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Two MM pickups on a custom bass - too much magnetic pull on the strings??

Discussion in 'Pickups & Electronics [BG]' started by Metropolis_488, Jan 14, 2009.

  1. Jan 14, 2009 #1
    Metropolis_488

    Metropolis_488 Supporting Member

    Jun 12, 2006
    Connecticut
    Anyone have any experience with this? I am having a bass built and the current pickup arrangement is for the dual MM pickups - I know that typical MM humbuckers have some strong magnets (as well as most exposed poll aftermarket pups), so I wanted to get some other peoples opinions.

    Also, I am well aware of and have owned an HH Stingray, but it is my understanding that the pickups in the HH are significantly different than the single H (making me think that EBMM saw this as a problem and made corrections accordingly).

    Finally, maybe I should can the whole idea and get a different pickup arrangement... I already have a real cool P-bass with a J in the bridge position. Going for a more modern growl tone with the bass (I have a modulus neck for it). Any thoughts?

    -Matt
     
  2. Jan 14, 2009 #2
    Stealth

    Stealth

    Feb 5, 2008
    Zagreb, Croatia
    In theory, just keeping the pickups low enough (distanced enough from the strings) should avoid the magnetic pull.
     
  3. Jan 14, 2009 #3
    sheepdog

    sheepdog Guest

    Feb 20, 2003
    Birmingham, AL
    seems to work fine for Warwick and MusicMan basses.
     
  4. Jan 14, 2009 #4
    jsingles

    jsingles Guest

    Aug 30, 2007
    Lowell/Amesbury Massachusetts
    if youre worried about it maybe consider J/H (lakland style) or two soapbar humbuckers (barts?) i dont think it would be a huge problem tho, and you could just lower the pickups.
     
  5. Jan 14, 2009 #5
    Metropolis_488

    Metropolis_488 Supporting Member

    Jun 12, 2006
    Connecticut
    Lowering the pickups would certainly change the tone (for the better or worse, I don't know)...
    So does anyone have any actual experience with this? (Musicman and Warwick aside - those are basses using pickups designed for that specific application).
     
  6. Jan 14, 2009 #6
    depalm

    depalm

    Apr 22, 2004
    São Paulo
    Too much magnetic pull is a real issue on MM Sabre Basses.
    I have one and I keep the neck PU as low as I can otherwise it will literally suck the strings!

    Maybe Carey Nordstrand could have a custom made MM style PU for you.
    I'm pretty sure he could solve this problem easily.
     
  7. Jan 14, 2009 #7
    Metropolis_488

    Metropolis_488 Supporting Member

    Jun 12, 2006
    Connecticut
    Thanks depalm!

    I thought so... I know the main reason why Musicman/EBMM 1) stopped production of the Sabre and 2) took so long to produce the HH Stingray/Sterling was because of the problem of the magnetic pull.
     
  8. Jan 14, 2009 #8
    The Universe

    The Universe

    Sep 29, 2008
    St. John's, NL, Canada
    I'd like to see someone put a Delano Xtender in something. Maybe get an Xtender and a Lightwave bridge system. That would be ridiculous. Two totally unconventional pickup types...
     
  9. Jan 14, 2009 #9
    sunbeast

    sunbeast Supporting Member

    Jul 19, 2006
    Denver, CO
    This is an issue that I've dealt with on G&Ls, for sure (even at the suggested heights that G&L gives in their setup guide, I found the E string intonation to be off due to magnetic pull- it read sharper at the 12th fret than it should have, putting the intonation off for the whole string). Those pickups are REALLY hot though. I actually have learned to prefer the tone of my L2000 with the pickups set pretty low (clearer highs and lows with a much more even midrange). My experience with MM pickups is that they are nowhere near as hot as the G&L humbuckers (MM 'buckers are designed specifically to be used only with a preamp- so the newer ones at least are fairly low output. I think the earlier ones were more along the lines of the G&L pickups though, as the Sabre was actually the predecesor to the L2000). The Nordstrands are copies of the early MM pickups IIRC, so they could be a problem.

    Karl