Well Ive done it!!

rusty

rusty

Fatburger bassist
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Well Ive done it!! **NOW WITH SOUND CLIPS**

It has taken me a while & a whole lot of thinking, but I have just modified my 97 customshop NT5 thumb bass with Nordstrand passive pickups. :roll:
It had SD basslines in it from the factory.

I had a post here a while ago asking should I do it.

I carefully pulled out the old pickups & preamp complete so I can replace them if needed and installed the new Nordstrand fat stacks which arrived yesterday..

I still need to install a tone pot & humbucking switch and get the knobs etc, but I must say, this has improved this bass's sound dramatically..

I have nordstrand pickups in my Tomkins basses & love them to death!

The bass still has the famous warwick growl, but the bottom end is amazing & so clear. the tops are sweet & the mids just stand out where I want them. I should have done this years ago!

I will post a sound clip or two shortly (a few days) when I get to the studio.

Heres a link to some photo's on photobucket that ive just uploaded..



and a picture for you to see.

Cheers all,

Rusty
 

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A/B clips would be great.
Man, the grain of your bass is hypnotic! Good job :-)
 
I've been wanting to get the Big Singles for my Stage 1 for a while now. Looks like its more than a small project!
 
Looks great, mate!

Did you have to do some routing or did you already have humbuckers in your bass as part of the custom shop options?
 
I think that some like Nordstrand, Delano, Aero, Lace Sensor, Fralin's are pickups manufacturer that really stand up in the bass dep.
 
Rehan said:
Looks great, mate!

Did you have to do some routing or did you already have humbuckers in your bass as part of the custom shop options?
Click to expand...

Hey Rehan, The bass had SD basslines in it from the factory, so I didnt have to rout out anything. Just had to drill two small holes for the screws at the top of the pick ups. The SD's only had one central hole.

Cheers

Rusty
 
Bumpage

Did rusty ever post sounds of his bass? I can't find them in the clips section.
 
Awesome, bra! I have Nordstrands in my Jazzman. They're frickin' sweet, eh? Do you have sound clips? I'm curious to see how those sound in the Thumb.
 
A mate put Nordstrands in one of his Foderas,the Monarch I think it was.It had EMG's originally & they were the cleanest,clearest things I've ever heard.My playing sounded like absolute crap on that bass coz you could almost hear your thoughts through them they were so sensitive.I'm hoping these new pups are less hifi & more wooly.
 
Greg said:
A mate put Nordstrands in one of his Foderas,the Monarch I think it was.It had EMG's originally & they were the cleanest,clearest things I've ever heard.
Click to expand...

Greg, when you said the pickups were the cleanest & clearest you had heard, were you talking about the Nordstrands or the EMGs?
 
Sorry guys, ive been flat out with my day job & a bit of touring as well, Im going to the studio on Friday with the bass, ill try my best to get the soundclips done then. My bad, ive been busy!!

I had EMG's in my first bolt on thumb 5. Very middy precice pick up. You could hear every stuff up!!!

Rusty
 
rusty said:
had EMG's in my first bolt on thumb 5. Very middy precice pick up. You could hear every stuff up!!!Rusty
Click to expand...

Personally, I love EMG pickups & all 3 of my Streamers have EMG pickups in them along with an Aguilar OBP-1 preamp in each bass. The EMGs pair up great with an Aguilar OBP-1 preamp cause the pre seems to add some warmth to the EMGs without losing clarity and the inherent sound of the instrument. In fact, in my SSI, I have a preamp bypass and the tone actually sounds more clear with more lows and highs even with the bass/treble tone controls on the preamp in the flat position without coloring the inherent tone a lot. I agree with Victor Wooten's belief that the clarity of EMGs makes one improve his/her technique.
 
Sound clips added!!

Ok guys & gals, Ive pulled my finger out of my backside, went to the studio to finish what I started a few months ago & put some A/B sound clips up for you to have listen to.

The first one is with the SD basslines, EQ flat, both pickups on full (0 pan), out of the DI of my tubepath (pre EQ) and a room mike on the cab.

The second clip is exactly the same but with the Nordstrands, these are running passive, both Pickups on full, pre EQ on the amp again, same drum loop, slightly different riff (i couldnt remember the original one!!).:roll:

Please excuse my shoddy timing on the riffs, there is finger playing & some slap thrown in as well, (it is a thumb bass after all). We only had a short amount of studio time.

Here are some finished pictures as well.



Please let me know what you think of the differences etc.

Cheers Rusty
 

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damn, i love your playing man...

as for me, the SD's and Nords are both good.. yes, they sound slightly different from each other, but not enough to make one a "better" pick-up.
 
I think you are a dam good bass player, rusty.
I like them both, but I believe the Nordstrands sound better in the mix.
 
Those Nordies sound a lot fuller than the SD's. Good move IMO.

Awesome chops BTW. :d
 
I'd kill to have your skill (yeah, a rhyme).
 
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