Sentell Unmudbucker pickup

[Dave W]

Jake brought it up here last October: http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=10811.0 but there were no sound samples available. I emailed Jerry at the time and he had nothing.

Last night I noticed an SG and EB Bass Club thread at Talkbass, checked out the most recent pages, and a member there recently posted sound samples. He has a 32" scale neck mounted on an Epi EB-0 body. He installed the Unmudbucker in the neck position, and he installed a (mudbucker-sized) TB-Plus from a recent SG Bass in the middle position.

Here's the sound sample mp3:

What you'll hear, in order:


   1. Fingerstyle, Sentell Unmudbucker at the neck
   2. Fingerstyle, both the Sentell and the Gibson TBPlus in the middle position
   3. Fingerstyle, Gibson TBPlus
   4. Pick, Sentell
   5. Pick, both
   6. Pick, Gibson

Opinions? I think the Sentell sounds better than the TB-Plus Gibson, and more defined, especially considering that the Sentell is right at the end of the neck.

[4stringer77]

The Sentell sounded brighter than I'd care for on it's own, especially when played with a pick. The TB+ had meatier mids. They blended together nicely.

[ajkula66]

Favourable first impression on my end.

What I'm really curious about is how the Unmudbucker would sound in the bridge position, and how it would mix with a real Mudbucker in the neck...

[gearHed289]

I like the blended tones best, but that's true of most basses for me.

[Dave W]

Go here and scroll down to see the Unmudbucker mounted in his bass. I'm not sure I could get used to that look! And if you have a '70 or later EB-0/EB-3, you'd see the much larger cavity with the corner screws of the cover being part of the height adjusting mechanism, instead of screwing directly into the wood.

[gearHed289]

Definitely a different look. Is that a Badbird II on that guys bass?

[Dave W]

Definitely a different look. Is that a Badbird II on that guys bass?

Sure looks like it.

[clankenstein]

From what I can from the sound samples ,the top end is less "clicky" than a Model one while the bass end is nice and full .It would be instructive to compare the low end extension to a Mudbucker though.

[Nocturnal]

Go here and scroll down to see the Unmudbucker mounted in his bass. I'm not sure I could get used to that look! And if you have a '70 or later EB-0/EB-3, you'd see the much larger cavity with the corner screws of the cover being part of the height adjusting mechanism, instead of screwing directly into the wood.

I had asked Jerry about building a pickup in an Epi MudBucker housing and he was willing to do that. It would have knocked a few bucks of the cost  to send him the parts. I don't think I could get past the look of the clear pickup cover.

[Dave W]

The clear cover must be Jerry's way of keeping the cost in line. He can buy ready made covers for most pickup styles but not for a mudbucker and a few others. He probably figures there's not enough market (yet) to justify the setup costs fro a run of chrome covers.

[exiledarchangel]

Well, if someone cant get past the clear look, he could always paint it black from the inside to avoid scratches etc.

[Dave W]

Well, if someone cant get past the clear look, he could always paint it black from the inside to avoid scratches etc.

There's chrome paint too.

[ilan]

"Also available in smoky transparent"

[Dave W]

"Also available in smoky transparent"

That's still transparent.

Even if he offered it in chromed plastic it's still not going to look like an original, not with those big alnico polepieces. Not that I care.

If I wanted to replace my mudbucker, I'd just choose a pickup that would fit in the cavity (or require so little alteration that the original could be put back without any alteration showing). Then I'd make a pickup surround ring to cover any visible part of the cavity.

[Granny Gremlin]

Huh.  Not sure I'm into it; too unmudbuckery.  Better fingerstyle, but the TBplus was better with a pick; really surprised by the Sentell's lack of oomph actually.