Buying custom bass help!

[Keefeology]

I'm trying to get a custom bass from a dude named nomad who pm-ed me on soft. The thing is, are duncan designed j pickups good? Up to fender standard? I've been playing bass for about close to a year now and I'm still not sure about bass specs. Really need help! THANKS!

 

[subversion]

any pickup is as good as the user deems it to be. even a botique unit might sound repulsive to some of us- because we don't like what it has to offer. do hear what those pickups sound like if you cold, before deciding since you have some bass experience

 

[Keefeology]

I do have the experience with playing. But I don't have the experience with the parts. I prefer a much bassy tone. So should I still go for Duncan designed pickups? What's the difference from the ones made in Korea and Seymor Duncan? o.o

 

[Morlock]

only barts or emgs for me... if I need brightness I go for emgs.. otherwise barts... I always go for active controls and put 18volts so you will always have flexibilty and control to your tone

 

[Composer of Requiems]

You could always sell the Duncan designed and buy others if you don't like it.

 

[Keefeology]

How about MIK pups? Are they reliable?

 

[jbarks]

MIK whats? You can have a terrific build and a horrible build all from the same factory. Country of origin doesn't matter.

 

[alanchia]

seems like ts needs to play with more different basses. perhaps his next question would be, what wood material for neck/fretboard/body (very likely), pups arrangement (ie PP, PJ, JP, PJP), what onboard pre-amp, through body or bolted, piezo bridge (least likely).

if i want a custom bass, i'll want one which is different from most mass-produced basses in the market.

 

[fretless6]

Sorry but I find it a little oxymoronic about a custom bass thread in the rookie forum. If you don't really know what u know, why even take the custom route? There are plenty of decent basses on the market that you can actually test before you put down your $$.

 

[Keefeology]

seems like ts needs to play with more different basses. perhaps his next question would be, what wood material for neck/fretboard/body (very likely), pups arrangement (ie PP, PJ, JP, PJP), what onboard pre-amp, through body or bolted, piezo bridge (least likely).

if i want a custom bass, i'll want one which is different from most mass-produced basses in the market.

I just wanted to clear some doubts only. My main question is regarding about whether JAZZ PICKUPS THAT ARE MADE IN KOREA. Are they reliable for songs such as Hysteria? But seems like the answers I'm receiving are like far out from what I'm asking.

 

[alanchia]

I just wanted to clear some doubts only. My main question is regarding about whether JAZZ PICKUPS THAT ARE MADE IN KOREA. Are they reliable for songs such as Hysteria? But seems like the answers I'm receiving are like far out from what I'm asking.

not familiar with generic no-brand korea pup. sorry.

 

[volux]

Well the only Duncan-designed J-pups that I know of is from Squier's Modified Vintage Jazz Bass. Personally went down to Swee Lee to test it but alas, it was sold out. So couldn't really hear it for myself. Online reviews however point to it being pretty good. Then again, I'm not sure if your Duncan-designed pups are the same ones used on the Squier's MVJB.

 

[Keefeology]

Well the only Duncan-designed J-pups that I know of is from Squier's Modified Vintage Jazz Bass. Personally went down to Swee Lee to test it but alas, it was sold out. So couldn't really hear it for myself. Online reviews however point to it being pretty good. Then again, I'm not sure if your Duncan-designed pups are the same ones used on the Squier's MVJB.

Yea, I saw the reviews on that as well. I think duncan is more reliable, I guess? Compared to Korean pick ups.

 

[volux]

Yea, I saw the reviews on that as well. I think duncan is more reliable, I guess? Compared to Korean pick ups.

Btw, just to clarify, Duncan-designed pups aren't really the *real* Duncans.. Or at least that's what I was told. Seymour Duncan to Duncan-designed is like how Fender is to Squier.. Am I right?

 

[jbarks]

Yea, I saw the reviews on that as well. I think duncan is more reliable, I guess? Compared to Korean pick ups.

Duncan Designed pickups are made in Korea. I've said it already—country of origin doesn't matter. Are Duncan Designed pickups decent? Yes. But nobody can answer your question if you're asking if one Korean pickup is better than *a* Korean pickup. Chances are they're made in the same factory. It's like asking if an old Lakland Skyline is better than a Korean bass—they were both made by Cort in Korea.

So I'll ask again: DD vs Korean-made whats?

 

[Keefeology]

Nah, it's okay I guess I'll go for duncan design pick ups. It's not like I'm going for a world tour or anything. I don't need a 2 billion dollar pickup in order to make things sound nice right? Thanks for your help anyway people.

 

[alanchia]

all the best to your custom bass! do share with us when it arrives.

 

[fretless6]

Just a last ditch piece of advice from me again.

Low budget custom made instruments usually end up being worse than low budget production instruments. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

So spend your $$ wisely. Esp since ur on a tight budget.

 

[dodgethis]

You are custom building an instrument to your exact specs and you decide to cheap out on the pickups at the last stretch, and you choose pickups whose sound you don't even know? Planing out the budget for this instrument was not done properly when you spec'd it out, thus leaving yourself with such a big headache.

Any pickup or whatever piece of equipment can be reliable, it's a matter of the manufacturing process and/or how much care a person showers on it. Take pedals, for example. Two people have the same effect pedal. However, one's lasts a week because he decided to be stupid and jump on it to activate it everytime. The other guy's lasts for his entire playing life.

 

[Keefeology]

You are custom building an instrument to your exact specs and you decide to cheap out on the pickups at the last stretch, and you choose pickups whose sound you don't even know? Planing out the budget for this instrument was not done properly when you spec'd it out, thus leaving yourself with such a big headache.

Any pickup or whatever piece of equipment can be reliable, it's a matter of the manufacturing process and/or how much care a person showers on it. Take pedals, for example. Two people have the same effect pedal. However, one's lasts a week because he decided to be stupid and jump on it to activate it everytime. The other guy's lasts for his entire playing life.

Like I said, I'm not going on a world tour. So why for would I need such an amazing pickup? So therefore I decided to tighten my budget and spend the rest on pedals and the only way to change the pickups. So I was just asking around SOFT whether they would recommend Duncan designed jazz pickups. That is all. Thanks for your advice. But I take care of my basses like their own my babies if that's what you mean. So even if my 3rd bass that comes in is a piece of crap. I'll still love it.