Low Z bass pickups

[Basvarken]

What are you going to do with them?

[drbassman]

Hey David, could you put a blade style humbucker into a guitar size Lo Z pup cover?

[SGD Lutherie]

What are you going to do with them?

He loaned them to me to reverse engineer. 

[SGD Lutherie]

Hey David, could you put a blade style humbucker into a guitar size Lo Z pup cover?

Sure, I don't see why not.

[jumbodbassman]

I had someone loan me a LP Triumph pickup, and an Epiphone Casady pickup. I haven't had much time to study them, but I will be getting to it soon.

Both pickups are pretty straight forward.

much interest in both....

[drbassman]

Sure, I don't see why not.

I have two of them that I'd like stuffed with bass humbuckers with lots of bottom end.  Do you think that could work?

I remember now, they are from an old Melodymaker guitar, NOS, no guts.  I'll send you a PM with some specs.

[Basvarken]

Hey David,

keep me/us posted on the progress you're making with the Lo-Z repro.
The pickup builder that I had found has withdrawn. He found out it is way over his head.

[Mungi]

He contacted me too! First he wanted an Electar and then he wanted a Triumph pickup

He got one of both from someone. I have both pickups here.

That would be me! 

I agree with Basvarken that the Electar is somewhat "tame" compared to the Triumph pickup, which is not necessarily a bad thing, I think. It depends on the song/music you are playing and the setting you are in. The soundstages of the two are similar though. Imagine a 5-way tone selector. Then the three tones of the Electar/JC would be at 1, 2 and 3 1/2. The Triumph would be at 2 1/2, 4 and 5. Or something like that. The Electar at 500 certainly has more output than the Triumph at 1, but put the Triumph at 3 and you go way beyond the Electar.

Then again, the difference in scale length also influence the sound. The Triumph being a short scale gives it a more aggressive character regardless of pickup. I will use my Electar in a short scale bass.

I might also use my Triumph pickup in the same way you used it, Basvarken, replacing the Electar in a JC bass. How did the sound of your Triumph modded JC bass differ from your LP Triumph??

[Basvarken]

Welcome to the Outpost Victor!

The Gibson Lo-z has more clarity in the JCS.
In the Triumph sounds more dense.



Here's a short sample of the JCS with Gibson Lo-z, that I recorded after I had just built it in.

[Mungi]

Thanks!

You are right. It certainly sounds like it has more clarity in the JC than in the Triumph. I guess that is because of the long scale. The hollowbody would also make for a different sound but perhaps not terms of clarity. Very interesting!

One thing is certain - low-z pickups is where it's at! It is a total mystery that Gibson does not do a Triumph reissue, or even a LP Sign. The JC sign is one of Epiphone's best sellers, and for good reasons. A Triumph reissue would definitely sell. It's a good think David is doing what he is doing. Can't wait to hear what his low-z clone will sound like!

[Mungi]

Basvarken! How would you say that your modded Casady Triumph bass compares soundwise with the original LP Triumph? Of course the hollow/solid body and the long/short scale will make for different sounds. I am guessing both will make for a "cleaner" sound and the hollowbody will enhance the "woody" character. But what about one Triumph pickup in the sweet spot compared to the two pickups of the Triumph? Do you lose something that you miss from the Triumph, and vice verse?

[Basvarken]

Well the thing that I like most about two humbuckers at the same time is the natural compression you get. It makes the bass sound compact and round like a big lead ball.
Hit the E string hard and you'll hear BOOOOOONK.
(Instead of WHOOOOMMM or THUDD  )

You'll never get that with a single pickup.
The sweet spot is a compromise between the warmth, the depth of the neck pickup and the agressiveness, the definition of the bridge pickup.
The sound of the two pickups together is a combination rather than a compromise.


But you'll never get that airy and clear, yet deep, sound of a single Lo-Z in the sweet spot out of a Triumph with its two humbucking Lo-Z's. The neck pickup alone won't give you the clear tone. The bridge pickup won't give you the deep sound.


I have often thought about buying another JCS and putting two Gibson Lo-Z's in there. One at the end of the fretboard and one in the sweet spot. Combining those two would make a very warm yet tight sounding bass.

[Mungi]

Nice description there, Basvarken! I guess the "airy and clear, yet deep, sound", as you so nicely describe it, also got something to do with the Jackbass being long scale. There is a clip on youtube where the head of Lakland shows and talks about how their Decade bass sounds so different in its long scale and short scale versions even though it is the exact same pickups, woods and so on. The long scale will give an clearer sound while the short scale will give a more compact aggressive sound.

Well, should you ever buy another Jackbass and take out the Electar pickup, you know who to sell it to!  Since I very much like short scales that's not an option for me. Now I got one Electar pickup and one Triumph pickup. I think I need one more of each to build myself two hollowbody short scale Starfire clones.

[Pilgrim]

Now I got one Electar pickup and one Triumph pickup. I think I need one more of each to build myself two hollowbody short scale Starfire clones.

That sounds like an incredibly worthy project!

BTW - are you also known as Munjibunga?

[Mungi]

That sounds like an incredibly worthy project!

BTW - are you also known as Munjibunga?

Thanks Pilgrim! One thing I would take from the Jackbass though is the true hollowbody. The Guild Starfire got a centerblock, but I think it will sound better with a true hollowbody. I am planning another one as well with DarkStar/bisonic clones made by a Swedish pickup wizard.

No, I am not Munjibunga, nor do I know who it is.