Question: Pickup Question?

[adouglas]

My question is, would swapping out the pickup improve anything? As mainly a guitar player I have always swapped out pickups to bring out the top performance of the guitar for my style. In this case would it help out or should I just leave well enough alone?

I ride a motorcycle, and this kind of thinking is routine in that community. People go out and buy a 120-horsepower beast that can go 0-60 in less than four seconds out of the box and kill you faster than you can blink an eye. What's the first thing they do, even before they've broken it in? Spend hundreds or even thousands to make it even quicker, when any rational person would realize that the stock machine is more than capable enough and probably way more than they can really take advantage of anyway. It's change for change's sake, not to actually accomplish anything meaningful.

I've done the whole mod thing myself in the past, throwing money at a bass trying to improve it. Once I switched to EBMM I realized that these guys know a hell of a lot more than I do about what makes an instrument sound good. Now I spend my money saving up for the next EBMM, not trying to mod the one I've got.

[bovinehost]

As to the original question, switching the pickup in a SBMM? I have a collection of USA EBMMs and one SBMM Ray34ca. I wouldn't change the pickup in the SBMM for anything. It sounds GREAT.

[MK Bass Weed]

The Reason I play EBMM...in the first place is right out of the box..(then case)...they fulfill any pro level requirement, stage or studio.

In my case...it's more than enough!

Learn a whole tone scale instead...alot more fun and productive.

[JayDawg]

Like others have said, I will never mod any of my Music Man basses. I simply don't need to. Even if I were to pick up a Sterling by Music Man Ray-34, or a SUB, I would leave them stock too as they also sound great.

[fender1]

i have done the pick up heights on my jazz and have an even volume across the strings.
The ray i think i will reset to factory spec and re-adjust and see where it goes from there

[Golem]

`

I have modded ONE out of about 10 EBMMs, and that
was not for "performance" reasons. I put a graphite
neck on just one out of the whole flock, for climactic
reasons. Kinda like whe you put snow tires on your
sports coupe ... not for improved preformance but to
accomodate the local climate. Sometimes, I hafta go
to work and play after work without stopping at home.
My "Sterling Cutlass III" may be in my car, at winter
temperatures, for about 10 hrs before it's taken inside
to warm up.

My other modded MM was done by a previous owner.
It's got a whole new tone chain. Very nice ax, adds
variety to the flock, but it's not like it's some kinda
sooper astounding hotrod. If its prior owner modded
it hoping for a distinct upgrade then he just wasted
money and time ... or maybe thaz his hobby.

`

[fender1]

Im still getting a feeble sound from the G string, also the D string isnt as loud or as beefy as the E or A string, i put brand new strings on, new battery, tried different cables ( i buy good quality cables) have adjusted pick up and string height too. I played a gig new years eve and was dissapointed with the sound from the D and G strings, i plug my fender jazz bass in and presto a good balance of sound from all 4 strings

[strummer]

Im still getting a feeble sound from the G string, also the D string isnt as loud or as beefy as the E or A string, i put brand new strings on, new battery, tried different cables ( i buy good quality cables) have adjusted pick up and string height too. I played a gig new years eve and was dissapointed with the sound from the D and G strings, i plug my fender jazz bass in and presto a good balance of sound from all 4 strings

Well, then maybe it's as simple as you being more comfortable on the Jazz? I have a lot of basses, not just MM, and I've never understood (or heard) this g string thing.
Every bass can't be for everyone you know, and an EBMM will never be a Jazz or the other way around.

[fender1]

Very true, ive had many basses over the last 30 years, some cheap but have owned a ricky 4001, 2 ibanez sound gears, antoria black eagle, precision and currently have 2 jazz basses and the stingray which will be the last basses i will own i like all 3 of them! But with the sr4 those D and specially the G string just dont cut through with the volume as good as the E and A.
I have rehearsal sunday and will tinker with the pick up height and see how it goes from there

[JayDawg]

I own 5 Music Man basses and I also don't get the whole G and D string not coming through as well. The only thing I can guess is there is a set up issue needed because even the basses that I have played that are Music Man at stores or that belong to other people don't have that issue.