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SX Ursa 6-string Jazz bass

#704
Hello all,

I picked up one of the Ursa basses a couple months ago. Pretty impressive for the price!

As far as mods go, I dropped in an Audere preamp and that helped a fair amount. The stock pickups were still pretty lacking though.

I've been using Roadhouse Pickups in some of my guitar builds and have been pleased with the quality and sound. I contacted the owner, Ken, to see if he would re-wind the Ursa pickups and he did!

I finally got the pickups installed last week and am very impressed. Solid punch and clarity. The rewound pickups are definitely keepers. Cost was much less than a set of new pickups. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] Glowing endorsement for Ken and his pickups!
 
#705
wyliee said:
Hello all,

I picked up one of the Ursa basses a couple months ago. Pretty impressive for the price!

As far as mods go, I dropped in an Audere preamp and that helped a fair amount. The stock pickups were still pretty lacking though.

I've been using Roadhouse Pickups in some of my guitar builds and have been pleased with the quality and sound. I contacted the owner, Ken, to see if he would re-wind the Ursa pickups and he did!

I finally got the pickups installed last week and am very impressed. Solid punch and clarity. The rewound pickups are definitely keepers. Cost was much less than a set of new pickups. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] Glowing endorsement for Ken and his pickups!
Click to expand...

Had you read about the magnet pickup mod on this thread? I did it and it massively improved my pickups, for about $20 total. I too put in an Audere and shielded the cavity... I've got about $400 in to it between the bass, magnets, and preamp (I shielded it myself DIY style) and I would put it up against basses costing twice as much.
 
#706
heb9_28 said:
Had you read about the magnet pickup mod on this thread? I did it and it massively improved my pickups, for about $20 total. I too put in an Audere and shielded the cavity... I've got about $400 in to it between the bass, magnets, and preamp (I shielded it myself DIY style) and I would put it up against basses costing twice as much.
Click to expand...

I had read about the magnet pickup mod. My takeaway was that it only affected the low B string and I was looking to improve all the strings.

It's becoming a regular gig bass for me. Not a bad investment at all!
 
#707
wyliee said:
I had read about the magnet pickup mod. My takeaway was that it only affected the low B string and I was looking to improve all the strings.

It's becoming a regular gig bass for me. Not a bad investment at all!
Click to expand...

No. The B string thing was a magnet mod for some other bass that a company was selling for a while. The magnet mod greatly improves all the strings. In fact, I'm most impressed with the higher strings as it seems to give them a clarity and defintion they didn't have before. I can almost hear my fingerprints going on the strings!

But others have commented that sometimes the mod doesn't work. We're not sure why, but he had to put the magnet on TOP of the poles rather than stuck to the ceramic magnet underneath as I did it. But, he said that in his case the top magnet mod did wonders for the bass but the under magnet mod did nothing.

Anyway, the beauty of the magnet mod is it is cheap and easy to try. Just stick the magnets on there and it either makes it better or does nothing. If it's nothing you can ponder taking the covers off and trying the top of the poles mod or just change pickups. But if it works you are home free and can stop.
 
#713
I'm stuck between the SX Ursa 6 and the Douglas WOB 826... If I get the Douglas it will be my first active bass, and I honestly am a little nervous about it. I feel that the electronics add another thing to worry about, but reading the thread it seems most agree that the SX is best used with an active preamp anyway... Anyone care to help steer me in the right direction?

I play in a worship band consistently, but also play in some bands a school, (jazz, rock, prog).
 
#714
FossilFool said:
I'm stuck between the SX Ursa 6 and the Douglas WOB 826... If I get the Douglas it will be my first active bass, and I honestly am a little nervous about it. I feel that the electronics add another thing to worry about, but reading the thread it seems most agree that the SX is best used with an active preamp anyway... Anyone care to help steer me in the right direction?

I play in a worship band consistently, but also play in some bands a school, (jazz, rock, prog).
Click to expand...

I don't agree that SX is best used with an active preamp. Personally I really dig the Fender Jazz clone passive thing. But then that is probably because I own all kinds of "standard" active basses with soapbars so the passive Jazz 6er is a different world for me.

All my SX are passive although my MIM Fender Jazz V is active. I'm not a huge fan of active Jazz basses, although I DO like the "mid" control on the Fender because it gives a tonal range to the instrument that passive basses can only dream about. People who want that Marcus Miller sound also go active in SX. I am toying with the idea of getting an active preamp for my SX 6er with the round wounds but haven't done it yet.

I think the Douglas is a better constructed bass, though people say the electronics are the weak part of them. You have to decide what you now have and what you want. For me I had plenty of active 6ers, so passive was an interest. If you've never had an active bass then maybe that interests you. Personally, I like have both available to choose from.

As I understand it you can find some inexpensive three band preamps on Ebay that will help a Douglas a lot. Maybe someone who has done that can chime in.
 
#715
Personally? I chose the SX because it was cheaper. I prefer the Jazz Bass aesthetic as well and the headstock looks great.

But if my priorities were truly to have a massive range (one of the key reasons to choose a 6 string) I would choose the douglas first. Access/availability of the higher frets would potentially make chording easier. That said, the douglas looks generic in a nonspecific way(if that makes sense), and completely lacks mojo.

Just one man's opinion:spit:
 
#716
I have both a WOB826 and Ursa 2 6 and they are different beasts, for sure. But both are great deals for what they are. My WOB is my fav active 6er, and my Ursa is my fav passive 6er. Benj and toaster have given you good info. About all I have to add is that for me, the choice would be made based on if I wanted active or passive sound.
 
#718
FossilFool said:
Thanks guys! So I guess the real question is which one to get first ;) haha
Click to expand...

I don't know which color of either you'd choose, so let's look at the number of each in stock (as of a couple minutes ago):

WOB 826

Natural - 10
Black - 9
White - 20

Ursa 6

3TS Maple - 15
3TS R/W - 22
Black - 9
Red - 28

It's getting toward that time of year where Rondo runs out of certain instruments until the following calendar year. I don't know if there is a rhyme or reason to when Kurt gets new ones in.
 
#719
I may have showed up late to the orgy, but I just ordered a fretless Ursa 6. I'm gonna put in a new bridge, shield it, and wire it to have a master volume, 3way switch, and a tone knob. Possibly threaded neck inserts, not sure yet. Although that isn't a very expensive mod. And I'm considering doing a series/parallel mod, but I'm not too familiar with wiring them. Good chance to learn though. Where were people ordering new pickguards for the 6? Sorry if it's been said already, but there's 36 pages in this thread haha.
 
#720
keasterson said:
I may have showed up late to the orgy, but I just ordered a fretless Ursa 6. I'm gonna put in a new bridge, shield it, and wire it to have a master volume, 3way switch, and a tone knob. Possibly threaded neck inserts, not sure yet. Although that isn't a very expensive mod. And I'm considering doing a series/parallel mod, but I'm not too familiar with wiring them. Good chance to learn though. Where were people ordering new pickguards for the 6? Sorry if it's been said already, but there's 36 pages in this thread haha.
Click to expand...

If you order a new bridge, please let me know what you ordered and how it fit.

Thx!
 

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