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Suggest a pickup for me (fretless, passive)

takfar

takfar

Dec 21, 2008
599
25
#1
So, I'm finally getting myself a new bass. I've got it all planned the luthier is starting work on it as I write this. It's going to be a beauty of a bass, body inspired by a Stingray 5, all Hipshot hardware, a pair of EMG 40DC pups, EMG BQC System (so, yea, I play active, I use lots of effects. I'm the bass player some guys love to hate).

So I was left with the question of what to do with my old bass. It's also beautiful, but it's custom-made, and would probably sell for a really low value. So I decided to keep it and turn it into something diametrically opposed to the new bass. I'm going to have it transformed into a fretless, and I want a classic (maybe even vintage), full round sound coming out of it. I've also decided to go passive (with an active preamp which can be totally bypassed thru a push/pull knob)

My question for the pup gurus is: What pickup do you guys suggest for this project:
- Passive
- Aiming for a warm flat-string fretless sound,
- Some low growl would be welcome
- Preferably no exposed poles (living in the coast=lots of oxidation)
- It'd have to fit into the cavities left by EMG soapbar-sized pickups

I'm open to all suggestions (preferably something I can listen to and evaluate online, as it'd be probably pretty hard for me to get to test good pups where I live)
 
#5
so, I've been looking around and I see three options:
- Seymour Duncan SSB-5
- Bartolini M45
- Delano SBC 5 HE/S

I'm especially curious about the Delano, as they're advertised specifically as good fretless pups... Anyone got any experience with these guys?
 
#9
If you don't try Villex in this application you will be so missing out. I have a Warmoth P/J fretless with Villex passive. Un-Believable range of tone. Soloing the neck is greater low-down warm fretlessness that it almost ovewhelming. Then dial in the bridge, little by little, and you reach a sweet spot that balances exquisitely. A tad more bridge and it starts to growl very pleasantly. More and you get into a snarl. All that before you even touch the eq. You can adjust the pups scarily close to the strings with no loss of sustain. Villex pups are uncanny. Villex pups are gorgeously musical; almost an instrument unto themselves. :cool:
Read what "Fullrangebass" says about them. They sound like they are made for your needs - no exposed poles, old-school passive tone, growl at your command, decent output (when adjusted high) and they even look kind of esoteric. Did I mention how musical they are?
 
#13
billoetjen said:
If you don't try Villex in this application you will be so missing out. I have a Warmoth P/J fretless with Villex passive. Un-Believable range of tone. Soloing the neck is greater low-down warm fretlessness that it almost ovewhelming. Then dial in the bridge, little by little, and you reach a sweet spot that balances exquisitely. A tad more bridge and it starts to growl very pleasantly. More and you get into a snarl. All that before you even touch the eq. You can adjust the pups scarily close to the strings with no loss of sustain. Villex pups are uncanny. Villex pups are gorgeously musical; almost an instrument unto themselves. :cool:
Read what "Fullrangebass" says about them. They sound like they are made for your needs - no exposed poles, old-school passive tone, growl at your command, decent output (when adjusted high) and they even look kind of esoteric. Did I mention how musical they are?
Click to expand...

Cool!! Which model are you referring to, tho? Also, their catalog doesn't seem to carry anything EMG40DC-sized... I'd also have to order by phone, and they'd have to get them ship to Brazil, (whereas I could more easily get Barts or Delanos off bestbassgear, who have a structured purchase system and will certainly ship it here...)

The sound you describe calls for Barts.
Click to expand...
I've read stuff from quite a few people disappointed by barts, tho... makes me wary.
 
#14
The gentleman who owns the Villex operation has always been extremely responsive to my e-mails and calls. He must sleep with his iPhone next to him...
Try contacting him directly and putting your questions to him from this point. "Fullrangebass" pointed me towards Villex a couple of years ago when I had a query about tone. He raved about them at the time, and now I believe that he underestimated them.

Good luck and happy playing.
Bill
 
#17
billoetjen said:
The gentleman who owns the Villex operation has always been extremely responsive to my e-mails and calls. He must sleep with his iPhone next to him...
Try contacting him directly and putting your questions to him from this point. "Fullrangebass" pointed me towards Villex a couple of years ago when I had a query about tone. He raved about them at the time, and now I believe that he underestimated them.

Good luck and happy playing.
Bill
Click to expand...
Thanks! I'll probably drop an email or Skype them sometime. The sound bites on their site certainly sound great. Right now, I'm still leaning towards the Delanos based mostly on all the great feedback I've read and the ease of getting them, but you've given me something else to consider. (SDs would be even easier and cheaper to get, as they're routinely sold in Brazil, but I'm looking for something different here..)

Seymour Duncan Antiquity II's.
Click to expand...
Can't. The bass already has EMG40-sized cavities, using anything smaller would look funny. Besides, they have exposed poles, which may rust quickly and will probably not align well with the tight 16mm spacing.

Q-Tuner!
Click to expand...
Their description doesn't really scream "warm vintage growl"... ?
 
#19
Dude I made a project bass awhile back i routered out a cavity for a bridge pick up (it was a P) and I ripped the frets out and filled em in with wood putty, I know that sounds suicidal to all the bass gurus but to my surprise when I put Seymour Duncans in it, it transformed my bass playing, I know they aren't soap bars but still, Seymour Duncan has a spot in my heart for passive forever. Your gonna love it I promise.
 
#20
takfar said:
Thanks! I'll probably drop an email or Skype them sometime. The sound bites on their site certainly sound great. Right now, I'm still leaning towards the Delanos based mostly on all the great feedback I've read and the ease of getting them, but you've given me something else to consider. (SDs would be even easier and cheaper to get, as they're routinely sold in Brazil, but I'm looking for something different here..)


Can't. The bass already has EMG40-sized cavities, using anything smaller would look funny. Besides, they have exposed poles, which may rust quickly and will probably not align well with the tight 16mm spacing.


Their description doesn't really scream "warm vintage growl"... ?
Click to expand...

Man, there's magic in the Villex pickups. Delano sounds interesting, but I don't think it would be as warm, although the Villex pickups have incredible highs and humongous lows. The Villex pickups are very versatile, and the sound sits in the mix just right. William is a one man operation to my knowledge, and his website pretty much sucks. Don't judge him by his website though. He speaks with a broken Russian accent, and is a little hard to understand, but what matters is his pickups and his innovation. You would seriously be missing out if you didn't seriously consider them. My suggestion is the split coil Villex pickups. The single coils could potentially give you 60-cycle hum (like every other single coil pickup), I prefer humcancelling split coils.
 

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