Not loud enough

[Bass_man91]

Hey everybody, I have a Stagg BC300 and It just isn't loud enough for me. So my question is... Do I need to upgrade the pickups or the pots to get it louder? I know my amp isn't the problem because when I plug my other bass in it's loud as hell.

Thanks,

 

[bongomania]

Changing the pots won't do anything about loudness. Is this bass passive, and the other bass active?

 

[Bass_man91]

both basses are passive

 

[millsbass5]

My guess would be that you have some type of problems w/the pups or the wiring in general.

 

[Blueszilla]

How far are the pickups from the strings, compared to the bass that's 'loud as hell'?

 

[Bass_man91]

How far are the pickups from the strings, compared to the bass that's 'loud as hell'?

I just checked, The pickups are a 1/4" from the strings on both basses

EDIT: if it helps my other bass is a Peavey Milestone 2

 

[silky smoove]

I know my amp isn't the problem because when I plug my other bass in it's loud as hell.

Invariably, different basses have different output voltages. My dual Darkstar G4 is noticeably hotter than my DiMarzio Model J equipped Jazz. That's what the gain and master knobs on your amp are for.

 

[mikezimmerman]

Some pickups are just hotter than others. You can try raising the pickups on the Cort a little bit, or you can just adjust the volume on the amp to compensate for the differences between the two basses.

Mike

 

[bongomania]

First step: adjust pickup height.

Second step: have a tech go over all the wiring and give it a clean bill of health (a bad connection can equal reduced levels sometimes).

Third step: get some hotter-output pickups

or

Get a booster pedal (lots of options, search on "clean boost" in the fx forum and on pedal websites like pedalgeek).

 

[Bass_man91]

First step: adjust pickup height.

Second step: have a tech go over all the wiring and give it a clean bill of health (a bad connection can equal reduced levels sometimes).

Third step: get some hotter-output pickups

or

Get a booster pedal (lots of options, search on "clean boost" in the fx forum and on pedal websites like pedalgeek).

OK, Thanks

 

[SGD Lutherie]

I just checked, The pickups are a 1/4" from the strings on both basses

Try moving them closer. Press the strings down at the last fret and get the pickup about 1/16" under the treble strings, and 1/8" under the bass. See if that helps. If the strings hit the pickups when you play, lower them slightly.

But one of things they skimp on with a $200 bass is the pickups, so new pickups would probably work wonders.

Also how old are the strings?

 

[awelti]

If everything in the bass checks OK and it's simply that those pick-ups have low level; you just need a very clean boost that does not alter the tone or add noise... Check out the MK.4.23 Boost - there are user reviews on Harmony Central... here are a couple of links:

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Effects/product/Creation+Audio+Labs/MK.4.23+Boost/10/1

http://guitargear.org/2008/12/11/gear-review-creation-audio-labs-mk-423-clean-boost/