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Post subject: AM Std. dull E string tone
Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 12:09 am
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Just got a new '12 AM Std. P bass to replace one I had to return to Guitar Center to pay some bills. I talked about that sunburst with the new C.S. 60s pickups in a previous post. Luckily, I was able to swing getting another bass pretty quick, this time in Charcoal Frost/maple. Anyway, the bass seemed set up pretty well, so I only slightly lowered the bridge saddles for starters. The E string just sounds dull and kinda hollow starting with the 7th fret and going up. The other strings sound fine on any fret. I'm not a pro at set ups, but I can do most basic adjustments pretty well. I've been doing some tweaks here and there, and nothing really helps much. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks :)


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Post subject: Re: AM Std. dull E string tone
Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 12:39 am
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P.S. It sounds marginally better if I pluck the string "behind" the pickup, nearer to the bridge. (I use a pick) go figure


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Post subject: Re: AM Std. dull E string tone
Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 11:20 pm
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Anyone? I'm just a little bummed, this bass really does not sound all that great. :( The sunburst bass that I had before this one sounded so much better. ....maybe it just needs a pro set up. I'm hoping.


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Post subject: Re: AM Std. dull E string tone
Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 12:33 am
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Location: Albemarle, NC
Since you lowered the saddles you may also need to lower the pickup height. If the magnetic pole is too close to the string it can dampen the string and prevent it from vibrating as freely as it should resulting in muted tones and even sometimes a warbling effect that is quite unmusical to say the least.

Pickup height however is a very delicate balance since moving the magnet too far away from the string will not only noticeably diminish volume output but also result in the apparent loss of upper mids and rich lows yielding a midrange heavy tonal voicing.

Just try fiddling a tad with the pickup height using the screws on the pickup. Since the neck has a radius (or arc) to it remember that the pickups are flat. So one side of the pickup will probably wind up slightly lower than the other relative to the top of the body to be in the sweet-spot. The greater the neck radius, the more difference in the pickup height from one side of the pickup to the other relative to the top of the body.

A good starting point for the space between strings and bass pickup poles (or blades on a blade pickups) roughly 1/10 of an inch. For metric 2 to 3 MM is a good starting point. This is ONLY a suggested starting point and is not the final sweet-spot as further fine tuning is ALWAYS required due to the inconsistencies in various pickup designs including the type and strength of magnets used and of course the playing action of the instrument.

In the sweet-spot quest I crank the tone on the instrument all the way to treble. I use the best headphones I have (Koss Pro 4AA's) with a preamp cranked to full bass and full treble with flat mids so I can find a spot where the highs and lows are equally attenuated when the string is played both open and fretted. Finally I use the VU meter on my recording software which has a very sensitive and quite large meter to verify a good string to string volume output balance.

Often the final pickup height setting involves compromises between the best tone with string open and fretted or to obtain acceptable string to string balance. Finally, once I have it sounding fairly rich in the phones and have acceptable string to string balance on the VU meter I'll plug the instrument into a bass amp with maximized treble/bass and flat mids any amp controls and see if it still sounds balanced string to string. Then set the amp FLAT on all tone controls to see if it still sounds balanced.

I do this final amp check always with an ear to finding not only a balanced volume output but also a balanced tonal voicing string to string trying varied tonal settings the amp is capable of delivering.

Every bassist often has their own idea of how they want their bass to sound and setting the sweet-spot pickup height is one way you can achieve that goal.

Some people buy aftermarket pickups because they think the stock pickup sounds bad on the "G" string or the "E" string when all it really needed was a pickup height adjustment to open up a new tonal dimension you never realized was there all the time. They never even try adjusting the pickup and instead spend a bunch of money for a "better" pickup. Setting the correct pickup height is a totally free upgrade that anyone with a small Phillips head screwdriver can do on any Fender bass.


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Post subject: Re: AM Std. dull E string tone
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 11:40 am
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You have a maple neck? maybe there is some of the high gloss finish on those frets and it's steeling some of the tone? If so try scrapping it off with a pick. Use a pick so you don't harm the frets. Also have you tried a new string?


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