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Post subject: Duncan Hot vs Duncan Q pounder single coil vintage type
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:29 pm
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I was wondering what everyone thinks about the 2 Duncan Pickups. I have the Sting bass and I used it at a gig . The G and D strings were pronounced and loud but the E and A were not. I like good tone . I want to put a new pickup in the bass. I've had Q pounders before - I'm not familiar with the vintage style though. The Hot pickup may be my first choice . Any opinions? I don't want a pickup that is only loud. I like a strong pickup but I like good tone and not a ton of midrange. If thats what the Q pounder is about I may pass on it. I've had the P bass style bassline hots before and was not very impressed.

So Q pounder single coil for the Sting bass or Hot single coil??? Thanks


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Post subject: Re: Duncan Hot vs Duncan Q pounder single coil vintage type
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 8:38 pm
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Not offended :) - I can't get the E side any closer- My tuner needle is wavering on the E - also any closer and the string will hit the pole.

Now let me make sure -- do we agree that the "SCPB3" is the Quarter Pounder?

In your post you refer to the "SPB-3" (no "C") and that it has 1/4 inch poles. Is that not a Quarter Pounder?

I'm assuming the Quarter Pounder has 1/4 poles and is "SCPB3".

The pick up you said you have has good bottom, good top, and a bit less mid-range and has 1/4 inch poles.-----that is what I'm looking for. I just want to make sure exactly which pick up you have and are using.


My next thing is finding out if the bridge like the one on my 08 Jazz is what I need to get to replace the 2 saddle bridge on the Sting.


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Post subject: Re: Duncan Hot vs Duncan Q pounder single coil vintage type
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:22 am
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Okay so the SCP-3 is what you have. And it has 1/4 poles like a quarter pounder.
I'm going to look for it on der Duncan site.

One really strange thing is that the coil ( not the flatwork) in the stock pickup will actually move back and forth- maybe 2 or 3 millimeters! So we know it's a matter of time untill the coil wire gets tired of that. Maybe whoever owned it before me used it for a thumbrest. I've never seen that before on a working pickup.


OKAY - I went to the Duncan site- SCPB3 is a Quarter Pounder
SCPB2 is the "Hot" slightly over wound
I couldn't find SCP-3 so I think you mean SCPB3- okay I just needed to clarify that for my brain.

They discribe the SCPB3 as having lots of mids- I think I'll go with the Hot.


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Post subject: Re: Duncan Hot vs Duncan Q pounder single coil vintage type
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 12:43 pm
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That's okay- It takes me awhile to wake up in da mornin' too. I think I know what I'm doing now-- New PU new bridge. I'm going to use it for one more gig and then decide .


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Post subject: Re: Duncan Hot vs Duncan Q pounder single coil vintage type
Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:37 pm
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First point. Beware of bridge changes on 51 Reissues and Stings. The FENDER DELUXE USA bridge which was standard on USA DELUXE P & J basses, and recently discontinued, will fit perfectly in the existing screw holes as a "drop-in" replacement. Looks tempting.
I put one on my 51 and it would not intonate correctly due lack of saddle travel length. Next we tried fatter strings which helped some but was still way off. Next I put a Leo Quan BAIII on it which has much more saddle travel and still BARELY had enough saddle travel to intonate it properly. It is almost at the maximum saddle travel on one string.

My '51 intonated closer with the original bridge than the Fender Deluxe. If I had it to do over again, I would leave the bridge alone, or at least skip the Fender Deluxe Bass Bridge step. It was intonating better with the original bridge than the Fender Deluxe bridge.

Second. There are TWO SD Quarter Pounders. One for first generation P-Basses and one for second generation. They are both called Quarter-Pounders. You have a Sting so you want the SCPB-3 version.

I use one of the SCPB-3's on my number 1 instrument. It is my favorite player. The one I go to FIRST. I have a Fender '51 RI P-Bass with a Lindy Fralin split coil pickup that cost way more, but I don't play it nearly as much. For the money, the SCPB-3 is a great pickup. Amazing sensitivity. Very low noise, but that is possibly because I copper shielded/grounded the pickup and control cavities when I put in the SCPB-3. I suggest you consider doing the same.

The first generation pickup design should NEVER be used for a thumbrest. That is OK on second generation P-Basses with the plastic cover, but it is never OK on first generation P-Basses. The top flatwork will pull completely off and the pole pieces will fall out and roll around on the floor. When that happens the pickup is dead. Not quiet...but DEAD. It is cheaper to replace it than repair it. Possibly this is part of what is happening to yours, it has been pulled on just enough so that the top flat work has moved a bit and this is giving the coil room to move.

Every now and then I see a Fender 51 Reissue with a broken pickup where the top flatwork is gone. Do not loan one of these out either or there is a good chance the pickup will get trashed by someone who uses the pickup as a thumbrest. Some P-Bass players who have only had a second generation split coil P-Bass tend to use the pickup as a thumbrest. When they get their hands on a first-generation 51 RI they do the same. BUT, it breaks the pickup apart.

This is a great reason to install a pickup cover. Angela Instruments Dot Com sells them. They are cheap and effective at protecting these pickups. Another benefit of installing a pickup cover is that if you ever decide to copper shield the pickup cavity, you can solder a short length of wire from the pickup cavity's copper shielding and also ground the pickup cover by putting the wire around one of the pickup cover screws under the cover. This provides a little pickup shielding benefit also. The original 51's had this shielded pickup cover, but it was abandoned by '52 as it was considered a lot of labor for a small benefit.

If I was changing pickups on a Sting or '51 Reissue and putting in another single coil pickup, I would definitely take that opportunity to copper shield/ground the control and pickup cavities and I would install covers on the pickup and bridge and I would ground the pickup cover. If you put in a split coil first generation pickup, like the Lindy Fralin model I have in one bass, you will find that you don't need shielding as there is no noise.


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Post subject: Re: Duncan Hot vs Duncan Q pounder single coil vintage type
Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 7:21 am
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Great stuff--- okay I think I could just keep the 2 saddle bridge. I'd rather not have the expense and frustration. It's not like my intonation is way out as it is. I guess if someone wanted to they could install a regular top load bridge. I like the string thru too much to do that. Plus the holes from the 2 saddle bridge might be at least partially visible if the new top load had to be installed farther forward toward the neck for intonation. I've seen that before on a P copy bass.

The pickup flatwork and coil movement -- I know it's loose- and I know it'll probubly end up a big problem so I'll go with the SCPB-3- I kind of maybe thought there were 2 quarter Pounders- glad that's cleared up.

Bass parts resource is not far from me-they have decent prices on most of their stuff. They won't let you go there and buy anything- you have to mail order ( tax reasons). That's really too bad because they have ( or used to) the killer showroom type deal where all that great stuff (parts/bodies etc) is just right in front of you . You could just pick your pieces and walk out with everything needed to build a guitar. That's way cool.

I'm going to investigate the pick up cover. I assume you are talking about an actual form fit plastic cover-- not the big chrome screw into the body thing-- anyway I'll check out Angela.... I have the pickup route and the cavity shielded and have blocked the hum I was getting when I brought the bass home on that 1st day.

You know this would be a whole different deal if the bass wasn't so nice looking and comfortable to play-- Plus the Ash is the kind of wood I like.

I removed the white pickguard and put a black phonelic one on the bass. I made a cedrino wood thumb rest for it too . Cedrino is an interesting wood. If I remember right it's a cross between cedar and oak. It's really hard and not as heavy as Oak. It has a brown walnut kind of color. Very tight grain and very nice looking.


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