KVR Audio

Hovmod · Post by **Hovmod** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 11:29 pm

I've just bought a Fender Precision bass that I've borrowed for a few months, and since it's mine now (:party:), I'd like to know some more about it.

It's got a set of pickups on it that say only "Seymour Duncan" (not bassline or anything else), and the one under the deeper strings has three dip-switches or more like tiny rocker type switches on it.

Does anyone know what type pickup this is, and what those switches are supposed to do? Because I can't seem to pinpoint what happens when I play around with those switches...

Any of you bass players have a clue?

HongKongTain · Post by **HongKongTain** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 11:42 pm

I have an old Yamaha bass with Seymour Duncan pickups, that has been my main bass for almost 15 years. On mine, there are two pairs of offset pickups, and both sets of pickups have the dip switches. As far as I know, they are EQ switches -- but I never actually found out how to "control" it, meaning I could never figure out if they were simple "boost/cut" switches for three bands (lo-mid-hi), or if they somehow worked in weird combinations (like maybe "UP-down-UP" means something OTHER than the obvious boosting lows and hi's and cut mids). I ended up just putting them back to where they were when I bought the bass, and I've never touched them since!

So I'm sorry, I can't help you on the switches.

But I **WILL** say that I love those pickups so much. I have played in studios all over the world and can't tell you how many times I've heard the engineer say, "great tone"... I mean, dude, the pickups cost more new than I paid for the bass! So I looooovveeee those things...

I hope you have the same experience/fortune!

Hovmod · Post by **Hovmod** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 11:52 pm

Hehe - I'll find out, and then I'll let you know

Hovmod · Post by **Hovmod** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 2:27 pm

Pic:

C00kie · Post by **C00kie** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 1:02 pm

There's a FAQ and forum at http://www.seymourduncan.com/

Sidhu · Post by **Sidhu** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:03 pm

Very interesting.. PLease keep us posted...

Sidhu

ew · Post by ew » Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:08 pm

Hovmod wrote:Pic:

They're active P-Bass pickups. The DIP switches are an active EQ built into the pickup itself. They also made a Jazz active version along the same lines.

ew

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:50 pm

I've never tried the active duncans, before I got my first emg (1985 or so) I was a diehard duncan user...in fact for guitar I have atleast 6 duncans in my parts kit...

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:58 pm

I'm interested because I am thinking about building a P-bass when the tax cash rolls in. I was going to go with an EMG active P-bass pick-up.

My best friend plays bass, he bought a new amp (he has 3) he want's to sell me his old Bassman head and matching 2x15 cab for 150 bux. HOwever it needs tubes and one speaker needs reconing. I'm not sure of the age, I know he got it from our rhythm player in 86. I know that asswipe had it for years before he sold it. It's not a blackface. Seems like a good deal too me, I sold him my fretless for a nice price two years ago and gave him a Hohner headless guitar (I might take that back too, he doesn't play it)...so a nice P-bass would be sweet...

ew · Post by ew » Sun Dec 25, 2005 4:01 pm

Hink wrote:I've never tried the active duncans, before I got my first emg (1985 or so) I was a diehard duncan user...in fact for guitar I have atleast 6 duncans in my parts kit...

They aren't bad, Hink. For a medium-gain active humbucker setup I actually prefer a LiveWire Classic to an EMG 85. The 18v power gives you that much more gain while keeping it clean, and if you want to use EMG controls, you can wire them in at the 9v point of the circuit. You run into a little mismatch doing that- the LiveWires like to see a 100k pot- but it's still usable. Just be sure that the volume pot is 100k...

ew

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 4:21 pm

ew wrote:
Hink wrote:I've never tried the active duncans, before I got my first emg (1985 or so) I was a diehard duncan user...in fact for guitar I have atleast 6 duncans in my parts kit...
They aren't bad, Hink. For a medium-gain active humbucker setup I actually prefer a LiveWire Classic to an EMG 85. The 18v power gives you that much more gain while keeping it clean, and if you want to use EMG controls, you can wire them in at the 9v point of the circuit. You run into a little mismatch doing that- the LiveWires like to see a 100k pot- but it's still usable. Just be sure that the volume pot is 100k...

ew

the 85 is really designed for neck, I like the 81 in the bridge....but I'm working on that scalloped neck, so maybe I'll try a duncan in that guitar...I have always had this little pang of guilt switching from duncans to emg...duncan pick-ups never let me down. I loved my invaders...

ew · Post by ew » Sun Dec 25, 2005 4:38 pm

Hink wrote:the 85 is really designed for neck, I like the 81 in the bridge...

The 85 isn't designed strictly as a neck pickup- it's EMG's answer to the PAF.

Personally, I don't use high gain pickups as a rule; I play pretty hard and generate enough voltage that way. My favorite bridge pickup's a DiMarzio Norton- not really what you'd call high gain, but with a great harmonic structure. My onboard preamps aren't high gain either- they're used more for tone shaping (a midsweep) than for boost. I get my gain from my amp (or nowdays, my amp sims; I'm a GR convert).

Different strokes- if it sounds good to who uses it, then it's OK

ew

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 5:06 pm

ew wrote:
Hink wrote:the 85 is really designed for neck, I like the 81 in the bridge...
The 85 isn't designed strictly as a neck pickup- it's EMG's answer to the PAF.

Personally, I don't use high gain pickups as a rule; I play pretty hard and generate enough voltage that way. My favorite bridge pickup's a DiMarzio Norton- not really what you'd call high gain, but with a great harmonic structure. My onboard preamps aren't high gain either- they're used more for tone shaping (a midsweep) than for boost. I get my gain from my amp (or nowdays, my amp sims; I'm a GR convert).

Different strokes- if it sounds good to who uses it, then it's OK

ew

I was just at duncan lookint at livewire pick-ups...how quiet are they? the classic looks sweet. What do you use for onboard pre's? I use them emg pa2 and run them turned way down...

ew · Post by ew » Sun Dec 25, 2005 5:23 pm

They're as quiet as EMGs are. They have a little more gain than a comparable EMG- the Classic's about halfway between an 85 and an 81 in gain due to the higher supply voltage.

For pres I've got a few Jackson midboost preamps laying around. There's not much gain (about 6-12 dB, and it's set internally with a set screw), but I use it as an active tone control instead of an out and out gain boost, so the gain's a secondary consideration.

ew

Seymour Duncan bass pickups