hot rodding my vette $$ (pickups)

[Angrychair]

im sorta bored with my basses tone, though i should probably blame my cabinets for not being tight as they are sorta old. I was wondering what sorta pickup replacement options are out there for the MEC passives in a $$ to give it a better growl on the low end.

 

[Martin Such]

I'd say Seymour Duncan BassLines, alnico ones. SMB4a, I think that's their symbol (ceramic ones are SMB4d). My favourite pickups

 

[budget bassist]

yeah i have a basslines MM pickup in a project of mine and even run totally passive, it sounds great. I wouldn't replace the MECs in my $$ with them though, because, personally, i think it sounds amazing.

 

[EVOLVEBASS]

Off topic, but if you want to 'hot rod' without modifying, consider throwing a bass driver in front of your 4PRO. The MXR M-80 or SansAmp might be exactly what you're looking for with less fuss and for less cash...

 

[golem]

+1.

I dig the BDDI enuf to have a pair
of them, even tho mostly I'm too
lazy to use more than the minimal
gear necessary to play ...

The Bass ToneBone and FullTone
Bass driver are possibly even more
rewarding, and I have a pair of the
FullTones as well, one mosfet and
one oldie. Mosfet definately gooder,
even tho I'm mostly too lazy to ....
​

 

[Angrychair]

thanks! those pickups look nice, the seymor duncans that is. i'll need to do some more research on them and the bassdrivers, i'm not familiar with them but i have seen them around.

 

[Andrew O]

Nordstands are supposed to be exactly like the original stingray pickups. If i got a $$i would want those in it

 

[golem]

A Ray is very much influenced by the
proprietary EBMM active system. Even
if the Nordy is a perfect clone who can
predict how it will sound without the
complete EBMM system and with an
ovangcal neck ...

OTOH, IIRC, John East has a "Retro"
for the Leo era MM sound. So, if you
really wanna see how a whole vintage
MM clone tone chain sounds in some
Warwick woodwork ... you go dood !

---------------------------------------

Or you could just go buy an EBMM
HH [aka $$] Ray with a swamp ash
body and a rosewood neck. Thaz a
fairly close match on the woodwork.
You won't get every single PU mode
that you can dial up on a Wick $$,
but you will get a kickbutt 3-band,
really great tuning machines, and
a pickguard !

The rosewood neck bumps an HH Ray
up closer to $2K, but you will NOT be
bored with the tone.

​

 

[Martin Such]

plus, sooooo maaaaany of Stingray players claim that it sounds sooooo much better after swapping the pickup for an SD

 

[golem]

I've got both. They are different.
My SD Ray is a complete package
with BassLines PU [ceramic] and
BassLines 3-band. Acoarst no two
of my Rays are quite alike so I've
got no true A-B comparisons that
I can hear directly. All opinions
must be extrapolated.