SugarMaple
Well-known member
Before I found my all-time favorite bass (my '09 EBMM Sterling 4 HS), I went through some nice basses, but none were growly & aggressive enough for my fingerstyle playing taste. Jazzes, Rics, even Stingrays, none were nasty enough. The Sterling, with setting #1 (bridge humbucker) solved that. True love!
So it's been pretty much only position #1 on my HS for me, except when I'm on headphones learning new bass parts off of a recording, I like the solo bridge singlecoil (position #2) for that, because it helps tighten my bass notes and helps me zero in on the recording more accurately.
Well, recently a great opportunity opened up for me, and I joined a band that plays a mix of classic rock and new country. The new country stuff is all new to me. Many new songs to learn, plus a different mix on-stage with three vocalists, an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar, etc.
I tried position #1 with this band, and it did not work well. It just didn't sit in the mix well, even with EQ and amp EQ tweaking. Long story short, I did some experimenting, and position #4 (neck singlecoil + neck-side coil of bridge pickup) not only solved the problem, but got me nice compliments from soundman, bandmates, folks in the crowd, etc. I know this may not shock a lot of you guys, but it was a big surprise to me. So I just leave it in position #4 now, and it is perfect for this band.
Anyhow, sorry for the long post. I guess my lesson learned is to keep an open mind on the other pickup settings. I am so glad I figured this one out - I love the sweet, thin neck on the Sterling, and I was dreading maybe having to try a different bass for this band.
So it's been pretty much only position #1 on my HS for me, except when I'm on headphones learning new bass parts off of a recording, I like the solo bridge singlecoil (position #2) for that, because it helps tighten my bass notes and helps me zero in on the recording more accurately.
Well, recently a great opportunity opened up for me, and I joined a band that plays a mix of classic rock and new country. The new country stuff is all new to me. Many new songs to learn, plus a different mix on-stage with three vocalists, an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar, etc.
I tried position #1 with this band, and it did not work well. It just didn't sit in the mix well, even with EQ and amp EQ tweaking. Long story short, I did some experimenting, and position #4 (neck singlecoil + neck-side coil of bridge pickup) not only solved the problem, but got me nice compliments from soundman, bandmates, folks in the crowd, etc. I know this may not shock a lot of you guys, but it was a big surprise to me. So I just leave it in position #4 now, and it is perfect for this band.
Anyhow, sorry for the long post. I guess my lesson learned is to keep an open mind on the other pickup settings. I am so glad I figured this one out - I love the sweet, thin neck on the Sterling, and I was dreading maybe having to try a different bass for this band.
