Guitars and Instruments (no stairway)

[The Dunster]

Question for the guitar/bass kids on here.. (I'm lookin' at you Dunster)
Now that I'm back from OS, finally opened up my Spector NS2J to get on to sorting out the bad neck pickup..
Both neck and bridge pickups are EMG SJ5's which I am led to believe is for a 5 string, yet this bass is a 4 string. (???)
I'm looking to buy a replacement (still not sure if I should get a replacement pair and just change out both, or only the faulty neck one)..
I can't find anywhere if these are the standard pickups that go in it, or if this is actually a customization that the last owner did..

Summing it up, I don't want to spend a couple of hundred bucks on pickups that wont work, wont fit the slots, sound sh!t, etc.. So I wanted to make sure of what I'm buying or see if you guys had any experience in this stuff..

edit: Also, with EMG I thought SJ pickups were for the neck, and LJ were for the bridge. But this badboy has an SJ5 in both..

I don't know much about Basses - but as far as having two SJ5 pickups that's not really an issue given they probably don't have the same output anyway and that they will sound different placed near the bridge than they will the neck position.

In my RG Prestige I have a Dimarzio Tone at the bridge and Dimarzio Air Norton in the neck position. I know people that have them the other way round - it really doesn't matter. All that matters is finding the sound / tone you like / want.

[Bon]

I don't know much about Basses - but as far as having two SJ5 pickups that's not really an issue given they probably don't have the same output anyway and that they will sound different placed near the bridge than they will the neck position.

In my RG Prestige I have a Dimarzio Tone at the bridge and Dimarzio Air Norton in the neck position. I know people that have them the other way round - it really doesn't matter. All that matters is finding the sound / tone you like / want.

Ok, cheers mate.. Better than any advice I would have gotten from that hipster sammydog..
I'm just going to replace them like for like I think..
I'm more concerned about making sure that they are fitting in the pickup slots than anything else.

[sammydog]

I'm just going to replace them like for like I think..

I'm more concerned about making sure that they are fitting in the pickup slots than anything else.

With my EMG's I use an 81 in the bridge and neck. Current trend seems to be an 85 in the neck. Just use what works.

If you are worried about dimensions, the EMG website has all the dimensions on there for each pickup. Here is the LJ/SJ sheet http://www.emgpickups.com/media/prod...230-0151rb.pdf

Not sure if it works with the Bass EMG pickups, but I power my EMGs with 18v power. Gives the pickups a lot more headroom, worth a try if you have space for an extra battery.

Ok, cheers mate.. Better than any advice I would have gotten from that hipster sammydog..

Hipster? Me? With a balding mullet? Surely you jest.

You though......honestly, you are the first player I have ever seen that has to stand in front of the mirror in the sheds and groom themselves before a training game.

[Bon]

Still waiting for my EMG's to turn up...
BUT
In the meantime I took the plunge and purchased the Darkglass Microtubes 900 amp.. (My Fender Bassman Pro 300 shat the bed again last week. Amazing sound but very poor reliability..)
Had a quick bash on it last night before hitting up the Cambo, and in just half an hour i was getting some bloody brilliant tones through the new head.. Can't wait to sit down and sort a sound out properly.
Old head was fragile as fvck and weighed 30kg, this one weighs 2.9kg!!!!!

[sammydog]

Looks good, nice an small for lugging as well.

What was on at the Cambo? I was at the Wicko for Eddie Spaghetti. Awesome show, shit turn out.

[Bon]

Looks good, nice an small for lugging as well.

What was on at the Cambo? I was at the Wicko for Eddie Spaghetti. Awesome show, shit turn out.

It was Silent Planet, the band that you were panning me about at training last week..
Gotta say, I haven't been to a weeknight metal show in Newy for a long while (not since my glory days, haha), and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the metal scene is still alive and going relatively well..

[The Dunster]

Serious GAS issues at the Dunster household this past week or so.



Carr Rambler 1x 12 Pure Class A circuit with 2 x 6L6 Tubes delivering 14w in triode and 26w in Pentode
G&L Legacy [USA] Pine Body, Maple Neck with Rosewood Fretboard, Sperzel Tuners.

[The Dunster]

Still waiting for my EMG's to turn up...
BUT
In the meantime I took the plunge and purchased the Darkglass Microtubes 900 amp.. (My Fender Bassman Pro 300 shat the bed again last week. Amazing sound but very poor reliability..)
Had a quick bash on it last night before hitting up the Cambo, and in just half an hour i was getting some bloody brilliant tones through the new head.. Can't wait to sit down and sort a sound out properly.
Old head was fragile as fvck and weighed 30kg, this one weighs 2.9kg!!!!!

It's unbelievable how far switchmode power supplies have come in recent years. The weight savings are incredible. Very nice bit of gear Bon.
Fender haven't made high quality amps for a very long time - still sound great but parts and build quality is atrocious.

[sammydog]

It was Silent Planet, the band that you were panning me about at training last week..
Gotta say, I haven't been to a weeknight metal show in Newy for a long while (not since my glory days, haha), and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the metal scene is still alive and going relatively well..

Would have been 20-30 people at Eddie Spaghetti. I was expecting it to be packed, so the turnout was disappointing. that said promotion was non existent. New Supersuckers song the played sounded awesome though.

[sammydog]

Serious GAS issues at the Dunster household this past week or so.



Carr Rambler 1x 12 Pure Class A circuit with 2 x 6L6 Tubes delivering 14w in triode and 26w in Pentode
G&L Legacy [USA] Pine Body, Maple Neck with Rosewood Fretboard, Sperzel Tuners.

Nice.

I was going to pull the trigger on a second hand Les Paul Special this week. Asked the seller a question about a mark on the neck...........the add got pulled. I may have dodged a bullet.

[Bon]

Serious GAS issues at the Dunster household this past week or so.



Carr Rambler 1x 12 Pure Class A circuit with 2 x 6L6 Tubes delivering 14w in triode and 26w in Pentode
G&L Legacy [USA] Pine Body, Maple Neck with Rosewood Fretboard, Sperzel Tuners.

I've never heard of Carr?? How does it go? (I just did a quick google and seems some big names like Billy Gibbons and Keith Richards use them)
Nice buy with the G&L!!! Sexy.. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have been cheap.. haha

[The Dunster]

I'm looking for an overdrive pedal at the moment. Any recommendations ? Looking more blues orientated than metal if that helps.

[Bon]

I'm looking for an overdrive pedal at the moment. Any recommendations ? Looking more blues orientated than metal if that helps.

Sammydog would know more than me about that.. For bass I use a Darkglass Alpha Omega..
I've had mates that have rated the Ibanez TS808 and also banged on about the Fulltone Fulldrive and OCD pedals, these also seem quite popular on forums/google haha..
The guitarist in our cover band uses the blue Boss one, can't remember the code of it.. BD-2 I think.

[sammydog]

I'm looking for an overdrive pedal at the moment. Any recommendations ? Looking more blues orientated than metal if that helps.

Ive found overdrive pedals really change depending on the amp. Ive got pedals that sound great through the Vox and terrible through the plexi.

Being Class A, the Carr should take pedals really well.

Do you need an overdrive or would a boost do the job?

In my pedalboard at the moment I use;

- Red Llama Overdrive/Boost
- Fulltone OCD Clone (more of a distortion)
- Clone of a Keely Modded Boss AC2

I am searching for a Treble Booster at the moment, not much luck finding one. Also want a Soul Food (boost/overdrive).

The other guitarist in my band uses a modded Boss Blues driver and it sounds really nice.

[The Dunster]

Ive found overdrive pedals really change depending on the amp. Ive got pedals that sound great through the Vox and terrible through the plexi.

Being Class A, the Carr should take pedals really well.

Do you need an overdrive or would a boost do the job?

In my pedalboard at the moment I use;

- Red Llama Overdrive/Boost
- Fulltone OCD Clone (more of a distortion)
- Clone of a Keely Modded Boss AC2

I am searching for a Treble Booster at the moment, not much luck finding one. Also want a Soul Food (boost/overdrive).

The other guitarist in my band uses a modded Boss Blues driver and it sounds really nice.

Thanks.

I want to check out the Way Huge Saucy, Plimsoul, and the Ibanez Tube Screamer.

I've had the Boss Sd-1 but not a fan and moved it to a new home. Although I heard one in a Plexi and it sounded great.

Currently I'm using a BBE Blacksmith but it's a little over the top.
I also have a BBE 427 but it sounds terrible on the Rambler - best described as all pedal no amp sound if you know what I mean.

[Bon]

So where is this guitar that you were purchasing on Tuesday, sammydog??

[sammydog]

So where is this guitar that you were purchasing on Tuesday, sammydog??

Picking it up on Sunday.

It's a 1989 Gibson Melody Maker. Ferrari Red.

They were a bit different from 1986 - 1989 and instead of a single coil had 490T Humbuckers, so it should be an interesting guitar. I probably would have passed on it without the Humbucker.

[The Dunster]

I'd like a Gibson Marauder but very difficult to find a good one these days - would love to see Gibson reissue them.

[sammydog]

I'd like a Gibson Marauder but very difficult to find a good one these days - would love to see Gibson reissue them.

Picked up the Melody Maker today, already loving it.

The pickup is a "Gibson The Original HB-L". A funny looking thing with a circuit on the back. A bout cleaner than most hum buckers, I'll see how it goes but I may swap it out.

Surprisingly resonant unplugged given the thin body. Really nice neck, not the super chunky gibson neck.

[The Dunster]

First time I ever saw a Marauder was in this clip over 40 years ago.