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Replacing electronics...help!

T

thevelltrain

Mar 25, 2012
8
0
#1
Okay so I'm new to the forums but this seems like the right place to be.

I've got an ESP f-104 with passive pickups and an active 2 band eq. 4 pots treble,mid,blend,bass and I am looking to replace the electronics as the sound I am getting, let be honest isn't great.

I have read on an old post that a EMG bqc control is very good but also and Aguilar obp-3sk. However this post was 3 years old.

So to get the point of this thread what would you guys recommend? I play a lot of metal machinehead all the way through to black dahlia murder. Thoughts?

Any help Much appreciated
 
#4
Not that familiar with the band nor the bass. If you aren't happy with the bass tone passive I don't know that adding a preamp is going to do much for you, but it might. Don't a lot of metal bassists use active pickups? Maybe that would be a better choice than a preamp. I have both active and passive pickups in my basses (mostly passive) and active and passive EQ (mostly active but I have a habit of leaving the EQ flat even when playing metal). One of my best metal sounding basses (Warwick LX5) has active pickups and EQ, but my fully passive precision can do the job too; that said when solo'd the Warwick has a better metal tone. Ask for which of the 2 preamps you listed is better, I like the EMG with EMG pickups, and the Aguilar for everything else. If you already have an active preamp in the bass replacing it could make a difference; I just replaced a preamp in a bass and the difference in tone was amazing.

Disclaimer! These opinions are purely my own and when I state something is better than something else I mean to my own ears.
 
#5
Thanks for the reply.

I've been looking at changing my bass for a whole but I just love the action and the feel of this bass and figured for what I'd spend on a new one maybe sorting the sound of this would be a better option.

What did you change your pre-amp too? I'm not sure wether to bite the bullet and do as you said and get a full emg active set up.
 
#6
thevelltrain said:
I've got an ESP f-104 with passive pickups and an active 2 band eq. 4 pots treble,mid,blend,bass and I am looking to replace the electronics as the sound I am getting, let be honest isn't great.
Click to expand...

I think you mean treble, volume, blend, and bass. What you described is a 3 band preamp. ;) I really don't know how to help you other than to suggest how you may be able to help yourself. Take the bass to some local music stores and play it through some external 3 and 4 band preamps and amplifiers with 3 and 4 band EQs. Try to find one that does it for you with the on-bass controls set to flat. If that works you should be able to either buy the external preamp or amp that you like or find a replacement in-bass preamp that will work for you. If that doesn't work then perhaps you will need to change the pickups but at least you will have an idea where best to spend your dollars.

Ken
 
#7
Thanks for the advise ken. I have a slight problem in the fact that my 3/4 most local music stores seem to cater for guitarist and then just shove all the bass stuff in a dark corner.

My local music shop where I got all my equipment from including effects pedals, laney richter amp and this bass has shut down and everyone else is just useless. It's so frustrating that these places just don't cater for the occasional bassist but hey ho, that's the world we live in.

I don't know if I will find a solution to my problem, it's either the pickups getting changed or as you said see if I can find a decent music shop and try some external pre-amps and then think about changing the internal.
 
#8
-I took an old Ibanez SR 300

-Used John Campbell's pickup layout from his Signature Jackson bass

-Added some custom paint

-And made this metal monster
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/thread616181.html

New pickups will make a big difference. There are other ways to wire them so you get more tone options.

As far as an onboard preamp goes, you have to consider control cavity size. The mid on the EMG BQC is okay, but not mandatory, IMO.

Let us know what you end up doing! :)
 
#10
thevelltrain said:
What did you change your pre-amp too? I'm not sure wether to bite the bullet and do as you said and get a full emg active set up.
Click to expand...

In an MM Sub 4 I replaced the stock preamp with an SGD Lutherie preamp meant to replicate the original StingRay pre. I asked him to include detents so what feels like flat when you turn the knobs is actually 50% boost (that pre doesn't cut, it's boost only). It works extremely well for that bass, but as it's the only one I've ordered I can't say how well it will work with other basses. If I get a Sub 5 (on my wish list) I will definitely be ordering another.
 
#11
Bassgod! What a machine you've built there!

It's inspired me to want to rip everything out and start again. I will let you know trying to find out what Adam Duce runs in his actual bass I know he has got a emg 35dc but don't know what his neck pick up is.
 
#12
thevelltrain said:
Bassgod! What a machine you've built there!

It's inspired me to want to rip everything out and start again. I will let you know trying to find out what Adam Duce runs in his actual bass I know he has got a emg 35dc but don't know what his neck pick up is.
Click to expand...

Okay, cool. Do what makes you happy. As far as metal genre goes, I will safely assume EMG is king.
 
#15
Bassgod which hip shot bridge did you go for on the Yamaha project. It looks absolutely awesome just can't find it anywhere on there website?

Think I'm going to replace the lot, get 2 emg pickups and the box control with maybe a new bridge.

Project make bass sound awesome is underway.
 
#17
thevelltrain said:
Bassgod which hip shot bridge did you go for on the Yamaha project. It looks absolutely awesome just can't find it anywhere on there website?

Think I'm going to replace the lot, get 2 emg pickups and the box control with maybe a new bridge.

Project make bass sound awesome is underway.
Click to expand...

I used the Hipshot "A" Style bridge, in brass.
4 string A style Bass Bridge > Store > Hipshot Products

I bought it from this guy on Ebay. He had the best price, but that was 2 years ago.
NEW Hipshot A-style Bass Bridge FENDER MOUNT, BLACK | eBay

Keep in mind that Hipshot sells this bridge in standard 4 hole mounting, or 5 hole/Fender mounting. For my Ibanez project, the factory bidge had some odd ball mounting pattern, so I just bought the 4 screw version.
 
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#18
Webtroll said:
Yay! Watch the type of EMGs you get, there are several types. For the metal sound I like the regular active models, but others may have different experiences.
Click to expand...

Read a lot of good things about the emg 35dc pickup. Especially for metal playing so I'm eyeing them up ATM.

Thanks again bassgod...just wish I lived in America where hipshot bridges are easily available...damn England! I have managed to find a uk retailer of them costing about £95 so not too bad. I'll look into the screw system though.
 
#19
thevelltrain said:
Read a lot of good things about the emg 35dc pickup. Especially for metal playing so I'm eyeing them up ATM.

Thanks again bassgod...just wish I lived in America where hipshot bridges are easily available...damn England! I have managed to find a uk retailer of them costing about £95 so not too bad. I'll look into the screw system though.
Click to expand...

95 quid! That's like $152 USD! Poor Brits. If I was still stationed there, I'd use my military APO to bring the gift of music over at the US rate.

I used an EMG 35DC on the bridge of my Explosive Ibanez project. I loved it. Unlike my PJ basses, I could solo the bridge and still have plenty of meat in the signal.
 

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