stingray pickups

[bovinehost]

I am trying to decide what that statement means to me.

Yeah, everyone take a valium. No fightin' words here.

Jack

 

[strummer]

Hi, I play my stingray trough a swr bass 350 with a triad I cab. I find that the sound is a little agressive around the hi-mid region.
A friend of mine told me that the pickups in the recent stingrays (bought it in 2005) are not really good and suggested that i change it for a bartolini pickup. I'm not sure but from the specs on the bartolini site, the replacement pickup is passive and not active like my stingray. I'm thinking also that maybe it is the pickup's preamp that would do more if changed ?. I would also like to be able (if possible) to install a toggle switch to change from active to passive, is it possible ?, i'm pretty sure i am not the first person to ask that. Anyways some light on this would be nice !.

Thank you

Ok, let's pretend that you have found that you do not like the way your pick up makes your bass sound. Then you can swap it with a Bart, no problem. The MM pick up is passive too.

If it's the preamp you don't like, you can swap that. I'd say go Aggie 2-band, and get a push-pull pot to be wired for active/passive operation. or if you have a 3-band preamp you can go 3-band OR 2-band and have a huge toggle swithch for passive/active. Whatever you do, do not drill the metal plate for another hole.

If you don't like the pick up AND the preamp, just swap all of the electronics.

Know this: I personally think people are crazy to remove MM pickups and electronics, but that's just me. If you do any of the above, SAVE the original parts as a stock MM will bring more money than a modified one.

 

[maddog]

If you do any of the above, SAVE the original parts as a stock MM will bring more money than a modified one.

More money as well as a lot less gnashing of the teeth and tearing of the clothes from us bored members.

Edit: 900 posts. What have I done with my time?

 

[Golem]

I'll toss in that my '91 SR4FL came with a complete BassLines conversion, PU and gutz, and I like it that way [or I'd not have bought it that way]. But I did get a chance to A/B it with a similar stock SR4FL so I can say that compared to stock, this conversion is slightly less edgy and crisp, but has a richer fuller mid and low mid. This might be cuz the stock was a 2EQ and the BassLines is a 3EQ, but I set them both flat for the A/B.

Both bottoms go more huge than my ears could hear in any detail. IOW, if one bottom is bigger, you'd need a monstrous rig to prove that in any useful and musical sounding manner.

IMNSHO, doing the stock vs BassLines comparison using FL basses is more revealing cuz FL lets the voices of the basses speak more true to the nature of the wood, PU, and pre-amp. IOW, we know the metal-on-metal part of the voice is the same between the two, not a point of comparison, so removing it helps reveal the aspects that are different.

 

[strummer]

IMNSHO, doing the stock vs BassLines comparison using FL basses is more revealing cuz FL lets the voices of the basses speak more true to the nature of the wood, PU, and pre-amp. IOW, we know the metal-on-metal part of the voice is the same between the two, not a point of comparison, so removing it helps reveal the aspects that are different.

Golem, you did say imnsho, so I'll just plain disagree with you, ok?
The metal-on-metal part of the voice? We also know the metal on wood part of the voice on your fl's are the same too, right?
Rather than saying it's more revealing, I'd say it's got nothing to do with anything except that you compare pick ups for fretless instead of fretted instruments.
If you want to compare two pick ups make sure their respective environments (the bassses) are the same type you are going to use the pick ups on. If that means fl, sure, but I really can't see any benefit for me as a fretted-only player.
If we were comparing fret board woods, on the other hand...

 

[Aussie Mark]

At the risk of repeating myself, the Triad is a very high-fi cab. Turn the tweeter attenuator down to zero and it should sound killer with the stock Stingray pickup.

 

[studiomaster]

I tried the tweeter thing, it does do a lot of change but I think i'll go and try another cab, I got this one cheap. It's true that it is a very hi-fi cab, I mean the tweeter is very detailed. I also find the the crossover point between the mid and bass drivers is bad, I dont think it is a super match with the ray. On another note, i've found an ashly bp-41 bass preamp in a local pawn shop for 100$, this thing really sounds awesome !. I mean I just love this bass (move over p-bass), the feel and everything, it is a 3eq natrural finish by the way.

thanks