This is my first post. I have a Bronco Bass that I'm modding into a 4 string baritone guitar:
It will be tuned to Drop G with the string gauge as 90-75-50-40.
I need a great pickup that has a great distortion as well as great clean sound. I don't know a lot about pickups so I don't know if I should get a bass pickup or a guitar pickup based on the tuning. A friend suggested this but I don't know one from another: http://www.lacemusic.com/Bassbar.php
Any help/suggestions would be much appreciated and I apologize for my lack of knowledge here!
Drop G? As in the G between the low E and A on a bass? You won't need such thick strings for that. I have a Gretsch six string bass and it did A to A fine on the light D'addario baritone set, so you'd probably be fine with a 75-80 for the low G. These should be perfect: http://www.thomann.de/gb/ernie_ball_eb_ ... tAodvDEA6g
Oh, and to answer your question, you'd probably find it difficult to find a bass pickup that would match the close string spacing, if you're bothered about that sort of thing. Guitar pickups will work. I'd lean toward slightly hotter pickups, to be honest, and humbuckers would be best, though the fairly weak pickups on my Gretsch are perfectly fine, so it's really up to you but I'd probably stick with actual guitar pickups.
I have 2 baritones that are tuned to Drop A. So this would be just below that. Is that the same thing youre referring to?
Why? I don't know. I could tune the Bronco to drop A as well but I wanted something different. Plus I wasn't sure how the neck would hold up or if lighter strings would be too floppy. I will be playing it like a guitar, not a bass. I basically want it to be a 4 string baritone guitar that can have some massive clean clear distortion as well as some great clear tones. If I put a 75-80 on the low string what would you recommend for the others?
Well the strings you mentioned are likely only a few points lighter (if at all) than the strings the Bronco would come with from the factory, I think. And you'd be tuning those strings up a step and a half to G from E. They can probably take it, as would the guitar, but there's a balance to be found in terms of string thickness under the fingers and tension. If you want it to feel like a guitar, like your baritones, then you want as thin strings as possible without becoming too floppy. I'd suggest an 80 max for the E, while the other three strings could be similar gauges to the ones you'd normally use for tuning to A on your baritones, so you could probably get away with a .55-60 for the 2nd string (C), a .40-.50 for the 3rd (F) and as light as a (wound) 26-36 for the fourth (Bb).
But really it's down to preference. You'll probably need to experiment if you're doing something that isn't really the standard B, A or E tuning.
For the pickup, I wouldn't bother with such an expensive option as a Lace. Go with something affordable. Have a look at GFS pickups. A hot rails-type would drop right in and hopefully give the strings a nice punch.
Hot rails and the Lace Sensor red are perennial favorites for Bronco bass mods. Both sound good as bass pickups, neither one should have a problem with string spacing, and as both are originally guitar pickups, they should work pretty well with the drop G tuning. The Lace Sensor has a reputation for being pretty dark as anything but a bass pickup. That's what I've got in mine, but it's in standard bass tuning. If you're concerned about clarity, maybe look at a rails pickup instead.
ekwatts wrote:Well the strings you mentioned are likely only a few points lighter (if at all) than the strings the Bronco would come with from the factory, I think. And you'd be tuning those strings up a step and a half to G from E. They can probably take it, as would the guitar, but there's a balance to be found in terms of string thickness under the fingers and tension. If you want it to feel like a guitar, like your baritones, then you want as thin strings as possible without becoming too floppy. I'd suggest an 80 max for the E, while the other three strings could be similar gauges to the ones you'd normally use for tuning to A on your baritones, so you could probably get away with a .55-60 for the 2nd string (C), a .40-.50 for the 3rd (F) and as light as a (wound) 26-36 for the fourth (Bb).
But really it's down to preference. You'll probably need to experiment if you're doing something that isn't really the standard B, A or E tuning.
For the pickup, I wouldn't bother with such an expensive option as a Lace. Go with something affordable. Have a look at GFS pickups. A hot rails-type would drop right in and hopefully give the strings a nice punch.
Gotcha. Yea, I'll try with an 80 on the low string and go from there. I may even tune up to Drop A instead. Thanks!
mixtape wrote:Hot rails and the Lace Sensor red are perennial favorites for Bronco bass mods. Both sound good as bass pickups, neither one should have a problem with string spacing, and as both are originally guitar pickups, they should work pretty well with the drop G tuning. The Lace Sensor has a reputation for being pretty dark as anything but a bass pickup. That's what I've got in mine, but it's in standard bass tuning. If you're concerned about clarity, maybe look at a rails pickup instead.
yeah, it looks like a hot rails may be the way to go. Thanks!
Red Lace Sensor x1000. It's actually my favorite sounding bass pickup.
Kinda crappy as a guitar pickup, though... IMO, of course. But really, it's all about what you want from your sound. At the end of the day, Laces are single coils and Hot Rails are humbuckers. One will never be confused for the other.
Last edited by honeyiscool on Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:58 am, edited 3 times in total.
ekwatts wrote:For the pickup, I wouldn't bother with such an expensive option as a Lace. Go with something affordable. Have a look at GFS pickups. A hot rails-type would drop right in and hopefully give the strings a nice punch.
GFS rails are like $25 + shipping, though, and GFS loves to charge you up the ass for shipping. I just did a check out. A single Lil Killer is like $35.71 after shipping. That's kind of a ripoff, IMO.
A Fender Lace Red Sensor is $49 w/ free shipping from a lot of places. It's hardly expensive. And at least a Lace has some resale value. Speaking of which, you can get one used.
Last edited by honeyiscool on Wed Jan 23, 2013 1:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
Really? $10+ for shipping for a single pickup to California isn't crazy?
BTW, as an alternative option, Dragonfire sells Hot Rails. You can get them for like $20 + $6 shipping. Much more reasonable. In my experience, Dragonfire stuff is Artec, GFS is Artec, too. Not saying they're the same, but they use the same OEM. That said, with these no-name pickups, if you don't like the pickups, you probably will find very little resale value, whereas name brand stuff can be resold at a 20-25% or so loss. It is what it is.
