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- Status
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
Should have mine soon : } - I had David put a hold on shipping them until I got back from a trip.
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
Just got my EMG40-sized pickup set from David. Quick shipping! It'll be a day or two before I install one or both and begin to familiarize, but on inspection they are beautifully built and it sure is nice to see quick-disconnect cabling!
Here's a new neo jazz clip.
Just me goofing around.
This is direct into a Roland digital mixer with an amp patch based on a Fender twin. I have the mixer channel's EQ set 99Hz=8, 2.0kHz=4, 3.5kHz=4, and I'm running the signal on the hot side for a lot of sizzle.
This the type of tone I would use with these... Pretty typical amp type settings. Just to demonstrate a less flat-ish tone with a bit more attitude.
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Wow. Very nice tone there, very much awesome.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
So my 3-way toggle switch was shot. But I've been playing the narrow apertue neck pup and I have to say this is a killer. The resonant peak is high enough not to be harsh so the pickup attacks with nice clarity and has a beautiful tonal balance that works for just about anything. Distortions are amazing! No harshness but as much bite as desired, plenty of midrange detail, good bottom...
Off to disconnect it from the jack and attach the wide aperture bridge pickup to the jack and do some more playing!
Off to disconnect it from the jack and attach the wide aperture bridge pickup to the jack and do some more playing!
Any chance of a comparison with the Q-Tuners, or anything else?
From other reviews, I'm speculating that the SGDs might be somewhat reminiscent of the Bartolini Classic Bass series, which respond well in the midrange but have more extended, but not harsh, highs compared with the "regular' Barts. My experience is with the 9CBJS (single coil Jazz-type).
From other reviews, I'm speculating that the SGDs might be somewhat reminiscent of the Bartolini Classic Bass series, which respond well in the midrange but have more extended, but not harsh, highs compared with the "regular' Barts. My experience is with the 9CBJS (single coil Jazz-type).
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
Sure. This bass needed to be routed for wider Q-Tuners because the edge strings just weren't getting picked up. When I saw David was getting wider sensing within the given route than the much-loved Q-Tuners do, I thought maybe I could save the trouble.
The Q-Tuners have higher passive output. I'd call them "medium-high", and the SDGs "medium" compared to other pickups I've tried.
The Q-Tuners reach higher overtones, but the SDGs still have a very crisp articulate voice due to each coil being slightly different, and maybe because of that the resonant peaks overlap in such a way to give seeming extension in both directions without harshness, and still providing a lot of midrange detail and no sens of scoop (I'd say compared to many of David's samples there are more mids here than he tends to use, actually).
The Q-Tuners are farther outside the norm than these, which can be good if you want that, but these are more like combining two pickups you might like aspects of, but find are lacking in one area or another, in both frequency response and initial impact.
It didn't take long before deciding I totally love the bridge pickup here - maybe only 15 minutes. The aperture is wide compared to the neck. But it still sounds a lot like a J pickup, just with added girth compared to a medium-wound J, insted of a "wide humbucker". There's no lack of sparkle and detail. Again, I think he's getting best of both worlds by having slightly different windings and spread of resonant peaks, so the bass-mids-treble balance is to my ears and for my needs a lot better than some "modern" bridge pickups, which often lose some of that lower midrange warmth and upper midrange bite and end up sounding a bit scooped or not quite full enough on the lower strings.
The pair should balance nicely (couldn't find out as the switch I planed to use is screwed up) as the wide aperture bridge has a suitably higher DCR than the narrow aperture neck.
I'm sold. Totally. It's hard to write about this stuff and not feel like I am giving an incomplete or inaccurate impression, but these are keepers!
EDIT: I like them better than those Barts, BTW.
The Q-Tuners have higher passive output. I'd call them "medium-high", and the SDGs "medium" compared to other pickups I've tried.
The Q-Tuners reach higher overtones, but the SDGs still have a very crisp articulate voice due to each coil being slightly different, and maybe because of that the resonant peaks overlap in such a way to give seeming extension in both directions without harshness, and still providing a lot of midrange detail and no sens of scoop (I'd say compared to many of David's samples there are more mids here than he tends to use, actually).
The Q-Tuners are farther outside the norm than these, which can be good if you want that, but these are more like combining two pickups you might like aspects of, but find are lacking in one area or another, in both frequency response and initial impact.
It didn't take long before deciding I totally love the bridge pickup here - maybe only 15 minutes. The aperture is wide compared to the neck. But it still sounds a lot like a J pickup, just with added girth compared to a medium-wound J, insted of a "wide humbucker". There's no lack of sparkle and detail. Again, I think he's getting best of both worlds by having slightly different windings and spread of resonant peaks, so the bass-mids-treble balance is to my ears and for my needs a lot better than some "modern" bridge pickups, which often lose some of that lower midrange warmth and upper midrange bite and end up sounding a bit scooped or not quite full enough on the lower strings.
The pair should balance nicely (couldn't find out as the switch I planed to use is screwed up) as the wide aperture bridge has a suitably higher DCR than the narrow aperture neck.
I'm sold. Totally. It's hard to write about this stuff and not feel like I am giving an incomplete or inaccurate impression, but these are keepers!
EDIT: I like them better than those Barts, BTW.
Very detailed description. Thanks greenboy! Definitely on my list of pickups to check out!
One last question.... How is the volume across the strings?
One last question.... How is the volume across the strings?
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
Q-Tuners are staying in my other bass though. It's been gasless for ages, after years of being as consumptive as a Canyonero:
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Link Removed
I'm lovin mine. They get their first gig field test tomorrow. sounded great at practice. I too have the narrow neck / wide bridge
That's actually not too far off the mark. I've got another fretless bass with a pair of Bartolini P25CBC pickups, and I do hear a lot of similarity with my SGD pickups in the lower mids, and warm midrange regions.
Granted, the Barts still have the signature "hump" in the upper mids that sounds interesting but not very "woody" or organic. The SGD pickups (wide aperture) have a sweeter upper midrange that brings out the tone of the wood and doesn't overemphasize anything. SGDs also seem to have a more balanced tonal signature between neck and bridge positions. It's like the same tone presented two different ways, if that makes any sense.
It isn't exactly an apples-to-apples comparison. The bass with the Barts has a bloodwood fingerboard, while the bass with the SGD pickups has a purpleheart fingerboard. Bloodwood is a harder and more "bright" wood (closer in tone to ebony) while purpleheart is darker and warmer. Maybe someday I'll swap the two necks for a time, to get a closer comparison between both brands on the same fingerboard woods.
It's like SGD took many of the best qualities of all the pickups out there - the warmth from Bartolini, the fundamentals from Villex, the detail and sweetness from Lane Poor, the smoothness and balance from Seymour Duncan - and distilled these qualities into a single pickup. I continue to be amazed at the tone, and discover new subtleties every time I plug in and play.
In other news, I finally took the purpleheart 3-pickup fretless "tone monster" (mentioned above, and pictures posted several weeks ago) out for its first "gig". It was actually a weekly guitar jam session at work during lunch hour. It worked very well. Kudos to SGD again!
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
Wow, thanks guys! Reviews like this let me know I'm on the right track!
You know, I'm an old Bart user myself, back when they were Hi-A pickups. So part of me remembers their tone, which was brighter than the current Barts, though I think the Classic Bass series is a repro of those. Then I used EMGs for about 12 years. So I know the tone of those pickups.
And I read comments here at TB and see what people are saying about pickups, and what they might be looking for that isn't available.
But mostly I'm making something I like to use. So I guess it is a blend of all these tones.
The wide aperture bridge pickup is voiced to work well solo, so it has more low end than some, which is why the neck and bridge might sound like different aspects of the same tone, though the neck is rounder sounding, while the bridge has more of a mid bump.
Matt, how did the pickups work out for you in parallel? Did you like that better?
You know, I'm an old Bart user myself, back when they were Hi-A pickups. So part of me remembers their tone, which was brighter than the current Barts, though I think the Classic Bass series is a repro of those. Then I used EMGs for about 12 years. So I know the tone of those pickups.
And I read comments here at TB and see what people are saying about pickups, and what they might be looking for that isn't available.
But mostly I'm making something I like to use. So I guess it is a blend of all these tones.
The wide aperture bridge pickup is voiced to work well solo, so it has more low end than some, which is why the neck and bridge might sound like different aspects of the same tone, though the neck is rounder sounding, while the bridge has more of a mid bump.
Matt, how did the pickups work out for you in parallel? Did you like that better?
Definitely better. In series, the pickups sounded more forceful and they seemed to cut the high end. In parallel, the pickups sounded more subtle, detailed and clear. I'm glad I made the switch. It has improved the tone in all 5 of my pickup coil selections.
Here's a photo of the bass, which is (nearly) complete.
One of my co-workers has promised to make me a nice wooden plug to fill in one of the extra holes in the body. The other hole will eventually be filled by a pot controlling a passive midrange tone cut. But otherwise, the bass is finished.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
Is that body solid purpleheart? How heavy is it?
I like using purpleheart lams in the necks and body. You can't look at that wood without getting a splinter!
I like using purpleheart lams in the necks and body. You can't look at that wood without getting a splinter!
Yes, the body is solid purpleheart. Warmoth listed as 6 pounds 10 ounces when I purchased it. I did reduce its mass slightly by routing the cavity for the middle pickup.
I would guess that the whole bass weighs around 12 pounds. A thickly-padded strap helps a lot.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
I would guess that the whole bass weighs around 12 pounds. A thickly-padded strap helps a lot.
That's not too bad. My cherry with maple top bass is about the same weight. it had a 1/4" purpleheart lam between the top and back. The neck is seven piece maple/purpleheart.
Wow. Awesome build there and more than a peculiar combination of pickups. Is it going to be left fretless or are you planning on adding frets?
I wonder what the sound would be like, it should be interesting to hear the different pickup combos.
Had my first gig last night with the new pickups. I'm real happy that I finally was able to hear EVERY note I played, and not have anything lost, or an overbearing B string. I sliced right through my two overly loud guitar players, and the tone had great character. I usually keep my balance control in the middle, but there are some songs that call for either the neck or bridge to be soloed. It was great that the tone I needed was right there without having to tweak the EQ. Especially when the bridge was solo. YAY!!!
It will stay fretless. It currently has thin pieces of ebony as fretlines. I'll try to record some sound clips soon.
- Status
