Recommendation for economical pick up replacement

[gatorbrit]

I've have this cheap Dean Bass. Its a nice looking instrument and plays fine, but I think the pickup is really underpowered.

I play it through a Line 6 Flextone amp set to the Fender Bassman setting. I have to crank the amp to about 5/10 to get a sound close to the sound of a guitar with the amp set at 1. So I think the pickup is just crappy.

Any recommendations for replacements? I don't want to put too much into this bass as it obviously isn't very expensive.

Cheers

 

[progrmr]

What are they - soapbar pickups? I had a cheapie dean as my first bass. Good player IMO.

You can check talkbass.com too - that's THE place for bass info online (hope I'm not violating TOS by recommending this site, mods delete if I'm out of line)

 

[duhvoodooman]

http://store.guitarfetish.com/GFS-Bass-Guitar-Pickups_c_97.html

 

[marnold]

I play it through a Line 6 Flextone amp set to the Fender Bassman setting. I have to crank the amp to about 5/10 to get a sound close to the sound of a guitar with the amp set at 1. So I think the pickup is just crappy.

Don't be so sure. That's kind of the nature of a bass. You have to have a LOT more power to amplify a bass decently. My 20W guitar amph could handle a band situation. My 20W bass amph could probably stand up against a couple of acoustics, but that'd be about it. My son sometimes plugs into my bass amph when we're playing together. I have to remember to turn it down first. If it stays on my normal bass playing levels, it'll blow us into next Tuesday.

 

[Commodore 64]

http://www.azguitarparts.com/pickups.html

He's got a few bass PUPs there. 24 bucks a piece, doesn't get much cheaper than that. I just installed a Desert Dog Tele Rails Bridge this morning. I haven't had a tone of time to test it yet, and I think PUPs are so subjective. One thing I will say is that it is amazingly crisp when I stomp on a dirt pedal.

 

[gatorbrit]

Don't be so sure. That's kind of the nature of a bass. You have to have a LOT more power to amplify a bass decently. My 20W guitar amph could handle a band situation. My 20W bass amph could probably stand up against a couple of acoustics, but that'd be about it. My son sometimes plugs into my bass amph when we're playing together. I have to remember to turn it down first. If it stays on my normal bass playing levels, it'll blow us into next Tuesday.

That sounds like my situation. I don't really play bass, and I don't know much about it. I just have one for when I practice with friends and one us of wants to play it.

I guess what I need to do is a side by side with another bass guitar so I can figure out whether or not there is a problem.

Also it didn't occur to me earlier, but I wonder if I shouldn't up the bass setting on the amp.

 

[Commodore 64]

I could be wrong, but part of your problem might be that you are playing a bass through a guitar amp.

 

[NWBasser]

I could be wrong, but part of your problem might be that you are playing a bass through a guitar amp.

A great point, and no, I don't think you're at all wrong!

The stock Dean pup's aren't so great, but I think the amp is the bigger factor here. You'll get much better results with an actual bass amph with enough power.

If money is a big consideration, then the old Peavey bass combos can be quite cheap and are usually fairly loud. Neary bulletproof too.

Also, consider that you can easily damage the speaker playing a bass through a guitar amp.

 

[Commodore 64]

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Acoustic-B20-1x12-Bass-Combo-Amplifier-104622667-i1383305.gc

GC puts these on sale relatively often. I got one for $99 last year.

 

[NWBasser]

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Acoustic-B20-1x12-Bass-Combo-Amplifier-104622667-i1383305.gc

GC puts these on sale relatively often. I got one for $99 last year.

I agree with that one. I played through a friend's B100 and thought it sounded pretty good. Lots of bang for the buck on those.

I don't see many used ones around. Maybe nobody wants to part with them.

 

[marnold]

As you can see from my sig, I too have a B20. Best bang-for-buck that I found!

 

[gatorbrit]

As you can see from my sig, I too have a B20. Best bang-for-buck that I found!

I am wondering whether, as a poster points out above, I really need a bass amp. I don't want to splurge too much, but would the B20 keep up with a drummer?

Cheers.

 

[NWBasser]

I am wondering whether, as a poster points out above, I really need a bass amp. I don't want to splurge too much, but would the B20 keep up with a drummer?

Cheers.

Yes and no. Yes, you do need a bass amp and no, a B20 will not keep up with a drummer.

If you try to keep up with a drummer using a guitar amp, you can expect to be replacing some speakers. Guitar speaker don't have excursion ability to handle bass notes and will likely fail.

For playing with a drummer, I'd suggest a minimum of 300 watts and at least one 15-inch speaker or a pair of 10s. A speaker output to add a cabinet is also a very good feature for a bass amp.

It's the nature of the beast for bass amplification that you'll need both power and speaker area to be heard. Those things aren't always cheap, but if you shop the used market carefully, you might find something that's within your budget.

Alternatively, you could spend your money on new drivers for the guitar amp as they blow.oke

 

[marnold]

Unless your drummer has the lightest touch in the history of the world, the B20 won't be able to keep up. I kept up with a bluegrass band back in the day with a 50W Peavey, but I was the only electric instrument and the drummer was not a violent player at all. When I was in a rock/metal band, I couldn't be heard over the guitar player, much less the drummer.

 

[gatorbrit]

Unless your drummer has the lightest touch in the history of the world, the B20 won't be able to keep up. I kept up with a bluegrass band back in the day with a 50W Peavey, but I was the only electric instrument and the drummer was not a violent player at all. When I was in a rock/metal band, I couldn't be heard over the guitar player, much less the drummer.

He's loud. Too loud really. I think this is actually my problem, I had unrealistic expectations of what sort of sound I should be getting from the amp.

I'll be on the look out for a louder bass amp then.

 

[NWBasser]

He's loud. Too loud really. I think this is actually my problem, I had unrealistic expectations of what sort of sound I should be getting from the amp.

I'll be on the look out for a louder bass amp then.

:applause

Good luck hunting and please let us know what you end up with!

 

[Duffy]

Bass

First off, I would immediately stop playing the bass thru that guitar amp and make sure no one else does either. If I'm not mistaken that is a real good guitar amp. The bass will destroy that amp. All bovine waste material aside.

You might be able to get a Fender Rumble 350 watt for a reasonable price. Also you might find some used bass amps of good quality out there because a lot of bass amps can't handle five string basses and dudes might be trading in their inadequate four string bass amps for the more demanding five string capable bass amps.

I would definitely not go under 100 watts for your use and would try to get up into the 300 watt range as suggested. A 100 watt bass amp will sound like about a 15 or 30 watt guitar amp in terms of volume. A 300 watt bass amp will sound about as loud as a 75 or 100 watt guitar amp. Since a lot of guitar players use at least a 100 watt amp the bass player needs at least 300 watts. A drummer that lacks dynamism and control and is just a "slammer" will drownd out even a 100 watt guitar or 300 watt bass amp.

What you want is an amp that can "drownd" out that slammer drummer and have him frantically waving you to turn down your volume. This will give you a great sense of satisfaction and always provide you with the power to turn up and overpower him when he starts getting too loud. A weak amp will allow that loud slammer to dominate your band without challenge.

I would advise looking around and finding a decent real strong bass amp, especially since you have a slammer drummer to deal with. He probably only knows how to play one way - loud. This is common and I think it is a difficult habit to break.

 

[gatorbrit]

Duffy - thanks for the excellent advise!!

Yes, the amp is a really nice one - it is actually the very first Flextone series made by Line 6. I reckon in 30 years it'll be vintage!!!!

I'll definitely stop using it until I can get a bass amp.

As for the drummer - he's a far better musician than me, but I think he likes to let out his pent up stress on the drums.

Anyhow, thanks again.

Rich

 

[Eric]

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Acoustic-B20-1x12-Bass-Combo-Amplifier-104622667-i1383305.gc

GC puts these on sale relatively often. I got one for $99 last year.

I just bought one off Craigslist for $60 today. I'm interested to get it home and give it a whirl.

 

[Eric]

Duffy - thanks for the excellent advise!!

Yes, the amp is a really nice one - it is actually the very first Flextone series made by Line 6. I reckon in 30 years it'll be vintage!!!!

I'll definitely stop using it until I can get a bass amp.

As for the drummer - he's a far better musician than me, but I think he likes to let out his pent up stress on the drums.

Anyhow, thanks again.

Rich

Ha. I think most drummers fall into the "too loud" category. Psychos.

The drummers that I play with are either behind a drum shield or limited to an electronic kit these days. I like it.

 

[NWBasser]

Ha. I think most drummers fall into the "too loud" category. Psychos.

The drummers that I play with are either behind a drum shield or limited to an electronic kit these days. I like it.

Eh, my current drummer isn't too loud. He isn't too on time either....

I think I'd take loud and steady any day.

 

[gatorbrit]

Eh, my current drummer isn't too loud. He isn't too on time either....

I think I'd take loud and steady any day.

Loud really is a problem - we play in a small space, and we all wear hearing protection - but you sort of wonder what the point is. Couldn't we just turn it down so we wouldn't need the protection!

 

[gatorbrit]

Just to update, I got a new Bass Amp for xmas. Its a 150 W Fender Rumble. Great fun. I'm still on the look out for new bass pickups though - gotta upgrade the bass guitar now to play through the nicer amp!! Ha!!

 

[NWBasser]

Congratulations on the new amph!

I'm particularly smitten with Nordstrand pickups.

http://www.nordstrandpickups.com/bass-pickups/index.shtml

Not cheap, but they'll turn any bass into a monster of tone.

Two of my basses have them and I love the tone.

If new strings don't breathe some life into it, I may also put a set of Nordy's in my jazz.

 

[gatorbrit]

OK - I just got in the mail today a GFS single coil Jazz bass replacement pickup.

This one here

I took out the soap bar P/U from my Dean bass and soldered this one in. Of course the routed hole is too big, but the height is about right.

Wow - now I realize that my amph is loud! Turned it up half way and I can feel my pant legs moving. :dude $35 well spent.

 

[Duffy]

Amp

I've got a Fender Rumble 100 with a fifteen inch speaker. I actually like the red lights. You can turn them off with a switch on my amp. I usually use my Marshall MB30, thirty watt practice bass amp with a ten inch speaker. Sounds really good with the Marshall tone shaping, adjustable compressor, two channels, etc.

I like the Rumble though. Do you have the two ten inch speaker one or the one fifteen inch speaker one?

I wouldn't mind getting the Rumble 650 with two tens or the now discontinued Rumble 150 with two tens. I should check on that and see how much they want for the one by me.

I just bought an Ibanez AF125 fairly big hollow body electric guitar. This one is really nice amber quilted maple sunburst with a rosewood pickguard, gold '58 humbuckers, flammed maple binding everywhere, abalone everywhere with beautifully done inlays on the fretboard and elsewhere. Pearl tuner buttons with grover style tuners. Maple laminate top and body reinforced with wood but no block, rosewood tailpiece, and other really nice appointments. This guitar I had to pay for. Charity helped me pick it out. I was going to get a Casino but Charity spotted this one and had me try it and it sounds way better than the Casino and plays great. Build quality is very high with a five piece neck that plays very well. This guitar has TONE and fill in the bass real well. I'm playing it thru my Peavey Delta Blues with the fifteen inch guitar speaker which fills in the bass very well.

So I won't be getting a new bass amp right away.

That Fender Rumble 150 looks cool to me. You might not be able to drownd out your loud drummer but you should be able to annoy him. What was your old bass amp? I forgot.

As some time goes by you might be able to add an extension speaker to your Fender amp. A cheap way to do it is to find a burned out bass amp and use it as an extension cab if it has the correct ohm rating. You can just solder on a speaker cable female jack onto the speaker input wire coming from the amp section to the speakers. Plug your extension speaker cable into it and use the other amps speakers as your new amp cab. These old useless amps should be available dirt cheap but should work super great for getting a lot more volume out of your amp when playing with that loud drummer. Aim it right at him. Ha ha. And don't turn down right away, take your time about it, very leisurely. Emulating the way drummers like to continue to play loud when asked to lighten up. Just kidding, half way.

 

[gatorbrit]

The amph is the 150 Watt Rumble. It has the 15inch speaker. I'm pretty new to playing bass - but this amph seems pretty good for the money. I was playing through my line6 flextone amp using the Bassman model before, but now I fully realize that that amph just couldn't handle it and shouldn't be expected to do so.

Anyhow, time to get back to practicing!!

 

[Duffy]

Amp

Good luck with the Fender. I like them and yours shoud be adequate if you get some cooperation from your bandmates. I bought my son an SWR Workingpro 15 that has been an awesome bass amp. He also likes to use a small fifteen watt Vox T-15 for practicing at home with some great tone.

The one fifty should produce some great tone with that fifteen inch speaker and maybe you can add a cabinet, not sure how they are set up. Great amp within its capabilities though and should be an incredible improvement in your situation, giving you some tone and options that you definitely didn't have. You should love that Fender, plus it looks real nice in my opinion. I like my one hundred a lot and even like the lights.

Let me know how this amp works out in the mix. Thanks.

 

[gatorbrit]

Let me know how this amp works out in the mix. Thanks.

Will do. Don't know when we are practicing again - we've all got kids, jobs and yards to take care of.

One nice thing about the amph - it has wheels!!

 

[NWBasser]

The amph is the 150 Watt Rumble. It has the 15inch speaker. I'm pretty new to playing bass - but this amph seems pretty good for the money. I was playing through my line6 flextone amp using the Bassman model before, but now I fully realize that that amph just couldn't handle it and shouldn't be expected to do so.

Anyhow, time to get back to practicing!!

I've heard those Rumbles and they really sound pretty darn good. A lot of amph for the money.

It'll be interesting to see how it does in a mix with a drummer. Listen carefully to your speaker for distortion/farting out. A 150-watter can put out much higher peaks and you have to be careful of over-excursion of the speaker cone.

Oh, and welcome to the dark side...mwah ha ha ha...:dude