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This is not an April Fools' Joke - BTB owners rejoice !

groovecraver

groovecraver

Supporting Member
Jan 15, 2008
76
61
#1
These pickups may have arrived on April Fool's Day but I wouldn't joke like this !
I heard another TB'er mention that these were coming. I was told I have the 1st set but who really knows - Anyway the new Bartolini H65CBC B/T replacement pickups for the Bartolini MK2 and BH series are here !
 

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#2
post the sound comparison please :bassist:

while on the same subject...

kinda irony that Ibanez has just changed the 2017 BTB Bartolini pickups to BH2 which have different dimensions (seem smaller) than the BH1 / MK2 pickups.
 
#3
After reading again the OP attached mail, just realized that the difference between 5 string vs 6 string model is on the (total) string spacing 72 mm vs 90 mm, which seems to be the answer of questions that have been bothering me: the difference among MK4, MK5, and MK6 pickups, and whether I could use my MK6CBC in a 5 string bass.

Though it also raised another question, why the Bartolini Original Bass series is more expensive than the Classic Bass series?
 
#4
Aidil said:
post the sound comparison please :bassist:

while on the same subject...

kinda irony that Ibanez has just changed the 2017 BTB Bartolini pickups to BH2 which have different dimensions (seem smaller) than the BH1 / MK2 pickups.
Click to expand...

Aidil,
I will try to post something when I install the pickups. I don't know when I will get them in. My band keeps me real busy and I do installs on the side. I want to thank you though. It was your 10/16 post that allowed me to hold out for these pickups ! Had I not seen your post, the wood chipping was about to commence.
 
#5
groovecraver said:
These pickups may have arrived on April Fool's Day but I wouldn't joke like this !
I heard another TB'er mention that these were coming. I was told I have the 1st set but who really knows - Anyway the new Bartolini H65CBC B/T replacement pickups for the Bartolini MK2 and BH series are here !
Click to expand...


[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I have never posted a sound link so I hope this works. There is a sample of the Mk2 pickups on one file. I did the recording in the following order: Both pickups, neck pickup, bridge pickup, fingerstyle then slap to a backing track. The H65cbc pickups were recorded in the same manner except the slap file is separate. The preamp is: Aguilar OBP3. Sorry for the noise in the background. I left the levels the same even though the H65's have stronger output. To this bass player, these pickups are cleaner and less hollow. The punch and bottom are much more present and the high end is not brittle even with an OBP3 pre. Finger style is fantastic!
You can feel every nuance. All strings ring out with the same volume levels.


 
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#6
groovecraver said:
I have never posted a sound link so I hope this works. There is a sample of the Mk2 pickups on one file. I did the recording in the following order: Both pickups, neck pickup, bridge pickup, fingerstyle then slap to a backing track. The H65cbc pickups were recorded in the same manner except the slap file is separate. The preamp is: Aguilar OBP3. Sorry for the noise in the background. I left the levels the same even though the H65's have stronger output. To this bass player, these pickups are cleaner and less hollow. The punch and bottom are much more present and the high end is not brittle even with an OBP3 pre. Finger style is fantastic!
You can feel every nuance. All strings ring out with the same volume levels.


Click to expand...


hearing those files using good quality headphones, to my ears both pickups have great sounding, only somehow I felt the H65CBC as more mid scooped than the MK2.
 
#7
Aidil said:
hearing those files using good quality headphones, to my ears both pickups have great sounding, only somehow I felt the H65CBC as more mid scooped than the MK2.
Click to expand...

You have good ears my friend. I didn't mind the MK2 pickups but I prefer a less scooped sound personally.
I will mention that I had to back the bass off considerably on the H65's. They were actually set to center detent because the bass was much stronger. Treble was near max, mid sweep at center, mid control at 12:10, and pickups centered. The signal came off my Mesa D800 through an old Zoom H2 recorder.
 
#13
Hey scuzzy,

I have not checked this thread in a while. When I got my set I was told I would be receiving the first set. I, as Adil stated, sent an email directly to Bartolini. I even talked to their distributor by phone and he was extremely cool !
His name is Doug Somervell. All I know is that he lives in Virginia and handles matters of the east coast for Bartolini. I got my pickups in less than a week. I don't have his phone number but I'm sure if you reference his name in your email to: [email protected], he will respond. Good luck ! I think the search and find for you will be well worth the effort.
My BTB is way up in the rotation now. If you couple these with a proper preamp you will have a monster !!!
 
#14
bumping up this thread with recent info I've just found...

Bartolini has updated their website in regards to the USA replacement of the MK2 & BH1 pickups which previously stated as unavailable:

Bartolini H6.png


So... Turns out they've made few options for the BH1 replacements besides the Classic Bass (CBC): the 2JSquared (2J), the Original Series (C) and the Singularity (S).
 
Last edited:
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#15
Aidil said:
bumping up this thread with recent info I've just found...

Bartolini has updated their website in regards to the USA replacement of the MK2 & BH1 pickups which previously stated as unavailable:

View attachment 2771212

So... Turns out they've made few options for the BH1 replacements besides the Classic Bass (CBC): the 2JSquared (2J), the Original Series (C) and the Singularity (S).
Click to expand...

Aidil,
I saw this too ! From no options to many options ! That 2J sounds intriguing.
 
#18
groovecraver said:
Please post clips if you do that !
Click to expand...
unfortunately, upgrading the the BTB pickups is the very last thing on my GAS list, mainly due to the total cost that I have to pay in relation to the price of the bass. The price of $300-something is the starting point. Then sending them to my country is another thing... not to mention the import duty that would add a significant amount to the cost.

Then the other thing is the fact that Ibanez has changed the BH1 to BH2 on their latest basses also makes me wonder whether I should get the H6 pickups... unless, if the BH2 turns out to be the same size as the BH1, then they certainly will be climbing up the list.
 

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