The Soundgear Club

[Basehead]

They've only been in for about a week, but I've heard good things on longevity/reliance.
I ended up getting this package
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...powerline-2-and-two-9v-rechargeable-batteries.
The other one now powers my Fodera.

 

[Outbush]

G'day all: Anyone with an SR755 NTF or an SR655 NTF done the pickup swap to the custom Nordstrand Big Split in the Bridge position? The only comment I've managed to find suggested the D & G Stings lacked balance. Any other experiences?

 

[skeeler]

G'day all: Anyone with an SR755 NTF or an SR655 NTF done the pickup swap to the custom Nordstrand Big Split in the Bridge position? The only comment I've managed to find suggested the D & G Stings lacked balance. Any other experiences?

There's a thread that started when these basses came out, and, IIRC, there is discussion of swapping the bridge pickup out.

New Nordstrand CND P & J Pickups?? Found on Ibanez SR650 & SR750

 

[Outbush]

There's a thread that started when these basses came out, and, IIRC, there is discussion of swapping the bridge pickup out.

New Nordstrand CND P & J Pickups?? Found on Ibanez SR650 & SR750

Thanks!

 

[sdgrfan]

Here's my old 2001 SR3000 Prestige. Mahogany body, Ibanez pups and preamp, 5-piece wenge/bubinga neck, D-tuner on E, nice tuning machines. Beauty in simplicity. Nothing fancy, but she still looks, plays and sounds great after all these years.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Here's my old 2001 SR3000 Prestige. Mahogany body, Ibanez pups and preamp, 5-piece wenge/bubinga neck, D-tuner on E, nice tuning machines. Beauty in simplicity. Nothing fancy, but she still looks, plays and sounds great after all these years.

Gorgeous!

 

[sdgrfan]

And here is my new Ibanez SRH500. It sounds the closest to an upright than any other bass I have.

 

[fourstringbliss]

How many of you have replaced the MK1 soapbars in a 4-string SR bass? I have an older SR1000EFM and want to replace the USA Barts that are in it, but they're an odd size.

They're longer than BC shape and narrower than P2 shape so I'd need to get the routes enlarged to fit a P2 soapbar. I was thinking about getting some Nordstrand Big Blades put in P2 shells, but I don't know how that would look.

Have any of you replaced the MK1's in your 4-string SR with Nordy's in this way?

 

[Seashore]

How many of you have replaced the MK1 soapbars in a 4-string SR bass? I have an older SR1000EFM and want to replace the USA Barts that are in it, but they're an odd size.

They're longer than BC shape and narrower than P2 shape so I'd need to get the routes enlarged to fit a P2 soapbar. I was thinking about getting some Nordstrand Big Blades put in P2 shells, but I don't know how that would look.

Have any of you replaced the MK1's in your 4-string SR with Nordy's in this way?

Those stock pickups are better than MK1s. More detailed and rich. I have the six string version of that bass, and right now I have the bridge pickup wired to the jack and it sounds great. I am considering a change to Big Blades also at some point, more for fun than anything else, but it'll have to wait. Worth contacting Nordstrand about the custom size. I plan on doing that when I can pull the trigger. Please post if you go that route, I'd be interested in the results.

 

[fourstringbliss]

Those stock pickups are better than MK1s. More detailed and rich. I have the six string version of that bass, and right now I have the bridge pickup wired to the jack and it sounds great. I am considering a change to Big Blades also at some point, more for fun than anything else, but it'll have to wait. Worth contacting Nordstrand about the custom size. I plan on doing that when I can pull the trigger. Please post if you go that route, I'd be interested in the results.

Yeah, these Barts are pretty good pickups but they sound a lot like another one of my basses. I have an SR P/J with Dimarzio Model P/J pickups and a Lakland 44-02 with an MM/J configuration. I'd want to go single-coil on this bass to have variety. I'll have to check with Nordstrand about the pickup shells. P2's are about 32 mm x 108 mm - these are an awkward 30 mm x 104 mm. Just a little to big for BC and small for P2. It makes me annoyed with Ibanez for not just putting BC sized pups in there, but whatever.

I'll definitely post here when I change to something else.

Thanks!

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I've been reading that Nordstrand is fair on pricing for custom-sized soap-bars. Your only issue will be deciding which of their winning winds to put in the shell.
I'd probably go for the Big-Splits if I were buying new pickups:

Big Split 4
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
They're similar to what Ibanez are putting in the Premium Soundgear models right now, except that they're a split-coil design & thus hum-canceling.

 

[fourstringbliss]

I've been reading that Nordstrand is fair on pricing for custom-sized soap-bars. Your only issue will be deciding which of their winning winds to put in the shell.
I'd probably go for the Big-Splits if I were buying new pickups:

Big Split 4
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
They're similar to what Ibanez are putting in the Premium Soundgear models right now, except that they're a split-coil design & thus hum-canceling.

I've used Big Splits before and I might go that direction. I might go with the Big Blades only because they're just far enough off from my P/J that they'd be different. My P/J Ibby has a series/parallel switch for the P and the Audere preamp has an active stereo blend. I took it to GC and found that by adjusting the blend and other settings that I could make it sound enough like a Big Singles equipped SR that I wouldn't need one.

The difference, though, is that my P/J has a mahogany body and this SR1000EFM is all maple (I think, although the back looks like alder to me). That might make enough of a difference to make the Big Splits a good choice.

 

[fourstringbliss]

Those stock pickups are better than MK1s. More detailed and rich. I have the six string version of that bass, and right now I have the bridge pickup wired to the jack and it sounds great. I am considering a change to Big Blades also at some point, more for fun than anything else, but it'll have to wait. Worth contacting Nordstrand about the custom size. I plan on doing that when I can pull the trigger. Please post if you go that route, I'd be interested in the results.

Why did you wire the bridge pickup to the jack?

I ended up swapping the pickups around because there was too much of an output difference between the pickups. Now they're well balanced.

Turns out Nordstrand wouldn't be able to source the correct size of shell so I'd need to get the P2 size and get the routes enlarged.

 

[Seashore]

Why did you wire the bridge pickup to the jack?

I ended up swapping the pickups around because there was too much of an output difference between the pickups. Now they're well balanced.

Turns out Nordstrand wouldn't be able to source the correct size of shell so I'd need to get the P2 size and get the routes enlarged.

I tried it with both pickups to hear what they sounded like in isolation without the preamp, and wound up really liking the bridge pickup but hating the neck. I also tried wiring them in series with separate volume controls, but the neck pickup just muddied things up no matter how I fiddled with it. I may swap their positions at some point and see if I can get some useful blended tones, but honestly it sounds really good this way and mixes in great with the band, so I'm not in a rush. I never use a volume knob anyway and don't miss it.

Thanks for the info about Nordstrand. That's disappointing but good to know. I'm handy enough with a router that I could probably rent shop access and do it myself, but knowing I'd have to do that for something simple like a pickup change makes me a lot less inclined to bother.

 

[fourstringbliss]

I tried it with both pickups to hear what they sounded like in isolation without the preamp, and wound up really liking the bridge pickup but hating the neck. I also tried wiring them in series with separate volume controls, but the neck pickup just muddied things up no matter how I fiddled with it. I may swap their positions at some point and see if I can get some useful blended tones, but honestly it sounds really good this way and mixes in great with the band, so I'm not in a rush. I never use a volume knob anyway and don't miss it.

Thanks for the info about Nordstrand. That's disappointing but good to know. I'm handy enough with a router that I could probably rent shop access and do it myself, but knowing I'd have to do that for something simple like a pickup change makes me a lot less inclined to bother.

I bought mine used and it came with the preamp seriously jacked up. I tried it with the pickups as is and prefer a balance between the pickups. Funny thing, but I usually play my basses with the both pickups on anyway. Maybe it didn't give it enough of a shot as it was so I should swap the pickups back to where they were.

I don't mind the routing thing to get the pickup sound I'm looking for because I know folks who have the tools and space.

 

[Seashore]

I bought mine used and it came with the preamp seriously jacked up. I tried it with the pickups as is and prefer a balance between the pickups. Funny thing, but I usually play my basses with the both pickups on anyway. Maybe it didn't give it enough of a shot as it was so I should swap the pickups back to where they were.

I don't mind the routing thing to get the pickup sound I'm looking for because I know folks who have the tools and space.

I was pretty surprised by the outcome, honestly. I've never liked the soloed bridge pickup on any of my other basses. I use the neck in my 505 full on, with only a little of the bridge blended in. I immediately gravitated towards the bridge pickup in the 1006 but thought my mind would change with the preamp out.

What preamp is in yours now, still the stock vari-mid? I prefer the sound of a passive setup in every instrument I've ever played, and my pedals like it better too, but I was considering trying an Audere 4-band at some point.

 

[fourstringbliss]

I was pretty surprised by the outcome, honestly. I've never liked the soloed bridge pickup on any of my other basses. I use the neck in my 505 full on, with only a little of the bridge blended in. I immediately gravitated towards the bridge pickup in the 1006 but thought my mind would change with the preamp out.

What preamp is in yours now, still the stock vari-mid? I prefer the sound of a passive setup in every instrument I've ever played, and my pedals like it better too, but I was considering trying an Audere 4-band at some point.

I replaced the preamp with a Tone Monster pre off Ebay. It's a decent preamp for the money, but I don't like the EQ points personally. It has vari-mid but goes from somewhat middle mid into what I would consider treble. I'm also not a huge fan of bass controls that boost sub-bass like 40Hz. That just adds boom and mud for me.

I've got an Audere 3-band in my SR P/J and it's great! When the controls are flat you get the sound of your pickups in passive - there's no baked-in tone. Bass is centered around 200 Hz, mids I can choose 250 Hz, 500 Hz, and 750 Hz, and treble is around 4 kHz if I remember correctly. It doesn't have an output trim pot, though, and I find these Barts to be fairly low output pups.

If I go with the Big Blades (high output) I'll install an Audere Pro Z, and if I go with Bart Singularities I'll go with a Bart NTMB because of the trim pot.

 

[retroXvertigo]

Long shot here.

Anyone have big singles from a 6 string Soundgears they're looking to sell?

 

[Toptube]

How many of you have replaced the MK1 soapbars in a 4-string SR bass? I have an older SR1000EFM and want to replace the USA Barts that are in it, but they're an odd size.

They're longer than BC shape and narrower than P2 shape so I'd need to get the routes enlarged to fit a P2 soapbar. I was thinking about getting some Nordstrand Big Blades put in P2 shells, but I don't know how that would look.

Have any of you replaced the MK1's in your 4-string SR with Nordy's in this way?

Nordstrand does not have the ability to make custom pickup shapes/sizes, from plastic. If you want something form them in a bass with non-standard routes. you'll likely be presented with 3 options:

1. send them the bass to be routed for the pickup size you want (Probably P2 in this case?). I would ask Nordstrand if they can possibly sell you a pre-printed shipping label, if they get a break on shipping costs. I recently sent a bass 2/3 of the way across the U.S. and it was a little over $100. One way.
2. They have an option for "raw" pickups, where they custom make a pickup to fit your existing routes. But instead of a plastic casing, its made from hard bobbin material.
Raw Pickups
3. find someone who can make you a custom plastic casing, to fit your routes. Then Nordstrand will custom build a pickup inside of it. One option is they have a relationship with D-Cline Design. His work is top notch, but not cheap. However. shipping a bass is also not cheap. So that might be an ok option, rather than shipping for routing.


Big blades have looked good in everything I have seen them in. I would not hesitate to try them in your bass, if you can figure out an option which works for you.

 

[PawleeP]

I replaced the preamp with a Tone Monster pre off Ebay. It's a decent preamp for the money, but I don't like the EQ points personally. It has vari-mid but goes from somewhat middle mid into what I would consider treble. I'm also not a huge fan of bass controls that boost sub-bass like 40Hz. That just adds boom and mud for me.

I've got an Audere 3-band in my SR P/J and it's great! When the controls are flat you get the sound of your pickups in passive - there's no baked-in tone. Bass is centered around 200 Hz, mids I can choose 250 Hz, 500 Hz, and 750 Hz, and treble is around 4 kHz if I remember correctly. It doesn't have an output trim pot, though, and I find these Barts to be fairly low output pups.

If I go with the Big Blades (high output) I'll install an Audere Pro Z, and if I go with Bart Singularities I'll go with a Bart NTMB because of the trim pot.

What does the trim pot do? you can buy vartous trim pots for nickels on a dollar strait from shinzin on ebay.