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Nordstrand Dual Blade Neo's
- Thread starter Awesome Sauce
- Start date
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,614
- 18,676
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
I talked to Carey on this and I'm sure He could elaborate more...
He said the neo is closer to ceramic then alinco...I was originally thinking about getting ceramic based bars. I hope to have these after NAMM and Andy I will do a review over some organic dark roast... We can A/B against a similar bass with Big Singles.
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Bump for any more opinions.
I'm looking for soapbar pickups for a fretless and these are on my short list of potential options.
I'm looking for soapbar pickups for a fretless and these are on my short list of potential options.
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,614
- 18,676
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,614
- 18,676
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
Cool...I'm off to drop it off to Booph and Jim today for the install.
I want to get someone to shoot video of this for the Basshang and Carey.
PM you later for details...
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,614
- 18,676
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
OK first little teaser.
Huge but controllable low end, very even and the highs where lush.
This is compliments the Big Single nicely...
These pickups are modern sounding but still have the Nordstrand openness to it.
(More to come later)
Huge but controllable low end, very even and the highs where lush.
This is compliments the Big Single nicely...
These pickups are modern sounding but still have the Nordstrand openness to it.
(More to come later)
I wonder how these Neo's compare to Nordstrand's FD-3 Dingwall pickups, blades vs. split-coil "P" sensing...
If it helps the answer I got when I was talking to Adrian at Nordstrand was that the FD-3's were pretty neutral, slightly compressed and with a bit of tubbiness to them. Considering that's the sound I hear with Dingwall basses I think that's a pretty accurate description.
I'm stoked to hear any updates, I have these going into a custom build, bought them with high hopes. I hope I didn't shoot myself in the foot
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,614
- 18,676
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
Hey guys Andy coming over my house today, this afternoon we will have a more formal update this evening.
Sorry for the delay but this is the first time we could get together because of our gigging and family schedules.
Sorry for the delay but this is the first time we could get together because of our gigging and family schedules.
Hey all. Had a great hang with Tony today (he's an amazing host!!). I played his bass with the Neo Blade pickups. I'm personally more used to a bass with dual coil pickups than he is. I know that he likes the Big Singles pickups a lot, and single coils in general. In his bass (ash body, maple neck, ebony board w/ a Nordstrand 2 band pre), although I'm not used to his bass or that wood combo, I felt that I could gauge the general characteristics of the pickups. For me I'd say they were more similar to a Bartolini dual coil, but they are more even all around. They don't have the low mid bump as a Bart does. They seem to have more presence higher up in the midrange a bit. They do, to my ears, have a bit of a roll off on the top end, similar to a Bart. They are definitely more open and less compressed though. The closest pickup I've ever heard that is similar is a set of Delano dual coils, or even the Citron dual coils.....however, that's comparing them to the Delano's or Citron's in series, and these Neo pickups were wired in parallel. I thought that they were in series because they were a bit dark sounding (which I personally like). I was quite surprised when Tony told me they were wound in parallel. I'm guessing that Carey does this intentionally so that you get a less bright parallel sound that you can then split to single coil. Curious if that had something to do with it. As Tony said, they have a big low end (which could be contributing to their darker sound). Panning to the neck pickup, I could even see needing to lessen the bass eq for some applications. The one thing I will say, at least with what I heard from Tony's bass...which should presumably be an aggressive sounding bass naturally...the pickups don't bark at all. They don't have that burpy quality that some may be looking for. You could probably get that if you switch them to single coil, but Tony's bass wasn't wired that way. If you're looking for dual coils with a burpy back pickup sound, I'd suggest something else. However, if you want a pickup that is very clean sounding with a big low end and a strong mid/midrange presence, these could be for you.
Nice review Andy, much appreciated.
So for a fretless bass (neck through, coated fingerboard) would you recommend the original recipe Bart duals (or quads) or the Nordstrand Neo blades? Just hypothetically speaking of course . . .
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,614
- 18,676
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
Great hanging with you Andy...That was awesome.
Also I agree with his assessment %100...(Just a heads up I did not do any coil tapping so no single coil mode, which I hear can get cutty in a good way).
Bart vibe, but with BIG extended lows if you want...To echo Andy's comments, they do not have the Bart compression thing going on and have that, openess to them. Very clean and a little on the darker side (at least in the dual coil mode).
Nothing at all like the Big Singles and very modern...
Good examples of were these pickups would shine. Reggae gig - Drop tuning - Ultra full sounding fretless, really anywhere were you need a solid sounding clear even low end. I think a player that had to layer underneath acoustic instrument would shine with these pickups.
Also I agree with his assessment %100...(Just a heads up I did not do any coil tapping so no single coil mode, which I hear can get cutty in a good way).
Bart vibe, but with BIG extended lows if you want...To echo Andy's comments, they do not have the Bart compression thing going on and have that, openess to them. Very clean and a little on the darker side (at least in the dual coil mode).
Nothing at all like the Big Singles and very modern...
Good examples of were these pickups would shine. Reggae gig - Drop tuning - Ultra full sounding fretless, really anywhere were you need a solid sounding clear even low end. I think a player that had to layer underneath acoustic instrument would shine with these pickups.
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Nice review Andy, much appreciated.
So for a fretless bass (neck through, coated fingerboard) would you recommend the original recipe Bart duals (or quads) or the Nordstrand Neo blades? Just hypothetically speaking of course . . .
Both would work quite well. Between those two it's just would you rather.....
Barts: compression, low mid emphasis (more punch)?
Neos: open, mid/mid emphasis, bigger lows?
If you can figure that out you've got your answer. Both would be great for fretless.
Hey @TonyP- and @emjazz, do you have any experience with the Neo pickups in the EBMM Bongo? Any idea how these Nordstrands Neos compare?
I have Big Singles in my Regenerate Guitar Works 6 string, so I'm quite familiar with those. I also have another 5 string that I'd like to outfit with something that sounds a bit wider/deeper than the Duncan ceramic blade soapbars it has now. Ideally, if I could get that bass to have the depth of my Bongo, I'd just sell the Bongo and play the other bass.
I have Big Singles in my Regenerate Guitar Works 6 string, so I'm quite familiar with those. I also have another 5 string that I'd like to outfit with something that sounds a bit wider/deeper than the Duncan ceramic blade soapbars it has now. Ideally, if I could get that bass to have the depth of my Bongo, I'd just sell the Bongo and play the other bass.
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,614
- 18,676
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
I have tried a Bongo before briefly in the past but do not have a tone of experience with them.
From what I could remember it feels like the Nordstrand Neos are wider on the bottom then then Bongo...But take that with a grain of salt the size of a Kardashian booty.
