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What the heck am I looking for?

Discussion in 'Pickups & Electronics [BG]' started by jtrom, Mar 10, 2018.

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  1. Mar 10, 2018 #1
    jtrom

    jtrom

    Nov 22, 2008
    Kelowna BC
    So I have a CIJ "Sting" signature bass. Was the first serious bass that I purchased around 2004. Didn't know too much about pickups/necks/bodies/amps back then I just knew that it played better than my brothers Barracuda haha.

    As my ear developed I noticed that I really didn't like the pickup in the bass. Very very sensitive and would clip all the time. Forget playing with a pick! Clipping and farting with a very thin sound. No bass at all. I had it set up, tried different amps etc and purchased a Lollar single coil... I literally heard no difference in the sound with any of these mods.

    Long story short: I love this bass and want to keep it for sentimental reasons but it's been under the bed for about 7 years. I got a couple P-basses with Bill Lawrence pups and a Gibson Grabber and am very content w/those basses. I really like the P-bass sound and am wondering if I can accomplish that with a single coil? I've read a lot about the SE Quarter Pounder and have heard mixed review. Some love it. Others say it's too bassy and there are no mids. At this point I can't imagine my Sing bass being too "bassy w/no mids"! So maybe that's the pickup I'm looking for...

    OR, perhaps the single coil bass sound isn't for me and I should part with the Sting...

    Would love your suggestions!

    Thanks
     
  2. Mar 10, 2018 #2
    Old Garage-Bander

    Old Garage-Bander

    Jan 31, 2015
    Cornbraska
    Have you tried lowering the pickups?
     
  3. Mar 10, 2018 #3
    jtrom

    jtrom

    Nov 22, 2008
    Kelowna BC
    Indeed! I've tried all sorts of sundry antidotes to the problem... worth exploring again as I haven't played it in some time. Though, when the Lollar was installed (around 2010) I had it set up by a stellar lutheir so I wouldn't think it's the pup height
     
  4. Mar 11, 2018 #4
    Old Garage-Bander

    Old Garage-Bander

    Jan 31, 2015
    Cornbraska
    Unless you tell your guitar tech otherwise, he'll probably just go with standard settings. For instance, someone who plays very aggressively, might want to have his pickups lower than the standard setting. But you've tried lowering them, so on to other stuff.
    Good luck getting it figured out.
     
  5. Mar 11, 2018 #5
    sikamikanico

    sikamikanico

    Mar 17, 2004
    Lindy Fralin's split coil version of SCPB might be just what you want. Some think it sounds too much like the split P ('57), but that might actually be good for your bass.

    SD QP might work too, it's cheap and easy to try (can find used too, with some luck). And don't let reviews discourage you - they will only get you part of the way. How a pickup works in your bass depends on a lot of factors. At some point you gotta make an educated guess and just start trying...

    Last, have you tried different strings, maybe flats?
     
  6. Mar 11, 2018 #6
    jtrom

    jtrom

    Nov 22, 2008
    Kelowna BC
    Great. I’ll probably check out the Quarter Pounder... there’s also a local pickup guy (Dave Reimer) who is getting a lot of praise for his pickups. Might go through him too. Perhaps I’ll throw my Lollar up on the classifieds here and maybe find someone to do a trade with. That wouldn’t hurt!

    As for strings, the bass is in a different city. I moved last September and couldn’t take all my instruments with me. I’m going back next week and will play around with it.

    Thanks for your reply!
     
  7. Mar 12, 2018 #7
    Zoobiedood

    Zoobiedood Commercial User

    Sep 1, 2015
    Writer/Ambassador/Artist/Resident Bass Expert for Seymour Duncan
    As said, QPs are easily found, and certainly don't sound thin. They have more output than most pickups, so you might have to lower it a bit if it overdrives your amp, or pad it down. If you need a bassier sound, those will certainly work, and it is a pretty easy swap.