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One Humbucker Bass

Gearhead17

Gearhead17

Supporting Member
May 4, 2006
5,274
3,619
Mount Prospect, IL
www.afterforeverband.com
#1
I recently tried a Mike Lull P5 and liked it overall, just not a P kind of guy. I was thinking of just putting a humbucker in the center. But paying $2100 for a bass just to modify it seems a bit crazy.

Right now I am looking for a 5 string - 35" scale - Rosewood Fretboard - One humbucker in the sweet spot (same place as most P pickups go). 1.81" Nut minimum. Looking for EMG 40DC pickup in the center not a "Musicman" model. Neck-thru would be nice, but I am open to a bolt-on if the tone is there.

I do not like basses with the pickup close to the bridge (Stingray, Sterling and so on...). I swear, every time I play a bass with a pickup too close to the bridge, the tone is nearly the same to my ears and I do not like it.

What brands of basses should I be checking out?
 
#3
linken4000 said:
I think Modulus had a Sweet Spot model, I've played one in music store, good bass. Is the Flea model also on the sweet spot?
Click to expand...

Nope. It's the "Musicman" spot (bridge). I have heard about the Modulus "sweet spot" bass - seen one before, but never played it. Is it tonally similar to the Quantum bass? I was never a big fan of the Quantum, but maybe this older model would sound better to me.
 
#9
try an ibanez ATK. its a LOT warmer and fatter than you think, I guarantee. the front coil IS in the P position, not the MM position and its a dummy coil humbucker. cut a whisker or treble with that front coil selected, and you'll be as fat and warm as a sumo wrestler in sauna. not entirely what you are seeking but if there is one around to play...check it.
 
#12
Gearhead17 said:
Nope. It's the "Musicman" spot (bridge). I have heard about the Modulus "sweet spot" bass - seen one before, but never played it. Is it tonally similar to the Quantum bass? I was never a big fan of the Quantum, but maybe this older model would sound better to me.
Click to expand...

I can understand that a 'sweetspot' Modulus would be cool. My Modulus is a TBX with three Barts. Neck, Bridge, and Sweetspot. It's very unique in that it has switches that let you put each pickup in series, parallel, or off with respect to the other pickups.

This gives about a million combos, but as you'd suspect generally I seem to go in phases oscillating between the usual Neck + bridge of a Jazz bass (these are soapbars, though) and the single "sweetspot" pickup. I don't know why but sometimes one sound just appeals to me and sometimes the other one does.

Somehow I'm not a fan of single pickup basses (even though my Stingray clone is one and has a totally unique and killer sound). And I'm not a big fan of single pickup basses even though I very often leave my basses set for just one pickup. Even if I"m not using the other pickup I just feel limited that I can't modify the sound by mixing in another pickup. I love my three pickup Modulus because it really shows you what each pickup position can give you.
 
#13
Three pickups? Hmmmm......now you have me thinking!

I am not 100% sure what to do. Tough to find anything on craigslist, but I will keep looking. Been to the stores around my area and no luck finding something on the shelf. It's tough to try stuff out in the Chicago-land area. Was at Bass Club Chicago yesterday for about three hours trying out 10 different basses.
 

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