I took in a dirty, sweat soaked Schecter with EMG P/J's. String volume is even and output is good except for the B string. It's extremely weak. What could cause that?
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Schecter Robert DeLeo pickup issue
- Thread starter Stinsok
- Start date
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
Sounds like time for new strings. If the bass is dirty and sweat soaked, so are the strings.. and that's what kills them. The B is usually first to go, depending on the brand.
Before I plugged it in, I took the strings off and put them in deanatured alcohol. I let them soak while I cleaned the bass and treated the fretboard. I installed a fresh battery and put everything back together. The B string has about 50% of the volume of the rest of the strings. String height is OK, as well as pickup height. There is no change when either pickup is solo'd.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
I used to boil my strings back when I didn't have the cash to replace them. It never really brings them back to new because of metal fatigue and the fact that the windings get deformed and the core stretches.
The other thing is some low B's just suck.
Since everything else checks out OK, I'd say the low B is shot.
The other thing is some low B's just suck.
Since everything else checks out OK, I'd say the low B is shot.
Well, I took the pickups from the cavities and checked the connections, same with the control cavity. Nothing loose. There is no damage visible to the pickups themselves. For kicks, I pulled a B string off another bass (that I know is good) with no volume change. It's strange that the volume difference is that much and on both pickups.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
Is the pickup too far from the string? It's hard to get vastly different levels from one string since it's all going into the same coil.
And if both pickups are doing it, either they are crappy pickups, they are too far from the B, or the bass has an issue.
And if both pickups are doing it, either they are crappy pickups, they are too far from the B, or the bass has an issue.
The pickups are EMG P5J's (which are fairly expensive.) The pickup height is similar to my other basses, but I read on the EMG site that you should have the pickups as close to the strings as possible. With some pickups, get them too close and you get that chorus effect. I'll have to add more foam to get them higher.
- Aug 14, 2008
- 698
- 12
- Disclosures
- Owner and Operator, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars
Is the B-string too far off-center of the pickup? That is, is it too close to the side-edge of the pickup? The magnetic field drops off fairly quickly at the edges of pickups, which can cause low output.
I've also seen some basses that had nut and saddles slots that didn't fit the low B very well (the slots were either too wide or too thin) which caused dampening of the B-string.
I've also seen some basses that had nut and saddles slots that didn't fit the low B very well (the slots were either too wide or too thin) which caused dampening of the B-string.
Are they actual 5-string pickups, or are they 4-strings? I know Schecter puts 4-string HZ's in their 5-string basses, but the pickups are rail type and the Schecter's string spacing is narrow so it still 'works'.
Possibly those emg's are 4-string rail types and just not wide enough to get all they need on the widest strings.
That's my thought at least.
I had a 5-string Schecter model like that for a few days, but it had 2 jazzes in it. Loved the bass, but the truss rod was maxed (bottomed) out on it and I couldn't get near the action I prefer out of it. Even with shimming, etc.
I'm a big Schecter proponent, but sometimes they do some 'odd' things pickup wise. I recently got a very nice CV-5 with Jazz/Musicman configuration with Duncan Designed pickups in it. The pickups that came stock in the bass had poles wide enough that the narrow string spacing on the basses barely hit the inside of hte outer poles. Yet the stock hipshot bridge that came stock on the bass is narrower then the string through holes on the bass body. So a wider bridge 'could' be used, but if you used a wider bridge it would be pushing the string close to the edges of the neck. Again... just some 'questionable' thing.
However, the build quality I feel is great on the basses, so "I feel" they're worth the pickups or changes I choose to make to get them where I prefer.
I plan to get ahold of one of the 5-string tele type basses at some point... I think it would make a unique fretless. :-0
Possibly those emg's are 4-string rail types and just not wide enough to get all they need on the widest strings.
That's my thought at least.
I had a 5-string Schecter model like that for a few days, but it had 2 jazzes in it. Loved the bass, but the truss rod was maxed (bottomed) out on it and I couldn't get near the action I prefer out of it. Even with shimming, etc.
I'm a big Schecter proponent, but sometimes they do some 'odd' things pickup wise. I recently got a very nice CV-5 with Jazz/Musicman configuration with Duncan Designed pickups in it. The pickups that came stock in the bass had poles wide enough that the narrow string spacing on the basses barely hit the inside of hte outer poles. Yet the stock hipshot bridge that came stock on the bass is narrower then the string through holes on the bass body. So a wider bridge 'could' be used, but if you used a wider bridge it would be pushing the string close to the edges of the neck. Again... just some 'questionable' thing.
However, the build quality I feel is great on the basses, so "I feel" they're worth the pickups or changes I choose to make to get them where I prefer.
I plan to get ahold of one of the 5-string tele type basses at some point... I think it would make a unique fretless. :-0
- Aug 14, 2008
- 698
- 12
- Disclosures
- Owner and Operator, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars
After lowering the strings and a lot of pickup adjusting I have it kinda balanced. I'd say the B is about 85-90% as loud as the E. I have soaked the strings for a couple of days, but new strings are in order. BTW, it came without a pickguard (wish me luck on finding a good used one!)
