@Cantstandsya
The Big Rigs and Zen Blades are the two Nordstrand pickups I am interested in the most. Would be great to hear your take on the two models.
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Nordstrand Zen Blade
- Thread starter sikamikanico
- Start date
@Cantstandsya
The Big Rigs and Zen Blades are the two Nordstrand pickups I am interested in the most. Would be great to hear your take on the two models.
Awesome tone and tasteful playing!
What's the signal chain we're hearing here? Thanks.
I am starting to wonder how these would sound in a warwick thumb 6....... With a nice audere preamp..... Uh oh gas attack
too kind, thank you! Actually here I went Zen in parallel-custom Nord preamp-straight to Genzler MG800-pre eq DI, into mix. board. Indeed there's some very little compression and on a couple of tunes, chorus and/or octaver...
Big shout out to @maurilio , who just identified a problem I was having with the Zens.
Basically, the pickup cavities have to be completely shielded for rf interference on the bases and sidewalls. Turns out there are a lot of basses that don’t do this, mainly because Bartolini pickups are internally shielded and don’t need it. So, if you are swapping out a bass built with Bartolini pickups, be sure to check the pickup cavities for shielding. Not too tricky to add; but, you have to know what to look for.
Basically, the pickup cavities have to be completely shielded for rf interference on the bases and sidewalls. Turns out there are a lot of basses that don’t do this, mainly because Bartolini pickups are internally shielded and don’t need it. So, if you are swapping out a bass built with Bartolini pickups, be sure to check the pickup cavities for shielding. Not too tricky to add; but, you have to know what to look for.
Huh, that's strange. Is it a prolem unique to the Zen's? I don't have an issue with my Big Rigs and my pickup cavities are not shielded.
Probably worth your time to PM Mo to ask. I’m not an expert on all of the Nordstrand pickups. But, I did get the impression that the issue for the Zens could be applicable to at least some of their other pickups.
Some pickups have a different structure and especially dual coils in parallel are pretty much fully hum free, but sometimes in series they can get a little "noisier".
Interaction with the preamp is a factor, too.
I wonder if these pickups and Mike's pre are a little 'finicky'. On @bucephylus Tobias I also moved around few grounds...that might have made a difference (?).
Personally, I ALWAYS fully shield my instruments, no matter what, and suggest the same to customers.
I have ZEN blades on all my basses and installed many even in basses with "not so good" shielding and didn't find them "noisier" than other humcans...
Anyhow, I'm glad we could solve this issue and Paul is happy with his instruments. That's what count
Interaction with the preamp is a factor, too.
I wonder if these pickups and Mike's pre are a little 'finicky'. On @bucephylus Tobias I also moved around few grounds...that might have made a difference (?).
Personally, I ALWAYS fully shield my instruments, no matter what, and suggest the same to customers.
I have ZEN blades on all my basses and installed many even in basses with "not so good" shielding and didn't find them "noisier" than other humcans...
Anyhow, I'm glad we could solve this issue and Paul is happy with his instruments. That's what count
I love them, but than again I’m biased, those are my favorite nord pups!
I’d say they are great but might still a little smoother compared to the bigsplits, which would be my next all time favorite of alnico V pups
They are side mounted dual coils, with separate wires from both coils available for Series / Parallel / Single Coil operation, depending on player prefs and switching / wiring.
I think they are amazing. No question in my mind that they would be great on just about any bass guitar, independent of # strings or frets / fretless.
4 String Soapbar Bass Pickups
This is probably the only dual coil pickup I have ever “omitted” the single coil mode. Because of a single sensing blade, the parallel and sc are practically identical (I doubt you can tell the difference in the mix, plus who wants sc noise )
This is probably the only dual coil pickup I have ever “omitted” the single coil mode. Because of a single sensing blade, the parallel and sc are practically identical (I doubt you can tell the difference in the mix, plus who wants sc noise
)
Actually what I meant is that the bobbins have their magnetic cores parallel to the strings rather than perpendicular, as in typical side by side humbucking dual coils, like the DiMarzios you mentioned. The cores come together and extend up to the Blades. That construction is referred to as sidewinders.
confused here.. however i am too poor to buy one and cut it in half to see what you mean exactly.. but thanx
No sweat. It's hard to visualize without pictures.
Check this link:
Nordstrand Audio Releases Zen Blade—Big Hum Cancelling Blade Pickup | Premier Guitar
You will see the bobbin cores are horizontal rather than vertical. So, the copper windings go up and down around the cores rather than side to side. IIRC, the Gibson Humbuckers used on the EB-O and EB-3 pioneered this design.
