• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

SGD and Q-Tuner... why cant we have both?

C

Calciumis

Apr 13, 2010
27
0
Adelaide Australia
#1
I have been thinking about revamping the S****Y electronics in my Yamaha RBX374 with either a Q-tuner or SGD set of pickups. both sound great and im leaning towards the SGD S3's. wanna get a punchy-middy-tone with plenty of range and clarity (think Justin Chancellor of Tool).

but i had a thought the other day...
tumblr_m9uwi0N7cF1r3ctxb.png


what would a mix of the two sound like... would that be a cool combo, or a horrible disaster? thoughts?

EDIT: though if i do go for Q-tuners ill have to wait a bit for them to come back into production
 
#5
an extremely available, although more expensive alternative: Thunderbird pickups. There may be one or two more places, but Lollar and Thunderbucker ranch are the two most popular. I think Mike Lull may sell his TB pickups by themselves. I've heard they are wound for him by Lollar. I'm not sure what the difference is. I think Lollar keeps a small surplus stock, as mine shipped within a couple of days. Thunderbucker ranch is typically made to order, but they quote about two weeks and I've never heard of them having notable delays.

I recently put a set of lollar reproduction vintage Tbird pickups in a Fender Jaguar and love the hell out of the sound I'm getting. So much, I'm fighting gas to put some in another bass.

If you want clarity, you might look at the "63" version of the Tbird pickup from Thunderbucker ranch. Based on descriptions and sound clips, the lollars sound something like the "66" version.

I ultimately went with the lollars, because to my ear, they sound the most like a non-reverse thunderbird (top end clarity is less "open" for a slightly thicker sound, while still featuring tons of growl and weight). But again, if you want clarity, try the "63". They are a bit less expensive than Lollars, too!

I wouldn't call vintage style Tbird pickpus middy. Rather I would say they are fairly transparent (they will amplify the natural sound of whatever bass you put them in) but with a healthy fist full of the gutpunching frequencies. The lollars come in gold, chrome, and black chrome (that's what I got). Thunderbucker ranch comes in chrome and gold, as far as I know.


*Also, epiphone TB pickpus will get you in the ball park for under $50 used. They are a dark sounding pickup. But the top end can be pretty nice, in the right bass. I like these pickups pretty well!
 
#6
there is also the villex pups that come to mind, i do have DGD pups and they are great pups, but like bongomania said, you will be waiting for a long, long time.

dont get me wrong i would buy from David again, but i`ll have to keep in mind that it`ll take some time to get em. so if you are in a rush, just get something that is already in stock. like EMG`s Etc.
 
#7
I too have some SGD pickups (neo and ceramic sidewinders) and would buy them again.

As far as mixing pickups goes-----it's a gamble. If the pickups are inexpensive, well it can be a fun thing to mess around with. You may end up with some good results.

But if you are buying pickups that cost $200 - $400, just get a properly matched set. They are designed to sound good together! Mixing is unpredictable. I wouldn't do that with my money.
 
#8
To pull an alternative view - with the RBX-37x series, most people complain about the preamp and not the pickup tone. You might want to search around for a guy here on TB who rewired his 375 passively - and he got a really good tone about it.
 
#9
cheers for the responses everybody.

thanks for the suggestion Toptube, i checked them out and the TBird pickups sound too woody to my ears, havent got that crunch im looking for. although i might be looking at the wrong clips.

bassbike, i checked out the Vilex pups, they do sound pretty darn sweet, wouldnt say they are better than the SGD clips ive heard but they are very very nice. i will look into them some more.

Stealth, yeah the pre-amp would definitely be the worst part, the pickups wouldnt be to good either though. i was planning on wiring it passively with the new pickups i get.


thinking perhaps it is best to play it safe and get a set of SGDs.
 
#10
It's a cheap beginner's bass. Do not waste your money on expensive upgrades, especially when you do not know what it will sound like after it's upgraded.

Have you heard any high-fidelity demos of Q-tuners or any other expensive pickups installed in your RBX? Since you certainly haven't heard the SGD's in there, how could that possibly be "playing it safe"?

If you want to mod it, have fun. But please don't kid yourself. It will not be your dream bass after you add $300 in pickups, and you will not get even half your investment back if you want to sell it later.
 
#12
Owning a bass means you have a bass to play on, which lets you become a better player ;)

Really clean amps and non-muddy sounding basses are less forgiving, which let you focus more on your technique.

A good quality bass can be much more enjoyable to play, if you enjoy playing more, you're more likely to play more, which will make you a better player.

All in all, gear certainly can make a difference :)
 
#14
:confused:
im not doing this to become a better bassist, im doing it because i want to improve the tone of my instrument to my liking. would you like me to trade you a crappy $100 fender rip-off for your bass? of course not! your bass is yours because you prefer its look, sound and feel above others.

and though i may be splashing out $200 on a "cheap beginners bass" its still A LOT cheaper than getting a professional-grade bass.
The RBX374 actually has a relatively good quality build for its price, the place where yamaha shortcutted it was the electronics. i find it comfortable to play as well.
Adding in decent pups certainly wont make it my dream bass as you said, but it would improve the sound.

And no q-tuners arent shipping as far as i know, according to the facebook page the new designs are being beta tested.
 
#15
What does your Yamaha sound like unplugged? That should give an idea of what you have to work with for a basic tone. A friend of mine has an inexpensive Yamaha with a P/J setup and he installed a Seymour Duncan at the bridge. I find his bass sort of dull sounding, which I suspect is due to the construction/materials. Pickups can only do so much given the inherent sound of the instrument.

Some time ago I installed a Q-tuner BL-5 in my Pedulla Rapture 5 and remain pleased with the result; it sounds much more open than the original Bartolini humbucker.
 
#17
i really like the tone unplugged, when i still had my little fender rumble 15W i would often play unplugged because the tone was far superior.
Its a lot better now that i have a decent Hartke rig, but it still sounds better unplugged.
I hope that new pickups bring me closer to that tone.
 
#19
Calciumis said:
:confused:
and though i may be splashing out $200 on a "cheap beginners bass" its still A LOT cheaper than getting a professional-grade bass.
The RBX374 actually has a relatively good quality build for its price, the place where yamaha shortcutted it was the electronics. i find it comfortable to play as well.
Adding in decent pups certainly wont make it my dream bass as you said, but it would improve the sound.
Click to expand...

Well, this is the point. If you "cheap" bass has decent wood and reasonable construction and you alreadly love the feel of everything else, then new pickups are the perfect upgrade. But a cheap beginner bass made with nasty wood and sloppy construction just won't ever come alive no matter what pickups you put in there.

So turning a plywood bass into a professional level instrument isn't going to happen no matter how much you spend. But if you start with a decent piece of wood (like my SX or Squier) and start replacing the things that are not quite up to standards, pretty soon you do have an amazing instrument.

Hey, the RBX374 (I've played those and they are GREAT basses for the money!) is alder, and if you are totally happy with the stability and feel of the neck, why not start replacing things like pickups and preamp and see what happens? But as others have pointed out, you pay the money first and THEN get to decide if you like the result of that combo. I replaced the pickups in my Squier P/J bass with absolutely astounding results. Just be aware that sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you!
 
#20
Calciumis said:
what would a mix of the two sound like... would that be a cool combo, or a horrible disaster? thoughts?
Click to expand...

I don't see why it wouldn't work. My neo pickup are very different from Q-Tuners, but they should work fine together. Mine are humbuckers, and his is a sidewinder. They both use neo magnets, but that's about the only similarity. Q-Tuners have more top end too.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back