybe I will wait till they produce a big splittable quad 5.
PS Obviously a pickup to be referred to in future as the "Rather Obese Chap".
I'm dreaming up a parts bass, and considering a combination of:
- NP4A (Nordstrand splitcoil precision type) in the neck position *passive volume only... maybe a passive tone too.
- Bigman in the bridge position *2 passive volumes, one for each internal Big Single.
No preamp because I am happy to EQ at the amp,
though I would be happy to add an 18V preamp just for the buffer and a switch to turn it off.
What say you experienced folk?
- NP4A (Nordstrand splitcoil precision type) in the neck position *passive volume only... maybe a passive tone too.
- Bigman in the bridge position *2 passive volumes, one for each internal Big Single.
No preamp because I am happy to EQ at the amp,
though I would be happy to add an 18V preamp just for the buffer and a switch to turn it off.
What say you experienced folk?
This is the tone I want to check out along with the flexibility of an alternate neck coil placement for a little wider footprint so I just got a build started with Tom Clement with the following spec:
Classic Kim (Clement #354) [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Two piece swamp ash body
10-8-10 black limba top
5-piece laminated neck, maple with wenge stringers
Fretted wenge board (34" scale, 24 fret)
Nordstrand BigMan Pickup in MM sweet spot
Nordstrand Big Single Neck Pickup at split-P midline
Neck coil selector switch
Nordstrand 3b-4a Preamp with 200/800 Hz selectable mid and black knobs
Black HipShot A-Style Bridge, 19mm
Black HipShot UltraLite Tuning Gears
Protec Contego Pro Case
Medium 125 set of DR Sunbeams Nickel Plated Round strings
The Music Man Sweet Spot | TalkBass.com
I have a 34" scale Valenti PJ5 for reference and did some further workup for pickup placement.
Nordstrand Pickups - Best Bass Gear
The BigMan 5 with 19mm spacing has MM Ernie Ball dimensions with Length = 4.4150"(112.1mm) Width = 1.95"(49.5mm)
Zero fret to center of pickup = 30-9/16"(776.3mm); 12th fret to center of pickup = 13-9/16"(344.5mm)
The Big Single 5 with 19mm spacing has Bartolini P2 dimensions with Length = 4.27"(108.4mm) Width = 1.27"(32.2mm)
Zero fret to center of pickup = 28-7/16"(722.3mm); 12th fret to center of pickup = 11-7/16"(290.5mm)
Two additional dimensions I got from the Music man sweet spot reference for the EBMM pickup
The Music Man Sweet Spot | TalkBass.com
12th fret to center of neck side magnets = 13-1/8"(333.4mm); 12th fret to center of bridge side magnets = 14-1/16"(357.2mm)
With this pickup placement and dimensions it looks like the BigMan neck and Big Single coil will be separated by about 1-11/16"(42.9mm) and there will be a gap of about 5/8"(15.9mm) between the edges of the two pickups. Laying this out on my PJ5 it seems accurate and should work well.
The Stingray on the pickup position graphic below has been updated with mid line position markers and dimensions for illustration. The 24th fret line has also been extended over from the Warwick SS II. There should still be enough room to get your fingers under the strings for slap/pop and neck coil switching should cop some of that P-bass roundness.
How did this build turn out?
It is about 2/3 done. Should have it in about 4 weeks.
Looking forward to hearing how both builds turn out. I imagine that they'll have their own threads (or mentions in threads dedicated to their respective builders) but don't forget to update here, too, for all of us interested in geeking on what you can do with pickup placement and passive electronics (well, that's me anyway) and, of course, in how this pickup fares with the others in these builds.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
Cool thread. I just kicked off a Warmoth project that will have a Bigman at the bridge and two big singles - one as close as possible to the neck truss channel and the middle will be centered between bridge and neck. The Bigman will be positioned so that one coil is in the 60's J position and the other coil is in the 70's J position. Planning to treat each half of the Bigman as if it was a separate big single (parallel wiring). Each of the 4 pickups will get an on/off switch.
Trying to decide which Audere preamp to use. The new noise cancellation system which uses a phantom coil is probably the route I will go. That will add 3 more hum-free settings to the normal 5.
Someone in the middle of the thread mentioned string pull but I don't know why it would be any different from a Stingray HH which has even more magnet mass than the BM.
I'll post pics and clips eventually. Just ordered stuff yesterday.
Trying to decide which Audere preamp to use. The new noise cancellation system which uses a phantom coil is probably the route I will go. That will add 3 more hum-free settings to the normal 5.
Someone in the middle of the thread mentioned string pull but I don't know why it would be any different from a Stingray HH which has even more magnet mass than the BM.
I'll post pics and clips eventually. Just ordered stuff yesterday.
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