Pickup for 1978 Musicmaster Bass

Hi. Any recommendations for a good Strat-sized pickup for a 1978 Musicmaster bass? I have a Carvin stacked humbucker in it now (H11) and wonder if there are "better" alternatives. Thanks for your inputs.

No idea if it's better, but I put a GFS twin blade pickup in my Musicmaster Bass, and liked it a lot!

Tim

I am looking at an EMG Select pup now. Same twin blade idea but it has a cover. I anchor my thumb on the pup and I am kinda feared about the exposed coils of the GFS. Did you get a 6K ohm one or something hotter?

I THINK that I got the 10k version, but can't rightly remember for certain, and yep, I did get some unpleasant noise when I rested my fingers on the rails, so I reckon that EMG might be a better choice...

Tim

I recently installed the GFS Lil Killer (Vintage 6k H66) strat pickup in my Douglas Pisces and it's been great. It's dead quiet, has decent output, and balanced sound across the strings.

http://store.guitarfetish.com/lilkiblhurap.html

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_mhkfGAyrw5g/SscumKiUEMI/AAAAAAAACwI/A09EqfFPtxI/s800/CIMG2856.JPG

Fajah, do you get noise or other issues from anchoring your thumb on the side of the pup?

Fajah, do you get noise or other issues from anchoring your thumb on the side of the pup?

Since I don't play with my thumb anchored to the pickup, it's not an issue for me. However, now that you've asked, I just plugged in my bass in and tried it. There's definitely a hum when you rest your thumb across the two rails.

FWIW, I switched to Todd Johnson's floating thumb method of playing when I started playing 5 and 6 string basses. It didn't take me long at all to master and it works perfectly for me. After a while, I found my own comfortable position but it's the same concept. Check it out if you haven't seen and/or heard of it.

PPVMBPmrblU

FWIW, I switched to Todd Johnson's floating thumb method of playing when I started playing 5 and 6 string basses. It didn't take me long at all to master and it works perfectly for me. After a while, I found my own comfortable position but it's the same concept. Check it out if you haven't seen and/or heard of it.

PPVMBPmrblU

Thanks for posting that!

Tim

Thanks for posting that!

Tim

My pleasure Tim. Although it's off topic, I should mention a couple of things about Todd's right hand method based on my experience.

Initially, I found it easier to learn standing up as opposed to sitting down. However, it's now so ingrained in my muscle memory that I can break my wrist while playing sitting down and still use my thumb to mute the strings as in the video. The second advantage, especially when playing an SCPB, is that I have freedom of movement to play anywhere between the neck and the bridge (for tone control) since my thumb is not anchored on the one pickup.

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Got my EMG Select pup from Stew Mac in the mail. Hefty little sucker. I must say, the construction, packaging and instructions are as good as EMG US made stuff. If it sounds half as good as it looks I am in business. :grin:

Well, I put the EMG Select pup in today and changed my strings (see other thread) and tweaked the action and intonation. Plugged it in , played a few minutes, and took it back out. Weak. And I had it right next to the strings. I put my Carvin back in. It is an H11B which is a strat sized bass stacked humbucker with about 20 polepiece screws in Carvin AP11 tradition. I bought it in 1988 and I must say it sounds good and strong and I have my harmonics back. Happy Camper! Here she be.

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/898/medium/1978_Musicmaster_Bass_100901_1.JPG

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/898/medium/1978_Musicmaster_Bass_100902_1.JPG

I made it string-thru and put a Mustang Bass bridge on it back in the late 80's and it used to be black.

That's a lovely bass!!!

I have a '73 Musicmaster Bass body that a friend of mine stripped for me, and it's nowhere near as nice looking, in fact I'm gonna paint it black...

Tim

Well, I put the EMG Select pup in today and changed my strings (see other thread) and tweaked the action and intonation. Plugged it in , played a few minutes, and took it back out. Weak. And I had it right next to the strings. I put my Carvin back in. It is an H11B which is a strat sized bass stacked humbucker with about 20 polepiece screws in Carvin AP11 tradition. I bought it in 1988 and I must say it sounds good and strong and I have my harmonics back. Happy Camper! Here she be.

Your bass looks great. I tried a set of EMG Select jazz pickups in one of my basses a few months ago and I think they're pretty good value in general. No output issues but I wasn't crazy about their tone. Mind you, I happen to be a firm believer that a bass has it's own natural tonal quality to begin with and that a pickup can only enhance it one way or another. The EMG's just weren't a good tonal fit.

At least you have a pickup in there now that you like. Enjoy!

No idea if it's better, but I put a GFS twin blade pickup in my Musicmaster Bass, and liked it a lot!

Tim

wich model exactly please? Their blades for Strat are sold in sets of 3...

EDIT: ok, sorry, I see you all speak about the humbucker version (6k, 10k or 15k)

I wonder about how a GFS black lipstick (6k or 8k) will sound in it...


I'm thinking in a Squier Bronco bass modded to look like a white MM Bass

wich model exactly please? Their blades for Strat are sold in sets of 3...

EDIT: ok, sorry, I see you all speak about the humbucker version (6k, 10k or 15k)

I'm thinking in a Squier Bronco bass modded to look like a white MM Bass

I used the 10kohm Little Killer (http://store.guitarfetish.com/lilkicrhurap.html).

Tim

thanks Tim

I thought I had posted thanks for the nice comments on my bass to Fajah and Tim. Sorry. Thanks!