Ceramic Bridge Humbucker in Series

[mynan]

Does anybody use it? If so, how do you EQ it?

I'm looking for ideas. I've had 1 single-H and 4 HH EBMMs. My preference has always been all 4 coils on and when I go from that to the bridge H soloed, it just seems a little thin or hollow.

I was getting to know my new Sterling5 on Saturday and I'm favoring a little bass boost and a little treble cut in general. Cutting the mids seems to work for the bridge H soloed, but I'm curious as to what you all are doing.

 

[keko]

It depends in my case, I use 3 different situations, so:

1.
Through earphones practice: EQ flat

2.
When practice with a band in garage direct through small compact PA system (3-way boxes): Bass 20% boost, middle & treble flat (treble cut when fresh strings)

3.
When giggin', signal goes through DI out of my amp head to the main mix-console into the 3.5-5 kW PA support system, so most usual EQ is: bass 20-30% boost, middle 10-20% boost, treble flat when fresh strings and boosted 10-20% when burned in!

This 3rd depends sometimes a lot according to acoustics of place where we play!

P.S. ...I'm talkin' 'bout my Sterling HS 5

Hope it helps a bit?

 

[oli@bass]

Can't talk about a ceramic bridge H in series, but for my HH 'Rays and Sabres (alnico in parallel) I have the same impression: When going from the HH or neck H setting to the bridge H, it sounds very nasal and thin. However, it cuts through a band sound like nothing else. So what I do for playing live is: Set the bass EQ to get a cutting sound and enough bottom with the bridge H and go to the other PU selections when I want to have "less cut", or "more boom".

 

[Basswave]

I usually just add 1/4" up my bass and everything else set flat.

If I'm playing a my HH sterling in the middle position (all 4 coils) that I tend to dial back the bass a little closer to flat and up the mids a touch.

If I play in position 2 which is interesting tone and then I leave the bass up still a 1/4" and a touch of mids for the hollowness of coils 1 and 4.

PS I use that tone to cut through acoustic guitar and keys...Its works well and has its own cool character.

To be honest though the majority of what I do is just with the single H, however its great to have the tools.

 

[drTStingray]

I use series on my SR5H ceramic - in fact I got the SR5 out last week end for the first time in a while for a gig and used just this setting for some 70s style soul/funk (James Brown stuff) - I tend to boost the bass and treble a little and either cut the mids a little or keep them flat. The B string also sounds great like this.

I find the all coils setting on my SR4HH smooths everything out, and gives a more bassy sound and I find myself setting mids a little higher and bass lower. I'm afraid I favour the bridge humbucker basses - even with the Bongo I find myself using that setting quite a lot of the time - I like the versatility of having a two pick up bass, but I really can't live without that bridge H MM sound!!

 

[mynan]

When going from the HH or neck H setting to the bridge H, it sounds very nasal and thin. However, it cuts through a band sound like nothing else. So what I do for playing live is: Set the bass EQ to get a cutting sound and enough bottom with the bridge H and go to the other PU selections when I want to have "less cut", or "more boom".

I've had some time to play with this and...I have seen the light. Thanks!