I have been playing guitar for a while, but I am new to the Bass.
I recently built a Warmoth Gecko 5-string Fretless Bass, but I am having a little problem with it.
The Low B and the G strings are quieter than the other strings. If I am playing on one of the middle three strings every thing sounds great, but if I drop down to the bottom string or hit the top string it sounds like I missed the note. It isn't mute or anything but it is definitly quieter than the other strings.
The pickups seem to be picking up OK, I have the pup height set correctly, the string height and spacing seems to be OK. But I can't figure out why those 2 strings won't pickup like the others.
Here is the info on the bass: Mahagony body w/ Maple top, maple neck w/ ebony fretboard, Seymour Duncan Steve Bailey Jazz pups w/ 3 band EQ.
Keep in mind this is my first time building a guitar, so it could be a grounding or wiring issue, but I don't know what to check next.
Thanks for your help
Randy
IMO it's more likely to be the height of the pickups. Most are adjustable so you can screw them up closer to the strings for more volume.
I've never built or fixed a guitar so take this advice for what it's worth. I'm sure there are others here who know more.
--
Helgi Briem
hbriem AT gmail DOT com
You might send Duncan an email if you haven't already.
I looked up those pups and they're 'blade' type stacked humbuckers apparenly, so what I was thinking about maybe the pole pieces not lining up under the outside strings is wrong. The blade should cover those. It sounds like somehow there's a cancellation of frequencies, but I don't see how it would only cancel the outside strings and not the others. I mean, I guess it's possible, but then it would be a wiring issue; like one of the coils is somehow out of phase with one of the other coils. Still, I would think that would make the entire pickup softer, and not just specific strings.
And usually, since the string height would be higher for the middle strings and lower for the outside strings - due to following the arch of the frets - it would be the inside strings that would be slightly softer if the pickup curve didn't match the fretboard curve, but that isin't the case here.
Have you tried soloing each pickup? And if so, if you have just the bridge pup or neck pup on, does the same thing happen, or is it only when both are on at the same time?
Just trying to narrow it down as to whether there's a phase cancellation, and if so, is it between coils of the same pup or between the two pups.
Let us know.
I adjusted the pups so they were closer to the strings, and it did make them louder, but it also made the middle strings louder. So it didn't really help that much.
Randy
Okay, here's another question: in the active electronics section, or the circuit board or something, do they have little trim knobs/pots? Some circuits do so you can tweak the balance between strings.
Are the B and G strings softer everywhere? If you play at the 7th fret are they still quieter?
Are the pickups wide enough? If they were intended for a 4-string, then it would make sense that they "can't reach" the upper and lower string.
Just some thoughts...
-Laz
