Who else makes a 3-coil MM humbucker?

[P Cheen]

Who else aside from Seymour Duncan and [the discontinued] Nordstrand [MM4.3] makes a 3-coil Music Man humbucker? I tried the search function to no avail.

I may potentially swap out the stock one on my Sterling SB14, too hot!

 

[ctmullins]

As I understand it, the third coil is for hum cancellation, yes? If so, you could achieve a similar result with a quad-coil, which would still be noiseless when switched to “single coil” (really two of the four coils) mode.

Have you tried lowering the pickup?

Also, what about just using the volume knob?

 

[markanini]

EMG MMTW

 

[Gsnorgathon]

Dunno if it would be a drop-in, but you could hunt around for used Ibanez ATK pickups. I'm not sure if the later ones were triple coil, but the earlier ones were.

 

[FRoss6788]

Bartolini, I believe

 

[P Cheen]

As I understand it, the third coil is for hum cancellation, yes? If so, you could achieve a similar result with a quad-coil, which would still be noiseless when switched to “single coil” (really two of the four coils) mode.

Have you tried lowering the pickup?

Also, what about just using the volume knob?

I was thinking that too, I’m interested in those Nordys with the quad coils.
I’m giving it a little bit of time, I guess I played passive for way too long and my ears just need to be re-acclimated to active.

If the Seymour Duncan one wasn’t $209…

 

[P Cheen]

EMG MMTW

Is it too far a tone departure from the usual MM humbucker?

 

[dkelley]

Who else aside from Seymour Duncan and [the discontinued] Nordstrand [MM4.3] makes a 3-coil Music Man humbucker? I tried the search function to no avail.

I may potentially swap out the stock one on my Sterling SB14, too hot!

I dunno but the SD pickup is OUTSTANDING, in the I played where it, and the matching SD preamp (MM style), were the previous owner's choice.

I haven't ABed the SD with another pickup in the same bass, but I know MM pickups from various manufacturers (not from nord though), and the SD one is one of the best imho.

I've always been a HUGE sd pickups fan... love their work, tone, build quality, and pricing.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

I may potentially swap out the stock one on my Sterling SB14, too hot!

Seems to be the typical complaint of Sterling by MM pickups.
Most of the issue is that the pickup coils are wired in Series. The SUB pickups are internally wired and cannot be changed without destroying the pickup cover (and potentially the pickup, too). The Ray 34 basses have better components and pickups that have 4 leads and can be wired any way you want.
Check in the control cavity if your pickup has 4 leads. If you can wire it in parallel, it will take some of the edge off.

If it comes to pickup replacement, any of the aftermarket companies offering a MM replacement will be suffice.
SD and Delano, I believe, are the only companies that offer AlNiCo and Ceramic MM pickups. Nordstrand offers the Big Blademan Ceramic.
I only mention this because the original Sterling used a Ceramic pickup. You may or may not want that.
And the SD 3-coil pickup was an AlNiCo version of the original Sterling Ceramic 3-coil pickup. It will ONLY work in the EBMM Sterling. The body has a special route in the pickup cavity that will accommodate the 3rd coil of that pickup.

If I remember correctly, the SB14 does not have the 3-way switch like the original EBMM Sterling. So unless you install a 3-way switch with the intent of going Series/Parallel/Single coil, the Nord MM4.4 isn’t worth getting. A standard MM pickup (made of two single coils) will be fine.

A very underrated MM AlNiCo pickup on the market is the Kiesel/Carvin HB.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I have a pair of 5-string HB’s in one bass. The pickup is made extremely well, and in my opinion, even the pole-piece ground wire is goddamn sexy:

These pickups have a very smooth, full sound wired in Parallel. In Series, they have nice midrange that isn’t overwhelming. When Kiesel installs these into their basses, they wire them in Series. You can search the ‘tube for how they sound.
I am not an endorser of Kiesel, I just like that pickup a lot.

 

[andruca]

The endemic problem with cheaper SBMM is preamps, not pickups. They lack headroom (poor design) for the chosen pickups, which are very hot. Nothing wrong with the pickup. You can lower its output with a simple variable resistor inside or you can try feed the preamp 18V, chances are it'll work (preamps accept a wide range of supply voltage, so manufacturers can choose 9V or 18V according to the output of the chosen pickups), you won't have more volume but will have enough headroom so that it doesn't distort when you dig in or boost the EQ. Third option would be to swap the preamp, a cheap 20$ Artec is still a heck of an upgrade from the stock preamp, and will handle a hot pickup. I've owned a Ray35 and have played several SUBs, all while owning a couple US Stingray5s (also a Steelibng5 HS at one point). I would not change the pickups on any of them, they're OK, sound like they should, just are too much signal for the preamp on the cheapest options (of which the SB14 is a remarkable one).

 

[P Cheen]

Seems to be the typical complaint of Sterling by MM pickups.
Most of the issue is that the pickup coils are wired in Series. The SUB pickups are internally wired and cannot be changed without destroying the pickup cover (and potentially the pickup, too). The Ray 34 basses have better components and pickups that have 4 leads and can be wired any way you want.
Check in the control cavity if your pickup has 4 leads. If you can wire it in parallel, it will take some of the edge off.

If it comes to pickup replacement, any of the aftermarket companies offering a MM replacement will be suffice.
SD and Delano, I believe, are the only companies that offer AlNiCo and Ceramic MM pickups. Nordstrand offers the Big Blademan Ceramic.
I only mention this because the original Sterling used a Ceramic pickup. You may or may not want that.
And the SD 3-coil pickup was an AlNiCo version of the original Sterling Ceramic 3-coil pickup. It will ONLY work in the EBMM Sterling. The body has a special route in the pickup cavity that will accommodate the 3rd coil of that pickup.

If I remember correctly, the SB14 does not have the 3-way switch like the original EBMM Sterling. So unless you install a 3-way switch with the intent of going Series/Parallel/Single coil, the Nord MM4.4 isn’t worth getting. A standard MM pickup (made of two single coils) will be fine.

A very underrated MM AlNiCo pickup on the market is the Kiesel/Carvin HB.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I have a pair of 5-string HB’s in one bass. The pickup is made extremely well, and in my opinion, even the pole-piece ground wire is goddamn sexy:
View attachment 4310110
These pickups have a very smooth, full sound wired in Parallel. In Series, they have nice midrange that isn’t overwhelming. When Kiesel installs these into their basses, they wire them in Series. You can search the ‘tube for how they sound.
I am not an endorser of Kiesel, I just like that pickup a lot.

Thanks Eddie! My SB14 does have a 3-way switch that goes parallel - single+dummy - series. I’m mainly looking for a replacement alnico pickup that is similar in construction to the stock 3-coil pickup. Looks like my only option is the Seymour Duncan. Or I can try to scavenge the net for a used MM4.3. I feel like I can try to figure out the wiring with a Nordstrand MM4.4 but I’m not really versed with electronics.

Looks like my ear has been growing accustomed to the Sterling and I’m really liking it, especially paired with a set of DR Pure Blues.

I’ll probably get the Duncan in the future and try an alnico humbucker, just for kicks (and to see if it’s sonically better).

 

[P Cheen]

The endemic problem with cheaper SBMM is preamps, not pickups. They lack headroom (poor design) for the chosen pickups, which are very hot. Nothing wrong with the pickup. You can lower its output with a simple variable resistor inside or you can try feed the preamp 18V, chances are it'll work (preamps accept a wide range of supply voltage, so manufacturers can choose 9V or 18V according to the output of the chosen pickups), you won't have more volume but will have enough headroom so that it doesn't distort when you dig in or boost the EQ. Third option would be to swap the preamp, a cheap 20$ Artec is still a heck of an upgrade from the stock preamp, and will handle a hot pickup. I've owned a Ray35 and have played several SUBs, all while owning a couple US Stingray5s (also a Steelibng5 HS at one point). I would not change the pickups on any of them, they're OK, sound like they should, just are too much signal for the preamp on the cheapest options (of which the SB14 is a remarkable one).

I agree. I also own a Ray24CA and I got a replacement Nordstrand MM4.2 on it and while the Nordy sounds good (and I actually wired it parallel like god intended), I wish I had just gotten an East preamp.

I have not dug deep enough regarding preamp replacements for my SB14, but I’m certain it won’t be straightforward because it integrates a 3-way switch among other things that may complicate the whole system.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

Thanks Eddie! My SB14 does have a 3-way switch that goes parallel - single+dummy - series. I’m mainly looking for a replacement alnico pickup that is similar in construction to the stock 3-coil pickup. Looks like my only option is the Seymour Duncan. Or I can try to scavenge the net for a used MM4.3. I feel like I can try to figure out the wiring with a Nordstrand MM4.4 but I’m not really versed with electronics.

Looks like my ear has been growing accustomed to the Sterling and I’m really liking it, especially paired with a set of DR Pure Blues.

I’ll probably get the Duncan in the future and try an alnico humbucker, just for kicks (and to see if it’s sonically better).

Wow, I’d didn’t know the SB-14 had all the bells and whistles of the USA Sterling.
Ya learn something new every day…even if it’s been discontinued…

Yeah, I believe the SD pickup is probably your only shot.

 

[4stringfarley]

Delano makes a few quad coils. I'm currently using the double split coil and it sounds stellar. Tons of wiring options.